OUTDOOR CORNER: SPRING TURKEY HUNTERS NEED TO REMEMBER RULES OF SAFETY

Spring turkey season is quickly approaching and many hunters will be preparing for some early spring mornings searching for their favorite bird.

With the warm weather and abundant rainfall, the woods will be alive with new leaves and plant growth by the time the season arrives on April 20.

The new leaves and plants are a welcome sight after the dreary winter, but they can also attribute to a higher hunting accident rate during the spring turkey season. Hunters rely on all their senses to identify the quarry that they seek, but most of all they should rely on their sight.

An abundance of foliage means that it's harder to see objects clearly in the woods. Hunters should always positively identify turkeys by sight, not just sound or movement. Many hunting accidents that occur in the spring are due to the fact that hunters use sound, colors, or movement to identify their target.

In Hunter Education courses it is taught that hunters should never shoot at sound, color, or movement, and that they should always positively identify their target before they even raise their gun. Unfortunately not every hunter has been through a Hunter Education course, and not every hunter follows those rules.

Hunters are responsible for identifying their target and being as safe as possible in the woods, but many hunters contact me to find out how they can prevent themselves from being accidentally shot while hunting.

There are several basic rules to follow while hunting to keep yourself from being mistaken for the game animals that others are pursuing. These rules are taught as defensive hunting strategies in the Hunter Education course.

First, you should never wear clothing colors that might be the same color as animals being hunted. Blue, black, red and white are the colors to avoid during turkey season. Brown, tan and white should be avoided during deer season. It has been taught in Hunter Education for many years that hunter orange clothing should be worn and is easily visible by others. Hunter orange is mandatory during deer season and highly recommended during all other hunting seasons, especially when hunters are carrying out an animal or moving through the woods.

The use of decoys to hunt turkeys has become popular, but decoys should also be wrapped in hunter orange or tucked out of sight in a bag or carrier.

There are many things that hunters learn in a Hunter Education course that make them safer and more ethical hunters. Hunter Education is mandatory for anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, and it is highly recommended for all hunters. We are never too old, or too young, or too smart to learn something new about safety. In protecting ourselves, we are also protecting the sport of hunting for future generations.

If you are interested in taking a Hunter Education course, you can contact your local conservation agent or the Missouri Department of Conservation regional office in Cape Girardeau at 290-5730 to learn about courses that are available.

There will be a Hunter Education course offered on April 18 at the Jackson Elk Lodge #2652 on Highway D in Jackson. The course will be held from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and lunch will be provided by the Elk's Lodge members.

If you need Hunter Education in order to buy a permit or just want to be a safer, more responsible hunter, this course is an excellent education opportunity.

Michael Lancaster is a programs supervisor in the southeast region for the Missouri Department of Conservation.