Fanning

[J Hook Max]

 While I don't consider anything that's legal as unethtical or unfair, fanning is not for me. Also neither is gobbling, sitting near strutting decoys or even crrawling up on birds.
Safety has to be number one with me. I know I have hunted a very long time and killed a ton of turkeys. I did my share of truly stupid things in my younger days if that's what it took to bag a bird. Now, while I still want to bag a tom, what I really want is to get home safe and see my wife and grandkids and even our dogs.
I'm glad none of this was around when I was 20 years old. Hunting without all these things helped make me the hunter I am today.

[Bigeclipse]

We had a full round of discussion about this last year about this time.  I agree completely with FullChoke's assessment that the perceived dangers of using visual gobbler imitations (decoys, fans, et.al.) are overblown in terms of statistical reality.  I have yet to hear of a verified incident of someone being shot while using a fan or gobbler decoy.  Will that change as more and more people use these kinds of tactics?  Who knows,...we will see over time. 

I am "on the fence" about allowing the use of visual gobbler imitations as a tactic in hunting.  This will be my 50th year hunting gobblers in the springtime.  I have witnessed it all in terms of the changes and "advancements" in the sport.  It seems like every time something new is introduced, there is some sort of controversy about whether it is fair or ethical.

If we are going to condemn the use of gobbler imitations as a hunting tactic, how far back to we take that position?  Do we say somebody moving toward a gobbler with a fan or decoy is not fair, but setting out a stationary gobbler decoy is?  If not, then is using a stationary gobbler decoy really that much different than using a hen decoy?  If not, then do we have a discussion about using hen decoys,...i.e. any visual decoy at all?

True, the "original ethic", if you will, was to use turkey calling to lure gobblers within range.  But who is to say that method of hunting turkeys is the only "right way" to do it?  Many of us got into turkey hunting because the use of calls to lure the birds to within spitting distance was exciting.  The same holds true,...and maybe to an even greater extent,...with using gobbler imitations. 

The argument could be given that using gobbler decoys, or fanning, gives the hunter an unfair advantage over the game.  There is no doubt that using them makes gobblers easier to kill,...at least in those places where the tactic is relatively new.  I feel fairly confident that, like with the use of calls and hen decoys, turkeys over time will adapt to their use and become harder to lure in using them. 

In the meantime, until there is more factual evidence to support the position that this tactic is either unsafe or unfair, I am willing to let it ride for a while and see where it leads us.  Even as an "old school" turkey hunter, that seems to be the right thing to do.

I am new to turkey hunting but not hunting in general and this makes sense to me.  Hunting is always evolving.  Where to draw the line is hard to say for sure.  Take deer hunting for instance, you have the same issues with traditional bows vs compound bows vs crossbows. Or rifles vs shotguns and muzzleloaders.  As long as we don't decimate the population of animal we are hunting AND we remain safe as hunters...who are we to judge how someone hunts. Some posted how turkey hunting to them was so fun because of calling a gobbler in and how challenging that can be...well watch some of the videos of these guys doing this crawling technique.  They get busted a good amount of times.  Also, it takes them a long time to actually get within shooting distance. One video I saw showed a guy sneaking up on a gobbler for 25 minutes. Crawling like 60 yards.  Maybe to him this was a BLAST compared to using calls.  Who knows...no I am not advocating this and I myself am not interested in this technique.  Im just saying...if this is how the person wants to hunt, and it is legal, and it is done in a safe manner (private property in an open field where other hunters can clearly see you aren't a real turkey)...then who are we to judge.

[Gooserbat]

I agree with the bag of trick statement.  No it's not my pick of the ways to kill a turkey, but I can see where it would be fun.  Just like bow hunting from a pop up blind.  It's not me but if that's how someone wants to do it then so be it. So I say to each his own, but while your out there crawling in the dirt don't mess up my calling set up.   

That said, I do think certain tactics lend themselves to stupidity especially on public land and fanning is one of those.

[870FaceLift]

I went back and forth with two toms one year that had a group of hens with them.  They weren't leaving those hens and I wasn't using decoys that morning.  I had a folded fan that I keep concealed as a decoy spare in the back pouch my vest.  I used the fan to cross the field, but it took me over an hour to cover 100 yards with all of those eyes watching.  When I got close enough, the turkeys began to come my way.  The hunt did turn out with a harvest that wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the tailfan.  Having said that, it was one of the hardest-earned turkeys I have ever killed and he is on my living room wall right now.  This all took place on a large tract of private land.  I would never use this tactic on public land.

[born2hunt]

We don't mistakenly shoot buzzards, and yet on the ground they present a very real approximation of the size and shape of a gobbler.FC

A few years back a guy on a WMA shot a buzzard and brought it to the check station to check it in, he was just as proud as he could be over his so-thought-gobbler.This fella was Spanish and could barely speak English. Needles to say a FWC officer showed up and issued him a hefty bilingual citation for his ignorant actions....TRUE STORY...funny but...NO JOKE...

[surehuntsalot]

if that is what it takes for someone to kill a bird, then they don't need to be turkey hunting

[grayfox]

I've seen it done on TV & it looks exciting if that's the only way you have to legally kill one. My rush is trying to call one into killing range. Even being the crappy turkey hunter that I am & only killing hopefully one turkey per season or maybe two If I'm lucky I'll still continue to do it that way. It's not for me.

[Cove]

if that is what it takes for someone to kill a bird, then they don't need to be turkey hunting

Strong Words.