Hunting Basics: How to Stay Safe While Turkey Hunting
Turkey hunting can be particularly exciting, especially when there's a tom strutting and gobbling in front of you. For this reason, it also takes extra planning to stay safe during the hunt.
Because turkeys have good eyesight, an effective hunter has to blend in well with their surroundings to be successful. However, that also increases the risk of injuries or fatalities if other hunters mistake you for the bird or fail to see you behind or in line with your decoys) or in your blind.
We want you to stay safe this turkey hunting season! Read a few of our best tips for hunters as you plan your hunt.
Our Top Turkey Hunting Safety Tips
Hunters must always prioritize safety throughout every aspect of a hunt. This means safety starts as you plan and prepare, is crucial while in the field, and must follow you as you pack up your harvest and head back home.
Follow these essential tips to keep yourself and others safe while you bag a bird:
- Don't wear any red, white, blue, or black. These are turkey colors, and another hunter may mistake you for a bird.
- Be absolutely sure of your target. That extra second of verification could save a life!
- If you see another hunter in the area, don't move. Call out to alert them that you are there.
- Don't stalk turkey sounds; it could be another hunter. Call the birds to you.
- When selecting your spot, protect your back with a large tree, rock, or other natural barrier. The same approach should be used for choosing where to place your blind.
- After bagging your bird, wrap it in either camouflage or a blaze orange bag for the haul out. A decoy should be handled the same way.
- Always leave a hunt plan telling someone where you will be and when you expect to return. This way, if there is an emergency, help can arrive more quickly.
Following these tips every time you hunt can be the difference between a safe, successful hunt and an unexpected injury that ends it.
Set Up Your Blind With Safety in Mind
New (and even seasoned) hunters can struggle to find the ideal spot to set up a hunting blind. Even if you've e-scouted the hunting land before arriving or you've hunted the area before, always evaluate the area as you set up for each hunt and choose a spot that keeps you and other hunters safe – while maximizing your opportunity to shoot a tom.
Check out this video below to visualize what to consider when placing your blind for a hunt.
Learn More About Turkey Hunting Safety With Hunter-Ed
Turkey hunting is a challenging and rewarding sport, but remember, no bird is worth your health. It's better to pass up a shot than to put yourself, your hunting partners, or other hunters in the area in danger by shooting outside of your safe zone of fire.
Follow the guidelines we mentioned today, and be sure you've taken a state-approved hunter education course. A safety course can help you avoid serious accidents so you can have many more hunts in the future!
If you still need to take your course, make sure you do it before turkey season starts! Find the Hunter-Ed course for your state, then start learning. Our courses are 100% online, so you can learn at your pace and pass your exam anywhere you can connect online with a mobile device or computer.
Originally published March 19, 2015. Content updated March 14, 2024.
