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Spring 2021- Three Turkey Hunting Incidents, Two Fatalities.

Standard / by mookyj / April 20, 2021 / No Comments

Half way thru the spring season in our nation, millions of turkey hunters have already worn out some serious boot leather across the southern zones of the USA. It is expected that we return home from a full day hunt or mid day to the local diner just in time for the firehouse siren at twelve sharp. This season, two hunters will not return and a third escorted to the local hospital. The very low statistics does little to comfort, or to avoid the lump in our throats when we think of it. A fourth victim is being tracked for more info, and is lacking crucial details.

Hopkinsville, Kentucky- One of those fatally shot was very young, 11 years old, reported as an accident, self inflicted.

Official: Boy fatally shot in apparent hunting accident

https://www.bgdailynews.com/news/state/official-boy-fatally-shot-in-apparent-hunting-accident/article_984b2926-190b-549a-af5c-dd3655ea7b0a.html

Shasta County, California- One adult hunter shot another, reported as a “sound shot.” Very few details as to how it came together. It is also reported alcohol is suspected to be involved and an investigation is on going. The wounded hunter was airlifted to Mercy Medical Center and is reported in critical condition.

Hunter Shot After Being Mistaken For Turkey

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/04/14/hunter-shot-after-being-mistaken-for-turkey/

Pierre, South Dakota- A father and son team bow hunting for turkeys has turned tragic, the father was struck by an arrow from his adult son’s bow, and further details have not been released. The father succumbed to his injuries and an investigation is on going.

South Dakota man fatally shot by son’s arrow in apparent hunting accident

https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/government-and-politics/6991433-South-Dakota-man-fatally-shot-by-sons-arrow-in-apparent-hunting-accident

Two and half million turkey hunters that engage in the outdoors each season. The incident rate is reported at 0.003% in an average year that an errant shooting occurs while afield. That is all well and good in the realm of actuaries and statisticians. The families and friends of these three hunters will find no comfort in it. We can do better.

Please indulge me for repeating in my posts:

The following tips, good practices are well advised for your safety and that of others:

Avoid wearing the bright colors of a gobbler’s head, red, white, or blue. Large areas of black may resemble the body of a turkey. These are turkey colors, and another hunter may mistake you for a bird.
Be 100% sure of your target. Check your foreground and your background. Those extra seconds of making sure can save a life!
Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Don’t rely on your gun’s safety. Treat every gun as loaded.
If you see another hunter, don’t move- any motion can be mistaken for a turkey. Instead, call out to alert the other hunter that you are there. Do not wave or attempt to get up, or use a turkey call to alert the incoming hunter.
Do not stalk turkey sounds; it could be another hunter. Find a good setup with your back to a tree, rock, or other large natural barriers wider than your shoulders. Then go about working to call the birds to you. Stalking is illegal in many states.
You may consider placing a hunter orange ribbon high on a tree to help other hunters identify your location, or wear on your person entering or leaving. It is a legal requirement by some states, do not assume orange to be an end-all for safety. Always identify your quarry and what may be in front of, behind, or to either side. You have no guarantee that others are wearing orange…
Reconsider the assumed risks of using “tail-fanning” or “reaping’ techniques (using gobbler decoys, a synthetic fan, or real tail feathers) out immediately in front of you, mounted on your gun barrel or a head/hat mounted product while crawling or stalking. A fan may be large enough to hide you from view from other hunters and you may falsely assume they will properly identify you vs. a real gobbler.
Always let someone else know where you will be and when expected to be back via text, email, or phone message. In an emergency, precious minutes can make all the difference for someone to direct first responders to your location or for someone to know when you are late returning.

We owe it to ourselves and to each other to act and hunt in a safe manner and promote the best practices to ensure we all get to come back the next season to spend time in the great turkey woods and with all of God’s creations.

I will update as more details are published. We pray for those injured, that have succumbed to their injuries and for their families. May they heal well Godspeed.

