Spring gobbler season Published March 17, 2009 By Mr. Ronnie June 20th Civil Engineer Squadron SHAW ARI FORCE BASE -- Spring turkey hunting in Sumter County (Game Zone 5) begins April 1, 2009 and ends May 1, 2009. The Poinsett Electronic Combat Range opens for turkey hunting during the weekends when there are no mission conflicts. The specific hunting dates available on the range are scheduled for April 4, 5, 11, 18, 19, 25 and 26. All hunts begin in the morning 30 minutes before official sunrise until four hours after official sunrise. To be eligible, participants must have a valid South Carolina big game hunting license and call the registration line at 895-9996 between 8 and 9:30 a.m. Tuesday prior to the hunt. Hunters must pay a permit fee and may bring a guest provided the guest also has a valid license and pays the permit fee. Only one gun is allowed per hunt area. Reservations are taken on a first come, first served basis. Standby applicants are taken after all reservation slots are filled. Standby hunters will be notified if a slot becomes available. The cost is $15 per participant per hunt paid by check or money order made payable to "DDO DSSN 3801 Shaw AFB SC." Payments must be received by close of business the Thursday before the hunt and are only valid for one specific hunt. Reservations not paid for or canceled by close of business the Thursday before the hunt, will be given to the next available hunter on the standby list. Hunters under the age of 16 may hunt for free if accompanied by a licensed adult. Hunters meet at the Rosemary Fire Tower complex off Highway 261 prior to the time confirmed at the time of the reservation. Specific times will be given at sign up since the time of sunrise changes as the season progresses. The gate will be locked at the time announced so hunters need to arrive early. Drawings for hunting units are conducted prior to the hunt following a range safety briefing. Hunters are then transported to an assigned drop-off point where they are picked up after the hunt. Prior to hunting, all participants are required to attend a safety briefing and follow all rules and instructions. Those who fail to follow the requirements could have their rights revoked for future hunts. Interested hunters should call Ronnie June at 895-9985.