One man took 12 ga 3.5 inch TSS to the face at 30 yards and survived. No excuse for this.
https://www.goerie.com/story/sports/outdoors/2025/05/22/pa-hunter-explains-how-he-was-mistakingly-shot-for-a-turkey-game-commission-investigates-3-shootings/83795475007/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKcdApleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETE1N1A3U3U0TUcyd3N0QW1UAR5xUfCc9Mj6brxPuRnWsabvll_Dj6WG1zVB4mn80V605nLBabFhhSPGprLZNQ_aem_WTkC2S_wanvGq47qkJ4Y4w
It happens every year .... having hunted most of my life this always this al
makes me wonder what are people thinking
I really can't believe how you can mis-identified a HUNTER as a TURKEY...
Quote from: Lcmacd 58 on May 22, 2025, 06:30:47 PMIt happens every year .... having hunted most of my life this always this al
makes me wonder what are people thinking
Either they aren't thinking or how they "think" is the problem. I think seasoned hunters have a hard time conceiving how these things happen.
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I thought Pa, you had to wear orange while moving?
Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on May 22, 2025, 06:35:36 PMQuote from: Lcmacd 58 on May 22, 2025, 06:30:47 PMIt happens every year .... having hunted most of my life this always this al
makes me wonder what are people thinking
Either they aren't thinking or how they "think" is the problem. I think seasoned hunters have a hard time conceiving how these things happen.
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My mind does not wrap around how this can happen. Every turkey i ever shot I was waiting, identifying, waiting for the shot. is his head still is he out of strut am I on his cockels ect. These guys are just slinging shots at whatever they see. Glad to hear the victims survived.
Quote from: YoungGobbler on May 22, 2025, 06:35:04 PMI really can't believe how you can mis-identified a HUNTER as a TURKEY...
They're not identifying anything and there's no excuse for it but it happens every year in multiple states.
Always the same way, hunter mistaken for a turkey.
Been quite a few on this forum have been shot.
Several have posted their stories in past.
Guy had probably been calling, heard turkey gobbling like the victim did, caught movement from that direction, maybe saw some skin showing the white of hunters face for instance
No excuse. But time and time again it's proven some hunters will shoot at movement or what they thought was a turkey.
Private land is never as private as you think it is.
Quote from: 3bailey3 on May 22, 2025, 08:56:47 PMI thought Pa, you had to wear orange while moving?
That got eliminated years ago.
BUT.......
PA law states that spring birds MUST BE IDENTIFIED AS BEING BEARDED AND MUST BE CALLED TO YOUR LOCATION. No bushwhacking. No stalking. CALLED. TO YOU.
It's mind-boggling.
It seems mind boggling, however it seems generally an experienced hunter is the shooter!
My little pea brain can't wrap around it but it does happen. My wife got sprayed last year while we were on a private farm surrounded by posted land. They shot her flopping bird, in her direction, and did a grab and run. I was pig biting mad, but couldn't catch up to them before they got to theil truck and pulled off. Scary thing when pellets rip by your face. I got 3 #5 lead in the face while pheasant hunting 40 years ago. It is a scary thing. Be safe everyone. :jesus-cross: :jesus-cross: :smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an :smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an Z
Quote from: Yoder409 on May 22, 2025, 10:06:50 PMQuote from: 3bailey3 on May 22, 2025, 08:56:47 PMI thought Pa, you had to wear orange while moving?
That got eliminated years ago.
BUT.......
PA law states that spring birds ......MUST BE CALLED TO YOUR LOCATION. No bushwhacking. CALLED TO YOU.
It's mind-boggling.
That was never true and it has recently been clarified. You do not need to call to turkeys to legally kill them. You can sit in silence or shoot one as you see it while walking down a logging road. Heck, you can shoot one off the roost as long as it's legal shooting hours.
What you can't do is hear or see turkeys and sneak up on them in order to shoot them directly. No crawling, stalking, reaping......
