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Minnesota Wild Turkey Youth Hunt
By Rick Petrekovic           

Minnesota started a youth hunt for Wild Turkeys in 2004.  It has grown steadily since the beginning.  2008 saw 30 organized hunts with 237 youths participating in their first ever Wild Turkey hunt.  Requirements for the youth to participate in 2007 included:  be between 12 -17 years of age, possess a valid Firearms Safety Certificate, have a parent, guardian or adult authorized by parent who will accompany the youth to the pre-hunt orientation and the hunt.  Additionally the youth must have been selected by lottery for a Minnesota Wild Turkey License.  Before actually hunting and after receiving a draw the youth must purchase an actual Turkey license.  If they harvest a bird it must be registered.

Youths successful in the drawing must then attend an Advanced Hunter Education Turkey Clinic/Youth Hunt Orientation Session with their parent/guardian who will accompany them on the hunt.  NWTF provides trained volunteers to conduct the clinics.  All clinics provide ample opportunity to ask any questions from youths and or parent/guardians.

I personally have participated as a mentor/guide in each hunt and enjoy it immensely.  The responsibilities of the mentor/guide include:  Being an experienced Turkey Hunter,  member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, access to private land to hunt, patterning the youth’s gun, instruction in use of decoys, proper camo, use of blinds, correct set – up, scouting for birds, and putting the birds to bed the night before the hunt. Mentor/Guides also provide a picnic lunch on Saturday after the first day of hunting.  This is perfect opportunity for all the youth to share their experiences and for some lucky ones show off their birds.                                                                                                   

Each mentor/guide has one on one responsibility for a youth.  I was assigned to the Jacobs family from Shakopee, MN.   Tyler and Jeff both received a draw and needed mentor/guides.  Tom Murtaugh of New Prague and the NWTF teamed up with me to make it happen for Tyler and Jeff.

Tom and I together secured permission to hunt private land and insured there were Turkeys available.  One location actually had approximately 35 turkeys walk right in front of us the day the land owner gave us permission to hunt.  Next step was for Tom and me to meet with Tyler, Jeff, and their Dad John.  We patterned their guns in at about 25 yards with Targets provided by MN DNR in their Turkey Handbook mailed out with license or clinic participation.  We shot 20 ga. and 12 ga. with various combinations of #4 , #5, #6 shot in modified and full choke.  Every gun is different and reacts uniquely with various choke/load combinations.  We actually counted the number of hits in the target area of the neck from every possible combination until both Tyler and Jeff were confident.  Full Choke and # 6 seemed to work the best.  When we were through each gun was hitting the target area with about 12 -14 pellets.  Now when an opportunity for in range shot presented itself we all had confidence both Tyler and Jeff could close the deal.  All serious Turkey hunters need to go through this process and especially someone guiding/mentoring a youth on their first hunt. 

After discussing proper camo, use of blinds, calling, decoy set up, and need to be quiet and sit still we went scouting.  This was a full week before the actual hunt.  All five of us scouted both locations and identified Turkey Roost Trees, tracks, feeding areas, male vs. female feces, and likely spot to set up and why.  Covering both areas took at least three hours but when we were finished both Tyler and Jeff volunteered that they were starting to get more confident and excited about their first ever Turkey Hunt.  After coaxing Jeff to pick up some J shaped Gobbler Turkey feces to determine if it was fresh to the touch he proclaimed, “ I am going to shoot this Gobbler!”  I responded that’s the attitude.

The actual youth hunt takes place on a Saturday and Sunday with hunting hours ½ hour before sunrise to 12 noon both days.  Theory is if you can get a youth to sit still for 6 hours you are doing pretty well and I agree.  From the start Tom and I instructed both Tyler and Jeff that the success rate for Turkey Hunting is less than 33%.  Regular hunts take place over either 5 or 7 days and hunters can hunt all day.  Our stated goal was to educate the youth on proper and safe Turkey Hunting Techniques and have fun doing it.  We wanted the youths to hear, see, and feel some of our passion for The Wild Turkey.  Any birds harvested would be a bonus.

We all agreed to meet at my home at 4:45 am the Saturday morning of the first day of our hunt..  I was assigned Jeff and Liz his Mom would accompany us.  Tom would go with Tyler and his dad John.  In an effort to be organized the night before the hunt we set up a pop-up blind for Liz and a stake ground blind for Jeff and me. I wanted to be leaning against a tree right next to Jeff during the hunt.  Jeff was using my 30 year old Winchester 12 ga. Pump with Federal #6 loads and full choke.  Jeff had carried his three lucky shells with him for a week and was very serious when we met the morning of the hunt.  Our decoys were already set up and assembled inside the pop – up blind.  All we had to do was walk the ½ mile back to the blind and get settled before legal shooting which was about 5:50 am.  We put the birds to bed the night before and everyone was excited.  Liz actually heard some birds fly up at dusk the night before.  The fact that Jeff’s mother was willing to get up at 3:30 am, walk ½ mile with gear to the blind in the dark, and encouraged her sons to go on their first ever Turkey hunt should be a motivation to the rest of you moms out there to share an experience like this with your sons and daughters next Spring.

