Safety Tips for Turkey Season

WATERBURY, VT - Not even a turkey would mistake a hunter for a turkey.

Interest in turkey hunting is increasing with our turkey population, and while turkey hunting accidents are rare in Vermont, extra precautions are needed. This is due, in part, to the fact that wild turkeys are not the simpletons popular myth makes them out to be. Their keen eyes can easily detect movement and out-of-place colors, making camouflage or drab colored clothing almost mandatory. Unfortunately, camouflage has the same affect on other hunters as it has on the turkeys.

Almost all turkey hunting accidents are caused by hunters who dont positively identify the target before they pull the trigger, said Vermont Hunter Education Coordinator Chris Saunders. And the victim is usually another hunter trying to stalk a turkey or a turkey call.

Just last year, a hunter shot his cousin after mistaking him for a turkey in Shoreham. The pair were turkey hunting on private land when they split up near an area they had previously seen turkeys. The shooter heard gobbling, entered the woods, and then started crawling on his stomach. He saw what he thought was a turkey fanning and shot. His cousin received multiple pellet wounds from his head to his upper thighs.

With the opening of spring turkey hunting season near, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department urges hunter to review the following safety tips:

Ø       Never try to stalk a gobbling turkey. Your chances of getting close are poor, and you may be sneaking up on another hunter.

Ø       Stick with hen calls. A gobbler call is intended for special situations and might attract other hunters.

Ø        Don't be patriotic. Avoid red, white or blue. A tom turkeys head has similar colors.

Ø       Avoid unnecessary movement. This could alert turkeys and attract hunters.

Ø       Dont hide so well that you impair your field of vision.

Ø       Wear blaze orange to and from your hunting location, and wrap your turkey in some blaze orange cloth for the hike back to the car.

Ø       Always sit with your back against a tree trunk, big log or a boulder that is wider than your body. This protects you from being accidentally struck by pellets fired from behind you.

Ø       If you use a decoy, place it on the far side of a tree trunk or a rock so you can see the birds approaching from all directions, but cannot actually see the decoy. This prevents you from being directly in the line of fire should another hunter mistakenly shoot at your decoy.

Ø       Never shoot unless you're absolutely sure of your target. Since only male turkeys or turkeys with beards are legal during the spring season, lack of positive identification could result in shooting an illegal hen, or worse, another hunter.