Disclaimers

The stories are based on my hunting experience in PA only. Please don't generalize it since the hunting regulations ( legit firearms, special weapons like archery and muzzle-loaders, safety clothes,  season dates, bag limit, youth mentoring , camouflage, no electronic calls restriction, no bait and no decoy rules, etc ) are very different from state to state, plus they changes every year. The authoritative information is at http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/. I feel that they want to match up to the complexity of those tax codes since I still don't quite understand them after reading so many times :-(


However, the safety principles for firearms are universal.  so I quoted "The Ten Commandments of Firearms Safety" from Remington Arms if you can really understand what they are trying to say between the lines :-(  If you need help, search for CNBC documentary film: "Remington Under fire"

1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
2. Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use.
3. Don't rely on your gun's safety.
4. Be sure of your target and what's beyond it.
5. Use proper ammunition.
6. If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, handle with care.
7. Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting.
8. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before shooting.
9. Don't alter or modify your gun and have it serviced regularly.
10. Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the firearm you are using.

 For Turkey hunting, the most important safety principle is "to positively identify the target is a legal turkey and it's safe beyond the bullet range" since hunter's camouflage is as perfect as deadly, especially during Spring season since it's not required to wear orange cloth  during ambush.

And in PA, even center-fire rifle is allow for Fall turkey season (In contrast, no rifle is even allowed for deer hunting near Philly metro area). There is no need to call the turkeys walking close to you since you can easily soot them with a scoped rifle beyond 100 yards!   PGC should explain the reasons more clearly.

Another quirky rule is that turkey blind has to be 360 around and with a top cover. Does PGC really care if Turkeys can see through your blind?

And why there is an upper limit (< 0.23) for rifle caliber for small games (like pheasant and rabbit ), but no lowest caliber limit for big games( 0.22 cal rifle to shoot Turkey, Deer, Bear ) ? So a manual rifle in 5.56mm NATO caliber or .223 REM  is good for both small and big games !