About 60 kids will get to hunt turkeys through nonprofit group

His dedication to giving kids traditional hunting experiences came full circle for Ron Grecco Sunday at the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show in Augusta.

The nonprofit Moose Maine Kids, which had an educational and fund-raising booth at the show, raffled off a Henry lever action 360 buckhammer rifle. Grecco, who is the organization’s program director, sold tickets all weekend to benefit the hunting trips that are free to the families who participate.

But it was all worth it because Maguire Stoops of Augusta, who was one of Grecco’s first Moose Maine Kids turkey hunters, won the gun.

Moose Maine Kids will introduce about 60 kids to turkey hunting this season who otherwise wouldn’t get to try it. It’s the highest number of kids to sign up for the turkey hunting program thus far, Grecco said Monday.

“Shane Stoops [Maguire’s father] was the last to buy tickets, but Maguire was among the first turkey hunters in the program. His father takes him out now after both learned how to hunt turkeys. It’s what this is all about,” Grecco said.

There were 15-20 youths involved the first year for turkey hunting and 50 last year, he said.

Stoops bought three tickets. He put his own name on one and the other two in his son’s names and went to another part of the show, he said Monday. Imagine his surprise when his son Maguire’s name was announced as the winner of the gun.

“I never win these things,” Stoops said.

Maguire, now 15, did not shoot a turkey while out with the Moose Maine volunteer guide. Nor did he get a bear when he went on one of those hunts.

But trying it inspired him to be successful and gave him and his father something they could learn and do together, Shane Stoops said.

The Stoopses went turkey hunting after the Moose Maine experience and Maguire got a 23-pound tom. It had 1 ¼ inch spurs and a 9 ¼ inch beard. Maguire called it within five yards before he shot it with his 12-gauge.

Hens were near and the tom became defensive when some jakes showed up on the scene. That brought him within shooting range for Maguire.

The Stoopses watched a YouTube video on how to clean the bird, and Maguire found a recipe to brine it in pickle juice. He also researched how to preserve and mount the tail, spurs and beard.

Maguire’s brother McGarrett, now 11, participated in the Moose Maine program last year. Maguire also took part in a bear hunt.

With youth day looming on Saturday, April 27, Maguire is ready. He and his father plan to put their blind up soon on the property where they hunt. They have seen a mixture of jakes and toms there so far.

But the turkey hunt will have a new twist for Maguire this year. He is going to try an archery hunt using a compound bow.

“We enjoy being together even if we don’t get anything,” Stoops said. “Both boys benefited from me being pushed to try turkey hunting.”

Moose Maine Kids takes youths from ages 8 to 15 to hunt turkey, bear, deer and pheasant at no expense to their families each year. Kids are paired with mostly registered Maine guides for their game hunts. The volunteers who are not licensed guides are vetted by people who are, Grecco said Monday.

The organization is totally dependent on volunteers and the generosity of individual people and businesses, he said.

This year’s turkey hunt is all set but a pheasant hunt the group does every year needs target loads for youth to practice with 12- and 20-gauge guns, and 10 boxes of pheasant loads, in addition to money to buy pheasants for the hunts.

The group also takes a handful of kids who are critically ill or disabled on moose hunts through Moose Maine Kids Dream Hunts. The Legislature increased the number of permits allotted to that program from two to five this year .