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Earl
King of Spring
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 1:49 pm Posts: 572 Location: Durham, NC
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NC Youth season starts with a bang!!!
This year NC, like VA, held a youth day hunt one week prior to opening the general spring turkey season. April 1st started off with a bang!! My nephew Brian, who is 11 years old accompanied me on his first ever turkey hunt while his older brother Tyler , 14 years old, went a field with his grandpa. Brian and I were fortunate to hear several birds on the roost, managed to call in a couple of hens and later a trio of longbeards. The gobblers came nearly into shooting distance strutted a while then drifted away. A little aggressive calling followed by some contented purring and clucking convinced them to give us a second look. Brian sent a load of hevi shot #6's to the lead gobbler at 22 yards and down he went. His two amigos jumped off to the side and then returned to provide the boss with a little payback from past dominance contests they had obviously endured. Pretty exciting watching the other two gobblers whip their fallen pal then fight with each other before slipping off into the forest. When we walked over to Brian's bird lying on the ground I knew he looked big, and it was quickly confirmed once I picked him up off the ground, he was very heavy. Brian was thrilled and toted him out to the truck after asking me "how do you like me now!", I snickered looking at the site, the turkey was nearly a big as he. Later we weighed the bird and my suspicions were confirmed, an exceptional bird indeed!! 23 lb 2oz, spurs well over an inch and a very thick and long beard...what a first turkey!!! I am thankful to have been there and played a small part in helping Brian start off his turkey hunting career on the right foot!!
Will let Mr Ed tell about he and Tyler's hunt......
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Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:16 pm |
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FlatLand Gobbler
King of Spring
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:46 am Posts: 753 Location: Hampton, VA.
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Man that is awesome. That is just the way it should be. The older experienced hunters need to bring more younge people into the sport or it is gonna' die off like so many other activities have.
It is a good, wholesome, activity. It teaches kids values. It teaches them how to reverence and cherish life. I think it gives them a lot more appreciation for everything in general.
Keep up the good work
_________________ Ron
"Turkey hunting, when you knock all the feathers off it, is a game of infinite variables, played on a field of unlimited dimension, against an opponent who doesn't know the rules and wouldn't play by them if he did." ...Jim Spencer
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Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:27 pm |
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Turkenator
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 11:28 pm Posts: 333 Location: Wise County, VA
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Awesome Earl! Huge bird!
Congrats!
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Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:43 pm |
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Ed
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Tyler and I also had a very exciting hunt. We did not go early as it was raining early and where we were going was a long walk. I had fixed a blind beside a field on Friday and we went to it after the rain was gone. We settled in and two hens came in about 30 minutes later. In about 30 more minutes 4 more hens came in and started purring loudly and a little pushing and shoving. They fed about an hour and exited the field right by us. A little later we heard cutting and yelping at the north end of the field about 125 yds away. I called back and a little later saw 8 hens feeding our way. Tyler then excitedly said he saw a gobbler! Some of the hens got within 60 yds but he stayed on a little knoll about 80 or so and strutted. I tried a little soft calling but all he did was look down our way. Finally 4 of the hens broke off and came to 20 yds and stayed for 40 minutes looking and preening their feathers. The other 4 and the gobbler went to the east and out of sight when the others came our way. As they seperated he gobbled probably trying to get them to come back. When the hens finally drifted into the woods and were on the next hill I picked up my box and called and then picked up my glass call and called on it. I whispered to Tyler to lets stretch our legs as we had been sitting for 4 hours mostly with birds close enough that we could not move. I walked a little ways away to look in the far end of the field. When i looked back 2 red heads popped over the hill. Tyler saw them at the same time and hissed don't move. They were strutting and walking straight at us. Apparantly they had heard me call were headed in. They went in some tall weeds and I dropped to the ground and Tyler sat down and grabbed the gun. When they got just inside 50 yds I told him to let them get a little closer. BOOM!!!! Down he went! I said what are you doing? He said you said don't let him get any closer. It killed him instantly even though he was a long way off. It was a load of those #5 lead shot that if you read a lot are nothing compared to heavey shot. The bird was 19+ lbs. with a 10 inch or so beard and 7/8 or so spurs. All in all a wonderful way to spend 5 and 1/2 hours with your grandson. I was impressed with His patience. When I asked did he want to go he said no he was tired but he felt we were going to get one. We did but without his patience we wouldn't have. Impressive for a 14 year old but then I am biased.
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Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:36 pm |
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Gobblenow
Co-Owner/Dog Feeder
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 am Posts: 3806
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SUper job guys. Ed and Earl would be hard to beat as "youth turkey guides" since they are both incredibly talented turkey hunters. When you can pull off this kind ofba hunt for a youngster i n the family, well, it about guarantees that the turkey hunting family tradtion will live on in the Carpenter line....really neat stories and great pictures.
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Tue Apr 04, 2006 6:17 pm |
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JayMc
2 Year Old
Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 7:56 pm Posts: 58
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Wonderful birds! Congrats to the boys!
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Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:20 pm |
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Bird Dog
King of Spring
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 4:50 pm Posts: 2650 Location: central Va
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Super! congrats to all!
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Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:39 pm |
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HODY
Boss Gobbler
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 3:08 pm Posts: 1565 Location: Central VA
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That is what it is all about guys. Thanks for sharing. Tell those youngsters congrats!!!
_________________ "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."
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Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:35 am |
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Freddy
Boss Gobbler
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:50 pm Posts: 3138 Location: Goodview, VA
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Awesome! Great job everyone!
_________________ "You have to pay for every bird you kill and the coin you use to pay for them is time." - Tom Kelly
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Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:39 am |
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Shaggy
Longbeard
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:06 am Posts: 186 Location: Lancaster, PA
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Way to go guys!!! Glad to see the young ones had a successful hunt!!!
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Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:47 am |
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vabirdhunter
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:55 pm Posts: 966 Location: Chesapeake, Virginia
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Now thats passing it on. Great job.
Tim
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Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:00 pm |
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Diablo
King of Spring
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:46 am Posts: 832 Location: SC by way of WV
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I love reading the stories of all the hunts but without a doubt the favorite ones are with the youngsters or "first timers of any age". Great story and great pix. Congrats!
_________________ "A man who insists on adherence to the facts when it comes to his hunting exploits, size of fish...abilities of his bird dog...is an untrustworthy fellow. A fine sporting liar is a gentleman & someone whose acquaintance should be cherished" R. Ruark.
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Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:28 pm |
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Guest
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Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:30 pm |
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