Wisconsin has special youth hunts for deer, turkey and water fowl. These generally occur the weekend before the regular season starts and licensed hunters age 12-15, accompanied by an adult, may hunt. For my sons, ages 12 and 14, it meant that they could each hunt for one tom turkey this last weekend, even though their regular tags were for later in the season.

It was my older boy's third year turkey hunting and he did very well. I called in a tom that later was weighed at 23#, which he shot at about ten yards. Took about an hour and a half Saturday afternoon. My younger son's turn was Sunday AM. It was his first time turkey hunting for himself (he'd often been in the woods with me when I was hunting.) We got in the woods well before daylight. Just around legal shooting time we had what was probably a jake come within about fifteen yards. I wouldn't let him shoot because I wasn't absolutely sure I could see a beard. He was bummed. We hunted for a while longer and then he got cold and needed a break. So we took a break and then hunted some more. Long and exciting story short, he made a perfect shot from fifteen yards on a huge tom: 27#!!

The boys are done now, because they filled their tags, but their old man still has two to fill next month!