November 2023

TEXARKANA MAGAZINE

LICENSE, PERMITS, AND REGULATIONS Texas requires a hunting license for anyone who hunts. The price varies depending on age, license types, and other factors. Licenses are readily available in person at sporting goods retailers or Texas Parks and Wildlife Department field offices, and online through the TPWD website. Hunter Education is a good idea for anyone who hunts. It teaches valuable information and skills to make every outdoor excursion a safe and responsible one and is required if you were born on or after Sept. 2, 1971. Hunter safety training comes in many forms but essentially consists of six hours of classroom or online training, plus field training for hunters under 17 years old. An online-only version is also available for hunters 17 and over. In the preseason, before you go afield, take the time to understand all the game laws and limits for each area and the turkey subspecies you hunt.

STAYING SAFE With any kind of hunting, safety is paramount.

When turkey hunting, always be sure of your target and what lies beyond your target. Turkeys move through thick brush and are stealthy. What you think is a turkey splitting through the brush may be a cow, dog, or person. Never fire on an obscured target. Wearing blaze orange isn’t required while hunting on private land, but it is a good idea to wear it while traveling to and from your hunting area. You don’t want to be seen by turkeys, but you do want to be seen by other hunters when you move. One important word of advice: Never wear red, white, blue, or black on a turkey hunt. Those colors can be mistaken for a turkey’s head or body. Running through various safety scenarios in the field is always helpful. Understanding where you are likely to shoot and what lies beyond your target are the building blocks of a safe hunt. The bottom line? Make sure of your target all the time. Enjoy the turkeys—don’t be one.

Original Story: https://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2022/nov/ed_1_turkey/index.phtml#top

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