Safe Turkey Hunting Techniques

1. Always follow the Primary Safety Rules for Firearm Hunting.
2. Never wear red, white, blue, or black in the turkey woods. These colors are associated with the wild turkey and can contribute to victim-mistaken-for-game incidents. Dress defensively and remember that partial or improper camouflage in the turkey woods can be just as dangerous as red, white, blue, or black. Always wear hunter orange when moving for any reason in the turkey woods. Remember the majority of all turkey hunting incidents occur when hunters are moving.
3. Never use a gobble call during the hunt. A gobble call may draw other hunters into your area and lead to a dangerous encounter.
4. Call from a position where you are protected from the back. Keep your back against a rock pile, stump, or tree trunk wider than your shoulders and higher than your head.
5. Never try to sneak up on wild turkeys, drive wild turkeys toward another hunter, or cut between a caller and a turkey. Always call the turkey to you. The less moving you do, the safer and more effective you’ll be.
6. Never shoot at sound or movement. Assume every sound you hear and every color or movement you see is another hunter, not a turkey. Always be absolutely sure that the bird you think you see has a beard. This is the ONLY positive means of identifying a legal bird under all conditions. Without confirmation of a beard, what you see may be another hunter.
7. Never wave, whistle, or make turkey calls to alert an approaching hunter to your presence. Always shout to reveal your presence to the hunter. Never assume that you are the only hunter in the area, even if you are the sole hunter with permission to hunt on that property. There may be other hunters who are lost or confused on where they are or other outdoor users, such as hikers, birdwatchers, campers, backpackers, dog walkers, etc. Always assume every sound or movement is another human until you can safely identify it otherwise.
8. Don’t use a headnet that obscures your vision.
9. Be aware of turkey fever and its prevention. In the excitement of the hunt, it is easy to see what you are looking for rather than what is actually there. The right attitude, with safety foremost, greatly reduces the odds of a mishap.
10. Remember that any time you use a decoy, you are increasing the chance of an incident. If you use a decoy, do so only in an open area and with extreme caution.
11. If you shoot a turkey or have merely decided to quit hunting for the day, unload your shotgun. If you have shot a turkey, unload and lay your firearm away from you and the bird. Then tag the turkey immediately and place it in a hunter orange game bag or wrap a hunter orange vest or band around its body with its wings folded in. Then walk out of the woods using the most visible route you can, and remember to always wear hunter orange when you are moving.