Turkey Reaping

[mikejd]

While I agree this maybe an unsafe practice in some areas, other areas it would be perfectly safe.

Case in point, my area of small wood lots and fence lines and fragmented ownership this is a way to get a face of lead., in another area of the state I hunt its wide open 120 acre fields, birds spend the day out in the middle of them and I have tried it out there in the wide open.  I felt perfectly safe as I was able to see my entire surroundings protecting myself from any harmful situation.

Hunting can be dangerous and I hope hunters are smart enough to know when to deploy tactics and when not to.  I would be against more laws to protect those not smart enough to know the difference.

Good points.

[mookyj]

Nothing To argue, you are over the top once you go parading around in a gobbler decoy getup. It is not just risk, it is unreasonable risk,and escalates probability to as much as saying one asked for it. This is a lawyers gold mine. What is inherently wrong is that one can follow the golden rules of identify your target, before and after, and in the scenario I laided out, you could be reasonably fooled well enough to shoot. That is no different than anti's showing up in the woods during deer season in a buck costume. Curious to see what you all have to say when some poor bastard gets shot doing this.

To argue the other side you could say everytime hunters step in the woods there is a possibility of someone being shot.. so we should end all hunting period to be safe.


Seems extreme, you accept the risk the same as exccepting the increased risk of using decoys and fanning methods all that can increase attention from other hunters as well as turkeys. Hunt smart and practice what you consider safe, if thats avoiding certain methods than so be it. Ethical doesn't belong in this conversation really, if it makes it too easy for you than don't do it. Some states allow baiting, the use of rifles, electronic calls or decoys, even shooting birds off the roost is legal in some states I certainly don't feel like any of thats needed for myself so I don't practice those methods.

Stay inside the law and hunt the way that brings YOU the most enjoyment, plenty of birds to go around.

[VanHelden Game Calls]

Most if not all incidents will have a written report.  If you so choose open record request could be filed and some research done.  IMO I would think most of the incidents would include heavy foliage, mistaken by sound and movement.  This would encompass every aspect of turkey hunting regardless of method used.  And actually may make using "reaping" in open a more safe practice of turkey hunting.

Again its up to us hunters to know the basic rules of gun safety, no law, no method of hunt will ver take the place of these rules (PERIOD)

BC your quote: "As long as it's legal in the particular state that a hunter is hunting in, and he wants to shoulder the risk then I don't really see where the problem is."

Bull, when someone is this reckless they put you and I at risk, not just themselves. I am not good or OK with that. Very shortsighted thinking. As to hard data, it will be general listings as mistaken for game, or stalking, not method of hunt. I doubt Reaping is a category in any states incident lists.

[VanHelden Game Calls]

On a side note, we should ban all ultra realistic decoys.  Talk about getting fooled

And I wonder how many calls have brought about the unsafe scenario of a hunter stalking a hunter.  Think about how many times we move on a gobbler because another hunter fired him up and unknowingly walked into a setup. Maybe calls should be outlawed.

Seems the best and safest way to hunt turkeys is to wait in ambush.  Walk in before light, plant you but to a tree and wait.  No moving, no calls, no decoys.  This way no hunter can be fooled.....

[BC]

Mike, you are making assumptions about me and you couldn't be more off base. Like I said in the original post, unless you can provide us with some data showing that the practice is unsafe then yours is a non fact based opinion. I'm not even arguing for or against "fanning" or "reaping". Like I said I have never done it. What I am arguing against someone trying to push their agenda on someone else because they don't participate in the activity. It's the exact platform that the anti's use against us.

Hunters are a different breed at time. 

I don't like dog hunting, so I am going to attack the dog hunter every chance I get.
I only still hunt, so I will demean the stalk hunter at every opportunity.
I only hunt with a bow, so rifle hunters are beneath me and should be treated as such.


It's all silly.


If you can just show me one shred of proof that someone has been killed or injured while fanning I might be inclined to agree with you. However, I have never heard of one person getting killed or hurt while fanning. It's not like this just started a few months ago. People have been "fanning" for years. I heard a guy talking about it in the 70's before turkey hunting was even cool. Your entire argument is based off of what "might" happen. I might walk out to feed my turkeys here in a little while and a meteor falls out of the sky and wipes me out. Unlikely, but it might happen.

[BC]

On a side note, we should ban all ultra realistic decoys.  Talk about getting fooled

And I wonder how many calls have brought about the unsafe scenario of a hunter stalking a hunter.  Think about how many times we move on a gobbler because another hunter fired him up and unknowingly walked into a setup. Maybe calls should be outlawed.

Seems the best and safest way to hunt turkeys is to wait in ambush.  Walk in before light, plant you but to a tree and wait.  No moving, no calls, no decoys.  This way no hunter can be fooled.....

This guy get's it.

[mikejd]

On a side note, we should ban all ultra realistic decoys.  Talk about getting fooled

And I wonder how many calls have brought about the unsafe scenario of a hunter stalking a hunter.  Think about how many times we move on a gobbler because another hunter fired him up and unknowingly walked into a setup. Maybe calls should be outlawed.

Seems the best and safest way to hunt turkeys is to wait in ambush.  Walk in before light, plant you but to a tree and wait.  No moving, no calls, no decoys.  This way no hunter can be fooled.....

This guy get's it.

Agreed Vanheldon is spot on with both of his posts.

[g8rvet]

Ban shotguns.  Really skilled woodsman can just lasso the bird. If you make a mistake and lasso a hunter, you can just untie him after you have snatched his ultra realistic turkey decoy's head clean off.   

