JMB
Senior Member
So I was hunting this morning on a private lease (a few members to say the least). I have 5 birds gobbling. Well, here comes Mr Turkey Hunter blowing an owl call up the holler around 7:45 Birds are on the ground. He spooks three walking over them. Bird gobbling to my right is moving away. He keeps coming, blowing his hooter. I whistle. Still coming. I play Dixie on my Trumpet Yelper. Still coming. Blowing away. I yell SHUT THE HECK UP. He stops around 100 yards away. I move a little and just make an aggressive cutt toward the gobbler moving away. He hammers back and actually turns around despite the owling and yelling. I move a little and hear the guy calling. I move a little closer to the gobbler and set up. He gobbles once on his own after I sit down. I make a soft call, gobbles and I can hear him drumming but he's in a small depression. About 30 seconds later BOOM!!!!!!!! Literally jumped as I thought that fella had shot me. Nope, he shot the gobbler. Moved up and got between us and slung that turkey over his shoulder; really proud of himself.
I mean really. I know people are new to hunting and did not grow up doing it like I did. I don't want to take an elitist attitude here, but this happens far too often and you have to wonder...at what point does common sense go out the window.
Common sense, let alone ethics, would dictate:
-If you're creeping around in full camo with a shotgun and you realize someone else is in full camo sneaking around with a shotgun...you'd probably leave.
-If you hear a turkey gobbling and realize someone is working it or that someone is even in the area...go find another one.
-If you hear gobblers and are walking...maybe not walk up eyeball to eyeball. You'll never sneak up on a turkey in open woods.
-If someone yells at you for being too close, maybe just leave. Don't try to shoot the turkey they've been working.
-Don't get between someone with a gun and their target.
Sorry for the rant, but I mean, I hear so many of these stories and then talk to the Warden who said there have been a lot of shootings, you just don't hear about all of them. Modern shotgun shells are pretty dang lethal on a human at turkey ranges if the shot hits the right place.
You think private land is better than public...not always. I've been hunting turkeys since 1986 and the last 5 years have been the worst I've ever seen in terms of idiot hunters (that's not read unethical or newbies, it's read idiot; no common sense). Ducks and turkey seems to be the worst. I don't deer hunt very much anymore, so maybe there as well.
I mean really. I know people are new to hunting and did not grow up doing it like I did. I don't want to take an elitist attitude here, but this happens far too often and you have to wonder...at what point does common sense go out the window.
Common sense, let alone ethics, would dictate:
-If you're creeping around in full camo with a shotgun and you realize someone else is in full camo sneaking around with a shotgun...you'd probably leave.
-If you hear a turkey gobbling and realize someone is working it or that someone is even in the area...go find another one.
-If you hear gobblers and are walking...maybe not walk up eyeball to eyeball. You'll never sneak up on a turkey in open woods.
-If someone yells at you for being too close, maybe just leave. Don't try to shoot the turkey they've been working.
-Don't get between someone with a gun and their target.
Sorry for the rant, but I mean, I hear so many of these stories and then talk to the Warden who said there have been a lot of shootings, you just don't hear about all of them. Modern shotgun shells are pretty dang lethal on a human at turkey ranges if the shot hits the right place.
You think private land is better than public...not always. I've been hunting turkeys since 1986 and the last 5 years have been the worst I've ever seen in terms of idiot hunters (that's not read unethical or newbies, it's read idiot; no common sense). Ducks and turkey seems to be the worst. I don't deer hunt very much anymore, so maybe there as well.
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