It was bound to happen...

[Hooksfan]

http://m.parsonssun.com/news/article_84ea535e-1fc7-11e7-bb26-9bfd6518961e.html?mode=jqm

[Hooksfan]

I have hunted in this area for years. I was hunting a few counties North yesterday morning. I had a great morning but I didn't use a fan. I'll just leave it at that. Hope the guys are okay.

[SteelerFan]

Took the liberty to cut & paste. Thanks for posting Hooksfan!!

Two turkey hunters injured in hunting accident



Posted: Wednesday, April 12, 2017 4:32 pm

GIRARD — Two out-of-state turkey hunters received wounds on their faces and upper bodies on Wednesday morning after a fellow hunter mistakenly shot at a decoy they were hiding behind.

The injured turkey hunters, who were not named, walked out of the field and were taken to Girard Medical Center for treatment, according to a release from the Crawford County Sheriff Dan Peak. They were then transferred by air ambulance to Freeman Hospital in Joplin.

The sheriff received a call Wednesday morning of two men with shotgun wounds at the Girard hospital. They had been turkey hunting west of Girard with a third man, also from out-of-state. They had leased private property and that's where they were hunting at the time of the shooting.

A sheriff's deputy spoke to the person who shot the hunters. The man reported being dropped off at the hunting area about dawn. His two acquaintances were going to a nearby location to hunt.

At about 8:40 a.m. the man said he shot at a turkey that he had been "calling-in," but realized immediately after firing a single 12 gauge shot that his two friends had been hunting the same turkey. The two hunters who were injured were just inside of a wooded area, wearing camouflage and laying behind a turkey fan made of turkey feathers. The fan gives the appearance of a decoy turkey and the subjects could not be seen by the shooter, Sheriff Peak reported.

The victims were hit with shotgun pellets in the face and upper body. The hunter who shot them rendered aid and both hunters walked back to their truck, from which they were transported to the hospital.

The three hunters knew each other. One is a good friend of the shooter and the other is the shooter's brother.
The investigation continues into the shooting. 

Call the Crawford County Sheriff's Office at 620-724-8274 if you have any information.

[spaightlabs]

Knuckleheads.

I guess the positives are that no-one was killed and they didn't shoot someone not involved in their deal.

[Spitten and drummen]

 

[tomstopper]

Seen this coming. Just find it hard to understand how though when you are taught to make sure of your target (the birds red head and not the fan for example) before you pull the trigger. Thank God we wasn't using a rifle.

[evanscountylimbhanger]

But all the fanning/reaping guys say it's safe on private land... I personally think it should be outlawed like mechanical or live motion decoys are here. Anybody can hunt how they want but I fear for the safety of turkey hunters when all the shows on TV are showing this stuff and people are thinking it's the new way to kill turkeys.. I love playing the game one on one trying to fool an old Tom with my calling. It's not only turkey hunting either. I've seen on TV where hunters stalk behind buck decoys, wear pronghorn hats to stalk through tall grass.. those are situations where you don't walk away from being mistaken as an animal..

[Gobspur]

So he shot at a turkey fan with no head present.  Idiot....

[Gooserbat]

Sad that it happened but I in no way think fanning should be banned as a method.  A lot of people think anything that's different than what they do is wrong.  I've done it and honestly it's a lot harder than it looks.
 
If anyone is to blame it's the shooter.  Remember one of the basic rules?of gun safety is to identify your target. 

[MDSTRUTNRUT]

Sad but lucky to be alive.   Virginia was looking to outlaw "reaping" after the first reaping fatality 3 years ago

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/outdoors/bill-cochran-turkey-fanning-effective-way-to-hunt-but-is/article_7c8bd98e-fcdc-58bc-bd68-0997dc4e92bd.html

Teaching Hunter Safety I always like teaching turkey hunting and explaining how dangerous it can be, reaping is obviously  EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!  Was looking up turkey hunting fatalities nationwide online and it seems and it seems that most are family or friends and several were fathers shooting sons, now that is just UNIMAGINABLE. 
HUNT SAFE!

[evanscountylimbhanger]

I agree the shooter is to blame. But fanning isn't always done with just a fan. The mojo scoot and shoot is basically a full decoy head and all. I never said it was easy and don't think it's "wrong". I just think it's hard to argue that it's safe. Even if you personally are the safest, identify your target before shooting hunter you can't guarantee that's how every guy in the woods is. Not trying to down a method or anything. Sorry it was taken that way

[TauntoHawk]

This is kind of like running into the freeway at night saying "If I get hit by a car its the drivers fault".... Surrrrrre but it doesn't mean you're making a wise and safe decision

[Bowguy]

Every time this comes up I think of the cartoon from when I was a kid of the hunter giving his mother in law a sweatshirt to wear w deer horns on the hood during deer season. It absolutely was the shooters fault but does it matter?
Every season guys should wear the same animal outfits as the animals they're  hunting. Sounds crazy but it's not in some guys eyes if it's only turkeys? Darwinism is gonna help us

[RiverRoost]

I don't think I'd want to be hunting with any of these clowns. First off, I've never fanned a turkey but I'd think if you were behind the fan you'd have to be able to see through it somewhat to know when the turkey is close enough to shoot, so the two behind the fan should have been a human somewhere. Secondly, the idiot who did the shooting shouldn't be allowed to hold a gun bc like mentioned earlier always know what you are shooting at before you pull the trigger. And shooting a turkeys fan isn't going to kill him just like body shooting at a distance isn't going to, just break him down some maybe.

I know accidents can happen and I may be involved in one tomorrow but it just blows my mind people just point and shoot without having a clear view of an animal or their vitals.

[Bill Cooksey]

  I've done it and honestly it's a lot harder than it looks.
 

I did it several times years ago. It was the easiest, and highest percentage, legal method I've ever tried. It wasn't 100%, but the few times it didn't work it was obvious it probably wouldn't at the start.