[mookyj]

BC, you need to reread my post to you, I mention that If I read between your lines it was not good, and that assumptions are not as well. The fact that you would argue that the practice is not very risky behavior  does make wonder on your ability to apply rational logic. You also seem to think I need to spend 100's of hours researching each state agency to have my opinion, which by the way my blog is my opinion. Putting the shoe on the other foot, why don't you provide research that proves it as safe? Then we can argue how many shootings or fatalities are acceptable risk for this behavior or style of harvesting. Your posts and the others posts of convoluted logic doesn't cut it. If I wear a buck costume on opening day of deer firearm season, I'll get shot,and the opinion will be that I deserved every bit of that bullet. They decoy for deer too, as well as antelope and elk. Unless your setup in a wide open area with no dips or culverts to afford only partial views then you are "asking for it". My comment about ethics is that any act that is unsafe in our sport is also unethical, period, enough bullsh** about other types or styles of hunting. I hunt in ways some may not care for (dogs for turkeys for example) I got over it. MY blog post is about a serious concern, and all this convoluted crap you and others are trying to take this post into is irrelevant.

Standard liberal tactic of changing the argument when you can't win it based on facts or common sense, change the topic, cloud the issue in order to dilute the main or initial point. The topic is unacceptable safety risk caused by a questionable methods, in case you got offtrack.

[mikejd]

Actually your tactics and comments are more liberal then anyone else who I have read on here.
Trying to.push your agenda on someone else. Blaming everyone for being unsafe when actually
only a few may act in an unsafe manner. As I said earlier if you are aware of what is beyond your target none.of this is unsafe.

[BC]

Ok, Mike we will play it your way.......... even if your agenda is pretty transparent.


Here's my challenge to you. Either provide proof that fanning is causing deaths and injuries and is a dangerous practice or stop railing on and on like a windbag. If you can't do that, then don't be surprised when people disagree with you. You need to be armed with facts to back up your assertions when posting stuff like this. You came to this site with your opinion looking for a pat on the back and I can tell you didn't like it one bit when you didn't get it.

[mookyj]

BC  and mikeJD, are you both that dumb? there is no agenda other than my opinion is the method is unsafe,and should be banned for safety reasons. I nearly got shot by a trespasser over a week ago. If you read my other posts you would know that. I certainly don't require your pat on the back. You must think I would reach out to you for that?  So far you haven't addressed any of my points other than make assumptions that this is about my way or the highway. Try passing this under the noses of firearm safety instructors. Before you reply, do some research on what they have to say about it. While your at it, there are a few states out there that would love to hear your side of it.

[Timberland Taxidermy]

This thread, and that blog are ridiculous. More accidents have been caused by wearing dark camo clothing and making turkey noises with a turkey call, than there will ever be from fanning or reaping. Not only do you attack those stalking with decoys (a practice that has been around long before the white man stepped foot on this continent), but also anyone who uses a quality turkey decoy? Perhaps we should ban realistic calls too? What about realistic camouflage? When you use any decoy, whether it be a stalking fan, a quality decoy, or a cheap POS from WalMart you must use common sense. Every video I've seen posted of this practice it is done in a wide open field. There is almost no danger of being shot, unless someone is rifle hunting which is illegal in most states. Others were right, this is a classic case of "You don't hunt like me so you are unethical, reckless, and not a true sportsman. Bull spit.   -Cole Cruickshank, Timberland Decoys

[mookyj]

got a little skin in the game Timberland? You are correct it is ages old practice, you are incorrect that it is about only one way to do it. Don't you boast about how good your product looks? I wonder if any of your mounts have been shot in the field?  It is kinda dumb to shoot hen calls inthe spring, so the comment about calls is a bit odd. At some point, how much stuff are we going to carry out there? THis is off topic, as the topic again is safety, Do you offer your decoys with safety orange? I don't know, just asking.

[Timberland Taxidermy]

got a little skin in the game Timberland?
Of course I have skin in the game, as do hundreds of other people.
You are correct it is ages old practice, you are incorrect that it is about only one way to do it.
I haven't seen it done another way, and any other way might not be safe WHICH IS WHY NO ONE IS DOING IT.
Don't you boast about how good your product looks?
I do boast about how good my product looks, and even more so about how good my product works
I wonder if any of your mounts have been shot in the field? 
I am not aware of any of my decoys being shot at. My clients must be practicing safe turkey hunting, just like I do.
It is kinda dumb to shoot hen calls inthe spring, so the comment about calls is a bit odd.
I never said anything about hen calls, I said turkey calls. There are plenty of gobbler calls on the market, and I'm sure they are next on your "hit list". That being said, I've called in several hunters using hen calls so dumb or not, it can happen.
At some point, how much stuff are we going to carry out there?
Carry whatever you want. That's just it, we don't care what you use. We don't judge you for what you do. We understand everyone enjoys turkey hunting in a different way. Personally, it is about getting close to gobblers...really close...and shooting them with my bow. I also like to record it so I can watch it throughout the year and remember the fun I had doing it. That means I have to carry a blind, chair, bow, tripod, camcorder, GoPros, backpack (calls, water, binos, etc.), and a Timberland Jake Decoy. I'm not doing any running and gunning with that much gear. 
THis is off topic, as the topic again is safety, Do you offer your decoys with safety orange? I don't know, just asking.
I do not. Feathers don't paint well, so I would suggest if you want orange, wear a vest to and from your hunting area.