Hopefully a boys first Turkey and maybe hog

[WildWill]

Alright boy's and girls let's get this season started. As some of you may remember I shared my sons first deer kill on here last year. Figured I'd take y'all along on our journey to bag his first longbeard or a Jake would be just fine. Got him a new single shot 410 with some TSS rounds and we've been practicing the last few weekends. He's doing well but gets cocky real quick which leads to simple mistakes like not putting his dang cheek on the stock. He shot 7 rounds today at 10,20, and 30 yards and even talked me into shooting my 12 gauge a couple times. I've decided to limit him to 30 yards and go with a tripod to help him stay steady. He's just not big enough or experienced yet for the old elbow on the knee trick and the tripod has helped a ton. We have a week of hunting coming up in just under a month. First of to some private land in Texas for a few days of hunting then we will stop by some public in western Oklahoma for the youth weekend. Oh did I mention the TX property is crawling with hogs that will focus on in the evenings.
30-20-10 yards

My 12 gauge 50-20 yards

 

[Nick87]

Go get em boys, looking forward to this one!

 

[2rocky]

Ahhh, turkeys are fun with the younguns! Watching them nearly explode as a gobbler comes in...priceless.

Good luck my friend. Don't forget, Jakes are a great first bird...don't hold out for a longbeard...

Hogs are a target of opportunity and like trains...If you miss one, there's another coming by in 15 minutes...

 

[DHoldmeyer]

Good Luck!

 

[B&CTom]

Looking forward to more posts on this thread! Not much tops hunting with your kids, especially in these formative years. You’re an awesome Dad, putting in the work and finding opportunities to get out there to enjoy the outdoors. Good stuff!

 

[Rack Daniels]

Nice!!! Good luck to both of you and safe travels! I’ll be leaving here the 4th. Definitely gonna be picking up a NR turkey tag when we’re a bit settled in!

 

[WildWill]

Took him and my nephew out this weekend with their 410’s and let them practice on the last of my turkey targets. They did well! They wanted to go hunting something fierce but one problem our normal quarry on a trip like that would be squirrel and/or rabbit. Unfortunately squirrel season closed the end of February and rabbit mid March. They tried to talk me into letting the shoot meadow larks but that ain't gonna fly. Finally in desperation they said how about a mouse I gave in thinking it be a good excuse for them to at least practice hunting together and firearm safety. They formed a shooting line and with me slightly behind them and in-between they began walking fields like pheasant hunting. If there'd have been a booky handy I'd have bet every dollar they're cause was hopeless. But I'll be dammed if a about 3 passes in a field mouse takes of running in front of my son and stops at about 8 feet. He got on it and fired missing the mouse ran to the left in front of my nephew who in a beautiful display of follow through hit the mouse running in the head. So nice to see kids enjoying themselves on the same property me, my brother, and cousins use to run around on with 22s and 410’s grandpa would be happy. One more week and we're heading out to really get this thing started.

 

[WildWill]

Me and the boy setup a blind a couple hours ago that I'm extremely optimistic we will kill a turkey out of tomorrow. Getting dinner in town and then we're gonna switch it up and call for pigs/coyotes this evening.

 

[Muskeez]

Following this for sure! Have fun boys!

 

[Nick87]

Good luck!!

 

[Wild Bill]

Have fun dudes. Bring plenty of blind snacks!

 

[Dave N]

Keep your shirt on!

 

[WildWill]

Well we found some pigs right off the bat this afternoon. They were feeding in a wheat field we had some good cover for a stalk and the perfect wind. A game plan was made and him and my buddy headed forward while I sat back to watch. I really am not a 100% sure why I didn't take him. Other then him and my buddy getting along well ( everyone's cooler then dad) I think I was testing myself a bit. I can be a bit over bearing at times a trait inherited from my father. Felt like a good way to let go of a little control he still had a responsible adult and I was never more then a couple hundred yards away. They moved in making a beautiful approach and got setup on the tripod.


They were 120-160 yards from the 7 pigs including a brown medium sized boar. Henry took aim and shot! I had my binos on the pigs and didn't see or hear any hit and was pretty confident he missed. Henry did not share my pessimism and was pumped he'd hit one. After doing our due diligence and following the tracks in the sand we confirmed the miss. His first on a big game animal. He took it like a champ he was a bit down but immediately ready to get back on the horse. We decided to do a little coyote calling to end the night and got a whole pack fired up. A swirling wind at sundown betrayed our presence and ended the party.

 

[WildWill]

 

[Nick87]

Doesn't get any better buddy!!

 

[WildWill]

Direct get any better buddy!!

It does not!

 

[Nick87]

It does not!

Happy for you guys!!

 

[RunNGunSC]

Awesome, what a memory! my kids first turkey is one of the top hunts of my lifetime.

 

[Muskeez]

Congrats! Looking forward to the story!

 

[WildWill]

It was one of those mornings that every turkey hunter hopes for. After doing our homework the last couple days we had setup a blind in a wheat field less then 200 yards from the roost that the birds had been hitting every morning. A 5:15am wake up call came way to soon and after I woke the boy up the second time we got going. Got to the farm around 6:00am and quietly worked our way to the blind with no headlamps and we settled in. Before climbing in the blind I set out 3 Avian X decoys including a feeding hen, and nesting hen with a 3/4 strut Jake behind her. Even before the sun began to lighten the sky a coyotes howl set off a Gobbler. Then as the first light crept in another gobble then another. Suddenly the woods erupted and if my ears didn't deceive me no less then 9 Gobblers were firing of from at least 4 different locations. This continued for 10-15 minutes before we heard several fly down. I did a little gentle calling which drew a response but didn't lay it on to heavy. The gobbling began to slow down and I could hear one good Gobbler working away from us with some hens. I had just told Henry that we may have to sit all morning and wait them out when from 50 yards directly behind the blind 3 birds sounded off. It was one of those in your face feel it in your chest gobbles that lights a fire in you. I watched him instantly began to shake all over that sticks with me now more then shooting the bird. I knew right then the birds were coming in but threw out a few calls mainly for more in your face gobbling. Three Jake's came strutting out from our right walking right past the feeding hen decoy that was 16 yards away. As they worked towards the rear of my Jake decoy at 20 yards Henry raised the stock to his shoulder and rested the shotgun on the blind window before cocking the hammer. When they reached the decoy they began mobbing it moving all around and in general making it hard to pick one out. He wanted me to tell him which one to shoot but of course which one had the best shot changed every 2 seconds. Eventually I said just pick one and wait till you have a shot and take it. Well a couple seconds later bang and flop. I hugged him told him I was proud of him then I noticed amongst our celebrations the other two Jake's were playing king of the hill on their newly dead buddy. I grabbed the shotgun and dusted the king of his hill for the first but I hope not the last double with my boy. Walking back to the truck looking at my son with his first Turkey slung over his shoulder and a smile plastered on his face was one of the most enjoyable walks of my life. He's got the blood lust for a pig something fierce now after his miss this evening we're gonna try again.