Pennsylvania Youth Practice Turkey Hunting Skills with the Nittany Valley Longbeards Chapter

The half-day event provided an exciting opportunity for 60 young participants ages 6-16 to engage in hands-on demonstrations and practice various outdoor skills. The event held six stations, including archery, muzzleloader, shotgun and .22 caliber rifle safety and shooting, trapping demonstrations and turkey calls and rangefinder instruction.

“I feel we need to always provide educational experiences for our youth and try to encourage more time in the outdoors with hunting and conservation activities,” said Dan Frantz, Nittany Valley Longbeards Chapter president. “Also, I want to provide the leadership to have more members involved in our chapter activities and efforts to promote the youth and foster more relationships with other hunting organizations.”

At the Turkey Calls & Rangefinder station, the young participants were introduced to different types of turkey calls, including paddle, pot, slot and wing bone calls. Experienced members of the Nittany Valley Longbeards Chapter demonstrated the unique sounds produced by each call. The children were then given the opportunity to practice using these calls, immersing themselves in the world of calling wild turkeys.

The rangefinder portion of the station aimed to enhance their ability to judge distances accurately and learn to use a rangefinder. To engage the youth, a sort of “game” was employed. Various decoys, representing hens and toms, were placed at varying distances between 20 and 60 yards from a hunting seat. Seated at that spot, youth participants estimated the yardage to each decoy and identified whether it was a hen, jake or a mature tom. They were also asked to consider if they would take an ethical harvest shot at that distance. In an effort to instill a sense of ethics and sportsmanship, two decoys were placed close together, allowing for the possibility of harvesting or injuring both birds with a single shot.

“I feel judging distances is an extremely important and overlooked skillset for youth and this type of simulation can provide valuable practice and appreciation for accurately determining distances to a target,” said Paul Heasley, member of the Nittany Valley Longbeards Chapter.

After all participants completed their estimates, the station manager asked the youth to provide their thoughts verbally for the group on distance, decoy identification, and if they would take the shot. The station manager then demonstrated the proper use of a rangefinder, enabling the youth to provide the actual distance to each decoy.

Upon completing the station activities, the participants were treated to a demonstration of an owl locator call. Additionally, each attendee received an owl locator call to take home, allowing them to continue their exploration of turkey hunting techniques and sounds.

The success of the Turkey Calls and Rangefinder station at the Youth Field Day was made possible by dedicated members of the Nittany Valley Longbeards Chapter, including Dan Frantz, the president of the chapter, along with Garret Kuhns and Paul Heasley. Their expertise and commitment to promoting outdoor skills and conservation played a vital role in creating a memorable and educational experience for the young participants.

About the National Wild Turkey Federation

Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has conserved or enhanced over 22 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The organization continues to drive wildlife conservation, forest resiliency and robust recreational opportunities throughout the U.S. by working across boundaries on a landscape scale. 

2023 is the NWTF's 50^th Anniversary and an opportunity to propel the organization's mission into the future while honoring its rich history. For its 50^th Anniversary, the NWTF has set six ambitious goals: positively impact 1 million acres of wildlife habitat; raise $500,000 for wild turkey research; increase membership to 250,000 members; dedicate $1 million to education and outreach programs; raise $5 million to invest in technology and NWTF's people; and raise $5 million to build toward a $50 million endowment for the future. Learn how you can help us reach these lofty goals.