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Turkey hunting season now open, experts stress safety

Turkey hunting season is open. The season, which runs throguh May 15, gives hunters a chance to havrst this magnificent bird. Last year, approximately 36,800 turkey hunters harvested more than 24,000 turkeys.

“Georgia's turkey population remains very healthy, but low reproduction during the past two years may result in a slight decline in our statewide turkey harvest this season,” said WRD Wild Turkey Project Coordinator Haven Barnhill. “Poor reproduction means fewer one and two year old turkeys are present this year. However, hunters can expect to hear excellent gobbling activity from older toms.”

Georgia has one of the longest turkey seasons in the United States. Hunters may harvest male turkeys only and the bag limit is three gobblers per season. Hunters choosing to pursue wild turkeys on private land always should obtain permission from the landowner before hunting. A valid hunting license and big game license are required to hunt wild turkeys. If hunting on a wildlife management area (WMA), a WMA license also is required. Wild turkeys legally can be hunted with shotguns loaded with No. 2 or smaller shot, any muzzleloading firearm, longbow, crossbow or compound bow. As always, safety is a huge concern.

"Turkey hunters have to utilize their firearms safety knowledge and remember ways to keep themselves and others safe while in the woods," says WRD State Hunter Safety Coordinator Capt. James Bell. "Hunters always should make sure they identify their target before pulling the trigger and never shoot at sound or movement."

Hunters are encouraged to review the following turkey hunting season safety precautions:

· Never wear red, white, blue or black clothing when turkey hunting. Red is the color most hunters look for to distinguish a gobbler's head from a hen's blue-colored head. Male turkey feathers and the top of a male’s head are black and white. Camouflage should be used to cover everything, including the hunter's face, hands and firearm.

· Select a calling position, such as the base of a tree that provides at least a shoulder-width background. Make sure at least a 180-degree range can be seen.

· Do not stalk a gobbling turkey - he has keen eyesight and hearing and the chances of getting close are slim, however, a moving hunter following a gobbling turkey has an increased chance of being mistaken for game.

· Be careful using a turkey call. The sound and motion may attract other hunters. Do not move, wave or make turkey-like sounds to alert another hunter to your presence. Yell in a loud voice so that the other hunter knows you are in the area.

· Be careful when carrying a harvested turkey from the woods. Do not allow the wings to hang loosely or the head to be displayed in such a way that another hunter may think it is a live bird. If possible, conceal the turkey in a blaze orange garment or other material.

· Hunters always should wear blaze orange when moving to and from their vehicle and hunting site. Also, anytime a hunter is moving between hunting sites they should have blaze orange on their upper bodies to lessen the chances of being mistaken for game.

Hunter Education courses are available. Phone 1-800-864-7275 to register for a class by phone or visit www.georgiawildlife.com to register on-line.

The comeback of the wild turkey is one of the great Georgia conservation success stories. Statewide, these birds now number approximately 350,000; but as recently as 1973, the wild turkey population was as low as 17,000. Intensive restoration efforts, such as the re-stocking of wild birds and increased emphasis on biologically sound hunting seasons, have helped re-establish turkeys in suitable habitat in every county. This resurgence is due to the efforts of private landowners, hunters and conservation organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The Georgia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), in partnership with WRD, has approved more than $2.7 million since 1987, and more than $251,000 during the past year, on projects that benefit wild turkeys and other wildlife. There are 99 active chapters of the NWTF in Georgia and membership totals more than 15,000.

For more information on turkey hunting in Georgia, visit the WRD website at www.gohuntgeorgia.com, contact a WRD Game Management Office or call the Hunter Services Office at 770-761-3044.