my thoughts on reaping

[bonasa]

This is my thoughts I was posting on a thread that just disappeared...

I would like to see it stop. A couple people that I know that do it also to things against the law, like taking more than the legal limit, trespassing... I'm not saying all people that reap turkeys are like that but I'm afraid too many are. It already helps people limit out more than they would by just decoys setup and calling. At a time when turkey numbers and decline are on everyone's mind, I think it might be time for us to consider if it should be allowed. I know it's tricky, because it's really just a decoy you use in front of yourself...
I'm not saying everyone that does it is a bad person. I'm also sure that it's probably fun. It's not the way I want to kill them though. I don't think it's overall good for turkeys.
In the future we are going to have to make decisions, for turkeys and not for ourselves. I personally have not hunted areas with major declines but it concerns me that people are. Habitat improvements, season date changes and reduced bag limits, are things that may need to be addressed. We also may need to look at our hunting practices.

You basically just profiled and sterotyped everyone that participates in "reaping" as a criminal based on your own anecdotal evidence.  Then you go on to say its not for you, fair enough. Wasn't to long ago decoys were not authorized and many considered calling to be cheating. Pretty soon the amount of hunters will dwindle to nothing, license sales will plummet, gear purchases will drastically decrease and all that revenue will not go back to; what sounds like YOUR turkeys. How about states that allow the use of rifles for turkeys? Or baiting for turkeys? Or all day hunting? Or roost shooting? No, the fan in the face and belly crawl you draw the line at? In the words of Phil Anselmo, "Be yourself, by yourself."

[silvestris]

Wasn't to long ago decoys were not authorized and many considered calling to be cheating.

"Many considered calling to be cheating"?  I think cheating applies to decoys, but calling?  Charles Jordan spent a lot of time and thought in learning to communicate with turkeys.  Ned in the first reader can buy a decoy and sit on a field frequented by turkeys and eventually buy a turkey.  My vote goes to Jordan.  He earned his turkey.

[AndyN]

I wonder how many of those who are against decoys or fanning will sit over a pile of corn to shoot a deer?

[Pluffmud]

I wonder how many of those who are against decoys or fanning will sit over a pile of corn to shoot a deer?

I wonder how many say that reaping isn't anymore dangerous than calling would be willing to wear a deer hide and antlers and try to stalk a deer on public land???

[fallhnt]

Idiots with guns are a big problem. This happened on a deer drive.

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[Marc]

You basically just profiled and sterotyped everyone that participates in "reaping" as a criminal based on your own anecdotal evidence.  Then you go on to say its not for you, fair enough. Wasn't to long ago decoys were not authorized and many considered calling to be cheating. Pretty soon the amount of hunters will dwindle to nothing, license sales will plummet, gear purchases will drastically decrease and all that revenue will not go back to; what sounds like YOUR turkeys. How about states that allow the use of rifles for turkeys? Or baiting for turkeys? Or all day hunting? Or roost shooting? No, the fan in the face and belly crawl you draw the line at? In the words of Phil Anselmo, "Be yourself, by yourself."

I get what you are saying, and to some degree, I do agree with you.

We all hunt under a variety of conditions, with varying levels of access to turkeys and turkey hunting, with varying degrees of turkey populations...  Someone that sees or hears turkeys every hunt.  For some of us, calling a bird into range is the toughest part, for some of us, simply running across any bird is very challenging.

But as a hunting community, I believe that first and foremost, hunters should be the biggest stewards of the sport.  There are certain practices that all ethical hunters should oppose:

  *Shooting birds out of a tree while roosting.
  *Using electronic calling devices (or E-callers).
  *Using decoys with E-calling capabilities.

Other things that should be considered that I would at this time oppose:

  *Motion decoys, or especially motion decoys with E-calling capabilities.
  *Long-range rifles for turkey hunting
  *Reaping.

Just for fun, I did try and see how close I could get to birds using reaping techniques on some private property...  I was distressed to find how easy it was to basically just walk right up on those birds behind a tail-fan and decoy....

[GobbleNut]

I agree with pretty much everything you state here, Marc. 

