Just putting the word out early for our 3rd annual spring Jakes (Youth) Turkey Hunt on March 15th-17th.

We will be hunting the 18,000 acre Boerschig U-Bar ranch north of Brackettville, TX again this year and could use some of you guys help as volunteers to help guide and call in birds for the young people.

We also need shooting instructors to help the first timers with shooting and patterning shotguns. We were short last year and not all the kids got the chance to get the hang on shooting. This is the opener for south zone, but for those of you who are free to help out with the kids on this weekend let me know. Thanks guys!

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Count me in TJack!

I guided on this hunt last year and let me tell you it was a blast. Great ranch and the trip was worth it without a doubt.

The experience of being on this hunt last year prompted me to get the TYHP Huntmaster and Hunter Education instructor training. Tell John to let me know what he wants me to do on this hunt.

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You can count me in again. Looking forward to it.

Doug

So am I...going to be good to see you and Kevin again and meet some of the other guys from the forum. We're going to try getting 20 kids out this year...last year we opened the hunt for 20 but only 14 made it and only 3 birds were taken ...although there could've been more as there were many opportunities. With this years hatch I got a feeling those kids are going to make some feathers fly this spring!

We definitely coulda had more 'birds in the box'. I had big toms in front of both the kids I guided. One shot dirt under the bird, and the other waited too long and never pulled the trigger. Many of those kids have never hunted before and they are just learning, but I think they all had fun and learned. That hunt is a great experience for the kids, and taking a bird is just gravy.

Sent you a PM. I'm far from a guide, but I can call a turkey.

Sent you a PM. I'd be delighted to come call some turkeys for the youngsters in March.

I can probably bring 2-3 other gentlemen with me to teach shooting skills...and cook.....

TJack, how many guides are you still needing to pick up? I know you already have a few volunteers from your core group there in Houston.

And for the rest of you, all you really need to do is help get your kiddo and his dad properly camoed up and quiet and do some calling. We do group drop offs and pick ups to get you to an assigned spot, so you won't have to worry about anything really but calling in some birds. To the kids you are a super hunter, even if you are not the most experienced guide out there...

From the THF alone we've picked up about 9 potential guides. From our committee there are about 6-7 people going for sure to help out in various areas such as cooking, chaperone, calling ..etc. Not sure how many more from our NWTF committee plans to participate, but if I hear from maybe 2 more guys from the forum I'll take them. That way my committee guys will be free to help in other areas. Looking forward to it a great year!

I would be very interested in helping . I just moved to the Houston area from Mississippi wear I hunted eastern long beards. I have good references if needed to speak on my behalf . Please let me know what measures I should take from this point on .

Evans to the forum.

If you can call in Eastern Birds you will be able to call in the Rio Grand turkeys on this hunt.

Welcome. I'm sure TJack will get with ya soon. Always use another caller. Last year it was a bit tight getting a caller for every kid, and they are looking at hosting a few more youth this year.

I shot him an PM. Looks like we're about full...may have to do some improvising...

Don't want to jump your site, but we just started a youth hunt and outdoor club here in DFW.

We are walking through Gal 5 - Applying Fruits of the Spirit to gun safety and good hunting techniques.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or resources for youth hunting clubs.

Again, please forgive me if this is against the rules for posting but I checked and it looks like it's OK to post this request.

Thanks, John Hofker

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Okay guys...I thank everyone for willing to help out with the kids. For those of you I've communicated with I will be in touch over the next few weeks. We are about over loaded for this hunt so for anyone else that's interested I will just add the name to a standby list in case someone backs out. If some of you who I've already talked to happen to find out that you can't make the dates please let me know as I already have about 3 guys on standby.

Also, each year we are growing larger and larger due to kids wanting to go on these hunts. At some point we're going to need to put on at least 2 or 3 of these a spring. That's going to mean finding some land owners with a big enough place to allow at least 7 - 10 kids to come out and take a bird each.

Mr. Beorschig is a good friend of our Jakes Coordinator (John Miller)and he's graciously allowed us to come out the last 3 years to hunt his place. Last year half of the kids were inner-city kids and a few from single parent homes. This hunt changed everything for some who experienced it for the first time and they've been looking to participate again. At the same time you have other new kids who are interested and would like to go. In our case we don't want to turn away any kids who's life can be positively changed after one hunt, so we are currently looking for other possibilities.

Youth Hunter openings are finally all full. I got an overwhelming reply from a lot of you guys here on the forum to guide, and I appreciate all who did. Sense then I've had a few guys that had things come up and backed out. If anyone is still interested we still need a few more guys to help guide.

I sent an email to most of you who gave me email addresses with some info and directions to the ranch. If you didn't get the email let me know. I also have to call a couple of you guys as I didn't get an email address from you to send you the info. In the email I sent out I expressed the concern about beds/sleeping arrangements. I think the ranch has about 50 beds, but we may end up in excess of 60 people once we get a guide for everyone.

For the guys who asked if it was okay to come down in campers it may be a good idea at this point. If anyone have cots or air mattresses I'd bring them as well. I have a couple of our guys bringing extra cots in case someone doesn't have one. Anyway, we will have enough food for everyone and one of the guys is bringing a porker to smoke on the pit. It will be a great time and I'm looking forward to meeting some of you guys from THF...

So we have 20 kids this year?

For those of you considering it, lets just say from my experience on the hunt last year, sign up it sure does a person good to give back or as the term around here is pay-it-forward. Seeing the excitement of these kids is contagious. Made some good friends on the hunt last year and look forward to seeing some of them again this year.

Wish I was in town

We're also doing some things earlier that week while the kids are out for spring break. We're taking some kids up to Frankston to learn about forestry and wildlife habitat from TPWD biologist Jay Whiteside.

After Jay talks to them we're going to give them hands on training with planting beneficial trees like white oak, post oak, chestnut oak, Alleghany chinkapin and American chestnuts.

After they're done with the tree planting we want to teach them how to set up tents to camp out and take them fishing at Lake Palestine. Would be great to get some folks to come out and help give planting tips as well as teach them how to rig a fishing line. We're just trying to create more opportunities to get the kids outside during spring break.

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Wish I could help that week at Lake Palestine too. Sounds like a good time. You guys are staying pretty busy with those kids...

See ya for the Boershig Ranch hunt...