Turkey hunting season happens to fall dead in the middle of spring, which is good … and bad.
Spring happens to bring some serious showers and storms. While no self-respecting outdoorsperson is afraid of a little rain, EVERY outdoorsperson with a brain should be concerned with lightning.
Ignoring the dangers of lightning strikes is a potentially incredibly disastrous idea. To reinforce this notion, the first lightning-related death of 2016 was just recorded at an outdoor music festival in Louisiana.
Think this isolated situation has nothing to do with you as a hunter? Well, that would be a big mistake. The reason this poor soul was susceptible to a lightning strike was because she was outside during a thunder and lightning storm. Answer this: where are you when you hunt? That’s right, you’re outside.
Now, some hunters won’t even think about risking their life hunting during a storm, but others like to push the limits of safety. And to be perfectly honest, it’d be ignorant not to acknowledge the benefits to being out hunting right as a storm stops. Many hunters know that certain turkeys like to stretch their legs after hunkering down during a long, violent storm. According to some hunting pros, if you time it correctly, you can be the first to contact a whole gang of gobblers trying to dry out their sopping wet feathers in the sun.
These potential benefits can cause some hunters to go too far out on a limb when it comes to staying safe. But here’s the thing, regardless of the potential benefits, you’d be reckless not to at least take proper precautions. Here are some tips for those of you who think you might fall into the group of hunters who like walking out on those limbs.