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Bowhunting, though, was really what he wanted to get into. His father, Gary, was a hardcore bowhunter who died before Jake was even able to tag-along.

Jake had hoped to bowhunt deer last fall, but couldn't pull the poundage minimum I'd set for him. I let him hunt turkeys with 37 pounds this spring.

He set-up a range in his basement, and even practiced out of the pop-up blind we'd be hunting from. He shot practiced with his heavy clothes on, too.

When we shot 100-grain Bullheads last week every shot was on the mark.

A friend/local philanthropist, and man of considerable land holdings, has followed many of the stories I've done on the scores of times Jake and I have been outdoors, and the progress we've made. (From poor grades to straight-As)

Anyway, he blessed us with permission to hunt the best piece of turkey property I've ever been on, no matter the state.

Seriously, we checked two food plots late Friday evening and one had five longbeards, four jakes and several hens. The other had about six longbeards, six jakes and 20 or more hens.

We started today in a food plot where we hunted last spring, when I called in a hen that had the kind of rhythm and rasp Chris and I love to hear. She helped call in five two-year-olds, of which Jake got one.

This morning, the same hen came to my calls (there aren't that many that sound THAT good.) Again, she stood around yelping and cutting, and helped bring this guy to the scene.

Eight yard shot. The Bullhead was not D.O.D. but it clipped enough of the tom's neck that it went 15 or so yards and eventually died.

Nice bird, a limb-hanger. Kid hugged me hard enough to danged near break my ribs.

We've been out together 100-plus times in the past 19 months. Ironically, the the second trip the first two things he talked about was hunting turkeys and bow hunting.

Mission accomplished.

He passed up two dandy longbeards he could have shotgunned, then made a pretty shot on this jake with his bow. Missed with his first arrow, but kept his cool well enough to make a perfect shot at 18 yards.

He's shot all nine of the birds he's killed over my Dakota jake.

my best, Paul

I'll still toss in my kudos and thanks. Hunting is better off because of your efforts. Jake undoubtedly thinks you are a great guy. He's right.

Mark

I kinda think Jake has a Guardian Angel.

Great story. You have obviously had a great impact on a young man's life that needed an adult male in his life.

You're right, though. Hearing her was better for me than the gobbling.

She did her cutting a few seconds after she stopped yelping. Honestly, she reminded me of a good glass call, with that kind of break-over in each note and nice rasp on the second part.

Oh, and she did NOT go to the "cluck twice, yelp three times softly and shut up until next season" class. She wasn't non-stop, but series usually had 10-12 yelps. Cutting was only six or seven pops, though.

Bake

Thanks for sharing.

Good job writer!

You have made lifetime memories for both of you.