Special Concerns
Turkey Hunting
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Turkey Hunting
continues to be a very popular pastime across most of the bird's range in North America. In those states with abundant turkey populations, as many as one-quarter of the licensed hunters pursue turkeys in the spring and fall seasons.Unfortunately, turkey hunting can also be dangerous. A significant percentage of all hunting-related shooting incidents involve turkey hunters each year. In those states with lots of turkeys and turkey hunters, these numbers may total nearly 25-30% of all of the hunting-related shooting incidents in a given year. Nationwide, about 10% of the hunting-related shooting incidents involve turkey hunting.
Without question, the number one cause of turkey-hunting incidents is hunters failing to positively identify their target before shooting! These incidents can be deadly, as each year some individuals are fatally wounded. The very unique nature of turkey hunting can contribute to this problem. Think of this — in no other hunting activity do hunters dress in full camouflage and hide, then make the exact sounds of the quarry they hunt. Ongoing and effective hunter education efforts are needed to minimize these incidents and to ensure the future of safe turkey hunting.
