My friend and coworker Phil Criado decided to come steelhead fishing with me and another coworker. It was one of those days where there was still snow on the ground, and it felt like winter.

By David Weckerly, Knox, Pennsylvania
Micah was excited to take advantage of the special youth turkey hunt as well as the mentor program. Micah was 11 and ready for his first official hunting experience. Having tagged along with me a few times as a buddy over the last few seasons, he knew a little about what to expect turkey hunting. We setup first thing in the morning in a spot where I had taken a bird last season. As the dawn came, the woods ignited with the sound of several gobblers. I estimated that there were as many as 8 birds gobbling within a few hundred yards. The birds stayed on the roost for quite a while gobbling for almost a half hour.

Like most hunters, I am usually counting the days to the next season opener. So when the Game Commission instituted the youth hunting seasons a few years back, I was thrilled because it meant that I had even less time to wait before I could be in the field. And luckily, I know several friends and relatives with young hunters who meet the age requirements. My first experience accompanying youth hunters was for waterfowl at Geneva Swamp in Crawford County.