The PGC loves to leave things open to interpretation. I call the Game Code the 50 shades of gray book because there are so many "gotcha" phrases in it.
If moving closer to a gobbling bird is stalking, I've been a criminal my whole life.
One of the biggest misconceptions with Pa hunters is that you "must call a turkey to your location." That is absolutely untrue. I mean that's the essence of turkey hunting and the most fun way to do it, but setting up a silent ambush or just suddenly walking into a turkey and killing it is not illegal.
You do not have to possess a call, use a call, or make any noises whatsoever to kill a Spring gobbler legally in Pa.
Quote from: joey46 on May 23, 2025, 07:03:13 AMStill ambiguous - would trying to close the distance on a gobbling bird be considered stalking? On a clear still morning with my Game Ears I'm sure I can hear one at 1/4 mile maybe more. Normally given the right conditions I would try and cut that distance considerably before picking a tree, setting up the Funky Chicken and sitting down to call. Is that stalking?
My most successful hunts are when using terrain to my advantage to get within what I called the "red zone" or his "bubble" before I start talking to him. Usually under 75 yards if I can manage it. Sometimes much closer. I'm often making one short series of calls and getting my gun up expecting him to be there within seconds.
Is that "stalking"? Well.........that's open to interpretation unfortunately
I took the Indiana Hunter Education Course in'93 when it first started even though I was grandfathered in due to age. I took it because my buddy and I were planning on going out west to hunt and whatever state we were looking at required it.
The CO teaching it was a good friend of my buddy and I had hunted with him on several occasions. He later went on to become a higher up in the enforcement division. Several times during the course people presented hypothetical scenarios to him asking what the rule of law would be and most of the time he would answer "it's up to the CO who you are dealing with". Of course, if you get a ticket you don't have to just pay it you can go to court and fight it.
Not a good answer for those of us that like cut and dry/black and white answers.
The PA regulation states "No Stalking. Hunting by calling only."
If you hear a bird at 200 yards, and close the distance by 100 yards, that isn't stalking. If you try to maneuver within shotgun distance instead to snipe him without making a call, you stalked.
Stalking is what happened to a good buddy, he set out his jake and hen decoy to do blind calling. Another hunter hearing the yelping above him, stalked into the setup without calling himself once, and upon seeing the jake decoy he shot it. The payload carried beyond the dekes striking my buddy at about 75 yards. Fortunately he was wearing his prescription safety glasses from work, it saved his eyes.
Unfortunately, being successful is determined by killing a turkey, and most will abandon commence sense and sometimes legalities to make that happen. I have had at least 5-6 gobblers shot out from under me by guys stalking in and popping them with rifles. Function over form. Be careful, gents. Ain't no turkey worth your life.
Unfortunately I have no sympathy for a hunter shooting a human being mistaken them for a turkey. They should serve jail time, pay tremendous fines for injuries, and never hunt and FISH in any state in the United States for life. I'm sorry, but these occurrences are not accidents, they are belligerent ignorance of game laws and total disregard for hunter safety and human life. This is my opinion here as an ex-hunter Ed instructor for over 15 years. We made it very clear that hunting is a privilege, and that safety is paramount when going afield. We imprinted "Know your target and beyond" in our students brain, hoping incidents like these would never happen. God bless these victims and their families. Be safe...
Quote from: paboxcall on May 23, 2025, 12:31:52 PMThe PA regulation states "No Stalking. Hunting by calling only."
Save your time.
At one time, I believe I posted a screenshot of the actual wording and section, etc straight from the PA code book.
Ain't doing it again. Too many lawyers trying to armchair interpret what is brutally plain language.
I did not watch or read but I think anyone who accidentally shoots someone unless that person was off in the distance and gets hit by shot should be locked up. I bet if a few dozen people got 5 years this problem would be solved. This is no way no how an accident. People do not look like anything we can legally hunt.