-MJ

Standard / by mookyj / April 1, 2021 / No Comments

With the evolution of turkey hunting being as it is, one can draw many parallels to the human trait of wanting the next best mouse trap, the ultimate state of the art product, 100% guaranteed success method, and so on. The turkey hunting industry and the associated marketing of products thrives on this observation as it does for deer hunting and fishing. I’ll throw out the opinion that marketing methods are implemented equally, but I’ll temper that with what I’d expect will be strong opinions from the peanut gallery of each time honored pursuit and it’s enthusiastic participants.

With advancements in methods, product offerings we get a barrage of marketing campaigns, and the bible speak absolutes of hunters from the entire spectrum of abilities and experience levels. It is damn near impossible not to get caught up in it to some level. My weakness would be new calls and without naming names I would like my money back for my dog whistle and damn glad I got to hear the carbonator call in the hands of the maker first while I scoured the countryside trying to buy one. I digress…

Nearly thirty years since I tagged my first gobbler on my very first hunt, I can with the utmost humility claim that it was possible due to the fact I managed to find the most absolute dumbest gobbler in all of upstate NY on that fateful day. Despite walking in as it was getting light out, far too much movement, far too much noise, pulled out and overcalled with every call I had in my overstuffed vest, yet managed to shoot a kamikaze gobbler at sixteen paces that was roosted sixty yards in front of me. Never should have come together as it did whether you are of amateur or professional opinion. This is a stake in the ground to illustrate that any and especially poor methods on the right day, with the dumbest bird can get it done. As each season passed I learned, and more importantly learned not to continue with some foolishness I got lucky with.

With the popularity of hunting shows, and a golden age of turkey chasing that followed the explosion of turkey populations, the demand for instant results drives the market and attitudes of modern day turkey hunters. With the likes of Hevishot, TSS, came the “wisdom” of longer shots, smaller gauges. One can find prostaff on TV shows proclaiming 80-100 yard smack downs while sitting on big open fields, even out through a set of woods. Facebook experts claiming 60 yard shots with 410’s and recommend it to anyone willing to listen.

As a rep for hevishot for a number of years I came across many dedicated hunters that had hours of bench time honing their turkey rigs for the most consistent and tight patterns for every shotgun they owned. I have little doubt of the capability of the setups, and the perforated patterning targets backed up their claimed efforts. Yet most them were about massive knock down performance, not longer shots. I walked away from the gig when the campaign for 75+ yards came out. It was the wrong direction for my sensibilities. The wrong direction for having a turkey up close and nearly in your lap. I was in it to hunt turkeys. Not interested in gathering, sniping them. As I don’t fish with dynamite as a declaration behind this line of thinking, I was not about to go more overkill with TSS to pay $10 a shell at forty yards, when I thought hevishot was a bit much for the task as well. There is enough that can go wrong at forty yards, and having margin to cover range estimation error is reassuring, but that is as far as I’ll buy into it. As a clarification, I do like smaller gauge shotguns becoming more capable at the same close and personal distances as it makes for a good solution for those that can’t take the recoil of stout 12 or 10 gauge rounds.

I have written on reaping and fanning in the past and won’t dwell much on it here. If interested you can read them by clicking the links: reaping update to the original post. If your best setups, best calling, and best tried and true strategies leave you to wanting to dress up as the target of interest, then the term “turkey gathering” is a more accurate label for your activity. I’ll take sitting at an big old maple with a small rise thirty yards out between me and a gobbler all morning long.

While the push back is to label us old school turkey hunters as “boomers,” “elitists,” etc. it sidesteps the entire experience that made turkey hunting the glorious pursuit that is has been for generations. The sport of it is to fool the gobbler to forgo his defenses, have a great setup where he marchs in to appear well within a range that you can use an old shotgun with low brass 6’s to handedly get the job done. The art of woodsmanship, the collection of scouting details all make it routine and a consistent recipe for success. It does not guarantee it, but offers a sporting chance and a level playing field for the quarry at hand.

As turkey hunters do we need a tag filled on every trip afield, to be guaranteed that we would draw the equivalent to use dynamite to insure a legal limit of our catch?

Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media

Turkey Hunter Ten Commandments

Standard / by mookyj / March 27, 2021 / No Comments

Thou shalt have no other passions as thy days are in pursuit and tribute. Thy passions shall yield only to God, family, and service to thy country.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of grouse, woodcock, pheasant, duck or goose. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them.
Thou shalt not take the name of thy God in vain. Thy turkey hunter shall seek forgiveness in the transgressions they shall commit while in pursuit.
Remember thy opening day, keep it above others. Observe the Lord’s day above all others. Four moons shall pass shalt thou scout, labour, and do all thy work of honing thy skills.
Honor thy mentors, thy farmers, all those in aid of thy quest.
Thou shalt not maim nor wound. Thou shall be swift and merciful.
Thou shalt not permit gobblers to commit adulterous acts in thy presence.
Thou shalt not commit sins of trespass against another turkey hunter.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy fellow hunter. It is honorable to aide in perpetuity a false tongue put forth by thee to preserve holy grounds, and secrets they may hold.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s gobbler, thy neighbour’s property, thy neighbour’s shotgun, thy neighbour’s turkey dog, thy neighbour’s ass, nor any possession that thy neighbor uses to fill his trophy room…

Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media

Critical Intel For Northern 2021 Spring Turkey Seasons

Standard / by mookyj / March 26, 2021 / No Comments

While southern states have opened up, youth seasons that have come and gone or about to happen in the next week. Northern states have weeks yet to go before youth season commences and the regular season that typically opens up a week later. With a month to go here in New York an often overlooked period is the transition from winter to spring that is upon us. With wild turkey populations reported to be significantly reduced across the northeast, a time to gather critical Intel for your own personal assessments is readily at hand.

The last of the big winter flocks are into the weeks of fracturing into smaller groups as the fighting for dominance peaks for the rights of breeding. As I pen this, snow cover is nearly gone if not completely so. Food sources are now available that were not just a week or two ago. In short the flocks will be moving in mass or sizable sub groups into the well known historical strutting and roosting areas that we all become more familiar with after getting a few seasons under our belts. If you are taking out youths for the early season or will be hunting your regular season, the opener is less than a month a way and you’ll want to take advantage of this now.

This week and the next several weeks coming up are a perfect time to take a child to cruise your stomping grounds and the areas surrounding them to glass the fields and open areas for low impact scouting. Often you can cover lots of ground in the comfort of your vehicle and will only need to make the walk to hidden fields, otherwise not accessible from a roadside vantage point. Rainy days are excellent for finding flocks. Our family will cruise prospective areas often as a relaxing time to see what we may see. We do this a lot year round as countryside sightseeing was a fun time when the kids were young as it is now with a more determined purpose.

Scouting at this time will give you an overall sense of how big the local populations are, the makeup of gobblers vs jakes vs hens. Often you’ll find gobblers trailing the main flocks if they are not already strutting and fighting, doing their very best to impress the hens. It is often said during the late winter months that you’ll see all of them or none. It’s not the time to panic as large flocks have a uncanny ability to thwart our efforts to find them at times. If you have been following since the beginning of the year, you’ll have a hit list of likely places to check.

Whether you find them on properties you hunt, Murphy’s law says you’ll find them on properties you can’t. During this time, flocks you find a mile down the road on a property you don’t have access too, are just as likely to be front row and center come opening day. Over many seasons you’ll learn this first hand. I would stress that as you do your scouting it is to your advantage to not educate gobblers on your calling abilities long before the season starts. Gobblers will learn and pattern our actions every bit as much as whitetails do in my opinion. Personally I like my gobblers to be as dim witted as possible about what I’m looking to do. Unaware and unmolested by a parade of slamming truck doors, and voracious loud calling will do just nicely, thank you.

With wild turkey populations in reduced numbers compared to the last two decades many of us are mulling the decision as to whether or not to hunt specific stomping grounds at all, leave it be in the hopes of aiding a recovery in local populations. It is a personal decision, and I’ll state that we all act in good conscious and it is to our advantage to gather all the relevant Intel we can to decide wisely. In my little slice of gobbler utopia, I have a running list that I currently refrain from taking a fall bird of either sex and several former spring hot spots that I leave alone for the time being. Places that once held 10-15 long beards any given spring are now subject only to the occasional bird cruising through. We can agree that as sportsmen we can regulated ourselves well ahead of a government agency to restrict bag limits and not over hunt areas we know to be in decline.

