Using a fan

[ilbucksndux]

I still dont understand how a fan is any different than using a decoy .

[Bill Cooksey]

The reaction and rate of success is different. That applies to both fans and gobbler decoys with fans. In thirty years of turkey hunting I've never seen anything which would routinely cause the type of reaction gobblers have to fans and strutters. It's certainly not 100%, but it's the closest legal means I've seen to it. Hen decoys are far from that.

Understand, I'm not saying folks who choose to use them are bad people or doing anything wrong. Just saying they are indeed different when compared to "traditional" means. If they weren't so very effective, why would anyone lug a big strutter around? Even a fan is a bit of a pain to carry. People carry put up with the inconvenience because they're generally more effective than any call in their vest.

[wvmntnhick]

I've used a strutter 2 times so far. Both times, it's shut down the bird I was working. Might have been the bird, might've been me. Either way, it didn't instill confidence in the use of the decoy again. Been thinking about just selling him and going a different route all together.

[Greg Massey]

What the person has to ask himself in using a fan is this worthy of fair chase of these turkeys . Let's not forget we all have opinions on what's right or wrong again i feel that's up to that person to make that decision. What we have to do as hunters is watch our behavior that affects public opinions of us as hunters, with issues of what's fair and what's irresponsible behavior in using fans. We need to respect and show fairness in our opinions on what ways we feel that are effective in getting a reaction for gobblers. These ways of hunting are just between himself and what he feel is a traditional way of taking a gobbler.

[Ihuntoldschool]

Fair chase is using calls and woodsmanship to hunt and kill turkeys.  Using any type of visual aid gives the hunter an unfair advantage.  Not fair to the turkey, disrespectful to the turkey and cheating as far I am concerned.  Legal and ethical are 2 totally different things. 

Everyone can hunt how they choose to within the law; fair chase is not a big priority for the state game departments, selling licenses and tags is.

[Bill Cooksey]

I've used a strutter 2 times so far. Both times, it's shut down the bird I was working. Might have been the bird, might've been me. Either way, it didn't instill confidence in the use of the decoy again. Been thinking about just selling him and going a different route all together.

Probably the specific bird. I guess the best thing about anything mimicking a strutter is you know really quick if it's going to work. They either run in like their life depended on it or they vacate the premises.

[RutnNStrutn]

I totally respect that "personal line". That's how it should be. Methods beyond your personal line may be legal, but they ain't your style. More power to you!! Best of luck this spring!!

I for one would like to see electronics (calls and decoys) banned from all bird hunting period. 
For many of us, the population and terrain we hunt dictates the ethics we feel are appropriate.  Hunting a small population of birds in a large area, I am more likely to utilize means necessary to take a bird.  Hunting a large population of birds, I would probably want to make things more challenging.
But I understand what Happy is saying.  If we found that magic decoy or call that worked vastly superior to other methods (currently in use), I for one would not like to see it allowed.

I can definitely agree with all of that.

Where these things go    in forums is when people start in with personal attacks or blanket statements about their personal way being the right way and any other opinion is dead wrong and people are lesser of a person for even thinking it.  It is nice to see very little of that here.

Totally agree!! I cannot stand it when some holier than thou starts ragging on someone for using a legal hunting method that they just happen not to like.

It all boils down to if your state allows it and its a legal tactic. Most of these discussions are really about what our own values are when it comes to hunting.

This is the fan I use. It helps keep the skeeters away.

Trackey, you crack me up bro!!!

[renegade19]

Fair chase is using calls and woodsmanship to hunt and kill turkeys.  Using any type of visual aid gives the hunter an unfair advantage.  Not fair to the turkey, disrespectful to the turkey and cheating as far I am concerned.  Legal and ethical are 2 totally different things. 

Everyone can hunt how they choose to within the law; fair chase is not a big priority for the state game departments, selling licenses and tags is.

Waterfowl hunting relies heavily on visual aids.  Does that standard also apply there?  I don't really have an opinion on "fanning".  I'm not going to do it but I have shot birds while using decoys.  I don't bait nor hunt over feeders.  I do hunt deer over food plots. When we talk about "fair chase", I'm more inclined to say that applies to high fences and paying 10K to kill a  200" buck.  My opinion only. 

[g8rvet]

On private land, I hunt naked. On public, I wear a loin cloth.  I take nothing to the woods with me. I make a bow and arrow when I arrive in the woods, if materials are available. If not, I use an atlatl that I make myself.  I will smear locally occurring mud on my face and chest as camo and bug protection.  I use only my mouth as a call.  For some odd reason, whenever I hunt an area, Sasquatch sightings rise in the area.  Odd coincidence I guess. 

Seriously though, good discussion.  Especially like that ethics should be more restrictive than law-but shooting a crippled duck while still moving is a great example.  Illegal, but ethical. 

