I took my 7 year old out turkey hunting on April 23. He hunted last year and even after practicing last spring passed up shot opportunities on a bearded hen that attacked his new DSD hen decoy, and a group of gobblers that passed by. We practiced this spring again and he said he was ready to shoot a bird if I could get one in front of him.
We set up the old double bull T5 on April 16 and hunted on April 17, and I worked a lone gobbler from probably 1/3 to a 1/2 mile off. He was slow coming in and he toyed with us for a while then strutted in from our left (kid is right handed/left eyed so shoots lefty) and passed by the blind at about 4 yards then strutted quartering away. He gobbled just feet from us several times, which was pretty intense. He was lined up for the shot but couldn't see the head (taught him to aim for the waddles basically) so he didn't shoot. When I got him to stick out his head he was still quartering away and he pulled the trigger, and missed. He was pretty disappointed, but took it better than I thought he would.
The next weekend we were back out, and this time had a bird gobbling about 200 yards behind the blind, so better shape than last time. We had him going but at flydown he didn't make his way to us and I figured he had a couple hens. A few other far off birds were possibly coming but then would move off and the one behind us would intermittently be closer as well, but never committed. About an hour and a half in, he gobbled much closer and there he was out in front of us trailing two feeding hens. I tried my best to rile one of the hens up but the best I could get was for one to stop feeding and help at me a few times. As they fed right to left and got directly in front of us the gobbler actually broke from the live hens, leaving them some 80+ yards behind and came to the DSD hen and jake we had out. I readied the little guy for the shot and covered my ears. He held off with the bird never stopping and basically figure 8 dancing around the decoys. Then he wanted me to shoot (bow hunting) but I wanted him to and didn't have a window open on my side to take a right handed shot out the right corner. The gobbler finally started back at a slow walk to his hens and he asked to shoot, but it was too far. My heart sank, the poor little guy was so excited and had missed an opportunity. He is a pretty cautious kid and we are working on his confidence.
I told him not all was lost and the gobbler was still only about 80-100 yards away with his two hens. I tried to get them going again, but couldn't. I stuck with it and just tried to coax them in rather than trying to rile a hen up. They started feeding toward us and my optimism increased. They fed slowly toward us and when they were about 50 yards from the decoys both hens were like "forget this, lets go see what's up with these newcomers", and they bolted for the decoys.....with the gobbler in tow. We were excited to say the least, and he was shaking a little. As the hens towered over the decoys posturing and clucking the gobbler stood still contently in full strut. My son readied for the shot and I reminded him to hold his point of aim and squeeze. As the shot went off the gobbler folded and flipped in the air landing on his back. He absolutely rolled him. He was so excited!
It was a great bird and a better hunt.
23lbs
9.5" beard
1 1/16 and 1 1/8 spurs
We set up the old double bull T5 on April 16 and hunted on April 17, and I worked a lone gobbler from probably 1/3 to a 1/2 mile off. He was slow coming in and he toyed with us for a while then strutted in from our left (kid is right handed/left eyed so shoots lefty) and passed by the blind at about 4 yards then strutted quartering away. He gobbled just feet from us several times, which was pretty intense. He was lined up for the shot but couldn't see the head (taught him to aim for the waddles basically) so he didn't shoot. When I got him to stick out his head he was still quartering away and he pulled the trigger, and missed. He was pretty disappointed, but took it better than I thought he would.
The next weekend we were back out, and this time had a bird gobbling about 200 yards behind the blind, so better shape than last time. We had him going but at flydown he didn't make his way to us and I figured he had a couple hens. A few other far off birds were possibly coming but then would move off and the one behind us would intermittently be closer as well, but never committed. About an hour and a half in, he gobbled much closer and there he was out in front of us trailing two feeding hens. I tried my best to rile one of the hens up but the best I could get was for one to stop feeding and help at me a few times. As they fed right to left and got directly in front of us the gobbler actually broke from the live hens, leaving them some 80+ yards behind and came to the DSD hen and jake we had out. I readied the little guy for the shot and covered my ears. He held off with the bird never stopping and basically figure 8 dancing around the decoys. Then he wanted me to shoot (bow hunting) but I wanted him to and didn't have a window open on my side to take a right handed shot out the right corner. The gobbler finally started back at a slow walk to his hens and he asked to shoot, but it was too far. My heart sank, the poor little guy was so excited and had missed an opportunity. He is a pretty cautious kid and we are working on his confidence.
I told him not all was lost and the gobbler was still only about 80-100 yards away with his two hens. I tried to get them going again, but couldn't. I stuck with it and just tried to coax them in rather than trying to rile a hen up. They started feeding toward us and my optimism increased. They fed slowly toward us and when they were about 50 yards from the decoys both hens were like "forget this, lets go see what's up with these newcomers", and they bolted for the decoys.....with the gobbler in tow. We were excited to say the least, and he was shaking a little. As the hens towered over the decoys posturing and clucking the gobbler stood still contently in full strut. My son readied for the shot and I reminded him to hold his point of aim and squeeze. As the shot went off the gobbler folded and flipped in the air landing on his back. He absolutely rolled him. He was so excited!
It was a great bird and a better hunt.
23lbs
9.5" beard
1 1/16 and 1 1/8 spurs
