Back in May, Dale Penney of Pittsfield checked in to tell the story of his son Dylan’s turkey hunt.

The best part of that story, many people agreed, was that 13-year-old Dylan made a point of buying a dozen donuts and dropping them off at the home of the landowner who had allowed the Penneys to have hunting access.

Late last week Dale Penney – a Registered Maine Guide from Pittsfield – called again with another tale … and another surprise ending.

This time, 16-year-old Seth Penney was the hunter who accompanied his dad on a moose hunt near Jackman.

For two days, the hunters called moose close, but never got a shot.

“On Monday they were grunting and snorting and blowing, but it was so foggy you couldn’t see through your scope,” Dale Penney said.

After two days with little success, Seth Penney was getting a bit discouraged. The adults in the hunting party kept telling him things would improve, and that their luck would change.

“We had a friend with us, and he kept patting him on the back, saying, ‘I’m going to spot you a moose today,'” Dale Penney said.

He did just that.

And after Dale Penney missed on his first shot at the nice bull, Seth Penney shouldered his rifle, took aim … waited … and let fly.

At this point, it might be worth noting that the younger Penney hadn’t had the chance to do much advance target shooting.

“[Seth] is so intent on playing football and sports that he didn’t even have a chance to shoot the gun before we went,” Dale Penney said.

Fortunately, his father had tested the gun and made sure it was shooting as well as it had the previous fall.

The fact is, Dale Penney said, that a bit of target shooting couldn’t have helped all that much. His son is a very good shot, you see.

And Seth did what his father hadn’t been able to do: He dropped the moose with one shot.

There was a slight problem, however. The hunting party was on the road. And the moose was down a steep slope. A long steep slope.

“It was somewhere between 250 and 300 yards, down over this ridge,” Dale Penney said.

And that’s when the real fun started.

The Penney clan spent five hours trying to use winches to pull the 817-pound moose up to the road, and finally hooked it to a Jeep and still couldn’t finish the job.

“We burnt up winches on Jeeps, trying to get him up over that ridge,” Dale Penney said.

Then help arrived, in the form of another party of hunters driving a rugged Chevy Suburban.

“They winched the jeep that we had [driven over the edge] up, as well as the moose,” he said.

That’s when the story takes a twist.

The new hunting party hadn’t had much luck. And the Penneys figured they might be able to change all that.

They told the hunters where to find the blind they’d set up earlier in the week. The blind where they’d successfully called in moose … even though the weather was so foggy, they couldn’t see enough to shoot.

After exchanging thanks all around, each group headed their own way.

“At quarter of six that night, they rolled back into our camp,” Dale Penney said with a chuckle. “They had used the blind and called a moose in within 10 or 15 feet.”

With a couple of interesting hunting tales under their belts in the past year, chances are that the Penney boys are already planning their next trips afield.

And this time, it’ll likely be Dylan’s turn … again.

“I have two boys, good hunters, but they compete with each other,” Dale Penney said. “One’s gotta do the other one.”

Stay tuned. I’m sure one of the Penneys will end up with another interesting story to tell.

If you don’t have any plans this weekend, you may want to consider giving your young hunter a head start on hunting season.

Over the past several years Youth Deer Day has become increasingly popular, as the state’s junior hunters – those older than 10 but younger than 16 – take to the woods on a day that is all theirs.

Each hunter must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or parent-approved adult who is a licensed hunter, or who has successfully completed a hunter safety class.

While some criticized the initial decision to give the kids a special day of their own, most veteran hunters have since decided that the idea was a good one.

Youth Deer Day gives adults a chance to create lasting memories with their children on a day when the woods are less crowded with other hunters.

During the day, adults advise, teach, watch, and guide. Kids (and only kids) pull the triggers.

Last year, 599 youth hunters successfully bagged a deer on Youth Deer Day, according to the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

If you’re one of those hunters who waits 11 months for that special “opening day” feeling, consider this: By taking part in Youth Deer Day, you get two opening days.

One for you. One for your child.

Sounds like a pretty good way to spend a special Saturday.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.