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It may not be Thanksgiving, but it sure is turkey season in Minnesota this week.

Turkey hunting season that is.

The annual turkey hunting season kicked off this weekend with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Youth Hunt. Local area youth were out in their hunting spots before most people were rising from bed on Saturday morning.

The Chisago County chapter of the NWTF held their luncheon and hunting headquarters at Spring Lake Lutheran Church in North Branch, and besides the thrill of the hunt and the food, Minnesota Vikings center John Sullivan was on hand to greet the kids on their way in and talk with them about hunting and football.

"It was a good weekend," said Greg Morgan, who is the Jakes (Youth) Coordinator in the Chisago County chapter. "Everyone had fun over the two days."

The biggest bird brought in over the two days was Justin Bjork's nearly 22 pound turkey. He was one of the last kids to come in from the hunt, not checking into the church until nearly 1 p.m.

The 22-pound turkey was among at least 12 harvested among the 30 hunters. Eight were taken the first day, and Morgan said he knew of at least four taken the second day, but since they didn't meet after the hunt, he was still collecting final numbers.

The 12 birds is over the state average of other areas that have the youth turkey hunt, although it's down slightly from last year, when the Chisago County chapter harvested just under 20 birds among the 30 hunters.

This is the eighth year that the state has participated in the opening youth hunt, and it's been growing in popularity since its inception. The idea is to take a youth hunter, between ages 12-17, and pair them up with a mentor. The mentors are experienced turkey hunters who volunteer for the program to take the kids out to a spot, help them set up decoys and make calls, and ultimately, try to lure a bird for the youth to make a kill.

Since Morgan has been at the helm as Jakes Coordinator, he thinks it's word-of-mouth that has gotten more and more interest generated in the hunt. "These other kids just like hearing the stories. They get to do it with someone who knows what they are doing," he said. "It's a lot of fun to get that first gobble. It's such an interactive hunt because you're calling and they're calling back, and it's just exciting for the kids. Even the mentors get excited helping [these kids]."

The excitement was evident on Saturday afternoon during the luncheon as a mentor and his hunter explained their morning story of two big toms moving back and forth just outside of their shooting range. The back-and-forth calling lasted for a while, but the birds just wouldn't enter into their shooting range. Both, however, were excited to get back to the same blind on Sunday morning and take aim at the same two birds.

Anyone who is interested in the NWTF is encouraged to contact a local committee member, or get in touch with Morgan himself.

Morgan can be reached at [email protected] or (651)357-6299.

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