I Am Conservation

Fifteen-year-old Austin Muenks, of Loose Creek, harvested this tom turkey during the 2011 turkey season. Muenks started turkey hunting when he was 10 years old. “A couple of my friends from school turkey hunted, and they were telling me how cool it was,” says Muenks. “So, I started bugging my dad to take me.” Muenks says he didn’t get a turkey that first year, or the one after. “The first two years were still fun, because it was kind of a test run,” says Muenks. “But, I’ve gotten a turkey every year since then!” When he bagged this particular turkey, Muenks says they had decided to quit hunting for the day and were walking back to the truck when they saw a turkey out in the field. “So, we hid behind a brush pile and tried to call him in,” says Muenks. But, the turkey didn’t appear to be taking the bait, so Muenks and his dad decided to call it quits for the second time that day. “We were still sitting in the brush pile, joking around and talking about where we were going to hunt the next day, when I saw the turkey walk into view about 30 yards away,” says Muenks. “So, I shot it!” Muenks also hunts for deer, squirrel and ducks. “Turkey hunting is probably my favorite,” says Muenks, “because it is the most exciting.”

—Photo by David Stonner