Quote from: mikejd on May 23, 2025, 07:57:22 PMI bet if a few dozen people got 5 years this problem would be solved.
TOTALLY agreed !!!
The only way to modify bad behavior is to make the price of said behavior higher than folks are willing to pay.
Some old saying about killing a fly with a sledgehammer ain't so much about the fly you're killing as it is about the flies that are watching.
There is no way anyone who mistakes a person for a bird should ever be able to hunt again. Or even fish for that matter. $300 fine, are you kidding me?
Quote from: Tom007 on May 23, 2025, 05:52:13 PMUnfortunately I have no sympathy for a hunter shooting a human being mistaken them for a turkey. They should serve jail time, pay tremendous fines for injuries, and never hunt and FISH in any state in the United States for life. I'm sorry, but these occurrences are not accidents, they are belligerent ignorance of game laws and total disregard for hunter safety and human life. This is my opinion here as an ex-hunter Ed instructor for over 15 years. We made it very clear that hunting is a privilege, and that safety is paramount when going afield. We imprinted "Know your target and beyond" in our students brain, hoping incidents like these would never happen. God bless these victims and their families. Be safe...
Yes. I agree !
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Quote from: Zobo on May 23, 2025, 10:16:00 PMThere is no way anyone who mistakes a person for a bird should ever be able to hunt again. Or even fish for that matter. $300 fine, are you kidding me?
Welcome to PA. ::)
$300 is the fine for littering, here.
So shooting a man = tossing a burger wrapper out the car window.
Can't make this stuff up.
Quote from: Yoder409 on May 23, 2025, 07:22:35 PMQuote from: paboxcall on May 23, 2025, 12:31:52 PMThe PA regulation states "No Stalking. Hunting by calling only."
Save your time.
At one time, I believe I posted a screenshot of the actual wording and section, etc straight from the PA code book.
Ain't doing it again. Too many lawyers trying to armchair interpret what is brutally plain language.
The Pennsylvania game commission would disagree with you. In the May 2025 edition of the Pennsylvania Game News there was an article that clearly spelled out what is legal and what is not during spring gobbler season.
You absolutely do not have to call or have a call with you at any time. Sitting in a location silently and waiting for a turkey to walk by is 100% legal. "Bushwhacking" if you will.
Quote from: Number17 on May 26, 2025, 11:22:57 AMQuote from: Yoder409 on May 23, 2025, 07:22:35 PMQuote from: paboxcall on May 23, 2025, 12:31:52 PMThe PA regulation states "No Stalking. Hunting by calling only."
Save your time.
At one time, I believe I posted a screenshot of the actual wording and section, etc straight from the PA code book.
Ain't doing it again. Too many lawyers trying to armchair interpret what is brutally plain language.
The Pennsylvania game commission would disagree with you. In the May 2025 edition of the Pennsylvania Game News there was an article that clearly spelled out what is legal and what is not during spring gobbler season.
You absolutely do not have to call or have a call with you at any time. Sitting in a location silently and waiting for a turkey to walk by is 100% legal. "Bushwhacking" if you will.
Page 35 of the PGC Hunting and Trapping Digest (July 1, 2024- June 30, 2025) states, NO STALKING Hunting by calling only.
Just sayin'.
Like I said, it's been clarified by the PGC that you do not have to call in order to be legal, so that part has been taken care of.
As for what is stalking and what is not.....that will always be discretionary to an outside observer watching you and whatever bias they might have.
I agree with you. There have been many times I've made an effort to make a huge loop to get around where I figured birds were headed. Sometimes I barely beat them there and they simply walk into you silently moments after you find a good tree. If they are coming, shut up. That's turkey hunting 101.
100% legal to kill a bird like that in the State of Pa.
It's called complacency. If you aren't comfortable with what you are doing, you pay attention. When you get to the point where you are operating on auto pilot much of the time, it's easier than one thinks to goof up. That's why most, for example, treestand accident victims are experienced hunters rather than newbies. The "can't happen to me" syndrome.
