The most important responsibility bestowed on a hunter, and the responsibility of all living beings, is to respect wildlife and the environment. Hunters respect the wild game they hunt and have a deep and meaningful connection to nature. They hunt wild game to provide food for their table or to donate it to others in need. Hunting contributes to conservation, which keeps certain wildlife populations in check so that our ecosystem can remain balanced, diseases aren’t spread, and humans and wildlife can cohabitate without wildlife overpopulation. How can you follow respectful and responsible hunting practices this spring turkey season? Check out the tips below.

Use Proper Shot Placement

One of the most important things a hunter can do is follow proper shot placement for whatever wild game they’re hunting. Using proper shot placement will increase the likelihood of an ethical harvest. You want to aim at the vital organs so that the animal passes as quickly as possible. You want to avoid making a shot that will only harm the animal or will cause a long recovery process. Make sure you’ve practiced with your chosen equipment and have aimed at 3D targets from your Stump blind. You want to recreate a real hunting scenario as closely as possible when you’re practicing so that you’re ready for the real thing when the time comes. This will help you be more confident and make a steadier shot. Our Stump blinds are heavily insulated so it will be comfortable to practice this spring, whether it’s still cold where you live or it already feels like summer.

Register and Use the Turkey

In Minnesota, a turkey must be tagged immediately and registered within 24 hours of harvesting. The bag limit in Minnesota is one turkey with a visible beard. It is illegal to go over this limit. These limits are set in place to discourage overhunting. Respect the law and only harvest the one turkey you are licensed to take. Enjoy the wild turkey on your own dinner table or donate it to a processer. Many processors partner with food banks and will donate the wild game to charitable organizations.

Don’t Bait the Turkeys

In Minnesota, it is also illegal to bait turkeys with live decoys or hunt near a feeder. You can only hunt turkeys if they are in the open or near a natural food source. “Food that has not been placed by a person and resulting from normal or accepted farming, forest management, wildlife food plantings, orchard management or other similar land management activities is not bait or feed,” according to the Minnesota DNR.

Respect the Land

Respect the land wherever you’re hunting, whether it’s public land or private land. Don’t litter or leave anything behind. Our Stump blinds are spacious, so you shouldn’t have a problem keeping everything inside the blind. If you’re hunting on public land or on a friend’s private land, you’ll be able to take your Stump blind with you when you leave as they’re incredibly easy to transport.

A hunter should always respect wildlife and the world around them. Following the tips above will help you establish responsible and ethical hunting practices. Set a good example for any mentees you’re mentoring and keep the land clean so that everyone can enjoy it as much as you do.

How do you make sure you respect wildlife and the environment? Let us know in the comments below!

 

 

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