Ready? Wait until I tell you. Now! (shot) Oh my gosh. You got him buddy!
Welcome to KSL Outdoors and the second part of our Kings Camo turkey hunt for kids with special needs. Last week, Dallas Judd kicked it off with a successful hunt on the opening morning. This week.
What’s up buddy? You ready to go do some turkey hunting?
We introduce you to 24 year old Brandon Bergen.
Got your face mask, your gloves, beenie. He’s got it all. You look good.
Yeah, let’s head up there. Should be a goo time, beautiful day.
He was born with Klinefelters syndrome. They said he would be lucky to be over three feet tall. Chances of him walking were slim to none.
Learning disabilities.
Speech impairment.
He was born with club feet. Other bone structure, like inverted elbows and stuff like that. He’s a character. oh yeah he is. Never a dull moment with him.
What’s up Brandon?
This is my third year taking these kids. Brandon was introduced to me by Tyler.
Right off the bat. I knew he was a firecracker. Ton of spunk in him.
So this is from us personally. After seeing how big of a fan you were last night. We thought we’d get you some apparel. Take it out and take a look.
Seahawks rock, rule.
Last December, just before Christmas Brandon, just like Dallas was invited on a fully guided spring turkey hunt and a fishing trip to Strawberry this Summer.
This is your gun. That’s what you’ll go turkey hunting with.
He was given a new shotgun from SFW members.
Think you can catch something with one of these. I don’t know.
a new rod and a tackle box stuffed full of gear from Donahue Welding.
Here you go buddy.
and a new backpack from the crew at Stonehedge Fence.
This is a great group of guys that we are working with, that do this. It’s a blessing to us to help these kids and be able to bring some enjoyment to their life. Some of these kids it’s a new opportunity for them.
We just love to help and if people really need help, we love to help them. Money is only good if you help people with it.
How are you doing Brandon? I understand you are going on a turkey hunt. Yeah. Cool.
Brandon was then invited by our friends at Sportsman’s Warehouse to come to their store, for a shopping spree.
He got new boots, turkey loads, targets, a turkey choke, and the most important tool, he would need.
think to yourself, yelp, yelp, yelp, yelp.
A turkey call.
yelp, yelp. Want to give this a try? No. you can practice at home.
Brandon’s hunt wouldn’t be complete without our final stop at Kings Camo.
and you are going to have a hunt of a lifetime with the Pritchett’s. Trust me. Good, well let’s get you sized up.
I think this is great. I’ve worked with my good friend Tyler he’s the one who talked to me about this and Mike and Waylon have been doing with kids with disabilities and you guys (BREAKS UP) are doing a good job. >
Been practicing? Yeah. Right on.
It’s opening day and with Dallas tagged out, Brandon and his family are back with us on the Child’s family property in Central Utah.
If you need to take a break, just let us know ok?
Brandon will be hunting the same field as Dallas, hoping for the same success. This time however, Waylon will be Brandon’s guide. He’s got a whole crew in his corner.
I love you mom.
Welcome back to KSL Outdoors, I’m Adam Eakle. Hey in a moment we’re back on Brandon’s hunt, but first tonight’s answer to our Burt Brothers quiz question.
our question is…What is the origin of the domesticated turkey we eat today? Here’s the answer. Spanish explorers took Mexican wild turkeys domesticated by the Aztec Indians home to Europe in about 1519. Then in the 18th century European settlers brought domesticated turkeys back to the New World with them as colonists.
Domesticated stock from Europe were eventually crossbred with the wild turkeys of North America, and they eventually became the forerunners to the domesticated turkeys we eat today.
Do I need to come down lower with the gun?
Welcome back to Brandon’s hunt. Waylon, Mike Tonya and Brandon’s dad will be in the blind with Brandon for the evening. The rest of us will watch from other blinds. These guys put a ton of preparation into these hunts to try and give these kids the best chance at filling their tags.
Turkey hunting is 80% location. If you can go out and locate the birds. The area that they are roosting and using and loafing around in the day to day ritual. 10% is setting up and being patient. Using the blinds and decoys and then the other part is you don’t have to be the world champion caller.
Lean a few basic calls, your hen yelp, your cluck, your purr and just be patient. Don’t rush them, don’t move and advance toward them. Let your call do the work and bring the bird to you.
We’ve only been in the blind for a few minutes and already we’ve got a tom coming in from behind.
I really shut it down when they get coming and get closer. I mean, they are already committed and got their visual on them, so I just let them come in all the way. I don’t give them any more calling. That’s another tip to. When that bird answers and gobbles. You don’t have to call back to him every time. When you call to him every time, you are basically telling him that you are going to his position. If you give up a little bit of that and don’t call to him every time and turn your calling to the opposite direction of where he’s at. Make that sound going away from you. Let him gobble on his own 2-3 times and then give him back a call and that will help you a bunch to.
You want to get your head down on the gun.
Right there! Ok hand up by the trigger.
Brandon, head down!
Brandon do you see him? Put that red bead right on his head. Squeeze the trigger! Yeah whenever you are ready. Put that red bead on his head. Squeeze the trigger. Put it right on his head.