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Quote from: Number17 on May 27, 2025, 08:54:52 AMLike I said, it's been clarified by the PGC that you do not have to call in order to be legal, so that part has been taken care of.
Could you please post the source of the clarification ??
It would seem....to look at the rules digest that comes with your license and to look at the state code.... the PGC hasn't gottem that memo yet.
Very interested to read the official, published clarification.
pg 62 Pennsylvania Game News May 2025.
Side bar. Clarification by Jason Raup, PAGC on "By calling only"
I could post a picture but I always struggle to get a picture on this website.
Quote from: joey46 on May 27, 2025, 11:15:56 AMI'll let you two fight it out. Attempted to bring up the PA Game News May 2025. Apparently one of those sites you can't read unless a subscriber. Interesting but not that interesting.
Text me: 5 seven zero for fore won four sicks 5 five.
I'll send you some pics.
FROM THE ARTICLE:
"Each gobbler is different and what works to draw one into gun range might not work with the next. But in general, experienced turkey hunters, many of whom are also exceptional callers, might offer this advice - don't call too much. In fact, that's often the first thing they'll point out in trying to lead a novice hunter to success.
So what can and can't you do as a turkey hunter? After all, hunting in the spring season long has been described as "by calling only." But what's that mean? First, it doesn't mean that you must make calls.
Jason Raup, Game Commission Assistant Counsel for the Bureau of Wildlife Protection, said the agency doesn t recognize the absence of calling as an unlawful method. In other words, it's perfectly OK to set up and sit there without calling, which could be to your advantage on wet mornings when turkeys might be slow to leave the roost and calls from the ground might seem suspicious.
Setting up is the important part, and likely the reason the "by calling only" language was developed. It's unlawful to stalk turkeys or turkey calls, both of which present safety concerns in a season in which camouflaged hunters are in the woods making turkey sounds.
That said, it's not unusual for turkey hunters to try to get closer to a responding gobbler, or otherwise make a move before setting up again
- especially if the bird hangs up in the distance.
All of that is legal; a hunter in such a situation is just working into a new setup. From a hunter-suc-cess standpoint, though, moving your setup always runs the risk of the turkey busting you.
In hunting seasons when fluorescent orange is not required, the use of orange is strongly recommended, especially while moving.
It's never a bad idea to keep an orange hat in your pack or vest, using it to get the attention of other hunters you might encounter."
Well, I'll be dipped.
Seems Mr. Raup should probably have had the game code re-worded to reflect his opinion.
Or vice-versa.
Mr. Raup actually contradicts himself in this article in the first paragraph he states the following "It's unlawful to stalk turkeys or turkey calls, both of which present safety concerns in a season in which camouflaged hunters are in the woods making turkey sounds." Then in the second paragraph he states" That said, it's not unusual for turkey hunters to try to get closer to a responding gobbler, or otherwise make a move before setting up again- especially if the bird hangs up in the distance. All of that is legal; a hunter in such a situation is just working into a new setup." I guess the question would be what is a "responding gobbler"? So if you hear a gobbler and have not made a call and move on him then it would seem by the definition this is stalking. Whereas, if you have made a call and hear a bird you are permitted to move to a new location and it would not be stalking. Still seems to be confusing.
This whole stalking thing is simple when considering the spirit of the law.
The goal is to stop you from shooting a decoy or bird with another hunter behind it.
Thus, if you sneak up and shoot a bird - Stalking.
If you sneak up to 70 and call the bird the last 30 - Not stalking.
It's obviously not fool proof, but should keep hunters at least out of lethal range of each other and shooting away from each other.
Also, just avoid Blue white and yellow license plates. Well PA, because they wont avoid you. :)
Quote from: joey46 on May 29, 2025, 03:17:39 PMOther than calling the last 30 completely agree. If I get him to within 70 and he's headed my direction I'm going mute. Might have a mouth call in to do a heads up cluck while squeezing the trigger. Might not and will no longer worry about it.
