Unbelievable.....
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And the rest of the story? Kinda left us hangin.
15 turkey hunters shot. 2 turkey hunters dead.
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Really can't understand how that can happen.
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Quote from: Gentry on May 18, 2020, 01:44:46 PM
Really can't understand how that can happen.
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It violates so many rules of hunting safety it's hard to imagine.
It has to be shooting at movement, they can't be identifying their target.
I can understand a kid making an overeager mistake, but even my 10 year old knows how to identify hen from tom and tom from jake. You have to see at least most of the bird to do that.
These stats are scary.
Would be interesting to know how many of those are "mistaken for game" shootings as compared to "accidental discharge" shootings. Hard for me to believe there could be that many mistaken-for-game shootings....
Far more traffic from turkey hunters with lock-downs in place... It would seem like a lot of people giving turkey hunting a try that have never done it before as well.
So more people in the field, and more inexperienced people hunting....
I too would be curious to know how many of these accidents were due to accidental discharges, and how many were deliberate trigger pulls, AND how many of deliberate trigger pulls involved fanning, reaping, or any type of decoys...
Even hunting private land, I was hesitant to use jake decoys... Hunting public, I did not feel comfortable using any decoys.
When hunting public, I got the distinct impression in at at least a couple cases, that sharing the woods with these hunters would be at one's own risk.
Sad, very sad
Wow - there is absolutely no excuse for "statistics" such as these. Heartbreaking!
I know with my friends son who shot his brother when hunting it was later discovered that he needed glasses badly. I guess when he got his glasses and looked at the skyline he was shocked to see there was separation between the two, I guess to him it had always looked like the melded together. I know what everybody is going to say to that and I completely agree, it should have been caught long before that incident happened by either the family or where I would think it would stand out is in school, I guess he sat all the way at the back but it was still never caught.
How many are in a normal year. My best friends brother in law was shot in Penn years ago but an elderly man that fired at movement Didn't kill him but he did have shot removed from his face and had a collapsed lung
Word on the street is the 7 yr old in KS got shot by a poacher from a vehicle with a .22. Recently had to have surgery to search for an infection and remove a bone chip from his brain.
There are many people hiding in the bushes , making noise like a turkey ...some even have a fake turkey near them ...they are waiting to see or hear an approaching turkey ...they have big guns and want very much to shoot a turkey........
There are also many people walking around making noise like a turkey . they are hoping to hear or sneek up on a turkey . they also have guns and they too want to shoot a turkey.....
This is not a safe situation..
MAKE SURE YOU ARE LOOKING AT A LIVE , BEARDED TURKEY , BEFORE YOU SHOOT !!
I wonder how many were shot, or shot at, while they were crawling around behind a spread out turkey tail, trying for all their worth to look as much like a turkey as humanly possible? While I like to turkey hunt as much as anyone on OG, I don't have a death wish.
Would like to see the yearly statistic's on shootings also.
In PA during the 90's fall turkey was really dangerous. Since you could use a rifle AND Shoot either sex. Those shootings where usually fatal.
An off duty Tennessee game warden shot two people yesterday on public land in Campbell County Tennessee while he was turkey hunting. I don't know the details and all kinds of speculation about reaping, decoys, etc. but I don't think anyone not involved knows the facts yet. Not that this was the case but I can see TSS contributing. New turkey hunters eager to shoot 70 yards or shooting at a turkey and the shot traveling well beyond a gobbling bird that two people were hunting. They didn't know the other one was there and the shot travels past the intended target and strikes the other hunter. Who knows but 15 is way too many.
I hate to say it, but I don't think any of these accidents can be chalked up to anything but stupidity and the unsuitability of that person to hunt or own guns responsibly. Even if a person IS reaping or calling to decoys - to take deliberate aim at what is obviously not a real, moving turkey, hold on wattles and pull the trigger is something that no person should be able to do and think themselves in the right. Accidents do happen as far as negligent discharge or shot travelling unseen beyond a clear and live target to another hunter. However, shooting at decoys, reaping fans or movement are all clear demonstrative signs that that person is more focused on the idea of killing than safety, and I would regrettably suggest that there are more folks like that hunting than we give credit for. Nothing can cure stupidity and willful ignorance of wellbeing.
