I agree 110% and actually enjoy the patterning process. Along with the side benefit of trigger control / gun handling familiarization. Taking it to a field level scenario like OntElk is the ultimate practice session.

I can recall being a brand new, wanna-be turkey hunter with no one in my family hunted turkeys. I had little to no guidence outside of my own shotgunning, which I pretty much did all on my own as a youth. Seemed like when I was old enough, no one wanted to go.

I took to the woods at 16 with a never before patterned gun. Age 16 was the "legal to go alone" age in PA. Looking back, I'm glad I never got shot, as I suspect a wounded bird may have resulted.