Well. More towards the example of sneaking within 70.
I think as the turkey is the one to make the final move you're in the clear, realistically and in enforcement (if there even is any).
Goofy hunters take their licenses theres no reason for this. Im from Pa.. and our Turkey Bioligist Guru her name is Mary Jo Casalena she got shot yrs ago turkey hunting I beleive with her son.
I honestly cannot conceive how you can mistake a hunter for a bird. Are you just body shooting the bird? I understand your sorry and you helped out, but gun and license taken away for a few years. At the least! Do I hear civil case?? $$$
Quote from: Tom007 on May 23, 2025, 05:52:13 PMUnfortunately I have no sympathy for a hunter shooting a human being mistaken them for a turkey. They should serve jail time, pay tremendous fines for injuries, and never hunt and FISH in any state in the United States for life. I'm sorry, but these occurrences are not accidents, they are belligerent ignorance of game laws and total disregard for hunter safety and human life. This is my opinion here as an ex-hunter Ed instructor for over 15 years. We made it very clear that hunting is a privilege, and that safety is paramount when going afield. We imprinted "Know your target and beyond" in our students brain, hoping incidents like these would never happen. God bless these victims and their families. Be safe...
Sadly Tom no one wins, it's all bad for everyone. Lives are ruined and people suffer because of one moment of poor judgement. Also, it's sad that the victim never is fairly compensated or provided for. If you want to pursue damages it must be done civilly and that cost a lot and no guarantee that you'll get any recovery. Some insurances will pay some, but it's never enough. The victims are still left with the emotional and physical scars and handicaps.
PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE JUST KEEP SAFETY AS A HIGH PRIORITY, a turkey is not worth ruining your or someone else life over. It would not have done me any good or helped me for my shooter to spend years in jail, perhaps it would deter others from taking a chance, but I think stupid is incurable...My incident was 16 years ago and it cost me thousands and thousands of dollars, the shooter paid zero. I will never see a day for the rest of my life that I am not physically handicapped from my injuries. Just the other day my sister asked me why I limp all the time, yeah an 1.5 inch hole through your thigh does that to a man. All I can do is feel sad for those victims, pray for all and move on in life. Bitterness is a sickness too and I prefer to forgive and let go. My advice is when you think you see a turkey imagine it's a grizzly bear that your only going to piss off when you shoot it and it will turn and rip your hindend to shreds....so be sure it's a turkey.
I swear I called him in, I was purring real softly Mr. Warden.
Regarding the "no stalking" regulation, I would be curious to know just how many hunters have ever been cited under this law? I would bet there have not been many. My guess is that the entire purpose of the law is to act as a deterrent rather than an actual threat of prosecution...as well as being meant to encourage hunters to use calling as their primary hunting tactic.
As others have suggested, enforcing this regulation would be impossible. A hunter would basically have to admit that he was stalking (and with no intention of calling) for any such citation to hold up in court. I doubt seriously that there are many hunters who are clueless enough to do that.
On the other hand, in cases of shooting accidents such as the ones described, I think a judge would be more inclined to use the stalking regulation as a factor in his decision-making process...regardless of whether the perp was actually "stalking" under the letter of the law. Again, I think it is meant to act as a deterrent more than anything else.
Quote from: GobbleNut on June 04, 2025, 09:04:52 AMRegarding the "no stalking" regulation, I would be curious to know just how many hunters have ever been cited under this law? I would bet there have not been many. My guess is that the entire purpose of the law is to act as a deterrent rather than an actual threat of prosecution...as well as being meant to encourage hunters to use calling as their primary hunting tactic.
As others have suggested, enforcing this regulation would be impossible. A hunter would basically have to admit that he was stalking (and with no intention of calling) for any such citation to hold up in court. I doubt seriously that there are many hunters who are clueless enough to do that.