I agree with you completely. It can only be blamed on the person who pulled the trigger and I wasn't trying to blame it on anything else. I will tell you I was hunting a National Wildlife refuge a few years ago and saw the full red, white and blue of a turkey head bouncing on the inside of the woods across the field about 80 yards away. At first I really thought I had called up a tom but I thought, something isn't right. I then noticed it was a person with a gobbler he had killed. The head and neck were dangling and bouncing while hanging out of the back of his turkey vest. Actually scared the crap out of me and I never even aimed my shotgun in his direction.
That's a scary scenario to be in for sure. Wasn't trying to make a point against you personally though! Just a general observation on some of the stuff brought up in the thread - no harm meant!
Quote from: tnanh on May 18, 2020, 11:34:55 PM
I agree with you completely. It can only be blamed on the person who pulled the trigger and I wasn't trying to blame it on anything else. I will tell you I was hunting a National Wildlife refuge a few years ago and saw the full red, white and blue of a turkey head bouncing on the inside of the woods across the field about 80 yards away. At first I really thought I had called up a tom but I thought, something isn't right. I then noticed it was a person with a gobbler he had killed. The head and neck were dangling and bouncing while hanging out of the back of his turkey vest. Actually scared the crap out of me and I never even aimed my shotgun in his direction.
This is why I like most new vests coming with a hunter orange flag. If I have a bird in my pack, I always have hunter orange on.
Quote from: Loyalist84 on May 19, 2020, 12:26:42 AM
That's a scary scenario to be in for sure. Wasn't trying to make a point against you personally though! Just a general observation on some of the stuff brought up in the thread - no harm meant!
No harm taken. I just wanted to make sure it didn't sound like I was blaming tss. Always the fault of the person pulling the trigger.
Quote from: Loyalist84 on May 18, 2020, 11:23:38 PM
I hate to say it, but I don't think any of these accidents can be chalked up to anything but stupidity and the unsuitability of that person to hunt or own guns responsibly.
Hunting private land this year, I set up in the morning... I had no idea that someone was close to me on adjacent land (also set up before first light). He had no idea I was hunting there either. Granted, in this particular situation, it would have been tough for an accident due to the terrain, but I was shocked when he shot at a bird we were both working. (Shot at).
Someone shoots at a bird in range, not realizing that someone else is well-hidden just beyond the bird....
And... I have seen plenty of smart (and good) people do stupid things... While I have a difficult time wrapping my head around shooting at a decoy, or even worse someone simply calling (making hen sounds), I can see a situation in which two guys are both in range on a bird, and do not know about each other being there....
Quote from: tnanh on May 18, 2020, 10:26:45 PM
An off duty Tennessee game warden shot two people yesterday on public land in Campbell County Tennessee while he was turkey hunting. I don't know the details and all kinds of speculation about reaping, decoys, etc. but I don't think anyone not involved knows the facts yet. Not that this was the case but I can see TSS contributing. New turkey hunters eager to shoot 70 yards or shooting at a turkey and the shot traveling well beyond a gobbling bird that two people were hunting. They didn't know the other one was there and the shot travels past the intended target and strikes the other hunter. Who knows but 15 is way too many.
I have to think that either he was shooting at a bird and hit two hunters behind the bird, or that he shot a decoy and lined the hunters up... I certainly hope that he hit both hunters with one shot, and did NOT take two separate shots to hit these guys...
Sounds like they were released from the hospital quickly, so it is possible that he "peppered" hunters behind a bird he was shooting. I would be very interested to hear the details behind this event, as it could be a good learning experience for a lot of hunters to avoid....
Novice, first timer, savy veteran it doesn't matter. It's hard to imagine any of these being mistaken for game. How do you say "oh sorry Mrs. Shot turkey hunter , I thought your husband was a strutting Tom". Accidental discharges do happen I suppose but it's unreal to me to see that statistic without wondering how on earth it could even happen. Rifle season I expect to hear of a few scattered reports but that's a projectile that can go well over a mile and still maintain lethal energy and penetration. A shotgun however is very limited in downrange ballistics.
