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13-year-old bags 28-pound turkey during youth hunt

Arkansas Outdoors News

FIFTY-SIX - The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has always touted that they want to provide more hunting opportunities for the youth of this state. Michael Gerety, son of John and Debbie Gerety, took full advantage of that opportunity when he bagged a 28-pound gobbler during the state’s youth turkey hunt held in March.

Gerety, of Sherwood, was hunting on his family’s land near Fifty Six when he heard the gobbler on a ridge. “My dad and I heard it over on the next ridge. We kept calling and it worked its way over to us,” he said.

One shot from his dad’s 12-gaurge was all it took for Gerety’s first turkey of his young hunting career. “I’ve been hunting for about three years,” he said. Other than being a very large turkey, the gobbler had another unique feature. “It had three beards. The longest was 11 ¾ inches and the shortest was seven inches,” he explained.

Early indications are that Arkansas hunters are probably experiencing another record harvest for the 2004 spring turkey season, according to AGFC turkey biologist Brad Carner. “For the second consecutive year, most areas of the state experienced a good to excellent mast crop which coupled with a relatively mild winter should translate into healthy turkeys and subsequently, good gobbling activity,” Carner said.

“Generally speaking, the additional turkey hunting opportunity provided by the implementation of a statewide youth hunt on March 27-28 coupled with anticipated good gobbling activity should most likely result in another record harvest, barring prolonged periods of inclement weather,” Carner explained.