The Shadows on the Wolf Clintonville Chapter and the United Special Sportsmen Alliance share a strong tradition of honoring their hunting heritage and a deep commitment to introducing the next generation to turkey hunting. On March 27, 2026, nineteen young hunters, aged 10 to 17, gathered in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, for their annual learn-to-hunt turkey event. After an indoor training session and a sight-in clinic, the group was focused and ready to hunt. The next morning, just before dawn, with temperatures well below freezing, nineteen eager young hunters — accompanied by their parents and mentors — headed out to their blinds on private property, anticipating their first chance at an elusive gobbler.
For Patrick, 10, the action was hard to top. “My dad woke me up early, and when we got to the blind, my mentor Jim called in the turkeys. There were three out front, and they were all fired up — all three started attacking the decoy. Then another one came in, and he was going after it too. When it was down to just one still attacking and the others had moved off, I shot it. I was so happy I had butterflies in my stomach.”
Mentor Jim Rasmussen said hunting earlier in the season works in the hunters’ favor. “The birds aren’t henned up yet, so the toms came right in and just pounded the decoy.” Patrick was eagerly waiting for the right moment, and Jim gave him his cue. “One tom was standing right on top of the jake decoy, and the other two had separated. I told him, ‘The one on the decoy — shoot him.’ And he rolled him right over.”
Patrick’s dad, Jonathan, an Air Force veteran with 22 years of service — and whose wife is a lieutenant colonel in the Army — said the moment meant everything to him. “The best part was watching my son get his turkey. His unbridled excitement and happiness seeing it go down for the first time was really something. Jim had put so much work into scouting and preparation that Patrick needed only 38 minutes to harvest his first turkey. We’re used to spending hours in the woods deer hunting and not seeing a thing — this was tremendous.”
Patrick’s turkey weighed 20 lbs 8 oz., had a 10-inch beard, and had spurs measuring 7/8 and 1/2 inches.
Sydney, 12, was the second in line to get a bird. “We met my mentor, Kevin Vollmer, at a gas station early in the morning, got into his truck, and headed to the blind. We walked through the woods to reach it and waited quite a while — it was freezing. After some time, we heard turkeys gobbling back in the woods. Kevin started calling them in and let me try too. As the sun came up, we spotted them on a hill and worked to bring them closer to our decoy. There were about 12 birds, including 4 toms. The lead tom came in close but started to drift away, and then another tom broke from the group and headed straight for the decoy. I put my gun through the shooting port, settled in, and took the shot. I was so excited when the turkey dropped.”
Sydney’s dad, Matt, agreed that the morning was exciting from the start. “The turkeys were gobbling heavily before shooting time even began — having them all around us, gobbling and strutting, and then watching them come in and do exactly what they were supposed to do was incredible.” When asked about the cold, he smiled. “We had a little heater in the blind, and I had electric socks, so my toes were plenty warm. Honestly, it was hard to tell if Sydney was cold or just shivering from the excitement of getting her tom.” He added that being outside together with his daughter is always a good time.
Sydney’s turkey weighed 21.25 lbs., sported a 9½-inch beard, and had spurs measuring 7/8 and 3/4 of an inch.
Scarlett, 12, described the hunt in her own words: “I was in the blind with my dad and my mentor, Mike. It was pretty cold when we first got in, but once we closed it up, the heater warmed it up. We didn’t see any turkeys at first, but we heard a coyote right away, and then some gobbling — that was really exciting. It took a while to work the turkeys up to the blind. We had a scratch pad, and Mike also had a mouth call. Mike was calling them in, and I was working the scratch pad — I picked it up really quickly, and it was a lot of fun. A tom came in at first, but something spooked him, and he left. Then he came back, and just as he was getting closer, Mike’s phone went off — someone sent him a message — and the turkey spooked and walked away. Mike tried calling the turkey back, but it wouldn’t come. So I shot him right where he stood. I felt pretty good, but I remember being so shocked when I pulled the trigger. I just sat there with my ears ringing. I bit my lip, and I was like, WOW! My eyes went wide — like, what just happened? I was afraid he would get away, but he was dead. Another group of turkeys came out after the shot, so we stayed still so we wouldn’t spook them off. Then the wind caught his feathers and fanned them out — it was like he was showing off. Once the other birds headed back into the woods, we went out to get him.”