First thing you hear before you ever even tough a firearm is about the operation of the safety mechanism. It's mind boggling how the stars would have to align for 1. gun not being on safety, 2. Being in a position to even pull the trigger on anything other than a turkey, and 3 barrel pointing in the direction of anything other than a turkey with the gun on safety. Maybe I was raised differently to fear the consequences of what bad could happen with the safety in the red than the good that can come. I've killed more than my share of wild animals and having the safety in before I spotted or expected to spot an animal prevented me from sending what I think to be an accurate send. Ive hunted with guys that take of safety as soon as they sit down hunting turkey. Doesn't fly with me. They put the safety just a close to your fingers as they do the trigger for a reason. It's not like it's in an inconvenient spot. Im rambling
Can't say for sure, but the warden shooting incident could likely be what I call a "lightning strike" incident, similar to what Marc talks about, where the cards just lined up for something bad to happen without anybody truly being at fault. Of course, we all hope that we will never be party to one of those, but the fact is that in pretty much every aspect of life,..."sh*t happens"!
No matter how careful one might be, there is always the possibility of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Best any of us can do is be as vigilant and careful as we can be,...and we should reasonably expect the same from others.
Quote from: Loyalist84 on May 18, 2020, 11:23:38 PM
I hate to say it, but I don't think any of these accidents can be chalked up to anything but stupidity and the unsuitability of that person to hunt or own guns responsibly. Even if a person IS reaping or calling to decoys - to take deliberate aim at what is obviously not a real, moving turkey, hold on wattles and pull the trigger is something that no person should be able to do and think themselves in the right. Accidents do happen as far as negligent discharge or shot travelling unseen beyond a clear and live target to another hunter. However, shooting at decoys, reaping fans or movement are all clear demonstrative signs that that person is more focused on the idea of killing than safety, and I would regrettably suggest that there are more folks like that hunting than we give credit for. Nothing can cure stupidity and willful ignorance of wellbeing.
Okay first let me say I agree with almost everything you say, the one area that I feel can be a bit fuzzy is in this line "Even if a person IS reaping or calling to decoys - to take deliberate aim at what is obviously not a real, moving turkey, hold on wattles and pull the trigger is something that no person should be able to do and think themselves in the right."
Now let me say you are right and they should not try to justify it in any way, but the thing is that you line is not completely accurate, these decoys have been made to look so real that they have fooled many people including professionals in the game field with their looks. Maybe in the attempt to make decoys look real we have made them look to real, lets face it in most cases these decoys are made for us more so than the turkey when it comes to looks. I remember reading about guys taking a old Clorox bleach bottle, putting a black cloth on it and calling in turkeys with that as a decoy.
The second part about ".....not a real, moving turkey....." is also something I disagree in part with, they are now designed with motors in them to have lifelike movement to them, they have stakes made in a particular way to make them "move more naturally" and then these are those that attach a fishing line to the decoy and pull on that to make it move in a more like like way.
Understand I am not making excuses for it happening, in the end it is the person with the firearm that has been discharged that is at fault, but maybe we have gone to far in the design of decoys and that is a contributing factor?
Just a few thoughts.
I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.
Quote from: silvestris on May 19, 2020, 07:32:55 PM
I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.
So you can "accidentally" shoot a person?
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Quote from: fallhnt on May 19, 2020, 08:42:25 PM
Quote from: silvestris on May 19, 2020, 07:32:55 PM
I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.
So you can "accidentally" shoot a person?
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Just read a story of a 5 year old that found and gun in the woods and shot his 12 year old brother killing him with their 7 year old brother watching, so yes, a person can be accidentally shot. When it comes to hunting I was always taught there are no hunting accidents, only hunting incidents.
Quote from: silvestris on May 19, 2020, 07:32:55 PM
I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.
Quote from: fallhnt on May 19, 2020, 08:42:25 PM
So you can "accidentally" shoot a person?
I doubt if any of these turkey hunters were shot on purpose (unless someone took an angry spouse with them)...
But I do agree with Silvestris... Most shooting accidents are the fault of the shooter... But not all.
Many of us consider our own hunting situation and extend it to all hunting experiences and hunters... The reality is, we hunt different types of terrain in different types of conditions. And as I stated on a different thread (in a different forum), as a previous scuba diver, I have noticed a similarity in in tragedy between shooting and diving accidents... It is often the ignorant and inexperienced, or the very experienced and over-confident...
