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I know all you hunters out there can’t wait till your son or grandson is old
enough to hunt. You are biting at the bit to take them out and
experience the thrill you did on your first hunt.
I did not have any sons, but I had two daughters. Now I never really envisioned
taking them hunting. They had their friends and hunting is something dad did on
the weekends. That was about to change.
One time I wanted to get out for spring turkey season and my hunting partner
could not make it. I wanted to go really bad, but I do not like the idea of
hunting alone, just in case something happens. I approached my daughter and
asked her if she would like to join me.
At first I got, “What, you want me to go hunting with you?” I said yes, it would
be a new experience and you could appreciate the strategy and tactics it takes
to get one of these wily birds. It is not winter, so you won’t freeze to death.
After much discussion she agreed to go.
We arrived in the dark and headed into the edge of the timber. At first she got
a little of the bogey man feeling going into the woods in the dark.
We found the spot I wanted. It was a small clear area in the middle of the
timber. We set the decoys and settled back.
When she heard the first couple gobbles at the crack of dawn she had no idea
what it was. After I told her those are turkeys, her reply was, “They’re all
over the place!” I said yes, but that doesn’t mean this will be a cake walk.
After it got a little light she felt more comfortable and we started hearing a
gobble that was coming closer and closer to us.
Every time that Tom let go with a gobble she grabbed my arm in excitement and
said, “It’s right over there close!” It reminded me of my first turkey hunt and
how the gobbles sent goose bumps all over me.
About 40 minutes after opening time here came a big Tom down low in a ditch
walking right up at our decoys. She was so excited because she spotted it first
and told me. Well when that Tom got close enough, I let go and when the turkey
roiled over flapping she actually leaped up with her hands in the air and
yelled, “We got em!”
When we got home I don’t know how many times she repeated the whole hunt to
people we knew. She really couldn’t get over it.
So even if you have sons but also a daughter, ask her to join you one time on a
hunt. It brought my daughter and I a lot closer in a different kind of way. To
this day my daughter Pamela still remembers that day very well and could
probably still tell you the whole story.
Give it a try, you won’t regret it!
Don Bekeleski
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