Youth turkey winner **UPDATED**

[asmith]

Part 1

Thank you all for the donations and money I got for this trip. With the money that I was given, I went to Sportsmans Warehouse to get some new hunting clothes and shoes. I got 2 long-sleeve camoflauge shirts, a pair of camoflauge jeans, a thermal, a pair of camoflauge gloves, and a good pair of hiking/hunting boots. I also got a turkey choke tube for my shotgun. I will be getting my license and tags the next time my dad is off work along with a face mask and anything else that I might need.  I will be using this for my guided trip and any other time I go out hunting/hiking. Thank you all again for this oppurtunity.

Jade



(If someone can flip this picture straight I would appreciate it, I cant figure it out)

[asmith]

Friday was the day that we headed up to Bearpaw Outfitters in Colville, Washington. We left my house about 12:30 p.m. and it took us almost 2 and a half hours counting stops on the way. We got to Bearpaw Outfitters at about 3 o'clock. Their house was a little bit out of Colville and we headed out on a little dirt road in the middle of the woods with a big house and about four cabins surrounding it. We met Dale, the main guide and boss of the operation, and we talked about our game plan. He then gave me all the gear that I had won from the contest. He told us to be ready in a bit so we can practice our shooting on some targets and then he points us to our cabin that we were going to stay at. We went in, unpacked, and laid down for a bit before heading out. There we met our guide on our actual hunt, Ray, and Teresa and her son Caleb who was also hunting that weekend there. We took some empty bottles and targets and just practiced shooting our shotguns and aiming. After practicing, we went back to their house and Tera, Dale's wife, had dinner ready for us. She had made tacos and everyone, including Dale's and Tera's son Bryan, had sat down to eat. After we were done, me, dad, Ray, and Dale headed out to look at where we were going to hunt. We looked through binoculars to see where the turkeys were roosting for the night. It was a really cool experience seeing where they roost and how. After we looked, we headed back and then headed to bed at nine o'clock.

On Saturday, we were told to wake up that morning at 3:45. When our alarm clock went off, we were up and getting ready. We went to their house at about 4:15 in the morning and had some breakfast while chatting about our game plan. At five o'clock we headed out and went to set out the blind in a corner of a field and a hot fence that kept that cows in. We weren't able to get to our spot due to the fact that the turkeys started waking up and talking to each other. Their was some gobbling and some yelping. It was loud but also it was relieving that they were still up there. So we stopped where we were at and set up the blind there. There me, my dad, and Ray sat for a couple hours listening to the turkeys, learning about them, and watching them feed. None of them came near us that morning for me to be able to harvest. They all either stayed to one side or went across the street. We just sat their and watched and also we tried our box calls to see if they would work. None of the calls we made worked on the toms but only on the jakes and we just wanted to try and get some toms. Eleven o'clock came and we headed to their house to eat some lunch before coming back to the spot at two o'clock.

[asmith]

When we headed back at two o'clock, the turkeys were farther away from the blind then when they were before we left. So then when we got back to the blind, we moved it, like cartoon characters, to our original spot,that we wanted to be at in the first place. We sat there for about fifteen minutes when the wind started to pick up and started ripping open the windows in the blind. It also almost tipped the blind so my dad and Ray went out to try and tie down the blind to the logs around us. While they were out there, the turkeys that were on the other side of the hill were running at the blind. I called my dad and Ray in and they had to climb through the window to get in. We used our range finder and our binoculars to see if there were any toms and how far away they were from the blind. Two toms were next to each other about 40 yards away. I grabbed my shotgun and aimed at them. Ray was behind me helping me figure out which tom to go after and giving me pointers on how to aim. I aimed, took a breath, and shot. I was able to get one of them and the other turkeys ran off. We went out to go grab it and we also took some pictures with me and the turkey. It was only 3:30 when I got my first turkey. We sat there again watching and learning about the turkeys. I was never able to get another one that evening so at 7:30 we headed back to the house, ate some dinner, cleaned the turkey, then headed off to bed.


 
On Sunday, we had to wake up at 3:45 in the morning again and headed out just a bit earlier than the other day. This time we also took a different route to get to our blind. It was also a shorter route then the one we took before. We got in there and sat, watching and listening to the turkeys. They flew to a different area than the day before. None of us thought they would come near us that morning because most of them traveled across the street and the others stayed over the hill. Ray and my dad both fell asleep and then were woken up to some turkeys gobbling and a hen right next to our blind. My dad and Ray both got there calls out and experimented to see what the hen would do. While they were doing that, a tom from across the street came running straight at our blind. I got my gun ready and Ray helped me aim. I was able to shoot the turkey directly on the head. The turkeys on the other side of the hill ran off into the woods behind us. After taking some pictures, we packed up and headed back to the house. We cleaned the bird and put it in the freezer for a bit. We ate some lunch, talked to the other guides, thanked them for their time and this opportunity, packed up, and headed home.

I had a really fun time that weekend and I would love to do it again. Thank you too all the the people who took time to make this happen, to the people who donated, and to Dale, Tera, Ray, and Bryan for having me and my dad there and for giving me this opportunity. Thank you again.  Because of this wonderful opportunity, myself and my family would like to donate something for next years youth contest.  We will be in touch with those who put this on.  Thank you all again, I couldnt have asked for anything else!!!




My guide and I with my second bird.



My dad and I.

[WaltAlpine]

Congratulations! !!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[jrebel]

Sounds like you had a great day shopping.  Can't wait to see and hear the rest of the story.  Jades decoys, calls and goody box will be waiting at Bearpaws when you get there for your hunt. 

[The Gobble-stopper]

Do not forget the bug spray! I use Cutters almost exclusively. The ticks are nasty east of the mountains. And the west side.... the no-seeums and mosquitos will drive you crazy.

[Whitpirate]

This site is awesome...

[scudmaster]

Awesome.  Good luck!

[Wacenturion]

Here you go........good luck.

[Jester052]

Good luck with the hunt!

[tgomez]

You will do just fine. Enjoy yourself out on your big hunt. Hope you get a limb hanger!

[asmith]

Story and pictures added. 

[Pinetar]

Congrats Jade!! Great job!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Good job ...nothing like it !!!!

[jrebel]

Great write up and super happy you got to tip over two beautiful Tom's.