Wharton youth hunt blends fun, lessons of the hunt
Ben Moyer
Jarod Davis, 13, of Smithfield with the biggest gobbler taken at the 13th annual Wharton Township Hunting and Fishing Club youth spring turkey hunt.
Ben Moyer
Successful hunters and callers in the 13th annual Wharton Township Hunting & Fishing Club’s Youth Spring Turkey Hunt. Bottom row, from left, are Gavin Fike, Jarod Davis, Greg VanSickle, Rosie Rishel, Brandon Swaney, Johnny Voyten, C.J. Kasuth, Devin Morrison. Top row, from left, are Frank Maykuth, Pennsylvania Game Commisison deputy wildlife conservation officer, Marty Fagler, Gus Girard, Larry Golden, Ben Gardner, Clump Rishel, Levi Rishel, Gary Friend, Duayne Rishel and Brandon Bonin, PGC Fayette County wildlife conservation officer.
You hear a lot these days about how hard it is to get kids away from videos, computers and social networks and into the outdoors. That’s all true to a degree, and in some places. But in the Fayette County mountains last Saturday, 15 young people had a non-cyber experience they’ll likely never forget. In fact, it may keep them venturing into the outdoors for the rest of their lives.
The 15 were the fortunate participants in the Wharton Township Hunting and Fishing Club’s 13th annual Youth Spring Turkey Hunt. Since 2000, the club of 400 members has offered a guided turkey hunt, now scheduled on the date of the Game Commission’s one-day Youth Season, to any kid who wanted to go.
“We started doing this years before the Game Commission set aside a special day for kids,” said club member Roger Baxter. “In the early years, we just picked a day in the regular season and made it our youth day here at our club.”
The club pairs interested kids with adult guides and mentors. The kids, either properly licensed or with mentored-youth permits, accompany their guide into the woods. When the team sets up at a calling location the youngster assumes the role of shooter and the adult does the calling.
This year, eight of the 15 shooter/caller duos tagged a gobbler.
“In terms of birds taken, it’s the most successful hunt we ever had,” Baxter said. “The most the kids had taken before was five but the hunt is always a success if it’s safe and the kids have fun.”
And by all accounts they did have fun.
“It was exciting and I’d like to do it again. I saw 23 turkeys today before I got this one,” said young Gavin Fike of Farmington.
Fike was guided by Marty Fagler, also of Farmington, who declined to reveal the location of their eventful outing.
“Gavin missed a big mature gobbler the first thing in the morning,” Fagler said. “But there were more birds around us. About 10 minutes after he missed, seven young jake birds came in to the call. Gavin shot a different one than I thought he was aiming at, but it all worked out.”
Guides got as much enjoyment from the day as the kids.
“I’ve guided every year since we started this and this is the first year my kid got a turkey,” said Clump Rishel, who guided Brandon Swaney to a 14-pound gobbler.
“I tried hard to make it happen,” Rishel said. “I went out every morning I could and I had this big gobbler located. But when we went there this morning, he didn’t gobble or show. I told Brandon we needed to move around and call and we finally had this bird answer and come in. It felt pretty good to get it done for Brandon.”
Guides are teamed with kids through a random drawing. Baxter said the hunt is growing more popular and organizers this year had to appeal to the club membership to find enough guides to take all the youngsters.
Clump Rishel, his brother Duane Rishel, Roger Baxter and the Rishels’ recently deceased brother Duncan have guided kids in every one of the club’s series of hunts.
“He (Duncan) would have been here if he could. He loved doing it. He believed in passing this down from our generation to the kids,” Duane Rishel said of his late brother.
Jarod Davis, 13, of Smithfield killed the biggest gobbler of the day. The 23-pounder had a 10-inch beard and spurs over an inch long. Gus Girard called the big tom in for Davis.
“It gobbled a lot,” Davis said of his turkey. “When a turkey is coming closer, that’s an exciting thing to hear early in the morning.”
Club president Frank Spiker explained that although the club does score the birds based on the National Wild Turkey Federation system, which combines weight, beard length and spur length, the hunt isn’t about competition.
“This is about getting the kids outdoors and having a safe, exciting and fun experience,” Spiker said. “Just look around here. We have 15 kids here and they all had a great time, whether they got a turkey today or not.”
Spiker said the club also has a kids’ fishing day slated on the grounds for May 19.
“It’s fun and good fellowship around here,” said club member and cook Larry Fetsko, who prepared a barbecue chicken dinner for kids and guides. “But the bottom line is we’re showing these kids the right and safe way to hunt.”