Become an Idaho Wildavore: Turkey Hunting Class for Adults
Are you an adult who would like to learn how to hunt but you don’t know where to start and don’t have anyone to show you how? Maybe you hunted before as a kid, but you really need some help to get started up again. That makes you the perfect candidate for an upcoming Idaho Wildavore class sponsored by Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Southeast Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), and the Pocatello Trap Club.
An Idaho Wildavore is someone who likes to connect the mountains to their meals through hunting and fishing activities, and this next class will teach adults with little to no hunting experience just how to do that through turkey hunting!
A two-day turkey hunting workshop will start at the Pocatello Trap Club on Thursday, April 5, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and then continue in McCammon on Saturday, April 7, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at an indoor/outdoor education classroom sponsored by the NWTF.
Participants will learn about turkey biology, habitat needs, turkey management, hunting techniques and ethics, types of gear, shotgun handling and shooting, field dressing a turkey, meat care, and so much more! There will even be mentored turkey hunts offered later in the spring for at least 20 workshop participants who have completed the two-day class and have earned their hunter education certification.
Workshop participants will need to provide basic gear and clothing appropriate for turkey hunting in spring weather conditions, however, Idaho Fish and Game will provide the shotgun and ammunition for the mentored hunt.
Cost of the workshop is $25 per person plus the cost of purchasing a turkey license and tag. An online hunter education course or independent study workbook must be completed before purchasing a license and tag for the mentored hunts later in the spring. For the online course option and field day, the cost is $33.00. Or, if you prefer the independent study workbook option with field day, the total cost is $8.00. The field day will be scheduled specifically for workshop participants at a later time.
The ideal candidate for this Idaho Wildavore turkey workshop has never hunted before (or has very little hunting experience) and does not have access to experienced hunting mentors. Those who apply must also be at least 18 years of age.
For more information or to submit an application for the Idaho Wildavore turkey workshop, call Tessa Atwood at the Fish and Game office in Pocatello at 208-232-4703 or email her at tessa.atwood@idfg.idaho.gov. Space is limited.
Through the Idaho Wildavore program, Idaho Fish and Game hopes to help connect an untapped user group to conservation through the important role of hunting. It is Fish and Game’s desire to see workshop graduates leave with the basic knowledge and experience to continue hunting on their own, and even introduce the tradition to friends and family.
Photo Courtesy Joe Foster, 2018