I’ll wish each of you the best of luck in working up a grand plan for your spring season and if at all possible urge each of you to introduce a child or new hunter to a time honored tradition we have come to love and cherish.

Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media

2020 NY Spring Season is now closed, Fat lady has sung!

Standard / by mookyj / May 31, 2020 / 1 Comment

Turkey hunters, times up, lay down your shotguns and bows.. Who got it done today?

It was and odd season for me in Cortland County this spring. As usual work commitments limited the number of days I could hunt, and even then only until 8-9 AM To attend to business. This season will rank near the top for the least amount of gobbling heard.

There were no shortages of beautiful mornings, and one could hear insects out to 600 yards on many of them. If there was a peak for gobbling it came long before May 1st. Never the lest, there were noteworthy highlights.

Several encounters with the Dueling Aces that we have been after for three years now, the last one was interrupted by a bald eagle. After chasing the gobblers off, he presented a side back profile to inspire the patriot in all of us, just as I reached for the camera. Picture of a lifetime I messed up. I did learn that an eagle scream is good for about six gobbles in a sequence.

I met a feathered box call above our place one morning, I could have laid down a paycheck that not only was it a box call, that I could hear the lid, and swore it was a red cedar body with a walnut lid. The hen flew up into a tree and gave it all she had for nearly twenty minutes. Not something you come across often. Despite all her sweet talk, not a single gobble in response.

We called in a very vocal gobbler for Billy Heselden on a very fun hunt, and straight across a fairly steep ridge. All on camera, and one last gobble for the money shot.

Both birds I tagged were very short hunts, last minute checking a few spots before work. Very little calling, and played out far different that the many other hunts I have participated in.

If you had a last day rally, got it done in the eleventh hour, or a great story please share. I do hope your days in the turkey woods were as memorable as I find them to be, and that you enjoy good health and circumstance to be back at it this fall and next spring.

-MJ

Last Call For Spring Turkey Season In NY

Standard / by mookyj / May 30, 2020 / No Comments

It’s crunch time, the fat lady is warming up and she is dressed for the final curtain call. Whatever grandiose battle plans you may have, the moment of truth shall be revealed in the remaining seven hours and two minutes. Not that anyone is counting…

Apply what you have learned during the course of the past four weeks, play it old school, add in a dose of good fortune and you’ll send the fat lady packing before show time. With exceptions noted, late season is in general more about conservative tactics, having very recent sightings, and locations of birds willing to talk.

Gobblers here in CNY are acting like mid June birds with the hens long since bred off. There are pockets of hens reported back with the gobblers,. In the thousands of acres I check on frequently in Cortland County, I’m seeing bachelor groups of longbeards, bands of marauding jakes and single hens out and about later morning grabbing a quick meal before returning to their nests. I’ve been seeing bachelor groups and single gobblers without hens the entire season this year.

With a very late green up and a suppressed population of wild turkeys, running and gunning has in my opinion schooled a lot of the birds. The tactic has been less fruitful for the past several decades as the population declined in my experience. It has been a relatively quiet season in Cortland and the tendency to get antsy and move with very little cover makes for smarter birds. If you follow my musings you know I like my gobblers without an advanced education in hunter tactics and maneuvers.

You are appealing to social gatherings of less than forty yards for turkeys. Confidence calling, feeding purrs, whips and whistles light clucks, and very soft yelping. If one drowns out your call with a more than insistent gobble, get ready as they may not gobble again and come in silent. Late season encounters often conclude in minutes not hours. Both of the two birds I won over started and finished this way with minimalist calling this season. The only clue I had one coming for my second tag was a single cluck then a jake yelp when I responded with a cluck and too very soft half yelps. The jake stayed back, and longbeard came straight in.

Woodsmanship plays a big roll in late season success, the scouting you did last June may yield the clue that puts you in close to where bachelor groups hang. When chasing hens no longer overrides their need to eat and replenish their fat reserves you’ll find them at likely food sources. Creek bottoms offering shade in the increasing temps are often a place to find them late season. All the scouting you did in March and April gives you a database of choice roosting trees, dusting bowls, and strutting areas. Most of the seasoned hunters I know actively scout as they hunt through May. Weeks old Intel has limited use as they are either moving to find receptive hens or hanging with other gobblers. If you can sight a gobbler going to roost tonight you have a crucial clue for the morning. I normally would say listen for gobbling on the roost, but there has been precious little of that in the evenings this season.

