Hunting Safety Tips for Turkey Season in Florida
Feb 13th 2018
The opening day of spring turkey season is a day many hunters look forward to each year. But whether it’s your first turkey season or 50th, Six Maritime wants every hunter to have fun and be safe. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before setting up in the early morning light this spring.
Know The Season Dates
One of the pillars of responsible gun training is knowing the legal hunting dates for any season. Along with knowing dates for your location, know the bag limit for spring turkey season. In Florida, the season and possession limit for a hunter two turkeys. The daily bag limit is also two for the spring season.
Youth Spring Turkey Season
Many kids and young adults take part in hunting throughout the year in Florida and spring turkey season is no different. For youth who live north of State Road (S.R.) 70, which is the majority of the state, the youth season is March 10-11, 2018. South of S.R. 70, the season is Feb. 24-25, 2018.
Spring Turkey Season
For hunters 15-years-old and up, the spring season north of S.R. 70 runs from March 3 to April 8, 2018. The season is March 17 to April 22, 2018 south of S.R. 70.
Always Practice Firearms Safety
If it’s been a while since you’ve been hunting, give yourself a refresher with a gun safety course from Six Maritime. As a hunter and/or gun owner, firearms safety never has an offseason. Once you’re in the field, it may not always be you and a trophy turkey in the same area. Most hunting accidents occur because someone disregarded the safety basics such as:
- Unsure of what’s behind the turkey in your line of view? Don’t take the shot; there will be another one.
- If you’re turkey hunting with a group, always have an established safe zone of fire. Make it clear who will take the first shot and where they will be aiming.
Avoid Specific Colors
Experienced turkey hunters know the best location on a turkey for an effective shot is the head. The red, white, and blue coloration stands out among the brown shades on the rest of the turkey’s body. That said, avoid wearing these colors during turkey season and educate new hunters on avoiding these colors also. The firearms training course a new hunter takes covers a lot of safety information, but likely won’t cover this.
Stalking A Turkey Isn’t Effective
Turkeys are overly cautious year-round. So, when you consider their acute eyesight, chances are they’ve been watching you attempt to stalk them long before you saw them. Crouching, crawling, and otherwise not moving in an upright position creates a safety risk for yourself. Other hunters may think another turkey is on the move rather than a fellow hunter.
Expect Other Hunters, Not A Turkey
Chalk it up to high-quality turkey calls and modern camouflage, two common items used by any turkey hunter in Florida. These items can make even a novice turkey hunter seemingly blend in as a turkey to others, especially when shrouded by brush. If someone approaches where you're at, speak loudly but stay still. Never assume anything during hunting season, other than every firearm is loaded.
