OT: Life Goes On

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Life Goes On
Written by: Len Harris



Chase Jacobsen and Mike Kyser. The bird weighed 25 pounds even and had a eleven inch beard with 1 1/8 inch spurs.
Photo by: Jody Kyser


The State of Wisconsin has a program called Learn to Hunt Program. It is sponsored by Wild Turkey Federation. The program targets youths that have enrolled in the Hunters Safety Course. Upon their graduation from the Safety Course,the young hunters may sign up for a Mentoring Program.


My nephew Chase Jacobsen was one of the lucky young hunters that enrolled in this wonderful program. Chase was unable to go
hunting with his own father. His dad died unexpectedly in late February 2008 . A local hunter and member of the Mentoring Program (Mike Kyser)
was paired up with Chase to go hunting on the special turkey hunt on April 5th.

Mike picked up Chase at 5am and they were out and set-up in their ground blind by 5:30am. The morning went by quickly with lots of
gobblers talking but none came in to Mike's decoy. The 2 ate lunch in the blind and fired up the calling again at 1:00 pm. Mike uses a variety
of calls but his slate call is his favorite.

Mike had a couple gobblers talking but couldn't get them to come up the hill where they were set up. Mike and Chase then exited the ground blind and low crawler to within 100 yards of the active birds. Mike then made another call and I will quote Chase: "The stupid things were all around us, at least ten of them."


Mike and Chase had worked out a signal system on which bird to shoot prior to low crawling. Mike also told Chase not to shoot at anything unless it was 30 yards and in.

Mike supplied a 20 gauge youth model 500 Mossberg for Chase to use and the hunters had patterned the gun prior to the outing and 30 yards was the farthest out the 20 gauge worked efficiently to kill a bird. The first bird to come in to range was luckily the largest of the 10 birds surrounding the hunters. Chase rolled the big tom and then shot it again as it fled. Mike had Chase secure the gun and Mike took off on foot to corral the running bird. Mike dispatched the bird. During the excitement Mike sprained his ankle badly and is still laid up at home with an air cast.

Thank you Mike Kyser for being a mentor to my nephew. I wish there were more men like you. Chase your dad would have been proud of you and he is smiling down from heaven.