Fanning in VA

[WAGinVA]

Just FYI, I was looking at the VDGIF Board Agenda for tomorrow and the Board will act on a staff recommendation banning fanning/reaping.  The rationale section indicates that there has been one fatality in VA that resulted from fanning, apparently two guys were hunting on private land and one shot the other.  I had not heard anything about it before this.

[SteelerFan]

Here's an article from 2013...

http://pilotonline.com/news/virginia-beach-hunter-fatally-shot-in-sussex-county/article_7c81a9c5-830a-5dfe-92a4-5cacdc573bd9.html

Doesn't specifically mention "fanning", but does indicate intentional trigger pull at misidentified target.

[WAGinVA]

I knew about this incident, I have quail hunted in the area where the guy was killed.  No one in the club ever said anything about fanning in relation to this fatality but it could be the one.

[beakbuster10]

It's about time. Common sense.


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[TauntoHawk]

I had a non fanning incident once where a buddy and I were working several birds from above and had another hunter stalk in from below and take a shot with the birds directly in between us. the roll of the ground fortunately had the shot column sail directly over head but my heart has never pumped that fast in the woods. Neither of us were aware of the other presence as we had parked and approached from opposite sides of the property. While this had nothing to do with fanning or reaping or even the use of decoys it is the reason i dont employ the reaping technique because I saw first hand how easy it would be for a situation like that to go bad just once and not end well. He saw the birds from the road, stalked them and shot at a red head the second he poked through a hedge row. He ended up killing a jake and not even getting one of the 3 long beards present so I know he didn't fully identify his target.

I try and use this story and warning when my father uses reaping but he won't listen and I do fear for his safety. Its really not a law that can be enforced well thus guys who do it will still probably continue to do it I just think its am unwise safety concern like not wearing a harness in a tree.

[snapper1982]

It's about time. Common sense.


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Common sense? Hahahaha

You do realize more people have been and will continue to be shot just from moving and using a turkey call right! Hows that for common sense. Maybe you should stop using calls and try to get them banned to! That way everyone can have "common sense" and you can be happy that you made everyone hunt how you think is the right way. OR......... You just mind your own buisness and hunt how you want and let others hunt how they want and dont worry about what others do.

[Happy]

No matter what actually happened it is still the fellow behind the guns fault. Gun safety goes a long way. Is crawling behind a fan a good Idea? In my opinion no. But I don't condone gobbling either. People get shot just by moving their hands while calling. I hate to hear of anyone getting shot. There is no justification for not knowing your target.

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[WV Ridge Reaper]

I had a non fanning incident once where a buddy and I were working several birds from above and had another hunter stalk in from below and take a shot with the birds directly in between us. the roll of the ground fortunately had the shot column sail directly over head but my heart has never pumped that fast in the woods. Neither of us were aware of the other presence as we had parked and approached from opposite sides of the property. While this had nothing to do with fanning or reaping or even the use of decoys it is the reason i dont employ the reaping technique because I saw first hand how easy it would be for a situation like that to go bad just once and not end well. He saw the birds from the road, stalked them and shot at a red head the second he poked through a hedge row. He ended up killing a jake and not even getting one of the 3 long beards present so I know he didn't fully identify his target.

I try and use this story and warning when my father uses reaping but he won't listen and I do fear for his safety. Its really not a law that can be enforced well thus guys who do it will still probably continue to do it I just think its am unwise safety concern like not wearing a harness in a tree.

Can I ask what state you was hunting in when this took place ?

[Blong]

No matter what actually happened it is still the fellow behind the guns fault. Gun safety goes a long way. Is crawling behind a fan a good Idea? In my opinion no. But I don't condone gobbling either. People get shot just by moving their hands while calling. I hate to hear of anyone getting shot. There is no justification for not knowing your target.

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I think shooting a strutting turkey up the rump is a lethal shot and target was indentified as strutting turkey. I believe it is the fanners fault.

[Farmboy27]

No matter what actually happened it is still the fellow behind the guns fault. Gun safety goes a long way. Is crawling behind a fan a good Idea? In my opinion no. But I don't condone gobbling either. People get shot just by moving their hands while calling. I hate to hear of anyone getting shot. There is no justification for not knowing your target.

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Exactly!  While I would not feel safe doing it, and have never tried it (PA law is hunting by calling only) it is still insanely stupid to take a shot without knowing your target. I was taught to positively identity not one but several parts of an animal before even thinking of shooting. A few years ago an acquaintance killed a hen in the spring season. He said he heard a bird gobble and then saw something that "looked like a turkey" in the brush so he shot it. I told him he's lucky it wasn't another hunter that he shot. He didn't think that he did anything wrong!  In the end, there is no excuse for not identifying your target. Not just the fan. The whole dang turkey!

