Jimmy Williams, Herald contributor

Advertisement

Saturday special turkey hunt for youngsters

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has set a special youth day for wild turkey. On Saturday, April 5, kids under the age of 16 may hunt wild turkey but there are a few rules that must be followed.

Each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is at least 21 years old and possesses a valid hunting license and big game stamp.

Only shotguns are allowed and the gun must be carried by the child at all times. The accompanying parent or guardian must remain with the child at all times. The adult is not allowed to handle the gun for the child and he or she may not fire the gun while hunting with the child. However, it is permissible for the adult to call birds for the child.

License requirements for kids can be a little confusing and parents or guardians must have a clear understanding of what the requirements are in order to be in compliance. The Rules and Regulations Booklet (available free of charge on-line at NCWildlife.com or where licenses are sold) contains the rules but they might seem to be somewhat unclear so they must be read carefully.

Children under the age of 16 who have completed the hunter safety course may obtain a regular hunting license and big game stamps upon providing proof that they have passed the course. A certificate of completion is given to each person who successfully passes the course. Even though a child might possess a regular hunting license or lifetime license, he or she must still be accompanied by a licensed adult at all times for this particular day. An adult cannot accompany more than one child.

For those kids under the age of 16 who have not yet completed the hunter safety course, special licenses and big game stamps are available at no charge wherever licenses are sold. These special licenses and big game stamps can be obtained by parents or guardians on behalf of a child by requesting them from a license agent. All that is required is the name, address, and birth date of the child. The agent will print out a special WRC customer card that resembles an actual hunting license. It will have the child's name and address as well as a customer number which is assigned to that particular child. When obtaining this special “license” for a child who intends to hunt turkey, deer, bear or boar, be sure to ask for the big game tags as well because if a child shoots one of these critters, it must be properly registered to be in compliance with state rules for big game.

The procedure for registering a wild turkey harvested by a child is the same as it is for an adult. Before moving a dead bird from the kill site, the child must punch out the prescribed big game tag for a turkey. Then the kill must be called in to 1-800-I GOT ONE using a touch-tone phone before the bird is dressed. (Cell phones will not work for reporting kills). Once the kill has been properly reported, an authorization number will be given over the phone that must be recorded on the big game stamp so have a pen handy.

There are other rules that apply to proper licensing. For those people who are interested in hunting, it is recommended that they obtain a copy of the rules and study them carefully. If you have any questions, contact the Wildlife Resources Commission or a local game warden. Also note that big game tags expire on June 30 for all hunters and new ones will have to be obtained by anyone who plans to hunt deer, turkey, bear or boar as those seasons begin in the fall.

Please keep in mind that turkey hunting in our area is permitted for gobblers only. It is illegal to shoot hens and hunters must know how to tell the difference.

For newcomers and inexperienced hunters, please note that mature gobblers typically have red, white, and blue colors on their heads. Their body feathers are primarily black in color and they have beards protruding from their breasts. Hens have gray-colored heads and their body feathers are bronze in color. Some hens also have thin, stringy beards so don't let this confuse you. Just because a bird has a beard doesn't necessarily mean it's a gobbler. Before pulling the trigger on a bird, be certain about all of its characteristics. Proper identification is a must so learn how to distinguish the difference between gobblers and hens.