It’s hard to believe the Ohio Youth Wild Turkey Hunt has been running strong for 16 years! Each spring, this event brings together
education, leadership development, and unforgettable outdoor experiences—and 2025 was no exception. We welcomed 17 young aspiring hunters, many of them first-timers, to our Darke County home base at Chenoweth Trails for a weekend of skill-building, camaraderie, and turkey hunting fun.
The weekend began with a welcoming dinner for our dedicated mentors, generous sponsors, landowners, volunteers, and staff. Sharp’s Tavern, Winner’s Meat, Kristi’s Cakes and MM Defense provided a delicious meal as guests learned more about our nonprofit’s mission. The evening featured an engaging skit demonstrating how a turkey hunt is executed by Dwight “Bufford” Edwards, a former officer with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, followed by a comprehensive safety talk by Logan Ambrister, the Shelby County officer with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
After reviewing safety protocols and hunting regulations, the youth explored camp, settled into their yurts, and took part in a leadership activity where they selected meaningful quotes and shared why those words resonated with them.
After a night of campfire s’mores and bonding, it was off to bed—because the 4:00 AM wake-up call was no joke! With Beans Buttercream cinnamon rolls and Dixie’s famous biscuits and gravy fueling them up, the young hunters headed out at first light with experienced mentors by their side.
The first big news came from Brauner Rummel and Pete Menzie, who harvested the weekend’s first bird with mentor Jody Goatley. Success followed quickly for Lucas Lynch with guide Matt Light! Next to have success was Ben Hartman with Ryan Skinner. To round out the day, Austin Bush scored his first harvest with his guide, Chuckie Brolinski!
Back at camp, longtime volunteer Dixie Sonner with the help of Leslie Gunckel, served up a hearty lunch of soups, salads, and her signature dirt pudding while stories from the field filled the air. Thanks to one of our generous sponsors, Quaker Boy and Woodhaven Custom Calls gave each participant a turkey call that each student was able to get in plenty of practice with! With time to relax, campers played gaga ball, broke in the new sports court, and filled up on supper before capping off the night with a classic snipe hunt.
By Sunday morning, Hunter Brown and mentor Jody Goatley had a successful outing coming back to camp with the largest bird
of the weekend! Thanks to Bettker Taxidermy, that bird will be mounted in honor of the achievement. Logan Higgins, alongside mentor Jeff Martin, also found success! Rounding out the weekend, Bentley Huecker, with mentors Chuckie Brolinski, also tagged out, joining the ranks of successful hunters. Last, but definitely not least… Matt Light helped Connor Brown score the second largest tom of the weekend. This year, Jan Skinner generously donated two additional fan mounts for the next biggest birds.
Others like Emma Muhlenkamp, Teague Bauman, Vera Cox, Jacson Cress, Bohdan Menzie, Cooper Pierce, Clair Rammel, and Trig Skinner had close encounters, learned valuable lessons, and left motivated to try again. A special thanks to Francis Furniture, who treated everyone to the iconic Maid-Rites before camp clean-up began and the goodbyes were said.
Former youth hunter, Mora Menzie, who has shown exceptional leadership was invited back as a Light Leader—a vital support in helping with cleanup, guidance, and peer mentorship. We also had great support from our other committee members who include: Daren Hiatt, Howie Shaffer, Dave Brown, Nick Camacho, Wade Tupper, Todd Harter, Teri Kline, Kipp Kline, Andy Turpen, Bob Fulcher, and Bill and Leann Henry.
We always remind our young participants: hunting may not always result in a harvest, but it always guarantees an opportunity to grow, learn, and connect with nature and mentors. That’s what this weekend is all about. This event would not be possible without the support of mentors, landowners, and volunteers. A lot of area businesses and nationally recognized hunting brands have graciously stepped up to make this possible too! We were awarded a grant from Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Mossy Oak outfitted each hunter with a pair of pants, a shirt, and hunting gloves! The Big Tom sponsors included Greenville Moose Lodge and Thompson Center. The next level of sponsorship being the Full Strut Sponsors includes Stachler Concrete, Koenig Equipment, Leslie Gunckel, and NWTF – Ohio Chapter. Next up are the Long Beard Sponsors, which include Quaker Boy, Bettker Taxidermy, Hevi-Shot, Kline Timber, and King and Sons Poultry Services, Inc. Our Gobbler Sponsors showed up BIG this year, including: MM Defense, The Andersons Marathon Holding LLC, Francis Furniture, Vandalia Range and Armory, Eikenberry’s IGA, Primos, Pheasants Forever, Alps Outdoorz, Prosperity Promotions, Sharp’s Tavern, Winner’s Meat Farm, Kristi’s Cakes, Woodhaven Custom Calls, and Godown Farms.
Until next year, we’ll be holding onto these memories and looking forward to another successful hunt!
