Getting Youth Involved in Turkey Hunting
If you are looking to get some youth involved in hunting, look no further than turkey hunting. Turkey hunts can offer the best show that a youngster can watch while in the woods. Hearing gobbles and watching birds strut into the decoys will get anyone’s heart pumping! Here are some tips when taking a kid into the field.
See Some Distance
Setting up on the edge of a field or a large clearing can help you see more birds or wildlife in general. The last thing you want when taking a young hunter out is to get skunked. Get in an open area where you can see a good distance and it should help to at least see something. Sitting in these open areas allows the young hunter to follow behind safely and quietly. Sometimes, when taking new hunters, it’s hard to navigate the timber because of the dry leaves and sticks that are on the ground, tripping them up and making a bunch of noise. Getting out before the season and scouting these spots with the youngsters will make things easier as well because they know what to expect.
Use Decoys
Some of the best memories of turkey hunting are watching a boss Tom strut his way up to a good decoy and start beating up on it. This makes the moment of pulling the trigger that much sweeter. While the show is a good experience, having decoys set out also gives the turkeys a final destination. The turkeys will be more predictable in their movement if coming into decoys instead of wandering into an area after hearing some calls. This allows the gun to be set up well before the turkeys get into range.
Ditch The Morning Hunt
Sometimes, in turkey hunting, the early bird doesn’t always get the worm. As toms fly down, they attract the hens to them and drift off, never to be found again. Late morning through the afternoon, these hens eventually break off to feed, and the toms are left once again looking for love. The worst part of hunting is getting up in the morning, especially for young kids. Let the kids sleep in, and they will be more attentive. Why drag them out there when they’re half asleep and bound to be crabby? Sleep in, eat some breakfast, and maybe scan some fields for strutters before you head to the blind in hopes of a big tom to come in.
Invest In A Good Blind
Sitting in a nice chair with a cushion is a lot better than leaning up against a tree for hours on end. Hunting in a blind while taking a youth hunter is a necessity. Ground blinds conceal movement and allow the hunter to pick up the gun and swing it to the window needed (or play on the tablet when hunting is slow.) Pair a nice blind with a heater for those cold mornings, and you could sit in the same spot all day. TideWe makes the See Through Pop Up Blind in 2-3 person or 3-4 person. This blind has one-way see-through mesh, so there are no blind spots, allowing the hunter to watch turkeys wherever they are. Set the blind with TideWe’s comfortable blind chairs to allow you to outlast the turkeys.
The point of taking youth out to hunt is to allow them to pass it down to the next generation. Giving them comfortable and memorable experiences will instill the passion that we have for the outdoors into them. Maybe one day, they’ll return the favor when hunting is getting a little more difficult for us.
Author
Kody Szews
Kody Szews calls Central Wisconsin home. Growing up on a dairy farm and majoring in Environmental Management at UW-Stevens Point has given him an insight on multiple sides of natural resources. He has worked with dozens of private landowners to help achieve their goals for their property, whether it be shooting the biggest buck, or just trying to see more deer.
