AVON — For one 15-year old hunter last year was good, but this year was even better.

Cayden Hinkley, the son of Andrew Hinkley and Tammie Black, has been hunting since he was 10.  This year he achieved the grand slam of hunting by bagging a turkey, bear, moose and deer.

It started last spring when he brought down a jake turkey in Kingfield. The young male weighed 16.5 pounds.

“It was the first turkey I shot. It was a decent size but didn’t have a very big beard,” Cayden said.

Danny Ruggiero of Kingfield was with Cayden for all four successful hunts. After the turkey hunt he learned Cayden got a moose permit and decided to help him bag a bear.

“I put bait out in back of Ed Wallace’s house on the Phillips’ end of the Weld Road,” Ruggiero said.

Cayden said he brought down a 130 pound male bear about 100 yards from their blind. It travelled another 100 yards before it dropped.

Ruggiero, Cayden’s dad, his brother and his uncle were with him for the moose hunt in Zone 4 above Greenville. On the first day allowed to shoot, he got a 505 pound bull.

“It was about 25 yards off the road. It was pretty convenient,” Cayden said.

His dad and Ruggiero were with him on November 17 when Cayden completed the grand slam. They were hunting on his grandfather, Calvin Hinkley’s, land in Wilton when Cayden pulled down a 68.4 pound button buck.

“It counted as a doe because its antlers were less than three inches. They have to be more than that to be considered a buck,” he said.

Last year was also special. Cayden had his first successful hunt. While hunting in back of the Dutch Treat in Wilton he brought down a 208 pound 11 point buck.

“It was a bit of a drag to get him out. I got my big buck patch,” he said.

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net

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