3rd Annual - 2017 YOUTH TURKEY HUNT CONTEST (success)

[Gringo31]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pinetar]

Another great bird Reagan, Congrats. Love the story and good shooting!!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Outstanding!!!!!

[tlbradford]

Great job everyone.  What an amazing experience so many contributed to.   

[jackelope]

Awesome. Happy to read the stories and see the pics. Congrats to all involved!!

[bearpaw]

The mod team has decided to name this youth hunt the Annual "Iceman" Memorial Youth Turkey Hunt in memory of Kevin "Iceman" Wolfe. Kevin was one of our moderators, he loved taking his kids hunting and really was an ardent proponent of outdoor family activities, this seems like a great way to remember Kevin. Chris (Nock_Nock) at Willy's Log Furniture made and donated a plaque in memory of Iceman, it arrived just in time for hunt photos, thanks so much Chris.

It was a pleasure meeting you Reagan, you were fun to hunt with and really did a great job! 

[D-Rock425]

Awesome.

[Brushcrawler]

Well done. Thank you for getting kids out in the woods!

[NOCK NOCK]

Gringo, that last pic in your post #120, says it all. 
Congrats again to the young lady!!!

[bearpaw]

Gringo, here are a few more pics from my camera. I'll text you the originals so you have them.

[jackelope]

The mod team has decided to name this youth hunt the Annual "Iceman" Memorial Youth Turkey Hunt in memory of Kevin "Iceman" Wolfe. Kevin was one of our moderators, he loved taking his kids hunting and really was an ardent proponent of outdoor family activities, this seems like a great way to remember Kevin. Chris (Nock_Nock) at Willy's Log Furniture made and donated a plaque in memory of Iceman, it arrived just in time for hunt photos, thanks so much Chris.

It was a pleasure meeting you Reagan, you were fun to hunt with and really did a great job! 

Perfect.

@NOCK NOCK  Can't thank you enough for your generosity. That plaque turned out awesome. I look forward to seeing pics of it every year for years to come.
@bearpaw  Thanks for donating these hunts to the kids. Their smiles make it all worthwhile I bet.

[Woodchuck]

Awesome, well done by all. 

[Rainier10]

I really like the photo with Reagan in her "I shoot like a girl" shirt and the Iceman Memorial plaque. 

[Gringo31]

I'm not sure where to start when it comes to my thoughts on this whole thing.  These type of events leave their mark forever.  There are so many pieces to it from all the people who are 99% only known by a handle doing things for people they'll probably never meet.  It makes you realize the value or specialness of this forum.  Yes, there are pain in the backside parts I'm sure.....but this trip was just incredible. 

Reagan is fortunate enough to have been exposed to much things related to hunting.  She has shot her portion of sage rats, rock chucks and may have finished off a coyote or two.  She's sat in coyote stands with me but has only been a patient observer for the most part.  I'm a divorced man (who is now remarried) and the time I get with my 3 children is 99.9% of the time with them all together.  This is the first trip her and I have spent just one on one.  That alone creates "cause for pause".  It's easy for me to get that stuck in my thoughts and just ponder.....

So.... for her to pass her hunters safety (like she mentioned) was a big deal.  I realize the pass rate is extremely high but I didn't let that on.  With the money that had been donated for gear, I opted to use it to buy her a youth model shotgun vs buying clothes that wouldn't fit in no time.  So a Rem 870 20 ga synthetic was purchased by me.  I told her that if she failed hunters ed, it stayed mine....but if she passed it would be hers.  (As I would be reimbursed from the kind folks who donated money for this event)  With that purchase, there was a little left over for some clothing that should fit her awhile.

Her story is accurate and there isn't much to add.  I love the part about sneaking into the blind to not wake up the turkeys above our heads.  Dale is a kind and patient man.  While typing I just remembered something she said driving home yesterday so I'll go ahead and share this  I'll try to quote the best I can.  She said, "That other guy Brian, when I first saw him he looked kinda grouchy, but after I was around him some, he's really nice!  Some people just have grouchy faces I guess".  That still makes me laugh 

I know I'm all over the place with this post but so is my mind.  There are so many things/lessons to learn out hunting.  It is about who you spend it with vs what you harvest or how big it is/score etc.  Memories for a lifetime, pictures to cement those memories.  Lessons on patience, the taste of victory/success/ or lessons from being unsuccessful and a desire to improve/master a skill.  At one point on day 1 after she killed her tom, 4 jakes walked up the road and passed us within 5 feet.  After they passed (maybe an hour later) she said, "I should have shot one of those jakes".  Later that night I asked her again if she felt the same way, and now she was glad she didn't as she had the next day in front of her.  Again, lessons.....  I was able to explain to her last night while tucking her in, part of the heritage/tradition of hunting and that she was now a part of it.  That for 1000's of years this has been going on and now she gets to be a genuine part of it vs the observer.  That after the hunt, people gather and stories are told over and over.  That tomorrow when she see her mom, she'll be able to share those stories and that you'll also want to hear stories from other hunters as well.  Often, when I say these things, she doesn't say anything, she'll just reach up and give me a hug.  Well, to this dad, that says it all 

So.....thank you all who were part of this.  You've made your mark.  The confidence this can build in these young ones I don't think is possible to quantify, let alone providing a shotgun she'll have the rest of her life and may even pass on to her kids.  Not that as parents we think our kids will get into any real trouble, a favorite line I from a judge (not in a court setting) is, "You keep those kids in the woods and out of my court" carries some weight.  Kids will find things to do with free time.  If we can curb the desire of what they WANT to do by building up experiences like this.......this world will be a better place......and just might be possible, one turkey at a time 

Gringo

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

That's a great statement!