SULLIVAN COUNTY –– The SCLB’s annual Youth Turkey Hunt, held April 26–27, gave young hunters ages 12–15 a memorable opportunity to take to the field alongside mentors in pursuit of the elusive spring tom (bearded turkey). Despite less-than-ideal weather, the event saw strong participation, and the smiles of the youth hunters as they brought in their birds to be measured said it all.

Using the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) scoring system—based on the bird’s weight, twice the beard length, and ten times the length of each spur—volunteers were able to assign each bird a total score reflecting its overall trophy quality.

Saturday brought steady rain and tough hunting conditions, but that didn’t stop determined young sportsmen and women. By noon, when spring turkey hunting hours end, four birds had been checked in. By the end of the weekend, a total of eight birds had been entered for scoring, with final scores ranging from 37.4 to an impressive 57.0.  There were 2 turkeys turned in that had no spurs at all, this is rare but does happen.  A turkey may also have more than 1 spur per side or both sides and some have multiple beards. 

Top Youth Hunters

1st Place – Todd Walter:  19lbs  8oz, total score 57.0 (Mentored by Sawyer Erlwein, who called in his bird).

2nd Place – Colton Kautz:  20lbs 1oz, total score 54.9  (Mentored by his Uncle Tim Kautz, who called in his bird).

Other youth participants:

 Nicholas Pitt, Bloomingburg, Ethan Sayers, Narrowsburg, Landen Ryder, Roscoe, Levi Wood, Roscoe,  Garrett Kurpil, Parksville, Cora Stephenson, Neversink .

They also had successful hunts and are to be congratulated for their efforts and sportsmanship. This event once again featured a mix of returning hunters and first-time participants, all gaining valuable experience and memories in the outdoors.

Special thanks go out to Fur Fin and Feather and The Sportsmen’s Den (Diehl’s) for hosting the scoring stations and supporting the event. Appreciation is also due to chapter members Butch and LeJon for handling the bird scoring, and to all the mentors and volunteers who make this hunt possible year after year.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone who invests their time and passion in mentoring young people to the challenges— and the joys of a safe and ethical turkey hunt. Your efforts help preserve our hunting heritage and the mission of the NWTF. Let’s keep the tradition alive. Pass it on.

Good luck to all hunters during the upcoming Spring Turkey Season, opening May 1st!