Took my daughter out this morning, she's 12, this was her first time hunting. The area we wanted to hunt was taken already, public land, so we had to go to plan B. Set up the decoy on an old logging road "Y" that had sign of turkeys traveling down it. Called a few times, heard a gobble, and about 3 minutes later 5 hens came around the corner. I was about 20 feet down the road from my daughter. 3 of those hens walked right past her, within 8 feet, they went up an walked around the decoy, then turned around and walked back past my daughter and up the other road. I have heard a lot of stories about guys being busted by hens. I just think its really cool that she knew (and was able) to stay still and quiet and to wait for the tom that we hoped would follow them. We could hear a gobbler close, I'm not sure what the proper name is, but the thumping sound they make when they are all fluffed up and strutting. But he didn't follow the hens down, so not dead bird to make this a happier ending.
As we were getting things ready for the walk out, she
told me where we are gonna set up tomorrow morning. Cool thing is its the exact place I was thinking. Very good learning experience for her today and I feel we didn't educate the birds either.
She also said she doesn't care how cold it is, or how much it snows, next year she's going go be out hunting during the youth opener. Her words "because there wont be every guy that owns a shotgun out here then"
And YES, I got her to school on time!
