Young Hunter Sweet Baby James Scores Big in Hernando Family Outing

After two turkey seasons spent learning the woods without a harvest, Sweet Baby James finally called one in.

The 11-year-old Hernando hunter tagged his first Osceola gobbler during the 2026 youth weekend for Spring Gobbler Season in a run-and-gun hunt that turned into one of the most emotional mornings his family can remember. His mother, Melissa Jones Tuttle, shared the story with the Hernando Sun, writing that her youngest son's connection to the outdoors started before he could walk.

"Sweet Baby James has been in the woods literally since the day he was born," Melissa wrote. "I, his momma, hunted opening morning of muzzleloader season and went from the treestand to the delivery room, having him that evening."

Two years behind the gun with no harvest built patience. When youth weekend opened this spring, big brothers Ethan and Timmy took over as guides. They set up with a blind and decoys, but the hunt shifted fast. Their grandfather, Jimmy Jones, described by Melissa as "a true legend of Osceola turkey hunting," dialed in on two hot gobblers a half mile off and sent the boys to intercept them. They abandoned the blind, went mobile, closed the distance, and worked the pair of longbeards into range. With a little coaching, Sweet Baby James flipped the nearest tom onto his back.

What made the morning more than a first harvest was who was watching. Jimmy Jones had nearly died last August and spent months in recovery. He made it to the field that day, and when he drove up after the shot, the family fell apart in the best way.

"There were so many hugs and plenty of tears cried out," Melissa wrote. "Not just for James's first bird, but because his Papa had fought so hard to be there for it."

The Jones and Tuttle family carries hunting deep in its roots, and Sweet Baby James, who has been in the field since infancy, is now fully part of that line. For Hernando County families who live this tradition season after season, the story of a boy, his brothers, and a grandfather who refused to miss the moment needs no further explanation.