http://www.LouisianaSportsman.com April 2015 | Louisiana Sportsman 209
On opening morning, a hunter was apprehended while sitting
in that blind. He admitted placing the bait, and I was glad we
got the right man.
But whether hunting public or private land, look closely
before settling in on any spot where the presence of bait is a
possibility. On private property inquire with your host about
the presence of active feeders or feeding locations.
Hunting within 200 yards of either constitutes hunting over bait.
Hunter safety should be every hunter’s No. 1 concern, whether
hunting public or private land because turkey hunting acci-
dents have taken place on both.
A strong argument can be made for turkey hunting as the No.
1 hunting situation where people are mistaken for game.
I recall a personal case in point.
Many years ago I was hunting on national forest land one
morning and heard a gobbler on the roost. It was still very early
and dark when I moved into position and set up on the turkey.
He was gobbling steadily, and I was about to start calling
when hen yelps suddenly came from a spot about 40 yards
below me on the side of the ridge.
OK, I thought, he roosted with hens and some have already
flown down and are now calling.
Putting the call aside, I decided to just sit and wait to see what
would happen. The light was getting better, and in a few min-
utes I spotted movement where the calling came from.
Yep, there’s the hen, I thought.
A couple of minutes later things were a little brighter, and the
calling started again along with more movement.
I was carefully watching the “hen” and hoping the gobbler
would fly down near it when a startling revelation hit me.
This was no hen: It was a man in complete camouflage sitting
with his back against a tree. The movement was his gloved
hand and arm in motion when he manipulated his turkey call.
A chill ran over me, and I quickly picked up my call and
slipped away, leaving the man with his gobbler.
I doubt he ever knew I was there.
As I walked away, a sobering thought came to mind: What if
the gobbler had flown down between us?
Neither of us knew the other hunter was there, and one or
the other — or maybe even both of us — could have been
shot.
Never before or since then have I mistaken another person for
game. But I did, and I’ll never forget the feeling.
If you read the story of Chris Barrett’s terrible accidental
shooting in the February 2015 issue of this magazine, you knowthe consequences of getting hit in the face with a load of shot-
gun pellets.
And I have a now-retired state trooper friend who has lived
for many years with only one eye after losing the other one in a
turkey-hunting accident.
He had given a few yelps on a call and failed to see another
hunter who stalked him, saw a little movement through dense
brush and fired, striking him in the face and chest.
Here are a few safety recommendations specific to turkey
hunting:
• If sharing an area with other hunters, have a clear under-
standing of where everyone will be hunting. We sign in and
out at our hunting lease, and steer clear of places others have
signed up for.
• When setting up, especially when using decoys, have a
clear view of the surroundings. We want to be able to see
approaching turkeys anyway and, even more importantly, we
want to see any approaching hunter.
• Protect your back by sitting against a nice, big tree.
• Anytime another hunter is seen or heard approaching your
position, stand up and make sure they know you are there.
That goes for approaching vehicles, as well. If you don’t think
people will shoot a turkey decoy from a vehicle, let me assure
you that some will.
Few things are more fun and exciting than the approach of
a big, old long beard, gobbling and strutting along the way
in response to your calls. And with just a little planning and
caution you can make sure it is a safe and thrilling experience
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