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Shot in the face behind a fan.

4K views 28 replies 22 participants last post by  Fairchild #17 
#1 ·
#3 ·
"The brother and friend eventually set up just inside a wooded area, wearing camouflage and lying behind a fan made of turkey feathers."

Terrible. It's called identify your target. I never shot at the rear end of a turkey. There is not one game animal or varmint I would ever take a shot at unless I was 100% sure.
 
#4 ·
I'm surprised it hasn't happened many times....no gobbler is worth a face full of pellets....not sure how this will turn out for the shooter, he thought he was shooting at a gobbler coming toward him, some of the decoys look so good he thought it was real obviously... Let's pray everyone recovers without permanent injuries....case will be watched by every wildlife agency nationwide...
 
#5 ·
Problem is, in a lot of these instances, the shooter IS 100% sure what they are shooting at is a turkey. They only realize that it isn't after tbe trigger is pulled. Their mind tells them they see a turkey, and the pull the trigger. Hard to say what one would or wouldn't do, if they were 100% sure they were aiming at a legal game animal. Adrenaline/excitement can lead a person to see or do things they normally wouldn't.
 
#8 ·
Don't be surprised if a good lawyer doesn't include Mojo, Promos and any other manufacturer of these products in the lawsuit....same as any other unsafe product. And with the way the world is today I'd bet it wouldn't go well for the companies overall. I've talking to two different wco's who have two completely different views of the "reaping", one says legal and the other illegal, I'm not sure this method is even legal in PA, gotta believe this case nationwide will set some precedents.... Time will tell...
 
#11 ·
Dick, thats downright scary!!!

Many years ago, I was spring turkey hunting, heard what sounded like an entire flock heading my way, multiple hens yelping and cackling, stretched out in a line 75 yards long, never before in the spring turkey woods had I heard what sounded like 30 plus birds, as they got closer and closer, I got more and more excited, there had to be at least one gobbler in a flock of that many birds. Finally they come into sight at about 60 yards, I see 2 turke......................wait a minute, it was 4 hunters spread out in a line like they were small game hunting, all calling. For about a half a second, I saw 2 turkeys, heck one even started flapping its wings, thats when those birds turned to hunters. Scared the living daylights out of me. Now I try to have the mind set, that its a hunter first. I dont ever want to be that guy that is telling the CO, I absolutely saw a turkey.
 
#12 ·
I hear so many people say "they didn't identify their target"... Nonsense, under the right conditions, lighting, shadows, lay of the land, quality of a decoy, movement of a decoy into an area where someone is calling, ANYONE CAN MAKE A MISTAKE, very very easily. WE quickly blame the shooter, but it is not that easy, as the old saying goes, "walk a mile in my shoes" before judging me.... I wish the PGC would make an official statement concerning this "reapping" before Saturday Youth opener... So if the PGC turkey lady is listening, this would be a positive action on your behalf and the agency.... And once and for all state whether it's legal or illegal...before it comes knocking at PA's door for real....
 
#13 ·
In PA I am left to assume by the current regs that using these fans and shell gobbler decoys like this are only illegal if advancing on (stalking) a bird while using it? Taking that a step further does the bird have to be in sight for it to be considered "stalking" vs just moving closer using the decoy or fan as a distraction in the event a turkey MIGHT see it?
If "stalking" closer to a bird you have eyes on is already illegal, then doing so while hiding behind some sort of gobbler representation has to be as well I would imagine.......even if the bird closes most of the distance on it's own.

If you are stationary , make no attempt to advance, and simply "flash" the decoy to get attention? Probably no different than pulling a string to make a tail go up and down on a decoy 20 yards in front of you. It's a manual manipulation and is legal?

However If it's big enough to stake in front of you and hide behind then it might also fall into the illegal "blind" category?

Seems like there is some common sense you can apply in conjunction with the current regs but it's definitely not laid out in black and white.
In any scenario just way too much to go wrong for me to ever consider using one. Even when I use conventional decoys I am always extremely aware of sight lines and angles that could put me in a line of fire from shotgun AND rifle (ya never know)
 
#14 ·
While bow hunting many years ago on ground that is posted solid, daylight was wayning and it was time for deer movement. I started to hear a buck grunt down valley from my position. I returned grunts and slowly the grunts grew closer and soon I can hear the deer approaching. Bow in hand this is it here he comes. Adrenaline starts to take over, I had been after this joker for a few weeks and this was going to be the chance I had worked for. From the woods into the clearing walks a nieghbor who had been squirrel hunting on other ground and was taking a short cut. He wore a hat with about an inch and a half orange ball on top. No other orange! This was my wake up call to how accidents can happen. He had bumped the buck just below my position.

