Editor’s Note: When we interview parents who take their children hunting, the story generally come from the parent’s point of view. This week we wanted to hear stories of hunting with his dad from 10-year-old Clay Franklin. As you’ll see, this youngster loves to hunt, to learn about hunting and the outdoors and to be with his dad.
When deer season is over, I like to go into the woods with my dad, hunt turkeys, listen to them gobble and watch them come in, when my dad calls them. I like wearing Mossy Oak camouflage too, so, the turkeys can’t see me. I prefer not to hunt from a blind. When we hear or see the turkeys, we can sneak through the woods, get close to them and call them to us. I also like practicing with my turkey calls. I’ve been practicing with my mouth call, my slate call and box call. Sometimes my dad lets me call, and he calls too. I’m not sure, if he’s calling up the turkey, or I’m calling him up. Most of the time, when Dad calls to the turkeys, I place my shotgun on my knee and wait to take the shot.
I’ve only taken two turkeys, but the second turkey was a double-bearded gobbler. My dad and I were hunting on the side of a hill where there weren’t any trees, and we spotted some turkeys behind us. We set-up our popup blind. Then, I could move around inside the blind while we were hunting. Once we had been sitting in our blind for awhile, we spotted some turkeys behind the blind. We started watching those turkeys, while Dad was calling to them.
Another turkey sneaked in close to the blind in front of us. Dad whispered, “There’s a turkey right in front of us.” He told me to get ready. I saw the turkey, and I got my 20 gauge shotgun up to my shoulder. The turkey was about 2 foot from the blind, and I fired. When I shot the turkey, he rolled down a hill. When we reached the turkey, my dad looked at me and said, “Clay, you shot a double-bearded turkey.” I’m really looking forward to hunting turkeys this spring. My dad got me a Youth Model Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun with Mossy Oak camouflage on it.
I really like hunting with my dad, especially because he’s teaching me how to hunt. When I get older, I can hunt on my own. Dad usually tags out early during deer and turkey season. Then we get to hunt together the rest of the seasons. I think Dad likes having me go hunting with him. Even after he’s filled all his tags, he still can keep on hunting by watching me fill my tags. I like getting to spend more time with my dad during hunting season.
I think I like turkey hunting better than I do deer hunting. When I’m hunting deer, I take longer shots at the deer than I do the turkeys. I enjoy getting turkeys close to me, before I take the shots. I think I shoot better, when the turkeys are closer. Turkey hunting is more fun for me than deer hunting, but I like to deer hunt also.
Usually when we get our turkey back to the house, one of my dad’s friends will come over and take pictures of me and my dad with our turkeys. We had an assignment at school to bring in a picture of one of the things we like to do that was the most fun. I took a picture of me and my dad with our turkey. All the students at school told me that the turkey I had taken was really a nice one. One of my friends would like to go hunting, but he doesn’t get to, and I have some other friends who like to go, but they don’t get to hunt very often like I do.
Day 3: Clay Franklin Tells Us Why He Likes To Hunt with His Dad
