It was bound to happen...

[Ihuntoldschool]

I think the people that use this method of hunting understand the risk involved here and have decided out of their desperation kill at all costs mentality that it is worth the risk. In other words, they are turkey killers and the kill is much more important to them than the hunt. Therefore they will take that calculated risk knowing it may cost them their life or limb. No one can be that stupid not to realize that using this method dramatically increases the chance they will be shot.

It used to be unsafe to wear anything visible that was red, white, blue, or black.  Then they came out with using decoys and they were controversial and a safety concern. Then they came out with jake decoys and there was more concern as this made things less safe. Then to gobbler decoys, full strut decoys, crawling behind decoys and fans, motorized decoys etc. etc.   What has changed is the mentality of the hunter.  Most so called hunters now are all about the kill and will use any legal method to get the kill regardless of the degree of risk to their own life.  But we all know you have a lot of people that know how to kill a turkey, anyone can do that.  Just few that know how to hunt them.

[greencop01]

My  worth, if you try to look like the game that is in season, you are an idiot. We all know we have yahoos out there, it's in the posts. I don't see anyone wearing antlers and deerhide in deer season. Come on where is common sense here. Turkey hunting is CALLING the tom in to you. This reaping, fanning nonsense is horse manure. You REAP what you sew. I just don't get it. If you want a turkey that bad you shoudn't be out there turkey hunting.

[dawgfrombama]

My  worth, if you try to look like the game that is in season, you are an idiot. We all know we have yahoos out there, it's in the posts. I don't see anyone wearing antlers and deerhide in deer season. Come on where is common sense here. Turkey hunting is CALLING the tom in to you. This reaping, fanning nonsense is horse manure. You REAP what you sew. I just don't get it. If you want a turkey that bad you shoudn't be out there turkey hunting.

Well said!!!  I grew up hunting ole tough south Alabama gobblers. I still hunt the same way I did in the late 80s when I started. I set up and call the bird to me.  It's been working for a long time and I'm sticking with it. 

[WALKER80]

I hope it gets banned personally. 

[fallhnt]

Circumstances don't matter. A hunter with a gun shot another person.

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[greencop01]

Ya, they shot at a person looking like a turkey, nough said!

[fallhnt]

An idiot shot a person. Nuff said

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[Ericbrooks]

100% shooters fault. Anyone that shoots at a fan and not a head is an embarrassment for our sport and shouldn't be allowed to buy a tag again.


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[sixbird]

100% shooters fault. Anyone that shoots at a fan and not a head is an embarrassment for our sport and shouldn't be allowed to buy a tag again.


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I've been thinking about this quite a lot since I heard about it.
First, I think anybody that does it is asking for trouble. I mean, it can be dangerous enough in camo, maybe using a gobble tube or a male decoy. Or, as I'm sure you've all heard, a guy shooting at movement or noise.
EVERYONE is fallible. EVERYONE...I've personally been convinced that I saw things that weren't there in low light or in a situation that distorted depth perception or color perception. Once while deer hunting I saw a guy standing against a tree not far from where I had posted myself. For about an hour that guy stood motionless. Completely motionless...Well, when a few deer stood right along side of him and didn't wind him, I realized it wasn't a guy at all. It was a branch that, from my angle, looked exactly like a man.
Now, take the situation where a guy is "reaping" with one of those (I don't know the name of them) turkey fans on a stick that has a body and a red head. He's in some sparse brush or in shadow or partly obscured in some way. He's moving and maybe looks pretty natural...You're convinced that it's a real gobbler. You see what you want to see (peoples minds do that).
BOOM! And you're that guy who shot somebody...It's not much of a stretch to imagine that situation...
I lean toward staying out of peoples business but I wouldn't have an objection if they outlawed handheld decoys. Here in N.J. it's illegal to handhold a decoy and, I think, for good reason...

[grayfox]

I've been expecting this to happen as more & more people are doing it. Just thankful no one was killed. I'm not condemning it but it's probably better or more safely if used in the wide open areas like fields & such. Using this method in a wooded area is suicidal in my opinion.

[greencop01]

I agree to politely disagree.   

[Tom Foolery]

I find it odd that people are almost glad that someone got shot.  People have been getting shot during turkey season for as long as I can remember and it was always the shooters fault but if you're a Fudd against fanning now it's the guy who got shot that is at fault. 


6-8 years ago a friend of mine was sitting in a laurel thicket working a bird and someone snuck in on him and lit him up with a load of 4's.  I guess it was his fault for sounding like a turkey in a thicket going by some of the responses by people here. 

A farm I hunt let some dipwad bow hunt on it a few years ago.  He was looking over a thicket when a small brown shape came slipping through.  He fired an arrow at it and shot one of the farmers calves right in the neck.  It has to be the cows fault for walking through the thicket in bow season. 

Turkey hunting and archery have more Fudds in it than any other sport I've been around.  You either do it their way or you are an embarrassment to the sport.


You either clearly know what you're shooting at or you don't need to be in possession of a firearm.

[fallhnt]

^^^Well put. I even put in another post ,same topic...fanning,about a son who watched his father die when a shotgun deer hunter shot 1 hour before shooting time at, sound ? They were sitting on the ground.

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[renegade19]

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

I saw him "guide" some lady one time.  She killed a gobbler but also rolled the hen behind him.  They cut away real quick and never mentioned it.  Haven't watched his show since. 

[Ericbrooks]

Again....... the guy pulling the trigger is 100% at fault.
There is no argument against the shooter being at fault that holds any water at all.
I know you traditionalist don't like reaping,fanning,whatever you want to call it, but it is an effective way of killing turkeys and is legal most places.
Is is smart to fan/reap on public land? Absolutely not! Why? Because there are a lot of folks out there that are desperate to kill something and don't take the time to properly identify what they are shooting. 

IT IS THE SHOOTERS RESPONSIBILITY TO IDENTIFY AND CONFIRM WHAT THEY ARE SHOOTING.


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