Jeff’s Mom Liz had never been on a hunt before and could not understand why we were walking in the dark to the blind at such an early hour.  As it turned out our timing was about perfect.  Soon as everyone was settled and the decoys were set we heard the first gobble across the open field.  Only a minute later Liz informed us that it was legal shooting time.  The Turkeys started to wake up as well.  The Gobblers started getting fired up in a hurry.  We had at least a dozen gobblers sounding off in front of us.  Every time I touched one of my calls they fired back a gobble. They responded to box, slate, and diaphragm calls with equal doses of enthusiasm.  For about 30 minutes it sounded like Wild Turkey surround sound.  It was a Wild Turkey Symphony that alone made it well worth getting up at 4:00 am.  Eventually the birds quieted down.  We did not hear them fly down and we never heard or saw one of them again after 6:30 am.  Jeff asked me why they quit gobbling and what we did next.  I responded a lot of quiet Turkeys are shot every day.  Six deer walked single file across the field in front of us and we constantly heard a chorus of Sandhill cranes, ducks, geese, and crowing pheasants.

About 6:45 am we heard two different birds fly down behind us.  One gobbled about two hundred yards directly behind us.  The sound came from the area where Jeff had found fresh Gobbler droppings and stated he was going to shoot the bird that created the j – hooked shape.  Our decoys were set about 25 yards directly in front of us. We had two Jakes and three hen decoys for visual effect.   About five minutes later a thunderous gobble cut loose within 25 – 30 yards right behind us.  I think Jeff about jumped out his skin and it got me pumped as well.  It was a beautiful Tom in full strut on the two track leading to our decoys.  This Tom proceeded to strut, fan, display, drum, and dance back and forth for about ten minutes about 25 yard away. This Tom was doing his best to impress our decoys.   Jeff was waiting for the bird to come all the way to the decoys.  After a while I came to conclusion that the Tom was not coming any further. Several times the Tom turned and started to leave and I would call him back.  After we went through this drill about four times I decided we needed to take him right where he was before he turned and never came back.   Jeff ever so slowly turned to his right around the tree we were leaning on and I was forced to lie down out of his way.  I was able to see through the blind from the ground.  Next thing I know the gun barrel is pointed toward the bird but in front of my face.  Jeff was super excited and unable to hold steady. I think I heard his heart pounding while his gun was unable to remain still for a clean shot.  He took several slow deep breaths, calmed himself, extended the barrel further out from my face, and squeezed the trigger.  Boom !!!  The Tom was down.  Jeff jumped up and was super excited.  Liz his Mom saw the whole show from her pop – up blind only 30 feet behind us.  Jeff and his Mom were on their first ever Turkey hunt and had a beautiful 23 lb., 8 ½ “ beard, and 1 3/8 “ spur Tom by 7:00 am.  After taking photos and congratulations Jeff carried his bird over his shoulder all the way back to the vehicle ½ mile and never rested once.   Liz video taped some of Jeff walking with that bird over his shoulder.  Net result I think we hooked Jeff forever on Turkey Hunting.

Kent Hrbek Outdoors also taped a segment on our hunt including interviews with both youths and parents.  Eric Gislason expressed a strong interest in assisting us in obtaining more volunteers to mentor/guide youths in the future.  Hopefully his segment on our hunt will accomplish that goal.  Thanks to Eric and Kent Hrbek Outdoors.

Tyler Jeff’s brother saw and heard birds both days.  Tom called in a nice Jake but it was 5 feet over a fence line on property we did not have permission to hunt on.  Tyler passed on the shot which is quite admirable of the young hunter.  Tom also called in a few hens right in front of the blind.  Tyler tried to grow a beard on those hens but just could not quite do it.  Tyler had a great hunt and Tom enjoyed himself the whole time.  John Tyler’s Dad was very enthusiastic and supportive about the whole Youth Hunt.

Saturday PM we had a lunch at my house. My wife put together a great lunch.  Tom provided Elk Burgers from his 2007 Idaho hunt and we had baked beans, fruit salad, guacamole dip, fresh baked chocolate cookies, and talked about the hunt.  The Elk Burgers were to kill for and were gone in a hurry.

The MN. Turkey Youth Hunt is a tremendous success but we need more NWTF volunteers to step up and be mentor/guides in the future.  This year alone 150 additional youth applied for the hunt but were unable to participate because we did not have enough mentor/guides.  If you are a NWTF member consider volunteering for the next hunt. If not a member of NWTF join first and then volunteer if you are an experienced hunter.
I guarantee you will receive ten times back as much as you put into it.  When Jeff first saw the Tom in strut I will never forget what he whispered,”  He’s Beautiful.”  You bet he is!!