# It doesn't get any better than this...



## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

_This is a repost from my team thread about the last couple of days of hunting under the new Mentor License program for this year. If you haven't taken advantage of it by finding someone you could help out, you are severely limiting the amount of enjoyment you'll get out of this spring turkey season. _ 

*Days 1 & 2*

I've been working on hunting an eight year old boy in Otsego County last night and tonight. Had good action tonight once the winds started to lay down. He got a shot off and rolled a bird, but the bird got up and kept right on running. I'm pretty certain he shot him square in the body and didn't harm him a bit. We followed him up over the ridge, and saw him running off with his hen just as fast as can be after the shot. 

After that, we hit a new property where we actually found a dead double bearded bird. One beard about 7" and the other about 5". Not sure what happened to him, but it looks like he's only been dead a couple of days. After we found him, we worked the area over and eventually found the birds from a high hardwood ridge. A group of six gobs and five hens. 

We were figuring out what we were going to do when I looked down and saw a bird working about 150 yards below us. They (the hunter and his dad) crawled up to a couple trees and set up while I stayed back and popped a hen decoy up next to me and started talking. Once I found what he liked, he started on a bee line right up the valley below us and I figured we were all set. I stopped calling and just started scratching the leaves. He had closed the distance to about 60 yards from the shooter when all of the sudden I start hearing a couple of birds putting from our right. We had two come in silent along with that one we could see and they must have saw the hunter because they bailed off of our ridge about 40 yards away and right up the next one, taking our bird with them. I got them calmed down enough on the way to where they just stayed up on that ridge and gave us courtesy strutting and gobbles for about 15 minutes. This brought two other gobs in, making five birds taunting the poor boy 90 yards away before they all dropped off the other side of the ridge to their girls for the night. 

A great day in the turkey woods with that young man today. He is excited as can be to get back out there tomorrow.


*Day 3*

Now I know why he was so excited to go out this morning. With a day and a half of high winds behind us, and a calm morning, I had my hopes up that we'd get a good look at a bird for that young man this morning. 

We started off on a new piece of private in Otsego County that we were told by the landowner held birds. We were in well before light, set up on a disked field full of tracks. We were excited about the possibilities, seeing the tracks, but never hunting it before had no idea where the birds would be roosted or when they'd come through, if they were even in the area. Brock was cold (it was 28 degrees when we stepped out of the truck this morning) so he got my gloves and coat and fell asleep on the dirt floor of the blind while we watched light start to creep in. After not hearing anything at all by about 6:15 (I'm the least patient turkey hunter on earth), we got up and worked around the property to try to locate a bird. Brock stayed in the blind and slept. Nothing at all, so we woke Brock up and made the move to a piece of state land a few miles north in Cheboygan County. 

We located around the block, and eventually struck a gobble with an eight note on the east side of the property. As we were getting out of the truck, the bird just kept hammering. I thought we would be golden if we could cut the distance and get set up in short order. We got up to where we thought we were about 150 yards away, and he shut up. The country up there is big vertical ridges and deep draws so I thought he must have been in a draw behind the ridge we were working up. He never said another word, and after about 25 minutes of waiting, we conceeded that he must have been closer than we thought and the ridges threw the sound. We had bumped him. 

We drove a few miles west over to another big section of state land we knew held birds in years past, but hadn't been to yet this year. We stopped the first time to locate...nothing. The second time we stopped on top of a ridge, I had just put the crow call to my lips and a bird sounded off in the valley below. We backed the truck up, grabbed our gear and snuck down the hill just a bit to get set up. I put out the DSD's and as soon as we got everyone in the blind, I started to talk to him. 

After a few notes, he cut me off with a gobble. I stayed on him good for a bit and then shut up. He gobbled with me and gobbled without me. That's the point that I knew we would at least get a look at this bird. As he started closing the gap, he'd routinely let us know where he was. I started back into him a few times and was greeted with the sound of a very mouthy young lady that was with him. Her and I had quite a conversation (I don't think she liked me) and I soon noticed a bird down the ridge below us about 50 yards, slowly working his way out to us. Once he got to within about 40 yards, he must have seen the decoys because he went into a white headed full strut and just slowly worked his way straight up the ridge. 

