Turkey Hunting Safety

Set Your Sights on Safety
Wild turkey hunting can be one of the most rewarding challenges hunters of all ages can experience. Not only does a turkey hunter need to outsmart a wily tom, one needs to think defensively regarding the actions of other turkey hunters. A successful turkey hunt depends on many factors including skill, careful preparation and attention to safety details. Wild turkey hunts can be thrilling.

Be careful, always get permission to hunt on private land, and take precautions so you don't become a hunting accident statistic.

Take a moment to read the following safety tips. They could save your life.

Study Your Subject
Savvy wild turkey hunters do their homework. A good first step is to attend a turkey hunting seminar or workshop.

An alternative, or supplement, would be to obtain one of the many excellent turkey hunting videos available from several sources, that may be checked out from local libraries or sporting goods stores or purchased outright.

There are also several excellent audio tapes that offer advice on using calls. Some of the top call manufacturers offer such tapes in tandem with their products.

Scout The Area
Turkey hunters should know the terrain . . . in advance. Study topographical maps of the hunting area, then scout it out prior to the season. listen for turkeys and look for evidence of activity.

Also use the opportunity to get in shape. Walking over the terrain is good exercise, and it familiarizes you with the area. You should scout the area for hazards; places where a fall might be possible in dim light while moving to and from a stand, for example.

Pattern Your Shotgun
The most important piece of equipment is your gun and load. Spend time in advance of the season testing various loads at different distances, to see how well they pattern. Knowing where and how your gun shoots can make all the difference between failure and success at bagging that wild turkey. (Head shots are stressed by turkey hunting experts, so pattern your shotgun using turkey targets at various distances. They are available at sporting goods stores.)

See Your Target
The majority of two-party turkey hunting accidents are vision-related. Those responsible for the mishaps typically violate on or more of the "golden rules" of hunter safety.

• They do not adequately identify their target.
• They do not take the time to be certain what lies beyond the target.

Turkey hunting accident victims are not necessarily without fault in every case. It is not uncommon for accident victims to be wearing red or blue kerchief or shirts, blue or black denims or white socks. They may not be wearing face paint or masks, and their hands may be exposed.

Partial camouflage does not get the job done. This cannot be stressed enough. Smart turkey hunters cover up from top to bottom, often mixing their camo, such as wearing a shirt/jacket in one pattern, and pants, gloves, and boots in another. Don't forget the face paint and a face mask.