Her father, Jordan, said the best part was watching Scarlett stay calm and follow Mike’s directions. “It was so fun to witness her getting her turkey. My favorite part was watching her call in the turkeys — I believe she will be a better turkey caller than me someday. And one day she’ll be out here mentoring her brothers and sisters.”
Mentor Mike Tuss reflected on the morning’s conditions and the lessons woven into the hunt. “We got into the blind, and it was 18 degrees — then the sun came up, and it actually dropped to 14. We had to swap out the heater bottles once to keep the warmth going.” For Mike, mentoring goes well beyond the shot. “The whole thing about mentoring is covering a lot of ground — it starts all the way back at the walk-in.” He asked Scarlett why they walked single file in the dark, and she knew the answer right away: “If the first person trips on a log, everyone behind them will know it’s there.” Mike noted she was right behind him on the walk-in, and he managed not to trip. He also quizzed her on what he calls the 4 P’s, and Scarlett rattled them off without hesitation: “Practice, patience, persistence, payoff.” Then she added her own twist: “And pizza — because you should get a pizza at the end.” Mike laughed and said she had already added a fifth one on her own: planning.
Scarlett’s turkey weighed 20 lbs. 8 oz., sported a 9-inch beard, and had spurs measuring 3/4 of an inch.
Guide Brian Dey, who was mentoring 10-year-old Deacon, said, “We got out there pretty early and drove the UTV out to the blind, got everyone loaded in, and tried to stay quiet. We could hear gobbles in the distance, but they were muffled — we were down in the creek bottom.” Once the bird moved out of the trees, the gobbling went silent. “I think we heard one hen yelp shortly before they came out of the woods. Other than that, there were no gobbles until they got out into the field. They hopped from bare spot to bare spot in the snow and finally got close enough.” Brian believed the cold morning kept the birds in the timber longer than usual. “We were on the east side, so they probably waited in the woods until it warmed up a bit before coming out to catch some sun.” The suspense had been building since the day before. “It was nerve-racking for a while because we weren’t sure if they were coming. We had guides watching the fields with cameras on Friday, so we knew the birds would be there — we just didn’t know what time.”
Deacon, 10, had plenty to say about his morning in the blind. “I got a nice-sized one. Brian and Mom were with me. It was dark, and we stayed quiet, waiting for the turkeys to come out. Brian made turkey calls, and we waited for a big one. Then there were like 100 turkeys — they kept coming and coming and coming out of the woods.” When the moment finally arrived, Deacon didn’t hold back: “BOOM — I got my turkey!” He said his smile was so big it was his way of saying thank you without words. Before long, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his empty shell. “I got this to put with the beard and tail,” he said.
Deacon’s turkey weighed 20 lbs. 2 oz., had an 8½-inch beard, and spurs measuring 7/8 of an inch.
Jill had two children in the hunt, and both came home with a turkey — Deacon in the morning and Elizabeth in the afternoon. “This is such an amazing experience,” Jill said. “We love the outdoors and hunting, but taking our kids out on our own with their complex needs is very difficult. Being able to come to a place where people have the equipment, know the land, and help give them a great experience means so much. We are incredibly appreciative — and it’s a nice break for us too.”
In all, ten turkeys were bagged on the hunt. Keagen’s turkey weighed 18 lbs. 2 oz., sported an 8½-inch beard, and had spurs measuring 7/8 and 7/8 of an inch. Masyn’s turkey weighed 20.7 lbs., had a 10⅜-inch beard, and a 1-inch spur. Elizabeth’s turkey weighed 23.8 lbs. and had a 10-inch beard. Ian’s turkey weighed 21 lbs. and had two 9¼-inch beards. Jaxton’s turkey weighed 26.7 lbs. and had a 10½-inch beard. Abigail’s turkey weighed 19.8 lbs. and had a 10⅜-inch beard. Jaxton’s turkey weighed 26.7 lbs. and had a 10½-inch beard.
A sincere thank-you goes to Shadows on the Wolf and its coordinators — Mike Tuss, Brenda Strebe, and Shannon Dewhurst — along with the entire volunteer staff for their tireless efforts in making this memorable hunt possible.
Our heartfelt gratitude extends to the dedicated mentors, gracious landowners, and generous financial sponsors whose contributions made these rewarding hunts possible. Your support and commitment to the USSA’s mission are deeply appreciated. Congratulations to all the young hunters who experienced their first turkey hunt — may it be the first of many! God bless!