I told Brock to get pointed at the jake decoy and don't move your gun until you see that gobbler come in. I watched him walk in the whole time through a small slit in the fabric (we only had one window open). Once the bird was within 20 yards, we had Brock take the safety off. Meanwhile, his girlfriend lectured me on her position within the pecking order from about four yards away. The way the blind was positioned, Brock nor his dad ever saw the bird until he was ten yards away. It wasn't long, and the bird sauntered up to the jake decoy Brock was guarding. Brock never let him get to it and the 20 gauge roared along with a resounding "DEAD BIRD!!!" from his dad! Brock's first turkey folded right there at eight yards, and a happy little boy rushed over to him and triumphantly stood on his neck so he wouldn't flop back down the ridge. When the dust settled, it was 9:00am, Brock had his first turkey. His trophy sported an 8.25" beard, 3/4" spurs, a full fan and was 19.5 pounds. 

I don't think he got off the phone once on the way back to town to show off his trophy to his family. He told the story with the joy and exuberance of well...an eight year old boy. When telling his story in person to someone, he'd squat down and show them what it looks like when a turkey is strutting and gobbling...:lol: 

We took the bird to the taxidermist, where he was allowed to help the taxidermist remove the beard, legs, wings and fan with his own "turkey knife" for the coming mount. 

Yeah, after this morning, I know why he was so excited last night. Truth be told, I don't think he was half as excited as I was.


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## Grey Ghost (Jun 25, 2002)

Very cool! Man, I'm loving these photos of young hunters with big grins on their faces!!! Reminds me of when I first started and the excitement I had. 

I love that last photo of him walking away down the road. That should be in a picture frame on your wall. Good job guys!


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

Well done! Way to getter done for the lad Scott!
Can you post his pic and story here as well? http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=420435

Big T


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Absolutely awesome brother!

That little guy is making some serious memories!


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Wow Scott! That's pretty cool. I love the pic of that young fella walking down the 2 track with his trophy in tow.


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## FireDoc66 (Oct 9, 2005)

Absolutely awesome! Kudos on taking him out, and congrats to all involved. 

Last picture is great! :coolgleam


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## SPITFIRE (Feb 10, 2005)

Love it! love it! love it! way to go Scotty. Hopeing to put lil vic on one next month. This mentor youth program is great and should have been done a long time ago.


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## hoytkatera125 (Oct 9, 2008)

Congrats Scott! That's sweet


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## jackbob42 (Nov 12, 2003)

Nice Job !:woohoo1::woohoo1::woohoo1:

Hunting with kids is a whole lot better than hunting by yourself.


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## BWHUNTR (Oct 3, 2008)

Well done Scott.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

Congrats on what sounds like a great time. 

Was that an Area J bird? I ask because we are interested in what the weights are of birds that pretty much, as far as we know, went all through last winter with no supplemental feed at all. We did get some corn to a few people in Otsego County, tho, as that was the only place in Area J that had more than a foot of snow on the ground for more than 4 weeks. 

Too bad about that other bird, and the bird that you found. That's a bird that someone else thought they missed, too. I've found several like that over the years.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Awesome my friend.. The new law is fantastic.


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## Gobblerman (Dec 19, 2004)

Excellent job Scott!


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Well done Scott! :coolgleam


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Absolutely awesome. Love the pic of him carrying out the bird too.


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## Eat-sleep-hunt (Apr 22, 2010)

Grey Ghost said:


> Very cool! Man, I'm loving these photos of young hunters with big grins on their faces!!! Reminds me of when I first started and the excitement I had.
> 
> I love that last photo of him walking away down the road. That should be in a picture frame on your wall. Good job guys!


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## scottywolverine (Nov 12, 2008)

Congrats to the young man and to you for your time and effort, you WILL be rewarded!


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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

Just awesome introducing kids to our sport, the pics are great, very well done!


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