When thinking about turkeys, many Americans think about silly-looking white birds that may end up on their hoagies with some mustard and lettuce.
Many people do not realize that wild turkeys come in many sizes, shapes, and colors.
And this second grader bagged a turkey that many full-grown adults can only dream of.
By Nathan Humphrey
This first-time hunter just dropped a once-in-a-lifetime turkey
For hundreds of years, Americans have hunted wild turkeys for their delicious meat and beautiful feather patterns.
Although most turkeys have a striking red and brown feather pattern, some develop rare and remarkable feather patterns.
As a result of genetic conditions, some turkeys develop rare patterns called “phases,” which can appear as copper (bright brown) and smoke (white and gray), among others.
Some hunters spend their entire lives tracking down these rare turkeys to no avail. 8-year-old Vaughn Siver won’t be one of them.
Last May, the South Dakota youngster went on his first turkey hunt, not knowing what to expect other than he just hoped to have fun with his dad in the woods, but what he saw shocked both him and his father.
“At 3:30 p.m., we got in the blinds and set the decoys out,” Vaughn’s father Cody told Field and Stream Magazine. “Vaughn was playing on his phone and eating snacks. After about 45 minutes, we finally spotted the gobblers we were after.”
Cody then recounted, “All of a sudden, I heard something behind us. I thought it was one of our buddies messing with me. Vaughn was dozing off about this time. Then I saw it 40 yards from us and thought, oh boy, what is this thing?”
According to Cody, the bird appeared bright gray, leading him to think it could be a hen.
Cody then instructed his son to shoot the gray bird, helping him to aim properly. Vaughn then fired his 20 gauge shotgun from about 35 yards, dropping this mysterious bird.
Upon closer inspection, Vaughn managed to bag a rare smoke phase turkey, a bird that many turkey hunters can only dream of.
Vaughn shared his thrilling experience with Field and Stream, saying, “It was pretty boring until the turkey came up, then I was just out of this world. I was really happy.”
“I just really liked camping down by the river. I liked staying in a tent. It was so fun,” the exuberant 8-year-old added.
Young Vaughn Siver just proved that turkey hunting requires patience and some luck
Many people, especially children, have a hard time focusing for more than 5 seconds these days.
That is why parents should take their kids hunting more often.
Hunting teaches children valuable lessons, such as patience and self-sufficiency.
Vaughn Siver’s lesson also shows that successful turkey hunting depends on some good fortune.
It’s not every day that somebody runs into a smoke phase turkey on their first hunt.
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