Turkey safety issues

[n2deer]

Regardless of the methodology used, turkey hunting accidents are caused by one thing, and one thing only, and that is a careless shooter.  That fact can be exacerbated by the victim not using good judgement in what he is doing, but it is the shooter's responsibility to be absolutely certain of his target and what's beyond.

There has never been a hunter that has ever looked like a real, live wild turkey,...ever!  I don't care if they were trying to,...or not.

Agree

[silvestris]

Whatever method one uses, it is movement that will get you shot.  I know a blind turkey hunter who could see before he rounded the bend.  But, hey, you have to get where you are going.

[Old Gobbler]

Irresponsible and foolish people( doing the shootings ) are the cause of turkey shootings - now certain activities may increase your odds of being the victim of a foolish person -

Staying at home in your bed is a sure fire way to not get shot turkey hunting

I could write a book on the subject , myself having lost a close family member while turkey hunting with me some 22 years ago -

It eventually progressed into the shooter being charged with manslaughter .......

[mikejd]

Irresponsible and foolish people( doing the shootings ) are the cause of turkey shootings - now certain activities may increase your odds of being the victim of a foolish person -

Staying at home in your bed is a sure fire way to not get shot turkey hunting

I could write a book on the subject , myself having lost a close family member while turkey hunting with me some 22 years ago -

It eventually progressed into the shooter being charged with manslaughter .......

Wow! Sorry to hear that.

[mookyj]

Irresponsible and foolish people( doing the shootings ) are the cause of turkey shootings - now certain activities may increase your odds of being the victim of a foolish person -

Staying at home in your bed is a sure fire way to not get shot turkey hunting

I could write a book on the subject , myself having lost a close family member while turkey hunting with me some 22 years ago -

It eventually progressed into the shooter being charged with manslaughter .......

Very sorry to learn of your loss of a family member, being that you were there, the memory of it must be difficult. I know of many that have had close calls (including myself) or been shot. While president of the state chapter I had several individuals approach me with photos of their life changing event where they were shot while turkey hunting. We have a close friend who lost his eyesight to someone who shot him while they were stalking during a turkey hunt. Sadly we all know someone that has.

[steinea286]

I cant help but say something but hunting in general  is a very dangerous sport. Deer hunters have been shot or shot at based on seeing movement. They same goes with turkey hunting, but the audio amplifies the stalking aspect. When people hear something coming (deer hunting) then catch movement, some people react immediately and the same would go with stalking "turkey noises" in the woods and then catching movement. We walk into the woods each and every year with loaded guns where the right "trip and fall" could end in a hunting fatality, or a bad step from a tree stand could leave you paralyzed.

Hunter education teaches you not to stalk "turkey noises" in the woods yet how many hunters do that?? Maybe no one on here but I run into it year after year. Hunter education teaches you "be sure of your target AND BEYOND". They teach you to not put your finger on the trigger until your ready to shoot. But hunter education doesn't teach you how to use decoys or how to hunt turkeys....

I am proud to say that given the right circumstances, I would absolutely love to try "reaping". I am a turkey hunter and I love the sport as much as anyone. I am extremely safe in my own mind in handling a gun and knowing my target as that was the way I was brought up. I understand the terrain of the lands I hunt and I also understand others that hunt them. I don't care if your out not to just kill a turkey but enjoy the scenery, but at some point in your life you had an amazing experience with a gobbler and that got your heart POUNDING and thats why you continue to get up well before dawn and get you butt to the woods. Whether it happens or not, thats a different story and you can say "it was a great morning even though nothing happened".

For those hunters out there that honestly think a turkey decoy wobbling back and forth with a 100+ lb "blob" behind it is truly a wild turkey then we have a lot more issues to worry about. On the same end, for those hunters out there that "reap" or fan up over a hill so that the fan is the first thing to show (not the "blob") then they are just as dumb as that is obviously NOT the place to reap.

In simple words, nothing is "safe" anymore. You can make things safer is you just think about what you are doing but in the end, people will be people and it takes a split second for a decision to go bad....laws have been around for years, doesn't mean people follow them...