Youth Turkey Hunters Hear Gospel… And Some Pretty Good Gobblin’

Five turkeys — four longbeards and a jake — hit the dirt opening day, thanks to a youth turkey hunt outside of Eatonton. Hosted by Crossroads Baptist Church and God’s Great Outdoors Ministries, the Youth Turkey Hunt hosted 24 young turkey hunters for opening weekend. Many of the young, camo-clad hunters said the birds were pretty quiet on the roost, but after flydown time the birds got fairly vocal for most of the kids.

God’s Great Outdoors Ministries is a youth-focused, hunting and fishing ministry that shares the message of Christ. However, there are additional benefits that come with the ministry, like protecting the future of hunting.

Three of the hunters — Hunter Copelan, 14, Hannah Housworth, 9, and Luke Leverett, 12 — killed their first turkeys.

“This is the best day of my life,” Hannah Housworth told her dad Matt after rolling a Putnam County gobbler, her first ever.

GON freelance writer Lynn Stanford guided Luke Leverett, 12, of Eatonton, to his first bird. The bird weighed 21 pounds and claimed “The Heaviest Strutter” award, which was a .22 rifle.

Austin Sanders, 11, of Eatonton, was on an afternoon hunt in Putnam County with his mom Cindy when he killed this jake, his second turkey.

This 20-lb. Morgan County gobbler is headed to the taxidermist. Hunter Copelan, 14, of Eatonton, rolled him early on opening morning. She was hunting with her dad Drew (right), and they were guided by Jeff Banks (left) and GON Editor Daryl Kirby (not pictured).

Using the story of Jesus calming the storm, husband-and-wife Mark and Stacey Williams share their testimony about Stacey surviving cancer last year.