The one modification I would make is regarding reaping.  If reaping was to be outlawed (which I would have no objection to), I would more specifically outlaw using any kind of turkey decoy or visual aid that imitates a strutting gobbler in any form. 

[Howie g]

What tickles me is the fact that folks get sooo but hurt over others opinion and views .
I thought that was what this forums was about ?  Views and opinions.
   IMO reaping or any type of decoying a gobbler is a weak way to take one .
The op asked , what's your opinion on reaping Well , that's my opinion.
Don't get all but hurt just because I hunt them the "right " way ?

[eggshell]

Man we need a Butt Hurt emoji.....   ( l )

[GobbleNut]

Man we need a Butt Hurt emoji.....   ( l )

  I suspect anything that conveyed that message adequately would be censored pretty quickly.

[Happy]

To much estrogen laced soy is being consumed these days. That's my theory anyways

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[eggshell]

To much estrogen laced soy is being consumed these days. That's my theory anyways

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Finally it all comes out, it just part of the great government and corporate conspiracy....you the man ( or wo-man) happy

[Happy]

To much estrogen laced soy is being consumed these days. That's my theory anyways

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Finally it all comes out, it just part of the great government and corporate conspiracy....you the man ( or wo-man) happy

Depends on which of the 72 genders I decide to be that morning.

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[Marc]

Man we need a Butt Hurt emoji.....   ( l )

  I suspect anything that conveyed that message adequately would be censored pretty quickly.

Or take these forums in a completely different direction...

[El Pavo Grande]

Here's my opinion.  Some will agree, most probably won't.  And that's ok.

First of all, I HATE the word Reaping.  It just sounds dirty.  Sounds like a fad word too and I don't like fad words (Thunder Chicken, etc.)

Someone mentioned Reaping as "dumbing down".  I think that's the perfect description.  It's kind of like shooting these long range shells.  I'm not against shooting TSS, etc. for an improved pattern.  I don't care for the fact that folks use them to routinely shoot 60-70 yards at a turkey.  Once again, it becomes a crutch.

I don't buy into the "if it's legal, then it's ok."  Should it be accepted to use a remote control decoy to roll out into a field and drag a Gobbler to you?  It's legal in some states.  Deep in your heart as a turkey hunter, do you think that is honestly ok to do?  Just because it's legal.  Not always the best argument for something. That's a different subject though.

Agree or disagree, but this is a FACT whether you support it or not.  Reaping takes zero skill to kill a turkey.  You could hand one a reaping decoy to a dude off a street corner in NYC that's never been off the pavement, never seen a turkey in the wild, and he could have one in his lap in no time.   Sure it doesn't work every single time, but it takes no skill.  It takes nothing put in, nothing earned.  I'm not saying he couldn't choke on a call, sound more like a dying cat, and call one in.... it happens.  But, it's not sustainable.  I don't know how many times I've heard, "He wouldn't come to a call, so I reaped him.   He came running".  Or "he wouldn't come closer, so I shot him at 75 yards".  It just rubs me the wrong way.  I don't want to sound cheesy, but from a personal standpoint, I find it disrespectful.  Dead is dead, I get it.  It's like being told you are being fed fried bologna, but you get served Spam... it just doesn't sit right.   

I always hear this argument for hunter recruitment and that such views suppress hunter numbers.  I don't buy that.  Sometimes truths needs to be told and folks need to realize that participation trophies past the age of 7 or 8 benefits no one long term.  I can't speak for other regions, but in the south, hunter numbers cannot possibly be declining.  Maybe they aren't buying licenses, but they are hunting. 

I guess you aren't cool these days if you don't have a walk out video on social media with a dead turkey over your shoulder.  Chest poking out swagger.  Usually with some tunes.  All in good fun I know.  I know.

Anyway, so now I've posted my true thoughts on it, which I doubt no one really cares.  And I have probably gained no friends from being honest.  It's just an opinion and as someone else said, when understood as such it shouldn't make any one mad.  A couple of us have stated what many think, but won't post.   Hey, I may be totally wrong in my way of thinking.