You Want Me To Do What?

By Arlene Minto

I have always thought of teachers as a special breed. Anyone who can get ideas, concepts and practical skills through a teenager’s skull is way up there on a pedestal in my opinion. Being thrown into the proverbial lion’s den would be an easier fate than becoming a teacher, I thought.

So why did I agree to mentor a 13-year-old who wanted to learn to hunt? Would I be able to pass on to her the same things I had learned? Did I really know enough about hunting turkeys? Would I be a good teacher? All I can say is that sometimes we should just bite the bullet and do it.

That’s how I came to meet Genevieve, an awesome teenager who truly wanted to learn the ways of one of my pastimes – turkey hunting. As it turned out, she ended up teaching me a few lessons along the way, too.

Our lessons started with teaching her how to shoot a 20-gauge and patterning in her gun. She proved to have a good eye for her target. After getting her outfitted with the right gear, we headed for the woods. Genevieve’s dad was very dedicated in getting her to my house at 5 a.m. or earlier so that we could be in the woods before the sun came up. We spent many hours sitting, waiting, and calling birds. Not only did Genevieve learn about the habits of her prey – turkeys, she got to witness a number of other animals, such as deer, opossum, rabbits, woodchucks and other birds, in their natural environment. We were lucky enough to move in on a roost and watch the turkeys “fly down,” then hang with a few hens and even chase a few jakes away, all while learning about patience and persistence. She had an opportunity to take a tom on our third trip out, but she didn’t feel confident about her shot, so she waited. That was the right choice, since her finger was the one on the trigger.

On our last day out, a tom came calling, but refused to come any closer than sixty yards, too far away for Genevieve to shoot. So we waited, and waited, for the tom to come nearer. During our wait, I called my husband, David, to tell him what was going on, and he suggested that I put out a decoy setup with a hen and a jake, posed to look like they were mating. It worked. When our tom returned later in the day, he came at a full run! Genevieve kept her cool and kept her gun aimed at the big boy’s head. When he circled our decoys and paused for just a second, Genevieve pulled the trigger and, like film directors say, “That’s a wrap.” She bagged a 20-plus pound tom turkey with a 10-inch beard and ¾ inch spurs. I could not have been happier. Neither, it seemed, could the young hunter at my side.  Genevieve was thrilled and relieved at the same time since she only had two days remaining on her thirty day license. Her hand kept stroking the feathers on her bird as she told the story of her hunt to her family, all the while wearing a big grin from ear to ear.

I couldn’t have had a better “student.” Genevieve taught me that mentoring isn’t scary. In fact, it’s a fun and satisfying way to spend time with a young person and pass along what we know.

So, if you are ever lucky enough to be asked to mentor someone, set aside any doubts you may have and say yes. It might just end up being one of the most fulfilling things you ever do.