THE HEART O’LAKES WHITETAILS 2012 YOUTH TURKEY HUNT PUTS SMILES ON FACES OF FUTURE TURKEY HUNTERS!
On April 27 and 28, the Heart O’Lakes Whitetails QDM program sponsored a youth turkey hunt that proved to be a resounding success.
To be involved, kids, ages 12 through 16, had to submit essays stating why they wanted to turkey hunt. From there, 12 kids were chosen and participated in the event.
The festivities began on Friday with a meal, a turkey presentation by chapter president Tyler Scott, and a turkey seminar by NWTF member Steve Zimmerman. The kids learned about wild turkey behavior, hunting tactics, and hunting safety. The young hunters then had the opportunity to sight-in their shotguns from a tent blind with coaching from their guides. The hunting guides were local volunteers.
The one-day hunt commenced early Saturday morning with intense excitement and
anticipation. Out of the 12 participants, 7 turkeys were harvested, which is an excellent result. The fierce wind and wet weather provided difficult turkey hunting conditions, however, the guides and kids proved all the naysayers wrong.
The group convened again Saturday night for more food and photos and certainly stories and smiles.
The Minnesota Sporting Journal crew was luckey to be a part of the event as guides, videographers and photographers. The story will be featured in the summer issue.
Thank you to all the HOL Whitetails Chapter for putting on such a great event. Anytime someone promotes getting kids in the outdoors, they deserve accolades and support. Nice work.
By Matt Soberg
Photos By Jessica Kulsrud
Copyright 2012 Backwoods Revolution