ANSON – The lessons 10-year-old Brad Clark learned while watching his grandfather hunt paid off Saturday when he shot a 23.1-pound turkey that made it into the record books.

It was the first time Brad, of Anson, had ever gone hunting, he said. In the past, he tagged along with his grandfather, Richard Moreschi, 65, of Middleton, Mass., who hunts in Maine.

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Brad Clark carries the tom turkey he shot on youth hunting day, Saturday. He said it was “pretty exciting.” Courtesy photo

Taking a quick break from Amanda Pingree’s fourth-grade class at Carrabec Community School in Anson on Monday, Brad said it was “pretty exciting” to shoot the large tom, which made it into the Maine Antler & Skull Trophy Club’s records.

Clark said he woke up at 4:30 a.m. on youth hunting day, which kicks off the turkey hunting season, and headed to New Vineyard with Maine Guide Brandon Lane of Country Boy’z Guide Service in Anson.

He saw eight hens come out of the woods and then one big tom, he said. He pulled the trigger and was home by 7 a.m.

The score of the bird — reached by a formula that considers weight and spur and beard length — totaled 64 points, Lane said. It had to earn 62 to make it into the trophy club’s record book. The organization, based in Dover-Foxcroft, keeps track of the largest turkeys, moose, bear and deer killed during hunting seasons.

“It’s really rare, especially for a 10-year-old boy,” Lane said about making the list. “There’s a select few that make it every year.” He added that he’s been hunting turkeys for a decade and has never scored a 62.

The turkey’s beard was 9 1/4 inches long, and the spurs were each slightly longer than 1 inch.

“His father and I, yes, are very proud,” said Julie Clark, Brad’s mother.

Brad said he plans to mount the tail and beard; his family will eat the rest. They already tried some for lunch Sunday.

“It was pretty good,” he said.

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