As the sun was just starting to rise, hunters and their assigned escorts settled down in their assigned hunt zones on Savannah River Site (SRS), looking and listening for the prize-winning turkey on the first day of a two-day hunt recently.
Office of Environmental Management
May 7, 2024
minute read time
Hunters gather with their harvested turkeys at the end of the second hunt day at the Savannah River Site. U.S. Department of Agriculture image.
NEW ELLENTON, S.C. — As the sun was just starting to rise, hunters and their assigned escorts settled down in their assigned hunt zones on Savannah River Site (SRS), looking and listening for the prize-winning turkey on the first day of a two-day hunt recently.
For one of the three hunters that harvested a turkey that day, his dream came true with the large bird weighing just over 19 pounds. Eight of the 15 hunters taking part in the hunt had never hunted on SRS before, something they will remember for a long time. At the conclusion of the two-day hunt, nine turkeys were harvested with four being first-time harvests.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service has been managing the forests on SRS for over 70 years. Limited human interaction over such a large area allows wildlife, birds and other animals to range freely across the roughly 170,000 acres of pine trees, bottomlands and swamps.
“For hunters, it’s like stepping back in time,” said Hank Forehand, Forest Service senior wildlife biologist at SRS. “You can spend hours in these forests and never hear another voice or human noise. It’s like a local wilderness area.”
The most critical element to events like the annual turkey hunt is the safety for everyone involved. Hunters and staff begin each day with a safety briefing where weather conditions, firearm and site safety protocols, hunter movement control and radio communications are covered. Each hunter is paired with an escort familiar with site security and safety protocols for added precautions. Radios are given to each hunt group to help track the movement of hunters across hunt areas and allow for coordinating response efforts or evacuation protocols should an emergency arise.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy – SRS, Forest Service, National Wild Turkey Federation, and recent new partner Outdoor Dream Foundation, this annual turkey hunt has gained special notoriety among turkey hunters for the outstanding hunt opportunity and upbeat camaraderie. As Tal Mims, Forest Service wildlife biologist at SRS and event organizer said, “Of course I want everyone to get a turkey, but my real goal at the end of day two is to have 100% smiles.”
To learn more about how the Forest Service – Savannah River supports the Energy Department mission on SRS, contact Joe Orosz, Savannah River, public affairs specialist, at josef.orosz@usda.gov.
-Contributor: Joe Orosz
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