Quote from: silvestris on May 19, 2020, 07:32:55 PM
I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.
I would also agree with this statement. When I was young and scopes on rifles were becoming more common I heard of an incident where hunter stood or walked in front of a shooter and he was shot. It was many years ago but the safety precaution I was taught was to make sure of your surroundings before mounting a rifle with a scope due to the lose of peripheral vision.
To continue the discussion and bring to light possible safety issues, here is my number one pet peeve :
Muzzle control, know where you are pointing your gun at all times.
I am compulsive and obsessed with this and I watch everyone I hunt with. I have come to the point I am astonished at how many times I catch seasoned experienced hunters pointing a muzzle towards someone. It's a matter of attention and discipline.
I used to hunt with a guy who always hunted with double barrels and he professionally shot field trials, he carried his gun broke open at all times, even walking a field behind working dogs. He had become so trained that he closed the gun and released the safety all in one motion of mounting the gun to his shoulder. He was a phenomenal shot. I started doing this a lot when bird hunting with my O/u. He taught me safety is more important than bagging game. I watch people constantly and will move to their opposite side or lag back or go ahead just to avoid their muzzle pointing habits. I also have seen them take the safety off as soon as you sit down guys....yeah that hunt usually ends right there. I have pissed people off before because they were offended I questioned their safety practices. If they get real pissed I show them the void still left in my leg after 10 years and ask them if they ever wondered why I have a slight limp. Then we go home! That's why my hunting friends circle is down to 4 guys, I won't tolerate unsafe acts and I have boiled it down to these four that I trust....I guess that's kind of sad
I also watch the guys on the videos and TV shows and it's amazing how much you catch them doing. Just give it a try, some big names are pretty big offenders.
What alarms me is that these guys have taken a hunter safety course and passed it!. Even worse is that anyone 21 or 18 in some states can buy a gun and start shooting it without any instruction at all. I live next to public land and often see or talk to target shooters when I'm hiking. Some of them are completely clueless about gun safety. I think many of them think it's like a video game and are a danger to themselves and anyone within a mile of them. My neighbors home has six bullet holes in it and another's home recently got hit. My home has been hit by pellets during dove season (BLM land starts about 110 yards from my house).
Speechless, kinda hard to believe because turkey hunting is done at close range.
Quote from: eggshell on May 20, 2020, 10:30:05 AM
To continue the discussion and bring to light possible safety issues, here is my number one pet peeve :
Muzzle control, know where you are pointing your gun at all times.
I am compulsive and obsessed with this and I watch everyone I hunt with. I have come to the point I am astonished at how many times I catch seasoned experienced hunters pointing a muzzle towards someone. It's a matter of attention and discipline.
I used to hunt with a guy who always hunted with double barrels and he professionally shot field trials, he carried his gun broke open at all times, even walking a field behind working dogs. He had become so trained that he closed the gun and released the safety all in one motion of mounting the gun to his shoulder. He was a phenomenal shot. I started doing this a lot when bird hunting with my O/u. He taught me safety is more important than bagging game. I watch people constantly and will move to their opposite side or lag back or go ahead just to avoid their muzzle pointing habits. I also have seen them take the safety off as soon as you sit down guys....yeah that hunt usually ends right there. I have pissed people off before because they were offended I questioned their safety practices. If they get real pissed I show them the void still left in my leg after 10 years and ask them if they ever wondered why I have a slight limp. Then we go home! That's why my hunting friends circle is down to 4 guys, I won't tolerate unsafe acts and I have boiled it down to these four that I trust....I guess that's kind of sad
I also watch the guys on the videos and TV shows and it's amazing how much you catch them doing. Just give it a try, some big names are pretty big offenders.
You are so right regarding muzzle control or actually the lack of it. I have seen people sweep other people with their muzzle which I am sure was unintentional but still just as dangerous. I used to shoot Sporting Clay with a guy and one day we got in a discussion bout field hunting for birds and he told me he always hunted with his safety off when he was in the field. I could not believe he had actually said that and argued with him it was unsafe. He argued back that if a rabbit jumped up he was ready to shoot. Decided right then and there I would never hunt with him.
