Dayton with his first Nebraska Merriam gobbler (Gary Howey Photo)

Had a great time introducing young Dayton Kaday to spring turkey hunting,

  Took us two days in order for him to tag his bird, only the second time he fired my shotgun, or any shot gun and he did an excellent job.

  We’d set up a small blind along a heavy cedar belt as we knew that the birds were using the cedar shelterbelt below us.

  I’d set up my Dakota Decoys out in front of us, slid back into the blind, let Dayton know that once the gobbler got to a small cedar stump out in front of us, to have the gun up, placing the  shotgun bead, directly under the gobbler noggin and to take the bird.

  My  first quiet  calls were answered immediately and a short time after that, a group of Jakes and hens came  out of the cedars making their way towards the decoys.

  They quickly came up the hill, almost too quickly,  passing past the cedar stump into the decoys, I whispered to Dayton, to take the bird, he replied, which one?

 My reply, what ever bird you want, it’s up to you as the report of his shotgun  dropped a gobbler with several of the others scattered while one stayed close by.  he’d tipped over a beautiful Merriam gobbler, one  to be proud of.

  A fist pump later, a smile broke across his face as we went out to examine  his first Spring gobbler.

  This hunt was as exciting as any of my own hunts as I had brought a youth into the sport of hunting and one both of us will have memories of long into the future.

Congratulations Dayton, we’re Proud of you!