Chapter 6: Basic Hunting Techniques
Special Concern: Turkey Hunting

Each spring and fall, hunters take to the woods and fields in pursuit of wild turkey. Unfortunately, injuries and fatalities occur each season. Normally this occurs when a hunter fails to identify the target properly, mistaking the sound or movement of another hunter as the activity of a wild turkey. The hunter shoots at a flash of red or blue, or in the direction of the sound of a turkey call.

All hunters need to wait patiently and identify their target properly prior to pulling the trigger. Because wild turkey hunting methods include wearing full camouflage and sitting nearly motionless, turkey hunters need to be even more aware of their surroundings. All too often the activities that increase the chance of harvesting a turkey also increase the chance that a hunter will be shot by mistake.

Identification

The wild turkey has red, white, blue, and black coloring on its head. Wearing these colors while hunting is like painting a target on your back. Many turkey-hunting shooting incidents occur because hunters think they see a wild turkey. In reality, many of these incidents happen because the hunter sees movement and shoots. If someone is wearing wild turkey colors, such as a red handkerchief around the neck, a blue T-shirt, or dark-colored camouflaged clothing, that person could be mistaken for a male turkey.

It is very important to be sure of your target before you pull the trigger. In Pennsylvania, there are two wild turkey hunting seasons. One season occurs in fall, and the other is in the spring. During the spring wild turkey season, only bearded turkeys can be shot. You must be able to identify the basic physical characteristics of a male wild turkey.

	Male Wild Turkey Head color is red, white, blue, and black Larger body than a female Beard in the middle of chest; can be up to 12 inches long "Spur" found on the back of each leg
	Female Wild Turkey About 1/3 shorter than males and half their weight Feathers are duller than males and have brown-tipped edges No spurs or beards, in most cases Head is covered with hair and fine feathers, unlike the male, which has a bald head No fleshy growth (called a snood) between the eyes like males