With the talk of all the youtube videos now days I have been watching some. I have noticed some things some do thatI personally wouldn't feel comfortable doing on public land. 1 that stands out is one particular guy crawls several turkeys that are hung up, creeps up on his belly sometimes through very thick stuff to get close for a shot. Nothing wrong with it, and I have done it on my private leae, knowing I was the only one hunting their. But I can't see myself doing it on public land knowing theres other people hunting, and hearing about incidents like these. No fault to them for trying to get close, but I wouldn't feel safe doing it. Normally when im walking through the woods calling I try to sound like a human as much as possible. I know it's not the best tactic to kill birds, but I am horrified about the stories I've read about hunters getting shot. I guess I just don't trust the general public much lol. I also have been guiding duck and goose hunts for several years now, and I've seen first hand that lots of people arent safety minded with their guns. I've had one gun "go off" in the blind and it scared the living crap out of me. Thank God he had it pointing to the sky when it happend, the hunt ended. I make them have guns oit of cases and chambers open before going on the atv rack. Too many times to count guns were off safety when they pulled them out of the case. Another incident last year I pulled a guys gun out of the case to put on the 4 wheeler and it was off safety, I put it on safety and opened the chamber and a live shell fell out that he had left in from the skeet range the day before. I guess I don't understand because my safety goes on as soon as I pull the gun down off my shoulder, it's so involuntary that I'm always checking my safety and its already on. But i was taught to always check my safety constantly.
Quote from: Tomfoolery on May 21, 2020, 11:50:18 AM
Normally when im walking through the woods calling I try to sound like a human as much as possible.
I definitely do not try to sound like a human when I walk through the woods. I try not to sound like anything. If one chooses to run/walk and gun the best choice may be to stop, assess, then call; assess again before walking/running again. A human walking can often sound like a turkey. The safest thing is to assess, assess, assess. If you sound like a human to a human, you can bet that you sound sound like a human to a turkey.
Quote from: eggshell on May 20, 2020, 10:30:05 AM
To continue the discussion and bring to light possible safety issues, here is my number one pet peeve :
Muzzle control, know where you are pointing your gun at all times.
Yes... Muzzle control is the most important part of gun safety. If the gun is pointed in a safe direction, and accidentally discharges nobody will be injured.
I remember an incident in the recent past in which someone was either killed or injured due to a gun on a quad and a gun rack and and accidental discharge. Heard about someone's gun going off on the truck ride home during a bumpy ride... And heard plenty of times about hunting dogs stepping on guns and discharging them...
But, as important as muzzle control is, I feel that these incidents are probably not due to accidental discharge and muzzle control, as they are due to poor target identification or poor understanding of what is behind what you are shooting at.
Quote from: silvestris on May 21, 2020, 12:16:25 PM
Quote from: Tomfoolery on May 21, 2020, 11:50:18 AM
Normally when im walking through the woods calling I try to sound like a human as much as possible.
I definitely do not try to sound like a human when I walk through the woods. I try not to sound like anything. If one chooses to run/walk and gun the best choice may be to stop, assess, then call; assess again before walking/running again. A human walking can often sound like a turkey. The safest thing is to assess, assess, assess. If you sound like a human to a human, you can bet that you sound sound like a human to a turkey.
This is probably a better explanation of my wrong wording. I don't by any means go crashing through the woods. Like you said I'm constantly looking around and assessing everything.
Muzzle control is very important, but I would bet some of these accidents are due to the extended range of TSS. A bird gobbles on public land close to a road.. chances are it will be covered up by multiple hunters, many not knowing the other is there. They close in on a bird from opposite sides... thick woods = that's how someone gets hurt or killed.
someone gets hurt or killed in a HUNT/ SHOOTING indecent 90% of the time because of the shooters overwhelming desire to shoot something.....shooting accidents because of gun handling mistake are a different story..
:newmascot:
Quote from: GobbleNut on May 18, 2020, 02:17:57 PM
Would be interesting to know how many of those are "mistaken for game" shootings as compared to "accidental discharge" shootings. Hard for me to believe there could be that many mistaken-for-game shootings....
