Went a handful of times back in high school with folks...don't really count those tho. More to go do something that to try to kill something. This is my first year out, at age 26, and I am a self taught kind of guy. Been deer hunting for several years and have been in the woods wandering and squirrel hunting as far back as I can remember. Took me a week and a half. Killed a gobbler and a jake last week. Most of it was luck, no doubt, but I put in a lot of time scouting and practicing calling. The best thing I believe I have learned so far, thanks to many on this site, is to make sure and not call too much. My first gobbler I called sparingly. Once he was coming my way I just shut up and let him do his thing. That didn't work this morning, but it is called hunting and not killing.

My dad never was a big game hunter, but I owe a great deal to him for teaching me everything I know about woodsmanship. That has helped me more than any other one thing with deer hunting and now turkey hunting. Being familiar with the woods is my greatest asset right now. Hopefully in years to come, with more experience under my belt, I will have more than luck working on my side.