[Blong]

No matter what actually happened it is still the fellow behind the guns fault. Gun safety goes a long way. Is crawling behind a fan a good Idea? In my opinion no. But I don't condone gobbling either. People get shot just by moving their hands while calling. I hate to hear of anyone getting shot. There is no justification for not knowing your target.

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Exactly!  While I would not feel safe doing it, and have never tried it (PA law is hunting by calling only) it is still insanely stupid to take a shot without knowing your target. I was taught to positively identity not one but several parts of an animal before even thinking of shooting. A few years ago an acquaintance killed a hen in the spring season. He said he heard a bird gobble and then saw something that "looked like a turkey" in the brush so he shot it. I told him he's lucky it wasn't another hunter that he shot. He didn't think that he did anything wrong!  In the end, there is no excuse for not identifying your target. Not just the fan. The whole dang turkey!

Have you ever shot one in the mountains when he peeps his head over? I have many times and will again I hope.

[TauntoHawk]

I had a non fanning incident once where a buddy and I were working several birds from above and had another hunter stalk in from below and take a shot with the birds directly in between us. the roll of the ground fortunately had the shot column sail directly over head but my heart has never pumped that fast in the woods. Neither of us were aware of the other presence as we had parked and approached from opposite sides of the property. While this had nothing to do with fanning or reaping or even the use of decoys it is the reason i dont employ the reaping technique because I saw first hand how easy it would be for a situation like that to go bad just once and not end well. He saw the birds from the road, stalked them and shot at a red head the second he poked through a hedge row. He ended up killing a jake and not even getting one of the 3 long beards present so I know he didn't fully identify his target.

I try and use this story and warning when my father uses reaping but he won't listen and I do fear for his safety. Its really not a law that can be enforced well thus guys who do it will still probably continue to do it I just think its am unwise safety concern like not wearing a harness in a tree.

Can I ask what state you was hunting in when this took place ?

Sure thing, happened in NY state on private ground but one that I do not frequent and was unfamiliar with who else had access.

Let me clarify my position, I don't think there should necessarily be a law to make this illegal. I don't think we need more laws on hunting methods and I honestly don't think making it illegal will stop people from doing it. I don't do it, and I'd encourage others to not for safety reasons. I don't begrudge or hold I'll will against someone who would choose to employ the method though.

Of course there's more "other" accidents since only a small number of turkey hunters practice this method and virtually all hunters call and make turkey sounds. 

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[beakbuster10]

It's about time. Common sense.


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Common sense? Hahahaha

You do realize more people have been and will continue to be shot just from moving and using a turkey call right! Hows that for common sense. Maybe you should stop using calls and try to get them banned to! That way everyone can have "common sense" and you can be happy that you made everyone hunt how you think is the right way. OR......... You just mind your own buisness and hunt how you want and let others hunt how they want and dont worry about what others do.

So because more people have been killed by simply being in the woods or sounding like a turkey, it's perfectly logical to dress up like one. . . ?

More people are killed by dogs than great white sharks. Would you be more comfortable dressing up like your dogs food and laying in the floor with him, or dressing up like a seal and going for a swim of Seal Island in South Africa?

Turkey call = sounds like a turkey (a hen at that more than 9 times out of 10)

Reaping = see following numbered list

1. Using a realistic, sometimes almost perfect (DSD), imitation of the only legal turkey to kill in the spring

2. Mimicking very closely the biotic movement of the aforementioned game.

3. Being in direct proximity (less than arms reach) to the aforementioned imitation.

4. More often than not wearing full camo, including gloves and face masks, while belly crawling to have yourself as completely unrecognizable as possible.

Real brain buster there as to which one gives  you a better chance of fooling someone into shooting you in the face. . .




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[turkaholic]

excuse ME, when someone shoots at a turkey, I believe you need to see a beard, RIGHT! And be sure it's a legal bird, right! Someone shoots without positively identifying the target , they should be faulted. Fanning is a joke, people make fun of motorized decoy and then go fanning. Who shoots at a fan anyway? Pure stupidity. Who crawls around on there belly acting like a turkey and then is disturbed when they get their eyes blown out by some dunb . Is this how desperate people are to kill a bird? CRAZY, is what I say. I hope they stop this bull crap, at least where I hunt. Next will be mandatory blaze orange. Keep it up, someone is going to get killed.

[hookedspur]

Come on fellows !!!!
You have to see your target Right
Not his head or fan or any other PART of him you have to see all of him.
Then make a clean and legally ethic shot. How are you going to do this and
shoot at a man behind a fan at 40 yards or less.

Now with that being said if you are shooting at a sound you may very well
shoot a man , so no matter how you choose to work a bird, picking a clear
shot at a bird in the open is the only option we have .
Please be safe  , know your target and beyond, that way we all stay safe.