Most are mistaken for game. There's a mental aspect of seeing what you want to see at the time. HRSI (Hunting-related Shooting Incidents) are especially more mistaken with turkey hunting. I know, it doesn't make sense. But it happens. I used to investigate those incidents (retired warden). Some "thought" they saw a turkey. Others would swear on a stack of Bibles that they knew they saw a bird (was not a bird).
Education in positive identification of a full turkey / intended target needs to be emphasized and continue. Seldom would the shooter be able to recall the "entire" picture of the target (because it wasn't there).
Very few "accidental discharges" truly are accidental. That implies the weapon discharges through no fault of the operator. Negligent discharge is a more accurate description of virtually all unintended firing of any weapon. It's a rare thing indeed for a gun to fire only because of a mechanical malfunction, especially with modern weapons. They fire because, being human, we make mistakes. Most of the time the story ends with "it scared the crap out of me!" Unfortunately, sometimes the consequences are much worse.
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Quote from: Neill_Prater on May 25, 2020, 09:08:29 AM
Very few "accidental discharges" truly are accidental. That implies the weapon discharges through no fault of the operator. Negligent discharge is a more accurate description of virtually all unintended firing of any weapon. It's a rare thing indeed for a gun to fire only because of a mechanical malfunction, especially with modern weapons. They fire because, being human, we make mistakes. Most of the time the story ends with "it scared the crap out of me!" Unfortunately, sometimes the consequences are much worse.
Very true.
Regarding your last statement about the story ending in a scare or a tragedy, it would be interesting to know how many of us have been involved in the first,...and hopefully, not the second. Personally, I have been involved in a couple of "scares" in my life that fortunately did not end up much worse. Unfortunately, I also know at least two people who were involved in "worst case" scenarios where someone died because of someone else's momentary carelessness. When firearms are involved, never let your guard down!
X10. Very true......
https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article242816791.html
^^^That's horrible
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Quote from: nativeks on May 27, 2020, 08:21:49 AM
https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article242816791.html
Definitely one of those cases where, if they catch the guy, they throw him in jail and throw away the key.
I read the Kansas story and I can't even post what my mind thought should be done with the offender. I believe in forgiveness and second chances, but I also believe in consequences for actions. Even God sets standards of punishment in his word. Do the crime and do the time. I am also happy to see such strong support for the family, and the fact it was reported in the article. Hunters as a group are more often compassionate and caring people and the one idiot should not be the story that labels us all.
I read the story . Maybe I'm a softy but tears where rolling . My God I hope they throw the shooter in jail for as long as the law allows .
Another decoy incident.
Quote from: silvestris on May 27, 2020, 08:15:46 PM
Another decoy incident.
Just another idiot with a gun
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Preface this question with the comment that I am not trying to start another bickering match here, but has anybody heard of any hunting accident this spring related to "reaping"? I have not personally seen any,...and our discussions here always center around the perceived danger associated with it.
So, does anybody know of any documented cases this spring of someone getting shot while reaping? Just curious.... No personal opinions needed,...or conjecture. As Sgt. Friday says,..."Just the facts, ma'am?" :)
In all honesty I have never heard of a shooting involving reaping. Another saying, "Perception is reality".
QuoteReality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends upon what we look for. What we look for depends upon what we think. What we think depends upon what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality.
Gary Zukav
I certainly am guilty of this and that is the value of discussion and even debate, that truth is sought and hopefully is revealed. Human nature is that we hate to be wrong, some can accept it more willingly than others....I have my moments on both sides.
Quote from: eggshell on May 28, 2020, 10:06:28 AM
In all honesty I have never heard of a shooting involving reaping. Another saying, "Perception is reality".
The first fanning fatality occurred ~2014 in Virginia. Mentions it in the following article.
https://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/news/turkey-fanning-effective-way-to-hunt-but-is-it-safe/article_09a16058-2692-11e7-adfd-2f52203883e5.html
There have been numerous incidents since. A quick google search will reveal several.
Here is a link to two 'reapers' shot in Kansas in 2017.
https://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2017/04/18/hunter-shoots-two-partners-hiding-behind-turkey-fan/
Once we get a few more fatalities out of the way, hopefully there will be a major push to ban it and any 'fan' type decoys.
Quote from: GobbleNut on May 27, 2020, 09:09:49 AM
Quote from: nativeks on May 27, 2020, 08:21:49 AM
https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article242816791.html
Definitely one of those cases where, if they catch the guy, they throw him in jail and throw away the key.