If you do get a hen that challenges you, match her and if she goes all in, add one more note, it either escalates quickly or whimpers out. Girlfriend mouthing off gets the boyfriend in trouble far more often than not.

Turkeys have been chased for four weeks and any mistake you make will in most cases result in a hasty exit. Attention to details on anything you wear or carry that makes an unnatural sound, the way you walk through the woods, calling too loudly, snapping twigs underfoot, are all subject to the scrutiny of a very wary bird. It is this scrutiny that amplifies what you can employ to your advantage. Using your fingers to imitate scratching for food in the leaves, using the brim of your hat to imitate a hen stretching her wings and scratching it on the tree bark is a far more effective call than you might first think.

Should you get a bird to gobble it should be noted that what you thought was two hundred yards three weeks ago is well under a hundred yards and closing. They often won’t gobble until very close, nearly in range the last week of the season, and if you aren’t focused and ready you may miss the opportunity.

As they are not talking much now, any sightings are key tactical data. If you can get out and roost tonight, it may be the final and most useful clue for the last day. With the foliage fully out you can get in close but you’ll have to be there very early tomorrow morning. Hunt all the way to your spot, and all the way back to the truck, the entire hunt can turn around in seconds and the action can be fast and furious. Stay sharp, safe, and alert.

Best of luck the final remaining hours of the season. Now if I can get this lady off my damn shoulder…

-MJ

Hunting & Fishing Restrictions Covid-19 Update

Standard / by mookyj / May 22, 2020 / No Comments

Update of currently impacted state turkey hunting and fishing seasons. Turkey season wraps up next week, with Maine closing in June. Updates may show promise for summer fishing. States with 14 Day Non Resident Quarantines are showing some progress in lifting the restriction.

Alaska– Phase 3/4 starts today, and with recommended guidelines and practices. Extended the travel restrictions on out-of-state travelers and residents returning to the state through June 2. link updated 5/22

Arkansas- Buffalo National River open to day use. link updated 5/22

California– Hunting, fishing on base is suspended until further notice. link Edwards Air Force Base -restricted to mission-essential personnel only. link Fort Hunter Liggett- All 2020 Fishing and 2019-20 Hunting permits sales have been suspended. link

Arizona– San Carlos Apache Reservation turkey hunts canceled link

Colorado– playgrounds, campgrounds, dispersed camping and camping facilities (including yurts and cabins) at Colorado’s state parks as well as camping at State Wildlife Areas are beginning to open. San Juan County-all public lands closed. Fort Carson- hunting is NOT available on Fort Carson or Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, USAF Academy “official business only”. Fishing the 5 lakes are open for all eligible users with a USAFA fishing permit linkupdated 5/22 Gunnison county banning any visitors until further notice. link

Delaware– All out-of-state residents traveling into Delaware to immediately self-quarantine for 14 days link

Florida– 30-day stay-at-home order. those who fly or drive into Florida from states with substantial community spread to self-isolate in Florida for 14 days or the duration of their trip, whichever is shorter. Some resources are closed link

Georgia– Fort Benning- Restricted to Authorized personnel only link Fort Gordon- Open to recreation if you have access link The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests is temporarily shutting down all dispersed camping corridors, day-use areas, trailhead facilities and other recreation sites on the Blue Ridge Ranger District link

Hawaii– All arriving residents and visitors thru 6/20 will immediately go into a 14-day quarantines upon entering the state link Lana‘i Axis Deer Hunt Canceled link

Idaho– Idaho Fish and Game resumes the sale of all nonresident hunting and fishing licenses, permits, and tags. link updated 5/22

Illinois– DNR to Reopen Select Sites for Limited Activities May 1 link

Kansas – travel quarantine from the following: International– China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran States- ~~California~~, Colorado, ~~Florida~~, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts(new). New Jersey, New York. Rhode Island (new) ~~Washington~~ Massachusetts and Rhode Island are new to the list, while California, Florida and Washington have been removed link Kansas has an “explicit ” call out of quarantine of 14 days before you can hunt link

