2016 Youth Spring Turkey Hunt Contest Official Thread - Deadline is April 29

[letinmfly]

Guys I appreciate all of your posts but can you please only post pics of successful hunts along with pics on this thread? 

[Ron]

Congratulations to all the successful and unsuccessful youths some great birds taken and great memories made.

.My buddy and i took 2 youths out together Saturday morning and Blaze 13 smoked this jake 5min after it hit the ground from its roost.. We worked several more birds throughout the morning and one nice long beard came into within 35 yards but no shot for my nephew Dillon 13.... 

 

Edited April 25, 2016 by Ron

[jjb4900]

I'm feeling like a bad father now not being able to close the deal on birds we had going. Not sure what I could have done differently. Called them from maybe 500 yards off to 200 into field edge. Couldn't get them to cross to our side of field. The 2 adult toms displayed spinning in circles for 45 minutes or so. We noticed a lot of hens still in their woods edge. We as another hen weren't going to move as toms wanted. I closed the gap of the initial contact but simply couldn't draw them in closer. Once they were strutting I ditched yelps and went soft clucks and some loving purrs with some scratching behind me. What would you have done ?

Congrats to all the youths and mentors on connecting this weekend. Love the pics and stories.

Hoping now daughter and I connect on s double regular opener We still had a blast but I'm a little disappointed for her.

I had the same feeling when I blamed myself for my son not getting a shot at a nice buck a few years ago....came in too fast and got too close, I rushed him and the buck caught our movement....beat myself up for awhile after that.....I honestly think I felt worse then he did, but like the others have already said, you did good no matter what the outcome was.

Edited April 25, 2016 by jjb4900

[G-Man]

Well I apologize for the picture entry.. he doesn't have computer so he typed it out at library and had his mom send me pictures..I'd retype it but I have hard enough time typing on little keys..lol

[wooly]

Just wanted to add my own little "spin" to G-mans post to make it more viewer friendly.

[G-Man]

Thanks wooly , I'm am by no means computer or in my case cell phone capable..

[Skillet]

I'm Hunter, Kurt's son. I'm 13 & this was my first turkey. We got him this sunday at our camp in Naples. This is my second year of turkey hunting, but I've been going with dad for a lot of years. Last year we had a lot of birds around us but I messed up two shots. I felt bad for wounding a bird. We were both really looking forward to this season.

Saturday at a neighbor's hill we call the murderhorn, we had four toms calling on the roost, but they shut up when they landed. We never got them to talk again that day. Sunday morning at the same place, we had two toms lock up at about 100yards in a field. Gobbling and strutting, but they wouldn't come the rest of the way. Then a guy and his son moved in on us and spooked them. We were surprised to see them and they ran when dad called out to get there attention. Then we went back to our land and got into our spot around ten fifteen. Dad called a little but nobody answered. I fell asleep. Dad woke me up and there was a fox standing in front of us. A few minutes later dad said he saw a turkey cross the path aways out. I thought he was joking, but then I knew he was serious by the sound of his voice. There turned out to be three birds. A tom and two jakes. They fed around us for ten minutes, but too far and not clear. Finally they started to move closer. The tom split off from the jakes and came up the trail our decoy was on but he ignored her. The jakes had gotten around behind us but dad said to ignore them or we would be busted. When the tom got around 35 yards, dad said to get him. So I shot and he went down, but started to flop away. Dad jumped and ran after him, but fell on his face over a old wire fence. His call striker went flying out of his pocket and a log hit him in the guts so he took a second to get up and I was scared the tom would get away. I decided to go out there to help. Dad caught him though and jumped on him. They fought for a few seconds, until he stopped flopping. I was so excited! This was the exact tree I had missed from last year and last year dad lost his striker too, running out after the bird. We looked for it, but couldn't find it. Dad said a striker for a turkey was a fair price and that he had another one anyway. He said from now on we will call that tree the redemption tree.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Skillet

[wooly]

Skillets fix..

 

 

[Skillet]

Thanks!

[letinmfly]

I want to congratulate the youths and their mentors who participated in the youth hunt and were successful, and in this contest.  I am very happy to see the increased participation this year and hopefully this contest will continue to grow.

Paula, Matt and I will be re-reading everyone's stories and viewing the photos and we will make a decision on the winners in the next few days.  There will be three winners picked this year and I will announce the winners on May 4, when I get back from hunting.

 

Good luck to everyone who will be hunting this season and be safe!!!

[letinmfly]

We had a unanimous decision by all three judges as to who the winners are.  Here they are in order...

 

1. Skillet

2. G-man

3. rotorooter23

 

Congrats to the winners as well as everyone who submitted an entry for the contest!!

Skillet your youth hunter can choose between the antler lamp that wooly donated or a custom boxcall by SS Calls donated by Al Shoemaker, along with a $25 gift card to Bass Pro which was donated by MACHINIST.   G-man's youth will receive which ever prize you don't choose.  rotorooter23's youth will receive a potcall donated by Rick Howard.

I need you guys to PM me your addy's so we can get the prizes to you!!

 

As far as the rest of the entries please PM your addy's and I will get something to you all.

 

I would also like to thank MACHINIST for once again donating a prize for this contest.  It is greatly appreciated.

A big thanks to wooly, Rick Howard and Al Shoemaker for donating prizes for the contest!!

Edited May 4, 2016 by letinmfly

[Skillet]

Wow, thanks! He'll be psyched when he hears this.

[MACHINIST]

Who gets the gift card Letinmfly?

[letinmfly]

Who gets the gift card Letinmfly?

 

Darn it!!  I forgot to list it.  Sorry.  It's going to go to Skillet's youth hunter.

[MACHINIST]

Ok let me know a addy and Ill have it mailed out

[rotorooter23]

Thanks to all involved that made this possible and congrats to all the Youth Hunters on their harvests!

[grampy]

Huge props for all who donated prizes. And congratulations to the winners and all the youth hunters who participated. And most importantly to all the mentors who took the time to take a kid hunting! You are all winners!!!

[letinmfly]

Skillet's youth hunter has chosen the antler lamp.  G-man please PM me your addy so I can send the SS boxcall your way.

[wooly]

Good job this year to everyone who got involved with ANY aspect of the youth hunt, whether birds were killed or not!

I've grown to really enjoy the pictures and stories you all share here during this youth hunt.

Special thanks goes out to Lou for orchestrating this contest again to help encourage getting the next generation of hunters off to a good start!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.... it's a great thing you do Lou putting it all together for anyone that wants to participate!

Bravo buddy!

 

 

[Paula]

Congratulations to everyone!

[Rick Howard]

Well done everyone.

[G-Man]

Marshall received and loves his boxcall, though it sounds like the dogs don't like him practicing! Thanks again!

[Lawdwaz]

A hearty "ATTABOY" to all involved...........you've done good!!

[Skillet]

We received the lamp and gift card, also. Many thanks to those who organized this, & kindly donated prizes!

[rotorooter23]

Nolan received is pot call from Rick. Loves it! Little more practice and he will be calling in his owns turkeys!