Unless the parents catch him... In which case he might not make it to prison... Or at least be a bit worse for wear when he is turned in to the authorities.
But, unfortunately, I would guess the guy would get a couple years if he were caught....
Thanks for the info. deerhunt1988. I never saw those reports, nor have I ever googled reaping accidents. I was totally truthful, I never heard of any. If you go back through the thread you will find I am against reaping on the basis of safety. What I highly value though is truth and I think that these discussions do bring out truth. Your two examples are part of that quest, for sure. Not being argumentative in any form, Gobblenut asked about current cases, but it's fair to site past examples for historic perspective. With that said, two cases in 6 years is not a lot for a case study. In those 6 years there have most likely been many more incidents involving other techniques. I think it still comes down to one simple principle that is most common in all hunting incidents; target identification! If you study and positively identify your target there is no way someone should be shot fanning, calling, walking or anything else. I have watched several videos of fanning and I yet to see one I would have shot at. I like my birds close and I like to see their eyes.
I once knew a guy who shot a wildflower (a trillium bloom to be exact) because he thought it looked like the top of a gobblers head. He was actually telling other hunters about it and thought it was funny. That is the problem, front and foremost.
In using my best common sense and knowing there are people out there like the above mentioned fellow, it still seems like a practice that I perceive as unsafe. However, the question I think that is being asked, is there factual evidence to support it as more unsafe than any other technique?
Quote from: deerhunt1988 on May 28, 2020, 02:02:12 PM
Quote from: eggshell on May 28, 2020, 10:06:28 AM
In all honesty I have never heard of a shooting involving reaping. Another saying, "Perception is reality".
The first fanning fatality occurred ~2014 in Virginia. Mentions it in the following article.
https://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/news/turkey-fanning-effective-way-to-hunt-but-is-it-safe/article_09a16058-2692-11e7-adfd-2f52203883e5.html
There have been numerous incidents since. A quick google search will reveal several.
Here is a link to two 'reapers' shot in Kansas in 2017.
https://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2017/04/18/hunter-shoots-two-partners-hiding-behind-turkey-fan/
Once we get a few more fatalities out of the way, hopefully there will be a major push to ban it and any 'fan' type decoys.
Just ban gun hunting.
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fallhnt- I was shot with a crossbow. No weapon is to blame, it's people
Yes , let's only Bowhunt turkeys , but let's Bowhunt with out tent blinds and deeks . Now we huntin !!
Quote from: Howie g on May 28, 2020, 08:15:35 PM
Yes , let's only Bowhunt turkeys , but let's Bowhunt with out tent blinds and deeks . Now we huntin !!
No camo, pulleys, wheels or turkey calls that are not wingbones either.
Now we talkin
Quote from: deerhunt1988 on May 28, 2020, 02:02:12 PM
Quote from: eggshell on May 28, 2020, 10:06:28 AM
In all honesty I have never heard of a shooting involving reaping. Another saying, "Perception is reality".
The first fanning fatality occurred ~2014 in Virginia. Mentions it in the following article.
https://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/news/turkey-fanning-effective-way-to-hunt-but-is-it-safe/article_09a16058-2692-11e7-adfd-2f52203883e5.html
There have been numerous incidents since. A quick google search will reveal several.
Here is a link to two 'reapers' shot in Kansas in 2017.
https://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2017/04/18/hunter-shoots-two-partners-hiding-behind-turkey-fan/
Once we get a few more fatalities out of the way, hopefully there will be a major push to ban it and any 'fan' type decoys.
This is on the same line of thinking as banning guns to prevent mass shootings. The fact that people are getting shot behind decoys doesn't change the idiot shooter. Why should ethical hunters have to give something up to cater to the idiots? I personally have never hunted with a fan decoy and very rarely hunt with a decoy, but I don't think legal, ethical, experienced hunters should have to sacrifice anything because a select few people are idiots. Decoys are used more when kids are there to present a better shot and to keep turkeys focused on something else while trying to get the youngsters a shot.
Quote from: nativeks on May 27, 2020, 08:21:49 AM
https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article242816791.html
Any updates? Boy still recovering? Shooter identified and charged?