Massachusetts – All travelers arriving in the Commonwealth are instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days, link

Maine– all travelers coming to Maine quarantine for 14 days link Maine regular turkey season open two days early, on May 2. Turkey hunters will not be required to register their birds at tagging stations. Changes are temporary for 2020 only. link

Maryland– Recreational fishing and hunting reopened, social distancing guidelines must be followed. l link updated 5/22

Michigan– charter fishing and guide operations are now permitted link updated 5/22 State harbors and marinas are closed through at least June 9 link

Missouri– Fort Leonard Wood – Restricted to Authorized personnel only link

Montana– travelers arriving from another state or country to Montana for non-work-related purposes undergo a 14-day self-quarantine.

New Hamshire– no longer issuing kid’s fishing derby permits or any bass tournament permits. Online sales only for licenses and permits link

New York– West Point, Outdoor Recreation= Round Pond Recreation Area – Permitted Fishing and Passive Recreation Only, 9AM-5PM link

North Carolina– multiple boat access, camping, public land closures see: link Dare County- restrictions lifted link updated 5/22

North Dakota– All travelers arriving to North Dakota from international locations and states with widespread coronavirus outbreaks must quarantine immediately for 14 days link

Ohio– People traveling into Ohio to self-quarantine for 14 days. link non-resident hunting and fishing licenses suspended link

Oklahoma– order requiring travelers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Louisiana and Washington to undergo a 14-day quarantine. link

Pennsylvania- State parks and public campgrounds remain closed. link

Rhode Island– all out-of-state travelers to quarantine for 14 days if they intend to stay in the state. Fishing system in place-staggers the days when licensed anglers can fish. Those with last names beginning with A through M can only fish on even numbered calendar days, and those with last names beginning with N through Z can only fish on odd numbered calendar days. link

South Carolina– All dates all SCDNR Lottery hunts on WMA properties have been canceled. Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge hunts remain open unless a “Stay Home” order is declared. link Fishing events link

Texas– Joint Base San Antonio – Hunting closed until further notice link 14 Day travel quarantine lifted link updated 5/22 Texas Attorney General Says Gunnison County’s Temporary Nonresident Ban Is Unconstitutional link

Utah– All recreational travel by non–residents of San Juan County is prohibited link

Vermont– 14 Day travel quarantine from any state link

Virginia– Langly AFB outdoor recreation open link updated 5/22 Marine Corps Base Quantico- outdoor recreation canceled link

West Virginia– 14 Day travel quarantine lifted updated 5/22`

Wyoming– non resident quarantine has been lifted updated 5/22

Canada– US Border currently closed to all non-essential travel

Not listed, check your state of interest as many have their park buildings and camping and restroom facilities either closed altogether or not taking reservations until later this summer. Also noted that some states are banning overnight camping on public lands or designated primitive sites.

Eleven Turkey Hunters Shot During The 2nd Half Of April, The First Week In May.

Standard / by mookyj / May 7, 2020 / 1 Comment

This is an update to the previous blog post Seven Turkey Hunters Shot in the 2nd Half of April… As mentioned before our hunting community has no tolerance for one much less eleven fellow turkey hunting brethren being loaded up in an ambulance or worse… None of us want to be there…

I’ll repeat for those that missed the first post: 2.5 million turkey hunters are afield in any given year, the incident rate hovers below 0.003% in an average year. Not to minimize the impact on the victims, the context is that 99.997% of us do the right things and hunt safely. The families and friends would have a very different perspective, and we pray for their families and swift recoveries.

Having said this, indulge me here… once you squeeze that trigger, release your arrow, it cannot be undone, you cannot put the shot load back in the shell, no more than the arrow back on it’s rest. It is 100% avoidable by our own due diligence and commitment to hunting safety. We owe this to each other. Please review common safety tips at the bottom of this.