The guys are doing everything they can to keep this bird in front of the blind, to give Brandon a shot.
I think he was just a little nervous and couldn’t really hear Waylon telling him to pull the trigger. He kept lifting his head.
It’s ok.
Breathe, breathe for me ok.
We take them out and go shooting, it’s one thing to shoot at a paper target. But, when you get up here and it’s the real live bird, it changes the whole game. It’s just like buck fever.
The big tom walks off, leaving us to wonder what if…
The rain comes, we do see other turkeys come to the decoys, including
it’s a bearded hen.
this bearded hen, but the toms have won, for today.
It’s his first time. Exactly, he knows what to expect now.
Just like any sportsman, many of us have the opportunity to shoot a bird right in front of us and we are just not able to pull the trigger. The bird was right there. Brandon’s glasses fogged up. He’s a brand new hunter and he’s learning a lot of valuable lessons. More of his hunt coming up but let’s turn it over to tonight’s Fish Tech Fishing Report.
Welcome back to KSL Outdoors, I’m Adam Eakle. Well it’s day three. We’ve had a lot of opportunities for Brandon. A lot of birds in front of him. But, we’ve yet to convince him to pull the trigger. We think we may have crossed that bridge. We are back here on the Child’s property for another chance.
I hoping these birds, if they come down this way headed back to the roost, they’ll work right here in front of us.
Has he been pretty excited? Oh yeah he has, that’s all he has been talking about is wanting to go get his bird.
Yeah first ten minutes into the hunt. I haven’t even called yet. I’m waiting for everything to calm down after the rustling the chairs and getting everything ready. All of a sudden Adam looks up at the other blind where Steve and Tyler were at and said there’s two birds right there.
Three minutes later, big giant tom came right into the other blind. Strutted for 5-6 minutes. We could have shot him 10 different times.
If we were in that blind.
Waylon was just starting to wonder if we’d made a mistake by hunting the lower blind in the field.
But just as our confidence was starting wane, a group of hens started working our way. Followed by three giant toms.
He did awesome today, held still, quiet. Those hens came right to the decoy. Never saw us. Never heard us.
Adam, see the two next to the oak. both toms.
See the one in the oak?
You ready?
Which one?
Ok Brandon, get ready!
Adam see the one that is strutting closest to us? When he lifts his head up.
He’s hit. He’s down, you got him Brandon! You got him!
you got him dude! Oh my gosh buddy. Big money. Big money buddy, you got him!
Holy. Look at those spurs. Wow. He’s got inch spurs dude.
I think this is great for special…
Needs children. They have needs and wants just like me and you do. To have them be able to come out and experience this is a great opportunity.
Can’t thank the Pritchett boys enough.
I’m really glad we got to meet them. They’ll actually be friends for life.
Congratulations man. Love you buddy. Love you to.
You’re part of the Griswold family now kid. I swear I thought he missed and all of a sudden that bird goes…I thought so to. I thought oh man here we go it’s going to be a wild chase. (laughs) Hey a great chance to come up and fill a couple of tags. We got Brandon and we Dallas, all of it in thanks, to the Childs family. A big hats off to those guys for giving those kids an opportunity to come up here and their lands. Hey more coming up in a moment, but first down a different trail in tonight’s Utah Field Guide.
Did you know that American’s eat about 19 pounds of turkey each year? With a majority eaten on Thanksgiving day. And did you know, turkey may not have even been on the menu for the Pilgrims and Native Americans back in 1621.
While no records exist of the exact table fare, we do know that the pilgram governor, William Bradford, sent four men on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the three-day event. Wild turkey was indeed plentiful in the region and a common food source for both English settlers and Native Americans. But it is just as likely that the fowling party returned with other birds we know the colonists regularly consumed, such as ducks, geese and swans.
Utah is home to two of the six sub-species of wild turkey, the Merriam’s and the Rio Grande.
Wild turkeys are not known to have existed in Utah during early white settlement. However, historical evidence suggests that wild turkeys co-existed with Native Americans in Utah.
Utah’s, over the counter, youth turkey season begins April 29th and runs through May 1st. The general opener for adults runs May 2nd thru May 31st.
Look at him, he’s already an old hat. He’s already figured out, he’s got the fan all out, looks great. Yeah he’s taking up this turkey hunting quick. That’s awesome. Hey a lot of people to thank for this two day hunt for both Dallas and Brandon. Of course your uncle and your dad that started this 15 years ago. Couldn’t do it without them. Kings Camo, SFW, Sportsman’s Warhouse, the Donahue family, Strawberry Bay Marina, boy I could go on and on. There is just so many people. Oh yeah, it’s a team effort. That’s for sure. Who did I miss. Oh we’ve got Stonehenge Fence, Mitilight helped with donations, make all of this possible. And of course the Childs. The Childs family for allowing us to come here, to hunt their beautiful property. Tons of birds. It’s just been a blessing to be able to come here and do this. Good job. Nice job kid. A lot of fun. Hey don’t forget to get out with your family, your friends and make some memories like a first turkey outdoors. I’m Adam Eakle, we’ll see you next weekend. Goodnight.
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