The next generation.
Hi John: We just returned home last night from our annual turkey hunt and wanted to send you some pictures. This hunt was a special one because my son Ian was with us and hunting for himself for the first time. He turned 8 years old last week and also passed hunters safety course the same week. He has been on several out of state hunting and fishing trips over the last few years with me showing at first a serious interest and enjoyment which now for him seems to be an addiction to the outdoors. My father, myself, Ian and our friend Tom Earle all filled our tags in 3 1/2 days. To harvest 8 turkeys in this number of days is unheard of where we come from. The properties that we hunted were just full of gobbling birds with absolutely no pressure on them. We never saw a hunter the entire trip and that includes driving to and from the hunting areas. These quality areas and un-pressured turkeys allowed us to hunt the birds the way that is necessary for an 8-year old kid to be successful which is more of a permanent set-up as opposed to running and gunning for them which is necessary back home because being patient only allows other hunters to get between you and the birds.
Our friend Tom Earle who I met 3 years ago through MAHA and have hunted with ever since met us for his first real turkey hunt and as a dedicated archer wanted to try one with a bow. I informed him before the hunt that this was certainly a lofty task especially since he had not hunted turkeys before. Tom in his usual style, expecting to be successful, killed two long beards with archery equipment in a single day!! I don't believe he knows exactly what an accomplishment that is. Unfortunately we forgot to take a picture of his second turkey. My dad took 2 birds again this year one weighing 19 1/4lbs. and the other weighed 21 3/4 lbs. This is his second year hunting turkeys with MAHA and he wouldn't miss the trip for anything. I was also fortunate/lucky to harvest 2 nice long beards. One bird weighed 18 1/2lbs. and the other 18 3/4 lbs. and they both had 9 1/2 inch beards.
I want to thank all of the people at MAHA for all the help and courtesy that has been extended to us. Kevin
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Ian harvested a 21 1/4 lb. bird with a 9 inch beard as his first ever turkey. He also shot a 15 1/2 lb. bird with a double beard for his second turkey a day later. It was amazing to watch him handle the pressure of a gobbling bird coming to 20 yards and to then remember and execute all things that we have been practicing over the past months. It is just amazing what kids are capable of if given the chance. I have never been more excited about any trophy that I have taken than I was for Ian on this trip. It should also be noted that Ian came down with a nasty case of chicken pox on this trip and still wanted to hunt. The second bird he shot was not until noon on the fourth day and he was covered head to toe with chicken pox. I suppose that I should have made him stay at the hotel in bed but I was not going to add insult to his injury or should I say affliction.
We were going to hunt turkeys in Missouri as well but because my son came down with chicken pox we had to cut our trip short. Ian told me that at least this wouldn't keep us from doing two states next year.
