Have Young Ones, Will Travel: Youth Turkey Hunts

I love turkey hunting and have spent many years chasing gobblers. Hunting a tom often comes with frustration and disappointment.

- Nick Fowler

Yet when you dupe the King of Spring, the excitement and sense of accomplishment is unmatched. Many hunts are vivid in my memory, so much so that I could probably find the very spot in Idaho’s beautiful mountains where I stood with my dad the first time I heard a gobble. And since the very first day my children came into this world, I’ve eagerly anticipated taking them hunting.

I’ve often wondered what I could do to help them take their first animal, but none of those imagined hunts excited me as much as the thought of my kids getting their first wild turkey. As soon as I felt my kids were ready and finally of age (5 and 7), the planning and practicing began in earnest.

In preparation for an April hunt, practice began in January….lots of practice. I did everything I could think of to make the practice as purposeful as possible, yet enjoyable for my kids. We took many trips to the shooting range. I taught them gun safety and the basic mechanics of shooting, including individual practice sessions and sessions together. I even had them practice shooting with some older peers. This added a whole new dynamic: My daughter gained new intensity and focus, my young son viewed it as an opportunity to demonstrate his skill, even show off.

During practices, we used color turkey targets, reactive sticker turkey targets, clay pigeons, water bottles, juice jugs, and a variety of random items discarded at the ranges. We even made our own turkey neck and head targets using toilet paper rolls that we painted and small oranges for the head. By the time opening morning arrived, my kids had fired 40 to 60 dove loads each through a Tristar 20 gauge, using a red dot sight, off a shooting tripod — quite a feat, with ammo being scarce. Both kids were primed and ready.