Turkey hunting safety tips;everybody share your tips

[big300mag]

With turkey season quickly approaching, I thought it would be a great idea for everybody to share their safety tips. After all, as much as we all enjoy turkey hunting, there's not a longbeard out there worth getting hurt or killed over.
My first tip would be:Never try to approach what sounds like hen yelps or cutts, it could very well be another hunter. A quick story to illustrate this point was told to me just recently. The guy telling the story said he was set up on a gobbling bird and was calling the tom in. Suddenly he hears footsteps behind him soon followed be a loud shot. The next thing he remembered he was lying on his back with an older gentleman standing over him holding a shotgun. The older hunter said he heard the "turkey talk" and saw some movement and thought that it was a turkey. The story teller said he had several shot to the head and left shoulder, but recovered without any permanent damage other than to his peace. Luckily for him the shooter was not a very good shot.
Let's all be careful out there this spring and have a great season!! :)

[Foam Steak]

Its funny this topic even has to be raised. If people would just pay attention and only shoot at Turkeys instead of anything that moved there would not be a problem. How many Turkey hunting accidents have you guys listened to? I bet its a bunch. Sorry, I will climb down off my soap box.

I have only ever hunted turkey out of a blind. That has got to make things a little safer. Then you can wear blaze orange when you are walking around, but be totally concealed when you set up the decoy and start to calling. Another advantage of a blind is other hunters can spot a blind and know to steer clear.

[UKturkeyhunter]

If you are using decoys, try to sit at tree at least as wide as your shoulders (I realize this is not always possible). This is a little defence in case some dumb@$$ sneaks from behind and tries to shoot your fakes.

[plowboy]

Its funny this topic even has to be raised. If people would just pay attention and only shoot at Turkeys instead of anything that moved there would not be a problem. How many Turkey hunting accidents have you guys listened to? I bet its a bunch. Sorry, I will climb down off my soap box.

I have only ever hunted turkey out of a blind. That has got to make things a little safer. Then you can wear blaze orange when you are walking around, but be totally concealed when you set up the decoy and start to calling. Another advantage of a blind is other hunters can spot a blind and know to steer clear.

I even hang some blaze orange tape on my blind for the "near sighted"

[big300mag]

Great tips!! I always carry a blaze orange hat in my vest to put on while I am walking back to the truck from hunting. A couple new tips:1. If you're blessed enough to harvest a bird, fight the urge to carry the tom out of the woods over your shoulder. Put it in your game pouch in your turkey vest or use one of the blaze orange game bags that are available. This may keep you from getting a load of #5's in the back of the head.2. Never use a gobble call to insight a gobble from a longbeard you're hunting. There are some great gobble imitating calls on the market, but unless you're hunting property where you know you are alone, it's not worth the chance of using.

[Xi Bowhunter]

Don't use a gobble-shaker in heavily populated areas. I saw a guy get taken to the hospital from hunting at LBL and using one of those things. Apparently he shook it and someone mistook the call for a turkeys head (that's how the story goes anyway) and shot the guy pretty much in the face. He lived, but it was a terrible accident.

[talltines]

Be careful about the people you hunt with. I have went hunting with a few new hunting buddies before only to discover that they do not practice safe gun handeling. I have literaly looked down the barrel of a gun a few times, :eek: had one guy click his safety off from behind to shoot something dirrectly in front of me, and some have some bad illegal habits. I do not wish to hang around people like this, and therfore I am very cautious about who I hunt with. Be careful.

[wademup]

All joking aside,I had a friend who was a very good hunter who shot a fellow hunter during turkey season a few years back,blinded the other guy and he died of a heart attack only a few months later.To say it was a life changing experience for 2 families is an understatement! Make sure you know what your target is,I thought only an idiot could make such a mistake till it happened to someone I knew,made me reconsider my "skills" and think twice about every situation.

Wademup

[big300mag]

It's hard to find good, safe huntin' buddies!! Another tip - this seems like common sense, but is worth mentioning. Try to be in fairly decent shape before the season starts. We all know how much walking we can do in a hard day of turkey hunting. Do some preseason scouting and get the legs and the old blood pumper used to the rigors of climbing hills and walking long distances.