For all you Reaping and Fanning enthusiasts

[123]

Here ya go, only going to be more of this. So go ahead reaper and fanning enthusiasts, please regale me with how safe it is.

A few "accidents involving fanning/reaping happened last spring season, and the more it is promoted, the statistics may follow. I truly hope it doesn't and stays below the trend line of the past few decades.

 

I got blasted for being against this technique in all but very open territory/middle of big open fields that did not allow rifles.This is one subject I would have rather been very wrong about... No joy in this

 

Two turkey hunters injured in hunting accident,

[G-Man]

Never cared for use of decoys .. why invite trouble...like not wearing orange hunting deer ..not required or illegal but not smart...

[The_Real_TCIII]

Never cared for use of decoys .. why invite trouble...like not wearing orange hunting deer ..not required or illegal but not smart...

I've just never had luck with them anyway and I'm tired of dragging around hear that isn't effective for me

[Pygmy]

You gotta be NUTS !!

[Dinsdale]

16 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

You gotta be NUTS !!

I don't think I have ever hunted private property where I didn't cut a set of tracks that shouldn't be there.

 

[jperch]

I've seen videos on tv where they used this method.  Wow, it's hard for me to believe it would work on the skittish turkeys I hunt.  More importantly it does seem ridiculously dangerous and I would sure feel STUPID if I used it and got shot.  I hunt on my own posted land and run into more trespassers during turkey season than during deer season.  No thanks.

jperch

[landtracdeerhunter]

I have had one turkey decoy shot at by a stalker. I don't know what shell the guy was using but blew a 2 inch hole clear through. Reaping, I don't think so!

[wooly]

12 hours ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

I have had one turkey decoy shot at by a stalker. I don't know what shell the guy was using but blew a 2 inch hole clear through. Reaping, I don't think so!

Going way back here when I first started turkey hunting... (it had to be sometime in my first 3-5 seasons).

 

I set out two dekes at the edge of an old gravel pit/green field and could hear a gobbler across the clearing about 200yds away. He'd answer my calls, but after what had to be at least an hour, I could tell he wasn't cutting any distance.

I decided to make a quick move on him and shot around the gravel pit just inside the wood line.  I was so excited to get after him, I forgot to grab my dekes, but when I realized how far away I was already, I decided to just leave them behind.

 

I got in position on the other side of the pit, and got the tom fired up again just down the ridge from me in the timber. We went back and forth for a while until he snuck in silent, busted me fumbling with my calls, and ran off like a rabbitt. Discouraged, I turned around to head back to my original set up across the field. When I looked across the clearing I could see movement in the woods and heard some soft yelping almost in the exact spot I had previously set up.  Naturally my mind immediately thought some turkey had moved in on me, and I was back in hunt mode!

I did my best to be stealthy, but had a few blunders along the way. When I got within 80-100yds and didn't see or hear anything any more, I convinced myself I had spooked whatever birds were roaming around over there, so I picked up the pace to a casual "un-stealthy" walk. About 50yds away from my original set up now, and I see some camo clad clown stand up and start running away from me through the woods. It wasn't my land,(my neighbors at the time) and it wasn't even posted, so I couldn't figure out what the big scare was about. When I got to my spot and looked around a little bit, I could see where he had scratched a patch of ground clear about 20yds away from my spot behind a blowdown. You couldn't see my dekes from where he was sitting because of a little rise that was between them. I'm convinced that if one of those dekes had blown off its stake that this guy would have smoked it. I really think he spotted them from the distance and "stalked in" as close as he could until he ran out of cover where he did. I don't believe anyone is stupid enough to knowingly set up over someone else's deke spread like that.... but there may be a few that aren't that bright,lol

Thinking back on the whole thing now, I'm probably lucky I didn't sneak up and surprise the guy...... whoever he was.

That actually turned out to be a major turkey hunting no-no for both of us. Him for sneaking up on my fake flock, and me for trying to sneak up on what I assumed was a turkey in my original spot. Honestly, it never even crossed my mind at the time that someone could be fooled by a couple stationary foam birds at such close range, and unknowingly set up on top of me like that in a matter of minutes.

 

I guess that was a good eye opener for me.

I'm always telling sis now when we turkey hunt together that you really always have to think about what YOUR doing out there to be safe with everyone dressed in camo making turkey sounds.... and you always have to think about what EVERYONE ELSE might be doing out there for your own safety as well.

Reaping isn't something that exactly thrills me to be going on out there ..... as fun as it looks! Too much can go wrong on a GOOD day of turkey hunting, I don't like the thought of increasing the odds of having a BAD day doing it.

[Uncle Nicky]

I'll go against the grain here, and say it can be pulled off, and can be very effective (first-hand experience).

But, like anything, a lot of common sense should be employed, not only if you plan to stalk a turkey behind a fan/decoy, but also if you plan to sit in a blind behind a gobbler decoy. You need to be very aware of where you are hunting, as well as who may also be in the woods with you. In states where they allow you to spring hunt with a rifle, I don't think I'd even consider it, nor would I hunt behind a decoy or a fan on public land.

But, I'm glad most people frown on it, or there would be a lot more guys hunting this way, and I'd assume a lot more accidents would happen.

No more dangerous than riding a motorcycle (with or without a helmet), IMHO, and lots of folks do this.

[mowin]

I hunt some Very large fields, all private land.  I tried this last yr with fantastic results.  But I was well over 100 yrds from any cover.  There's no way in hell a hunter was going to stalk me without me knowing it. 

I totally agree, it should only be used if the safe. Like mentioned above, definitely not in states where rifles are used.  I'm thinking about trying it with the bow this spring.  

Think it wrong to say it shouldn't be allowed.  

[maytom]

Great post Mike....agree with you 100%