QDMA Pennsylvania State Chapter

Pennsylvania Drummers focuses on Ruffed Grouse
June 21-25, 2011
at POWDERMILL NATURE RESERVE
in Westmoreland County

Pennsylvania Bucktails focuses on white-tailed deer
July 5-9, 2011
at STONE VALLEY RECREATION AREA
in Huntingdon County

Become a Mentor - The QDMA Mentored Hunting Program

http://www.qdma.com/membership/become-a-mentor/

My name is Robert Ritson Jr. I am sixteen years old from Limerick, PA and I was fortunate enough to go on this turkey hunt with QDMA by winning the Leadership Award at the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education’s Bucktails Camp, which I attended last summer. I was given the choice of either going on this hunt or attending a PICE program free of charge. I enjoy learning about the outdoors, but I have never harvested a turkey before. I left my school early on Friday April 23rd, 2010 with my dad in order to get up to Steve Trupe’s camp in Potter County in time to roost the birds. It was a 5hr drive from my house to camp. Upon arrival, Steve gave us a tour of the cabin and we unpacked our things. Our guide Norm Lewis, who is one of Steve’s neighbors, arrived shortly after this and he had dinner with us. My dad and I followed Norm up to his house to go roost the birds. After a little driving around, Norm finally got a response and made a note of where it was for the next morning. When we got back to Steve’s, Katie Schmidt and her father were there and already went out to roost the birds with him. We all got up at 4:30 a.m. the next morning and had a quick breakfast. My dad and I were out the door by 5:00 on our way to Norm’s. We picked up Norm and parked at the mouth of an old logging road on one of Steve’s hunting leases. The three of us walked about a half a mile along this road we happen to hear a gobble. Norm sat my dad down by a tree. Norm and I walked about another twenty yards before he sat me down by another tree. He continued on about twenty-five yards to set up the decoys and made a soft hen call in the dim light. Gobble, Gobble, Gobble! The tom we had roosted the night before responded to him. Norm walked back over to me and sat down next to me. It began to get lighter. He made another soft call and that tom went nuts! We began to hear the gobbles get closer and closer. Norm whispered to me to get my gun up and pointed at the little knob the turkey was going to come over. Gobble, Gobble, Gobble! He whispered to me “Do you hear him?” and I responded “I see him!” That tom came over the knob all puffed out and started to strut towards the decoys. Norm told me to wait till he got to the decoys to shoot. He got closer and closer. He began to drift to my right a little bit as he got even with the decoys and Norm said “Any time”. BANG! My twelve gauge Remington® 11-87 shotgun with a Primos® Titewad™ choke went off at 6:20 am and that gobbler fell to the ground flapping his wings. The hunt was over! Norm quick said “Go get ‘em!” and I put my gun on safe and shot up to go get him. It was amazing! My dad was instantly there beside me congratulating me on my first bird. I began to shake all over with excitement the way I always do when I harvest an animal. It was a two year old with about an eight inch beard and three quarter inch spurs. Norm snapped a few pictures and we headed back toward the truck. I could not believe it was over already. The hunt could not have gone any more perfectly. My dad and I headed back to camp to clean the bird and waited for Steve and Katie. Unfortunately, the birds did not cooperate so well with them. When they were done, they congratulated me on my bird and Steve fixed lunch as they helped me skin the bird and remove the tail fan. I learned a lot about turkey hunting during the hunt, an experience and lessons I will not forget. Later on, Steve gave us a tour of his lease properties and we all exchanged hunting stories. We had a relaxed morning on Sunday and we were all headed home by 9:00 a.m. I cannot thank Steve, Norm, and the QDMA enough for making such an opportunity possible for me. I really appreciate it. This is and experience I will not soon forget.