It was bound to happen...

[Gobble Nole]

I do not like the idea of fanning turkeys...

At that point it become more about the kill than the hunt. 

The reason I like tarpon fishing is due to the high level of skill involved.  If I can talk a 150 lb fish into eating some chicken feathers...  Then I have done something.

Same thing with turkey hunting...

[catman529]

I think both parties are to blame on this one...fan guys knew their buddy was on property, their buddy knew fan guys were too, and shot a fan with no red head.

How many of y'all public land hunters have had another hunter stalking your hen calling? Should calling also be banned? I've heard horror stories of people almost being shot because of none other than movement. So I think the issue is more with other hunters forgetting what they learned in hunter safety.

But I'll also never get why people will just go fan turkeys every day...it is fun, I have done it, but it's not as fun as calling one in. It shouldn't be a crutch, it's just another thing for the bag of tricks. People can get desperate and bust out the tail fan in some unsafe situations, not having enough visibility or knowing who could be there...


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[MDSTRUTNRUT]

Never fanned  but will say I better get my glasses updated, some of those full strut decoys with reAl fans and beards look pretty lifelike.  Hope   nobody crawls up on my setup hiding  behind a DSD

[evanscountylimbhanger]

I've had hunters on public land stalking my hen calling. And I slipped out of there away from him.. i don't trust anyone to be ethical and safe and the safest thing I can do is get the hell out of there. There are gonna be dangerous/unethical hunters. Period. Poaching, trespassing, shooting from vehicles, spotlighting. Hear of people doing it or getting caught for it all the time. So no I'm not gonna be crawling behind a fan anytime soon, public or private land

[nitro]

Well said.

Fanners and reapers - pay attention...this guy gets it. And I totally agree.

I do not like the idea of fanning turkeys...

At that point it become more about the kill than the hunt. 

The reason I like tarpon fishing is due to the high level of skill involved.  If I can talk a 150 lb fish into eating some chicken feathers...  Then I have done something.

Same thing with turkey hunting...

[Gamblinman]

These were not turkey hunters, they were turkey shooters. A hunter would have made sure of his target.

[mspaci]

We were always taught to be very careful using a gobble call, be very careful using decoys, but now its ok to hide behind a fan. Stupid is as stupid deos I guess. Mike

[guesswho]

I hate it for the two victims, but they still get no sympathy from me.   As far as the shooter goes he should at the very least have to attend about a hundred hours of firearm safety classes and training and lose his hunting license and guns until he completes the safety course and passes an intensive safety test.  And if it was up to me he would also have to serve a small amount of time in jail.  Second offense straight to jail.

And the victims should have to attend some additional safety training as well. 

[renegade19]

All 3 are culpable.  Shooter is the worst in my eyes.  Maybe the 2 fan guys will win a "Darwin Award"?  That was really dumb. 

[hookedspur]

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.

Hit the nail on the head... A BEARDED bird is all that's legal in the spring .

[SteelerFan]

No excuses - but hunters are "mistaken" for birds every year, sadly. And these guys KNEW they were hunting the same property!

We shouldn't be promoting anything that makes these "mistakes" even easier to make! Just like, who in their right mind would sit behind this "target"?

[MickT]

But did he get the turkey?

In all seriousness, it sounds like this was an unguided day lease type outfit, and it also sounds like the hunters were set out way too close together. Lots of things went wrong to lead up to this. The hunters were dropped off- did they not have a plan of who would hunt where, and what lines would not be crossed? I always like to know who I am sharing the woods with and where they are. A little bit of forethought and these guys wouldn't be picking shot out of their teeth.


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[turkaholic]

You can thank old Eddie Salter for pushing this crap. I won't watch him anymore as he doesn't seem to actually hunt birds, just crawl around on the ground like a freakin wood chuck. Crazy crap

[Neill_Prater]

First of all, I think we should clarify the terms "fanning" and "reaping". Correct me if I am wrong, but in my understanding "fanning" is merely the display of a turkey fan with the intent of attracting the dominant gobbler. You, personally, don't even have to be attached to said fan. Full strut decoys are an example.

"Reaping", on the other hand, involves the stalking of turkeys using a "fan" of some sort as "camouflage", for want of a better term. From my perspective, it doesn't take much intelligence to determine which method carries the greater risk.

We are all quick to judge when something like this happens. Yes, the shooter absolutely was at fault, but few, if any of us go through this life mistake free. I, personally, cannot think of a worse scenario than to shoot one of your best friends while you are both doing something you love. I personally know one person to which this happened, also turkey hunting many years ago, and, in this case, the shot proved fatal. They were best buddies, and had been hunting together for decades. One of them had a momentary lapse of judgment, and one's life was lost, while the others life was devastated.

[mookyj]

Sad, I was tarred and feathered for speaking out against this method, and chided for having no proof. Even now 90% of all the "turkey hunting accidents" fail to list how it occurred.  I would love for someone in law enforcement or the legal services community that had access to "accident/event data" to do a bit of research on databases I cannot access.