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Turkey hunting season opens soon |
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March 29, 2015 |
by Phil Cooper
Idaho Fish and Game
Panhandle Regional Conservation Educator
Turkey hunting is a sport rich in tradition that
began long before Europeans arrived in North
America. Native Americans hunted the wild turkey
for food for more than 4,000 years.
When European immigrants arrived, they hunted
this abundant bird for both food and sport.
Populations declined with colonization and
reached near extinction by the early 1900s
following a century of habitat destruction and
unregulated harvest. The few remaining turkeys
lived in the most inaccessible habitats. By the
Great Depression, only 30,000 wild turkeys
remained.
The regeneration of forest stands after the
depression set the stage for the return of the
wild turkey. Today, thanks to our nation's
hunters, game agencies, and wildlife
conservation organizations such as the National
Wild Turkey Federation, there are more than 7
million wild turkeys roaming the continent in
hunt-able populations in every state of the U.S.
except Alaska. Turkeys have been transplanted
into suitable habitats in states where they did
not naturally occur, including those in the
Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. Today,
turkey hunting is one of the most popular types
of hunting in the U.S. with close to 2.5 million
sportsman pursuing turkeys annually.
In many parts of Idaho, turkeys are now so
plentiful that they are hunted in both Spring
and Fall seasons. A special youth turkey season
for hunters aged 10-15 runs from April 8-14. The
general Spring season runs from April 15-May 25.
Hunters may take two Spring gobblers if they
have two tags, but the daily bag limit is one.
Spring turkey hunting holds a special allure for
many hunters. Calling a gobbling male turkey
into range can have even the most experienced
hunter shaking from head to toe. If the hunter
moves or blinks at the wrong moment, the turkey
can spook and literally be gone in a fraction of
a second. And if your shotgun or bow isn't
already up and pointed in the right direction
before the turkey comes into view, your chances
of having a wild turkey dinner are almost zero.
Due to the keen senses possessed by wild
turkeys, hunters dress in complete camouflage
and make turkey sounds to attract a turkey into
range. While hunting is statistically a very
safe pursuit, the use of complete camo clothing;
and, the hunter making the call of the quarry,
there are specific concerns for turkey hunting
safety. Thanks to particularly cautious hunters,
Idaho has experienced very few turkey hunting
accidents.
One hunting technique which has become
increasingly popular is the use of decoys to
attract turkeys into range. While decoys can be
very effective, they can also trick another
hunter into thinking your decoy is a real
turkey. The National Wild Turkey Federation
offers several guidelines on the safe use of
decoys while hunting turkeys.
Decoys should never be visible while being
transported. Never carry an uncovered decoy any
distance unless you wrap it in orange flagging
or cloth before moving. Collapsible decoys can
be folded and put into a backpack before moving
and they can provide an added measure of safety
for a turkey hunter.
When thinking about turkey hunting safety,
consider the fact you have taken advantage of
every means of concealment you could find at the
local sporting goods store. Your goal is to
blend into the surroundings. Sneaking through a
timbered draw that is full of new growth, while
camouflaged and carrying a look-alike for a
hunted species can create a potential danger.
Decoys should be set 20 yards in front of a
hunter in an area with a clear sight line of 100
yards. Sit down with your back to a tree wider
than your shoulders. Should another hunter come
into view, call out to the hunter in a clear
voice to let them know you are there. Do not use
a turkey call to alert the hunter to your
presence, and do not wave your hands. Your hand
motions, in line with a decoy, could give the
other hunter the illusion that the decoy is a
moving turkey.
When you decide to move to another location,
look around carefully to see that no other
hunters are approaching before you move. You
might even see a silent turkey approaching that
you had not known was in the area.
Never make turkey calls as you walk. Your
movement, combined with the turkey sounds you
are making, could be all it takes to allow
another hunter to create the image of a turkey
in their mind.
Another safety precaution is to never wear red,
white or blue clothing. These colors are
prominent on the head of a wild turkey. Blue
socks or a red handkerchief (in an otherwise
green and brown woods) could lead another hunter
into thinking a turkey is present.
The National Wild Turkey Federation has a short
turkey hunting safety video on YouTube that is a
great reminder for anyone planning to turkey
hunt. You can find additional turkey hunting
safety videos on YouTube. Even experience
hunters can benefit from hunting safety
reminders. If I were preparing to take a new
turkey hunter into the field this Spring, I
would encourage them to view the video before
the season opens.
Turkey hunting is a great sport. With a little
extra caution, it can be safer than bowling! |
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