As soon as spring rounds the corner, thousands of turkey enthusiasts rout the forest looking for a good game of hunting wild turkeys! Turkey hunting has long been popular with the native population much before the Europeans arrived in America. There was an abundant store of whole variety of wild turkeys which became the staple bird of the migrant population at the time. It was given pride of place in substitute for the chicken which was too valuable to slaughter at the time. But with large scale hunting, almost the entire indigenous turkey population, at the time was wiped out in North America.
By the time the Great Depression rolled around there were only about 30, 000 wild turkeys in the entire US. But with the hard work of wildlife groups, conservation factions as well as the huntsmen; the wild turkey population has now recovered completely. There are currently over 7 million turkeys in North America, and almost all of them are eligible for the hunting season except in Alaska. If you are planning to go on a turkey shoot this time around then there are a few safety rules you should be aware of.
1. If you want to be a safe turkey hunter, be safe and sure when you are hunting in private or public hunting grounds. If there is another hunter using the safe grounds to hunt the same turkey then for the sake of safety its better for one of you to leave. If you are not familiar with weapons please make sure you travel with the safety on and use a proper method of carrying the gun like a cradle carry, trail carry, shoulder carry, sling carry, etc.
2. Do not track turkey sounds as it’s not possible to be really so silent that the bird does not hear you coming. A better idea is to use a decoy to lure the bird to you. Once the bird has been lured to you then make sure you have your gun ready a shotgun using no. 4 or smaller shot is the best way to kill a turkey. Do not shoot until you have identified your target with a safe backdrop. Aim for the base of the head and do not shoot until the neck and head are fully extended.
3. Make sure you have selected a location which is wide open in nature as it allows more flexibility
4. Wear appropriate weather clothing like camouflage gear and clothing make sure you don’t have anything which makes a lot of noise.
5. Every state has different rules and regulations about hunting so get a copy of the regulations and review them to prevent later problems.
6. Be very careful about other humans who might be hunting in the same locality and do not make turkey sounds if you suspect another hunter. It will only get you shot and very badly. Call out loudly to announce your presence and you are more likely to be safe.