On the other hand, in cases of shooting accidents such as the ones described, I think a judge would be more inclined to use the stalking regulation as a factor in his decision-making process...regardless of whether the perp was actually "stalking" under the letter of the law. Again, I think it is meant to act as a deterrent more than anything else.
I believe the regulation is often cited in the investigation of any actual shooting incident, as in the cause was the shooter was stalking the victim's location, which is a violation.
Quote from: paboxcallI believe the regulation is often cited in the investigation of any actual shooting incident, as in the cause was the shooter was stalking the victim's location, which is a violation.
Exactly THIS
Quote from: eggshell on June 03, 2025, 05:08:47 PMQuote from: Tom007 on May 23, 2025, 05:52:13 PMUnfortunately I have no sympathy for a hunter shooting a human being mistaken them for a turkey. They should serve jail time, pay tremendous fines for injuries, and never hunt and FISH in any state in the United States for life. I'm sorry, but these occurrences are not accidents, they are belligerent ignorance of game laws and total disregard for hunter safety and human life. This is my opinion here as an ex-hunter Ed instructor for over 15 years. We made it very clear that hunting is a privilege, and that safety is paramount when going afield. We imprinted "Know your target and beyond" in our students brain, hoping incidents like these would never happen. God bless these victims and their families. Be safe...
Sadly Tom no one wins, it's all bad for everyone. Lives are ruined and people suffer because of one moment of poor judgement. Also, it's sad that the victim never is fairly compensated or provided for. If you want to pursue damages it must be done civilly and that cost a lot and no guarantee that you'll get any recovery. Some insurances will pay some, but it's never enough. The victims are still left with the emotional and physical scars and handicaps. PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE JUST KEEP SAFETY AS A HIGH PRIORITY, a turkey is not worth ruining your or someone else life over. It would not have done me any good or helped me for my shooter to spend years in jail, perhaps it would deter others from taking a chance, but I think stupid is incurable...My incident was 16 years ago and it cost me thousands and thousands of dollars, the shooter paid zero. I will never see a day for the rest of my life that I am not physically handicapped from my injuries. Just the other day my sister asked me why I limp all the time, yeah an 1.5 inch hole through your thigh does that to a man. All I can do is feel sad for those victims, pray for all and move on in life. Bitterness is a sickness too and I prefer to forgive and let go. My advice is when you think you see a turkey imagine it's a grizzly bear that your only going to piss off when you shoot it and it will turn and rip your hindend to shreds....so be sure it's a turkey.
I understand your pain, my dad had polio as a child, one legs muscles were deteriorated for his entire life, it was shorter than the other, special shoes, you know that story. I know it's not a hunting accident, but it's a tragic situation, watching him struggle through life, NEVER COMPLAINING about one thing. I got strong as a kid growing up learning to pick him up off the ground without hurting him. God rest his sole, he was a great man, lived till he was 85. But when it comes to hunting, driving, anything where you CHOOSE to under-take the use of a potential deadly weapon, we ALL take an oath to use same in such a way as to not cause bodily harm to others. Hunting and guns carry a code of ethics that must be followed, there is no wavering from this PRIVILEGED right. Mistaking a human being from a turkey violates this privileged right, thus the right gets taken away. This is a 40 yard sport, we are not shooting across canyons. I understand accidents happen, but when another hunter shoots a person within 50 yards or so thinking they are a turkey, every possible thing within the power of our justice system should be used to keep this person out of the woods and attempt to help the victims and their families. This is how I view my responsibilities as a hunter and sportsman, I hope you understand my views here. I am so sorry that you had to experience your mishap, hopefully strict future policies will be instituted to avoid others from experiencing the same. We all know that accidents can have real bad endings for sure. God bless you my friend.
I appreciate your thoughts Tom007. I actually agree that the law and legal penalties should be enforced in every case. No way does a perpetrator walk away free, but I still doubt it will fix the problem. Like I said you can't fix stupid. One of my points was that the law does not do enough, the victim is still left holding the bag and bearing the expense, I did.
