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Photo Courtesy Randy Boden
Lauren Boden found a new friend in her hunting mentor, Jim Jaworski. |
My first turkey hunt
A teen’s firsthand success with the
Learn to Hunt program
The story starts on my birthday, at the informational meeting for the Learn to Hunt program sponsored by the Pulaski Area Turkey Chasers NWTF Chapter and Wisconsin DNR. We met the mentors, learned about turkey hunting rules, ethics and regulations, as well as how to use turkey calls and about the different equipment and blinds used for turkey hunting. We also had range time to show that we were proficient handling a gun, and we got an opportunity to pattern our gun. Each of us also received a bag with some free calls, a hen decoy and some other cool stuff.
I was supposed to hunt with Gary Drzewiecki, my mentor, because we met Gary last year when my brother participated in the LTH program. But Gary was already taking someone else, so he introduced me to Jim Jaworski. Jim was really funny. He said he wouldn’t hold it against me that I knew Gary.
Jim explained things to me as they were discussed throughout the night. He told me I would do the calling and shooting, and asked if that was OK with me. I said that sounded like fun.
We arranged to meet at Jim’s house the day of our field training. I shot the target with Jim’s 20-gauge shotgun and hit the turkey target with a perfect pattern. He has a sweet shotgun!
On April 2, 2010, I popped out of bed and got dressed to go hunting. My dad and I met Jim at his house at 5:45 a.m. We drove to the property, then walked to the turkey blind and got ourselves situated. We sat at the edge of the woods, along a cornfield where we could see a small hill, giving us the ability to intercept any birds traveling from the cornfield to the woods. Our vantage point allowed us to see birds coming from either direction or from over the hill.
The wind was blowing pretty strong. We had several turkey calls that the program gave us and a few others we brought along. I began calling with the help of my dad and mentor. I got the hang of it and had a great time calling.
We saw three toms at 9:30, but they passed by about 80 yards out and didn’t even slow down to look at us. We later figured out that hunters had spooked them across the section.
At 11, we took a break and went to Jack Schwartz’s to meet everyone from the LTH program for a lesson on cleaning birds; we got to know each other and shared stories, as well as discussed our game plan for the afternoon hunt. [NWTF Regional Director] Ken Jaworski told us that since it was such a windy day the birds were probably only hearing a small portion of our calls. He said to use all sorts of calls and keep hammering on them, and the turkeys should start moving around 3:30.
We arrived back at the blind and got ourselves set up again. I began with some aggressive yelps from a box call, then varying the types of calls and also using slate and push calls. I called frequently for quite awhile, and then we heard a jake in the distance.
Then, suddenly, behind us we heard an excited hen yelp back, and later heard several clucks of a hen. My dad spotted some hens coming over the hill — 16 total. They came across the cornfield and to the decoys. It was really fun to watch them up close as they scratched the ground looking for something to eat. I had never been that close to a wild turkey.
The hens passed through, and then a group of eight jakes came over the hill and followed the same path the hens had taken, then stood among the decoys. I was so excited. Jim told me to get ready and handed me the shotgun. He said to pull the trigger whenever I had a clear shot.
My dad had kept watching the hill with binoculars, hoping some toms were behind the hens and jakes. I was ready to shoot a jake when my dad spotted four toms coming over the hill. I decided I would wait for a tom, so I put the shotgun back on safe and waited.
The jakes started to wander off. The toms kept coming closer, taking their time, following the same path through the cornfield that the hens and jakes had taken. We could not hear whether they were making putt-putt noises because it was so windy.
I was getting nervous as we waited, but I enjoyed watching them make their way toward us. Jim told me to get ready. Soon the four toms were standing near the decoys. They were magnificent looking, almost too pretty to shoot.
I decided to take the one with the longest beard, and waited for him to clear the other toms. I was breathing hard, and my dad whispered in my ear to relax. I remembered my training for the junior rifle team and started to calm down. Then I aimed and pulled the trigger. Boom!
He went down! I had never been so excited in my life. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
When we got out of the blind, Jim and I were jumping for joy, with tears in our eyes, and I was squealing. My dad was taking pictures. We were all glad that I stayed patient and waited for the toms to come in.
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Photo Courtesy Randy Boden
Lauren Boden and her Learn to Hunt Program mentor, Jim Jaworski, celebrate with a hug. |
Jim couldn’t believe I shot one so big. He said the landowner had told him there were big ones around, but he had never seen them. We tagged the tom and went to the landowner’s house to show him the turkey, but he wasn’t home.
We took the turkey to the Pulaski Shell Station to register him. Everyone was freaking out when they saw my bird and realized I shot him my first time hunting. My awesome turkey tipped the scale at 27 pounds, had 1¼-inch spurs and an 11-inch beard. He was a real beauty, a trophy to be certain.
John Lange is providing taxidermy mounts for those of us who were lucky enough to shoot a turkey during the LTH program. I can’t wait to hang my turkey mount on the wall at home.
The next day we attended a landowner luncheon potluck dinner hosted by the Pulaski Area Turkey Chasers. By the time we arrived, word of my turkey had already spread to all the mentors. Everyone was waiting to see pictures and hear my story. I told my story over and over again. It was so fun.
I learned a lot from the Learn To Hunt program and my mentor, Jim, and I will never forget him. I recommend this experience to all kids who have an interest in turkey hunting. My hunting experience far exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait to go again. I have memories that will last a lifetime, and I made a new friend. Turkey hunting is a blast! — Lauren Boden