Montana Woods N Water May 2016 Print Edition | Page 13

MONTANA DAN

Young Guns
By Dan Helterline
Have you ever had a hunt so easy you just knew you were going to pay dearly later? Last year when my
daughter accompanied me on her first turkey pursuit, she wasn’t old enough to hunt yet, so she just
tagged along for moral support. We had a gobbler answer shortly after we left the truck, so we made a
quick approach, got set up and the gobbler came in on a string. I made an easy shot and we were back
to the truck within the hour. Turkey hunting is easy, right? Well let me tell you about our trials and
tribulations in the turkey woods this year!
I was very excited when Alexis passed Hunters Safety this spring and she would be able to go hunting
this year on her own, with turkey season right around the corner, Alexis could now put her new 20
gauge to the test. And what better way to start a young hunter out by taking them out turkey hunting,
and after all turkey hunting is easy, right? After last years easy success I was confident Alexis would
make short work of a spring gobbler and be tagged out in no time, boy was I mistaken! I had forgotten
what is was like my first few seasons hunting and the obstacles that had to be overcome to evolve into
a successful hunter.
I will have to admit, taking your eleven year old daughter to ask permission to hunt on private land is a sure recipe for success, all of the
land owners we asked were more than happy to let a first time, eleven year old hunter on their property to attempt to harvest a turkey.
We soon had more than enough spots to keep us busy trying to call in a spring gobbler. In addition we
are currently reaping the benefits of last spring's record hatch of ground nesting gamebirds, with
turkey numbers being exceptional. They are doing so well in fact, the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks
is currently allowing the harvest of two spring gobblers in Region One. It wasn't that long ago that I
remember having to put in and draw for a turkey permit and you considered yourself lucky if you drew
one of the 25 permits issued!
Opening morning found us at a
friends property listening to
several gobblers in the predawn
chill, gobbling away, preparing
to fly down from the roost. The
sound of turkeys gobbling as
they slowing make their way
towards you has to be exciting
to a young hunter, I know it gets
me excited. This was going to be too easy, I kept thinking every
time the tom answered my hen calls. Finally several hens and a tom
appeared on the far side of the opening and slowly worked their
way towards us. The tom strutted and gobbled his head off just out
of shotgun range on the far side of the hens for what seemed like
eternity. One of the hens finally spied us and lead the rest of the
flock quickly down the hill, so much for our easy opening morning
gobbler. I told Alexis on the way back to the truck that we needed
to get a decoy, that would definitely better our odds. Lucky for us,
turkey decoys were on sale at Sportsman's Warehouse and my next
trip to the “Big City” I picked up a pair, our next trip to the turkey
woods was sure to be a success armed with two new Primos Turkey
Decoys!
The next weekend found us on Jim Shallenberger's Ranch on
Buffalo Bill Cr, if there ever was a turkey hunters paradise, this
would have to be close to it, and Jim was very gracious to allow
Alexis and I to take a crack at one of the many gobblers that reside
on his ranch. Continued on page 12.
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