As for me physically, I do very well and live mostly a normal life. I just walk slower and I limp, but my leg is strong. The imbalance has caused additional wear on my hip and knees and I suppose a hip and knee replacement is coming some day. I get cramps in the leg that stop me in my tracks. I have to have a support between my legs to sleep because I have discomfort laying down for some reason. Something to think about. A shooter may walk away with some fines or even some jail time, but the victim has a life sentence. For those who don't know my story, I was shot through the left upper thigh with a mechanical broadhead from a crossbow while fall turkey hunting.
The shooter is responsible for his projectile, PERIOD. I caught some #5 lead in the face 40 years ago. A Pheasant isn't worth a human life. I was 6" 2" and 230 pounds, wearing an orange vest and hat, hardly mistakable for a pheasant. No excuse for it. Only a pellet in my ear, nose and chin, I was lucky. If it hit my glasses I could have been blinded. Scary thought. The point, and law, is that you positively identify your target, before you even take the safe off is my rule. I pray for everyone in the field is safe and comes home to their loved ones. Many lives are ruined in these cases. :jesus-cross: Z
Quote from: eggshell on June 05, 2025, 07:25:10 AMI appreciate your thoughts Tom007. I actually agree that the law and legal penalties should be enforced in every case. No way does a perpetrator walk away free, but I still doubt it will fix the problem. Like I said you can't fix stupid. One of my points was that the law does not do enough, the victim is still left holding the bag and bearing the expense, I did.
As for me physically, I do very well and live mostly a normal life. I just walk slower and I limp, but my leg is strong. The imbalance has caused additional wear on my hip and knees and I suppose a hip and knee replacement is coming some day. I get cramps in the leg that stop me in my tracks. I have to have a support between my legs to sleep because I have discomfort laying down for some reason. Something to think about. A shooter may walk away with some fines or even some jail time, but the victim has a life sentence. For those who don't know my story, I was shot through the left upper thigh with a mechanical broadhead from a crossbow while fall turkey hunting.
Amen brother, I wish you well and continued success in everything you do. Be safe my friend
I am a resident of pennsylvania and started hunting turkey in my home state in the fall of 1976 when I was 12 years old and could legally hunt. I went along with my uncles to our cabin in perry County as a young kid to tag along in the woods before that. They only fall hunted with centerfire rifles. I learned to run calls at a young age and killed my share quickly. By age 20 I quit fall hunting due to several near death experiences with guys stalking my position whith centerfire rifles.
Our camp was near the homes of some of the homes of turkey hunting pioneers in pennsylvania. Dale Rohm and his boys Terry and Robby as well as Dick "curly" Smith and his boys Red and Chris hunted the same birds we did. Unfortunately for most of us being shot or in the line of fire happens way too often.
A close friend of mine caught a few pellets in his hand and arm this spring. A trespasser shot from the opposite treeline at a gobbler he was working. This was on family ground that was posted. He never knew the guy was there till he shot and ran off. Trespasser was never caught.
We have a lot of spring gobbler hunters in pennsylvania. Tons of public ground but the road system is pretty extensive. When a bird gobbles there is a good chance guys will be coming from 2 3 or 4 directions quickly. If I strike a bird I figure I only have a short amount of time to call him in. Like minutes....if that. For some reason our hunters are late to the party on ethics. Guys will park on you, come in on you, and even intentionally spook gobbling birds so you don't kill them. Just a normal hunt in pennsylvania.
The pressure is high to get that Insta/FB picture of a kill to post. Therefore spray and pray happens more and more
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That's terrible, the state I live in. Here is to a full and quick recovery for that poor guy, and I hope the other guy never hunts again.
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I guess this a good way to keep non residents from coming to PA. I don't want any part of an atmosphere like that. It's sad that some people think a bird for a social media or public brag is worth killing or wounding a person over. I don't care if this offends anyone, but that is living a small and weak life.