I had 4 jakes in a field on private land a couple years back. Gobbling and raising a ruckus. I really really had to leave and could only get up to walk out as my back was to another piece of property.  I barked at them. Nothing.  So I eased out of my ground blind (made of natural vegetation, not a pop up, not that there is anything wrong with that) and crawled out towards them on all fours, thinking it would spook them a little, but not like crazy (I really had to leave, I am skeered of my wife - half the money and all the "you know").  They saw me instantly.  2 of them go in to full strut and start walking toward the dog walking fat guy.  They actually got to shooting range until I stood up on my haunches a bit.  They walked off, one clucking/putting, but not that "Oh, Shoot, that is the bugger man" alarm.  I saw them on the same field 6 days later, acting all tough again.  Dumb jakes. 

[RutnNStrutn]

Fair chase is using calls and woodsmanship to hunt and kill turkeys.  Using any type of visual aid gives the hunter an unfair advantage.  Not fair to the turkey, disrespectful to the turkey and cheating as far I am concerned.  Legal and ethical are 2 totally different things. 
Everyone can hunt how they choose to within the law; fair chase is not a big priority for the state game departments, selling licenses and tags is.

Waterfowl hunting relies heavily on visual aids.  Does that standard also apply there?  I don't really have an opinion on "fanning".  I'm not going to do it but I have shot birds while using decoys.  I don't bait nor hunt over feeders.  I do hunt deer over food plots. When we talk about "fair chase", I'm more inclined to say that applies to high fences and paying 10K to kill a  200" buck.  My opinion only. 

Ihuntoldschool is one of the holier than thous I am talking about. Don't want to use anything but calls and your version of woodsmanship? More power to ya!! But don't rag on other people for not choosing to hunt how you hunt, and don't condemn what the state has deemed legal.
My problem with holier than thou types is they never consider the other guy they are condemning. Some guys have plenty of money, plenty of private land that's loaded with turkeys, and plenty of time to go hunting. Then there are guys that work 6 days a week, and go hunting on their only day off on crowded public land for pressured birds. I say give those guys every legal opportunity they wish to use.
Personally, I'm in between those two types of guys. I'm a fire dep't Lieutenant , so I'm not rich, but I make enough to afford a private lease out of state. Here in Florida, I'm forced to hunt public land because I cannot afford private. Most of the time I hunt with decoys, but I've also killed plenty of birds without decoys.
I support any hunter that employs any legal method to harvest a gobbler.

[RutnNStrutn]

For some odd reason, whenever I hunt an area, Sasquatch sightings rise in the area.  Odd coincidence I guess. 

[Farmboy27]

I don't buy the conservation argument that they may be to effective. Sure the seasons and bag limits were written long before fanning became popular. They were also long before turkey specific shotguns, chokes, and shells even existed. With the right combo of choke and shells, many of today's guns are capable of nearly twice the range of the guns commonly used 30 years ago. Should after market chokes and htl shells be outlawed?  Is it ethical to use a gun capable of killing a bird at 60 yards when the hard part is often getting him to come the last 30 yards?  How about modern camo and blinds. Hunting is constantly evolving sport. If you don't believe me than just compare the camo you wear now to what you wore 20 years ago. The tried and true methods work but someone will always try to find more effective ways. Some succede and some fail but if they would outlaw every "new" method or means of turkey hunting then we would all be out there in our work clothes with no vest, an old call, the same gun we hunt squirrels with.

[Dr Juice]

I totally respect that "personal line". That's how it should be. Methods beyond your personal line may be legal, but they ain't your style. More power to you!! Best of luck this spring!!

Amen brother!

[Blackduck]

Been out 7 days now. My gunners put down a big gobbler right off the roost 5 of those 7 days. Sometimes a hen or two only, sometimes hen and jake, most times hens and strutter. Most of the birds were in range before they even saw the dekes. I also had 3 birds in range spook off the jake/gobbler dekes with no shot provided. I also let my guys try "reaping" several field birds. Every one of them spooked and ran off.

Strutters are no magic bullet. I think all 5 of these birds would be dead with no strutter and no dekes at all. Trying to reap has only prevented us from killing those birds. Still, I was "reaping" way before any of this crap became "public knowledge" and it works well on the right birds. Then again, simulating three birds flying down with a wing and only making one cluck brought a bird right to us. That wing ain't magic either though.

And Bill Cooksey, just curious where you are that the bird population is doing so bad? Our population has made a real comeback the last few years after some good hatches. I don't know why the game department for your state would think cutting a season length, or cutting a hunting method, from a season that only targets adult males after they've bred would have any appreciable effect on bird populations. Taking away fall hunting and hen mortality is about the only thing that would bring the population up. Saving one gobbler from reaping only increases the population by one. Not really an effective management plan on a statewide basis, since even if all the gobblers were shot one year it would still be small potatoes for the population. Recruitment is everything with bird management.

[Farmboy27]

Fair chase is using calls and woodsmanship to hunt and kill turkeys.  Using any type of visual aid gives the hunter an unfair advantage.  Not fair to the turkey, disrespectful to the turkey and cheating as far I am concerned.  Legal and ethical are 2 totally different things. 

Everyone can hunt how they choose to within the law; fair chase is not a big priority for the state game departments, selling licenses and tags is.

Disrespectful to the turkey?!?!  Lol!  I would think that the turkey would find getting his head filled with shot would probably be much more disrespectful. If you truly don't want to disrespect a gobbler then call him in, apologize for deceiving him, tell him to have a nice day, and let him go about his business.