Youngest hunter to take turkey
 

Does anyone know who the youngest kid is thats bagged a turkey?
My son starts on monday and hes 2 weeks over the age of 5..

We were out tonite roosting birds and needless to say I think he was more excited then I was! Pp

I don't know about the youngest, but my son DTC Jr killed a rio in TX and an eastern in MO when he was 6 years old. Nothing better than taking your son hunting. Memories to last a lifetime for sure! Good luck to both of you.

5 sounds really young. just curious,what gun we'll he be shooting? goodluck!

Im not sure the youngest. But i remember reading about a girl who got the slam when she was 5.

Mossberg 500 20ga. youth turkey edition

Shooting Magnum Blend Hevi Shot 6's 11/4 oz. Should be light on the shoulder for him..

I was going to say DTC son was mighty young when he scored. It's a lot of fun. I got to enjoy my first serious turkey hunt with my son when he was 10. I had been out but not anything serious like I have been. My first trip was with my son and he nailed his at 7:15 am. I was overwhelmed. Then it hit me. Weeks and weeks worth of scouting. Miles and mile walked and it was all over in less than 45 mins of legal shooting hours.

Since then he's gone with my neighbor while I've been with his sister and his football friend. He's done well with 3 birds and one miss fire last week. Next year he will be 15 and my hunting guide. That will be fun.

Should be light on the shoulder for him....
 

I assume by the fact you say that the gun should be light on his shoulder that he's never shot it before. If thats the case I wouldnt even take him out and try to shoot a bird untill he's been to the range and actually shot it. Not to mention the amount of gun safety he needs to know about before ever shooting it. Don't get me wrong cause I know you're anxoius to get him out there,bhut that little man needs some training before an actual hunt takes place. Just my opinion. I'd hate to hear of that little guy getting hurt by not knowing what to expect.

He's been out to the range many times with a 22 and does very well. Were dedicating this weekend to shooting shooting and more shooting..

He won't be handling the gun very much other then pulling the trigger when he's sitting between my legs against the tree.

Nobody should be letting there young kids handle a gun without strict supervision anyhow..

My oldest daughter is 4yr old and I hope to get her involved in hunting soon.

DTC Jr was 3 when he started shooting a 22. He killed his first squirrel with a .410 at age 3 and then he helped me shoot coons out of traps too. We started shooting the 20 gauge at age 6 with bird shot. He doesn't even know there is a difference between a 2 3/4" number 7 or a 3" number 5. He has 7 longbeards under his belt at age 8. 3 rios from TX and 4 easterns in MO, and we are headed to NE next week for merriams. He has killed 3 deer, 1 doe, and an 8 and 9 pt buck. The 9 pt will score around 130". I will say with kids always use ear protection and we always wear his heavy coat too so he doesn't notice the recoil when practicing.

Respectfully but strongly disagree
 

I think it's a mistake to let the little ones shoot to big of guns on paper at to early an age. A lot of bad habits will be picked up such as flinching. My son is now nine. He has shot 22 and 410 since he was 2 years old and that's all he will shoot on paper until he is 13 or so. When he was 8 he killed his first buck with a .308. He turkey hunts with a 12 with 2 3/4" shell. He has and will only shoot them at game. With the adrenaline on game they will never know but on paper it's to much. Heck since he was about 7 when he wants to shoot if I'm busy I reach him the 22, a box of ammo and let him get after it alone.

Ive taught and taken many.children out.
My suggestion. Practice only with the lightest trap load you can find. Or have someone teload a 7/8s ounce load for you.
​​​​​​The only shot with the Hevi shot load should be the day he kills a bird.
I also suggest using a gun pod. That steadies the firearm for any shooter and will help alleviste a bit of recoil.
I have several from a simple trigger stick to the bog tripod (preferred).
The pod also helps with gun control after the shot.
Just a suggestion. Make it fun.

JW

I got back a little after midnight Sunday morning from Texas chasing turkeys. Last week’s journey started a little over a year ago. I was chatting with a guy that served with dad in Vietnam about his Texas ranch and I asked about Rio Grande turkeys. He has plenty of them and invited me over to hunt. He barely knew dad in Vietnam, but that was because of the circumstances of combat and being in different platoons in a company of 150ish men. I honestly don’t recall dad ever talking about Chuck, but that doesn’t mean anything. I was Opie’s son, and I was family. This is exactly why I love my Charlie Company (C/1/503/173d ABN SEP) family. The drive there took us through Ft. Sumner, NM, so of course we took the side trip to see Billy the Kid's grave.

My lovely wife let me start making plans for turkey hunting in Texas this spring and a friend went with me. This trip was even more special because I planned it to be down turkey hunting during the anniversaries that haunt me the most. I’d be turkey hunting on the anniversary of the day that I last spoke to my dad and it was a conversation that didn’t end well. I’d be driving home on the 18th anniversary of the day dad died. Turkey hunting was one of the two things that always brought me and dad together during our frequent rough patches growing up. It’s a big part of why I love turkey hunting so much. I also found out that another one of dad’s Charlie Company buddies and his wife were driving up to see us Friday since they were only two hours away. I’ve been close to John and Evelyn since I first met them in 1995 and I’d be lost without them in my life.

Chuck told me stories I’d never heard, and I got to sit and listen to John and Chuck talk about my dad in a way I don’t think I’d ever heard anyone talk before. John kept me close and reminded me who I am and where I came from. My family grew bigger, and I knew dad was smiling down holding his rangefinder binoculars, as was my mom. She’d have loved Chuck and Cheryl and I know she loved John and Evelyn.

My buddy and I covered ground and talked turkey all day Thursday, but we came up empty. We did see three live armadillos, though. That was a first for me. Friday morning was different. We finally got into gobblers and worked them for over an hour before finally getting them to commit. At 1045, I finally connected with my first Texas Rio Grande gobbler (after 3 trips to TX) and my first turkey in way too long! It was a surreal feeling and I’m not sure how I held in the tears. I absolutely felt my dad’s presence. I felt completely surrounded by family in that moment. I loved walking back heavy. I loved calling to that other bird for my buddy on the walk back. I wish it would have worked out, but we had to hustle back to meet everyone for lunch. My tom weighed 17 lbs, had 1-inch spurs, and had a 10.5-inch beard. He was a perfect, mature boss tom. One of my favorite parts was that I primarily used a bocote wood pot call that my son, Jacob, made for me, too! My buddy got his tom Friday afternoon, as I was hanging out with my family.

Getting my Rio Grande gobbler was having my cake and getting to eat it, too. Being with Chuck, Cheryl, John, and Evelyn was getting to have ice cream with my cake. I found a long-missing piece of my heart and I was able to heal a broken piece of my heart for the first time in 18 years. This journey started as a turkey hunt in Texas, but it ended being so much more than a turkey hunt. It also started what is going to be an epic April turkey season for me this year. I wish I knew why these pics came in sideways. Uggh.

I take this subject as nothing but parental bragging rights "my XX year old" shot their first turkey. I don't see any real value in worrying about the child's age.

only 6 years old, so young

That's amazing