While he was not in danger from me, it shook me up enough to climb down and confront him about the situation. Told him he should rethink his amount of orange and that I am color blind. Have not seen him in those woods since.
 
#15 ·
After 48 years of chasing turkeys, nothing surprises me anymore. I've been stalked, had people belly crawl in to my set up and have had people shoot bids right out from under me without calling. I don't use decoys for this very reason.
Watch the Drury's, the actually sit at their calling location and use a turkey fan as part of the set up. Even on tightly controlled property its just not worth it. Outlaw the dang things , as its just a matter of time before other hunters get shot.
 
#16 ·
In my opinion, we need to get over the idea that it's a really big deal to shoot a gobbler (or a buck, for that matter). Maybe I'm wrong and maybe others disagree with me, but I can't see Daniel Boone pumping his fists, and doing a dance over a dead gobbler. Some of the build-up caused by videos and magazine articles tend to make the kill become the priority. When that happens we lose not only the real purpose of the hunt, but it makes it easy to throw caution to the wind. That creates a situation where accidents can happen.

I'm not saying that's the only time accidents happen, nor am I saying that's what happened in this case or in the case R.S.B. cited. I'm only saying that when killing becomes the highest priority, it increases the chances of an accident. The truth is that all of us need to realize it could happen to us. Realizing it could happen to us is Step One in avoiding shooting a hunter in mistake for game.

Steve.
 
#19 ·
...Maybe I'm wrong and maybe others disagree with me, but I can't see Daniel Boone pumping his fists, and doing a dance over a dead gobbler. Some of the build-up caused by videos and magazine articles tend to make the kill become the priority. When that happens we lose not only the real purpose of the hunt, but it makes it easy to throw caution to the wind. That creates a situation where accidents can happen....Steve.
That. Plus throw in if social media didn't exist you would see little or any of this. If the "average" guy couldn't post or brag about it he very well may not even hunt! Gobbler still wing-flapping and he's got it on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, internet forums et al.
 
#17 · (Edited)
"Hiding behind a fan made of turkey feathers"! I predicted this kind of thing would happen to somebody using one of those ridiculous full fan gadgets. Lets chalk another accident up to an idiot who didn't identify his target fully before pulling the trigger. I'd bet the real story is that Buford saw some color, or movement and that was all his walnut needed to transmit the signal for his trigger finger to tense up.
 
#21 ·
I wouldn't consider a turkey tail fan, or a strutting gobbler decoy a blind. That's what a lot of these turkey "reaping" individuals use. So, nothing in the regs about using a decoy being illegal. Therein lies the issue.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Have you ever seen blaze orange in very low light conditions? It looks almost red. And for many hunters that is all it takes for them to pull the trigger. Why, because they hunt with the single purpose of winning, and beating somebody. No, I don't think bringing back the orange requirement will stop these incidents. What is needed is to somehow change the culture of "I must win at all costs" meaning the hunter is more concerned with bagging a turkey than he/she is about making sure that what they're about to fire upon is actually their quarry, and not a person.

When somebody cares more about coming home with a bird than safely identifying their target, there is something seriously wrong. I wholeheartedly doubt that simply bring back the orange requirement is going to stop this.
 
#25 ·
The first week of the season or when I think there are other hunters around, we will wear orange hats when moving around. Sometimes we will use an orange band around the tree.

I will admit that turkey season is the only season that makes me nervous from a safety standpoint. This was especially true after this accident about 5 years ago.

Turkey hunter accidentally shot in face in Washington County | WPXI

Happened within a half mile or less of where my son and I was hunting that morning.
 
#27 ·
The first week of the season or when I think there are other hunters around, we will wear orange hats when moving around. Sometimes we will use an orange band around the tree.

I will admit that turkey season is the only season that makes me nervous from a safety standpoint. This was especially true after this accident about 5 years ago.

Turkey hunter accidentally shot in face in Washington County | WPXI

Happened within a half mile or less of where my son and I was hunting that morning.
Dang, Cspot. Bet that shook you up a bit when you heard about it.
 
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