Jason Kirton spoke at the recent turkey clinic held by the Sherburne County Wildlife Refuge at the Learning Oaks Savannah.             

 

There was also a representative from the conservation office at the MN DNR, Nathan Benkofske, who briefed everyone on all the turkey hunting laws.  Twenty-one students attended the event and left equipped with knowledge for safe turkey hunting.

 

The purpose of the wild turkey species clinic is to teach new turkey hunters (youth, their parents/guardians, adults and families) the skills and techniques needed to be life-long turkey hunters. 

    

The clinic is broken down into five sections: Safety (how to stay safe when hunting for turkeys), Laws and regulations (how to hunt turkeys legally); the biology of turkeys; the history of turkeys in Minnesota; and how to prepare and hunt for turkeys.  

 

“I've been an avid turkey hunter for 16 years and have been a committee member of the NWTF for 15 years.  This is the 14th or 15th year in a row that I have been a mentor for the mentored turkey hunts.         

    

“The mentored hunts started out as just a youth hunt.  Then we added a womens hunt and a veterans hunt. Now, we also mentor adults and families, because we want everyone to have an opportunity to learn how to turkey hunt,” shared Jason Kirton.

 

This was Kirton’s fifth year teaching the clinic, so he was able to plan it efficiently by reserving the classroom and contacting the conservation officer about making an appearance. 

 

Kirton uses a PowerPoint presentation provided by the DNR to lead this class and brings his own gear and props. 

 

Free coffee, milk, juice, donuts and cookies were available for the students. 

 

The clinic was put on by the Sand Dunes Gobblers (Sherburne County) chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).  The Sand Dunes Gobblers chapter of the NWTF was established in 1999. 

 

Their number one mission is to get youth and adults alike involved in the outdoors, in hunting, and in the conservation of the environment, including the wild turkey. 

 

Since the beginning, the chapter has participated in events such as youth turkey hunts, jakes events, and other local events such as the Fall Festival at the Sherburne County Wildlife Refuge in order to raise awareness of the NWTF, provide education to the community on conservation of the wild turkey, and to increase the number of young hunters in our area.  Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt.

 

The mentor and mentee hunts were to take place April 27 and 28.