Most of you should know by now that the second Youth Turkey Hunt is this weekend. Youths ages 12-15 can hunt turkeys with a properly licensed adult, giving many of us a great opportunity to appreciate Mother Nature with the kids.

Dustin Tilt, a 13-year-old from Unadilla, recently showed me pictures of his first hunt. He and his father, George, went to the Cold Brook Hunting Preserve in Homer to hunt wild boars.

They planned Dustin’s first big-game hunt for weeks, meaning days dragged by and excitement grew until the big weekend finally arrived.

The wild pigs at Cold Brook roam freely throughout a variety of terrains. That made the hunt more difficult as the boars could wander and hide in open fields, swamps or wooded areas. Wild pigs can be quite aggressive, too, and can use their sharp tusks qu[an error occurred while processing this directive]ite effectively when cornered.

Since boars usually hang out in the swamps, where they root into the moist ground, Dustin and his dad started their hunt among the alders and thick brush.

For some reason, the pigs were not in the low ground as they expected, so they headed up into the woods. Finally, Dustin saw some movement beyond the trees. There were two big pigs out in the open field, but it would be difficult to get close enough for a shot.

They slowly moved to the edge of the woods and managed to creep within 30 yards of their quarry unseen. Dustin prepared for his shot as the pigs fed. His aim with a 12-gauge shotgun was true as a big boar went down with one clean shot from 28 yards away.

The two cautiously approached the wild pig but found there was no need for a second shot. Dustin had proudly taken his first big-game animal, a boar that weighed about 300 pounds.

After field-dressing his pig, they loaded it into their truck to be butchered. There should be a couple-hundred pounds of delicious meat for the freezer.

Dustin will remember his first hunt for the rest of his life. The lessons he had learned about handling and shooting a gun all came together that day, and it proved to be all worth while.

There will be other hunts — such as the turkey hunt this weekend — and the time he spends with his dad will be special. Perhaps a big gobbler will come in close enough for a shot. Roasted wild turkey and grilled pork chops — it just doesn’t get any better than that!

• The last beginner’s fly tying class of the season will be held at Woodland Outfitters from 6:30-9 p.m. April 28, May 5 and May 12. All equipment and supplies will be furnished. For more information, call 607-432-8533.

Rick Brockway writes a weekly outdoors column for The Daily Star. E-mail him at brockway@dmcom.net.