Pennsylvania Youth Opener Success

by Erik Nilson
9 June 2009

Each Spring, the state of Pennsylvania offers young hunters a special youth turkey season. This year, I had scouted an area, and knew there were several gobblers available for my young hunters. As part of our planning, Pro-Staffer, David Rearick, and I chose and cleared a blind location which we thought would give us our best chance at a longbeard.

Opening day dawned clear and bright, and we were in position long before legal shooting time. BAM - a gobble right behind us! The birds were closer than I had anticipated, but apparently we had gotten into our hide without being detected. A few soft yelps on the Power Hen, and we had the old boy's attention.

As shooting time approached, a hen on the roost began eyeing our decoys suspiciously. Suddenly she pitched down to land about 20 yards away; then the gobbler, followed by a jake that near brushed the blind. David was working with Matt, our young hunter, and when the jake stepped clear of the other two birds, I gave a single sharp PUTT! One shot, and Matt dropped the bird like a veteran at 25 yards. And a dandy jake it was, weighing over 16 pounds with a 5-¾ inch beard and ½ inch spurs.