wearing orange while turkey hunting

[Spurhunter]

Y'all got people rifle hunting for turkey in your neck of woods?

I talked to a guy at Yanahli a few years ago that said he was working a bird in a field and someone started shooting at the bird from a good ways off with a .22.

A buddy of mine caught 2 guys walking the gas line on his lease during turkey season carrying what he thought was a .22 magnum. Of course they said they weren't going to shoot a turkey.

You never know who you are sharing the woods with, even on private land. I'm still not wearing orange while turkey hunting, but don't think there can't be poachers and trespassers on your land.

 

[Spurhunter]

I'm easing along, scratching, clucking every now and then. As I crest a hill, I spot a hen decoy at 20 yards. I immediately yell "DON'T SHOOT!" and throw my arms up. Look to my right and there is a shotgun being lowered, it was aimed right at me.

If you are set up and calling, and you hear a "turkey" walking, scratching, and clucking, coming your way, do you wait until you see the turkey and identify it as a legal bearded bird before you raise your gun? That was an unfortunate incident and scary as hell for you I'm sure, but I don't see that the guy did anything wrong by being ready with a "turkey" coming to his setup. You said he lowered his gun as soon as he saw you. Maybe I'm reading what happened and not envisioning it correctly.

 

[th88]

If you are set up and calling, and you hear a "turkey" walking, scratching, and clucking, coming your way, do you wait until you see the turkey and identify it as a legal bearded bird before you raise your gun? That was an unfortunate incident and scary as hell for you I'm sure, but I don't see that the guy did anything wrong by being ready with a "turkey" coming to his setup. You said he lowered his gun as soon as he saw you. Maybe I'm reading what happened and not envisioning it correctly.

I never said he did anything wrong. It was just an unfortunate situation that I was sharing. And one that made me consider wearing an orange hat while tromping through crowded public lands.

 

[Spurhunter]

I never said he did anything wrong. It was just an unfortunate situation that I was sharing. And one that made me consider wearing an orange hat while tromping through crowded public lands.

Gotcha. When I read this: "I'd always wanted to hunt LBL and see if it lived up to the 'googan' expectation. It did. LOL. I have zero desire to ever go back." I thought you were calling him a googan.

 

[th88]

Gotcha. When I read this: "I'd always wanted to hunt LBL and see if it lived up to the 'googan' expectation. It did. LOL. I have zero desire to ever go back." I thought you were calling him a googan.

Naw, not him. But there were literally hundreds of people hunting there opening weekend. Folks stacked on top of another. Could see pop up ground blinds and decoys in fields from the main roads. And then knowing the one truck parked right behind the guy I walked up upon to likely go after the same bird. Whew, it was definitely an experience I won't forget!

 

[Uncle Jesse]

I am seriously considering wearing an orange hat or small vest this spring on public lands. Pressure just keeps getting more ridiculous each spring. Had two dangerous encounters last year, one that still makes me sick to my stomach. But I reckon this pressure is the new norm now. Never thought I'd see the day where id reccomend people to wear orange while turkey hunting.

I'm thinking the same thing for this year. I always hunt AEDC and last year was unreal crazy crowded. I quit and went home opening morning last year at 7:00 am because there was just too many people