MEEKER | On a warm, sunny weekend in mid-April, six young turkey hunters and their mentors huddled quietly on pristine private land in the White River Valley near Meeker, scanning the terrain for their elusive quarry. Participating in their first turkey hunt, the youngsters battled their nervous excitement, listening to whispered suggestions and tips from their expert advisors. When, at last, a turkey comes into view, the young hunters put their newly learned firearm safety education into action, carefully aiming their shotguns and pulling the trigger.
While four of the six young hunters harvested a turkey to take home for their family’s dinner table this year, in keeping with the mission of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Hunter Outreach Program, the focus of the hunt was education, ethics, and safety. The annual hunt — held in honor of CPW Officer Jon Wangnild, who died in 2013 — is led by Meeker South District Wildlife Manager Bailey Franklin. Along with fellow CPW officers and volunteers, they provide the critical mentorship the novice hunters need to hunt safely and ethically.
“Many of these kids have dreamed of going turkey hunting but faced several obstacles, primarily due to the lack of a skilled mentor and access to land where turkeys are present,” said District Wildlife Manager Bailey Franklin. “Thanks to the expert guidance and equipment supplied by CPW and generous private donors, along with the hard work and dedication of many local community members, these young hunters have gained valuable experience and knowledge. They are now capable of hunting wild turkey on their own and may even become mentors themselves in the future.”
Hunting is one of Colorado’s most treasured traditions and is critical for the successful management of the state’s wildlife, today and into the future. In addition, it encourages youth to maintain a healthy lifestyle with outdoor activities as a priority.
The six youth turkey hunt participants this year were Brooklyn Cox, Quinn Thomson, Emiliano Carrillo, Klayton Carroll, all from Meeker, Jesus Guzman from Rangely, and Benjamin Heraty from West Chester, PA.
Before the hunt, each novice and parent or guardian participated in an in-person orientation learning turkey biology, turkey hunting strategies, firearm safety, and hands-on shooting practice with shotguns. Once in the field, they learned how to scout, track, and identify signs of turkey activity.
CPW would like to express our sincere appreciation and thanks to the following landowners for sponsoring the program and allowing access to their private lands: Nine Mile Guest Ranch, Elk Creek Ranch, M/R White River Ranch, Slash EV Ranch, Hunting Maestro LLC, White River Lodge, Klinglesmith family, R Lazy J Ranch, George Rienau, John Etchart, Pete Swenson, L Bar Slash Ranch, David Smith Ranches, Kurt and Sandra Hotto, Hole in the Rock Ranch, Joe Brown, Shane Phelan, Rich and Carol Parr, and Don Mersch.
In addition, CPW would like to thank Travis Flaharty, Tom Hazelton, Dusty Allen, and Curtis Keetch for supporting the Northwest Region’s Hunter Outreach Program by volunteering their time and equipment to guide and mentor several of the young hunters.
“We are very grateful to have dedicated and generous partners and volunteers who believe in what we are doing,” said Franklin. “They are actively involved in helping instill a love of the outdoors and hunting in our future generations, which benefits everyone.”
Landowners, volunteers, and anyone interested in supporting or learning about CPW’s youth hunting programs are encouraged to call the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Meeker office at 970-878-6090.