I have a few updates on the first seven I covered, and now an eight and ninth injured in a shooting incident (archery tackle, making it the second one this season) where the hunter survived, but with gruesome results. It’s not pretty. I’ll refrain from posting the picture. Trust me for not crossing the line with gore as I’ll not stoop to tabloid sensationalism. His partner was hit after a bolt made a pass thru, luckily it did not penetrate. Sadden to report two more shot where an 11-year-old boy has died. His father was also wounded and is recovering.

Turkey Hunter Survives Being Shot in Face; Virginia Game & Inland Fisheries Investigating https://www.outdoorsrambler.com/post/turkey-hunter-survives-being-shot-in-face-virginia-game-inland-fisheries-investigating By Ken Perrotte Update- Shooter has been charged with a misdemeanor for reckless handling of firearms. I will have a story on this in the coming days– MJ

Hunter Killed In Wednesday Accident At Young County Line (TX) https://www.grahamleader.com/news/hunter-killed-wednesday-accident-young-county-line By Brian Smith No incident details or charges have been announced at this time, it is reported that the incident took place while three life long friends were turkey hunting. A foundation has been created in his memory https://www.facebook.com/SethKeenerFoundation/

Kansas Boy Airlifted to Hospital After Hunting Accident https://hayspost.com/posts/5ea6ce33eb7f1705360383cd Hays Post The victim has moved out of ICU after sustaining a shotgun blast to the head. Details are sparse with the mention of a decoy closed to the victim and the failure of the shooter to identify the target is given as a factor for the incident. No details on type of decoy, movement, fanning or reaping is currently available. Individuals involved are reported to be cooperative and the incident is still under investigation. No charges have been announced at this time.

Hunter Lucky To Be Alive After Being Shot, Mistaken For Turkey In Shannon County, Mo. https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Hunter-lucky-to-be-alive-after-being-shot-mistaken-for-turkey-569940291.html By Michael Deene No further details or charges have been announced at this time.

A 14-Year-Old Boy Shot In Jones County Hunting Accident (NC) https://www.jdnews.com/news/20200421/14-year-old-boy-shot-in-jones-county-hunting-accident By Trevor Dunnell Reported to be recovering from face and neck injuries. No investigation findings have been announced at this time.

Boy Shot In Hunting Accident Airlifted, 2nd sustained gunshot injuries (W.Va) https://wvva.com/2020/04/28/boy-shot-in-hunting-accident-airlifted/ By Bailey Pace Update- Both are reported to be recovering, no further details. The cause is also reported to be a lack of proper target ID, shooting at movement thru dense cover. No changes have been announced as the investigation continues.

Turkey Hunter shot with cross bow (IL) – Eric Rheude survives a horrific broad head pass thru from a crossbow @ 8 yards, also striking his hunting partner in the boot. Shooter was targeting the head of a hen decoy that was sticking out of his turkey vest. DNR Investigation findings have been sent on to the attorney general for possible charges. A full story forthcoming in a few days- MJ

Father and 11-year old son shot while turkey hunting, Son succumbed to his injuries. The shooter has been charged with Reckless Manslaughter. The father sustained minor injuries and treated at the scene. https://mynbc15.com/news/local/mobile-man-charged-in-hunting-accident-that-left-11-year-old-boy-dead

I will repeat here for those just picking up on the story… The following tips, good practices are well advised for your safety and that of others:

Avoid wearing the bright colors of a gobbler’s head, red, white, or blue. Large areas of black may resemble the body of a turkey. These are turkey colors, and another hunter may mistake you for a bird.
Be 100% sure of your target. Check your foreground and your background. Those extra seconds of making sure can save a life!
Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Don’t rely on your gun’s safety. Treat every gun as loaded.
If you see another hunter, don’t move- any motion can be mistaken for a turkey. Instead, call out to alert the other hunter that you are there. Do not wave or attempt to get up, or use a turkey call to alert the incoming hunter.
Do not stalk turkey sounds; it could be another hunter. Find a good setup with your back to a tree, rock, or other large natural barriers wider than your shoulders. Then go about working to call the birds to you. Stalking is illegal in many states.
You may consider placing a hunter orange ribbon high on a tree to help other hunters identify your location, or wear on your person entering or leaving. It is a legal requirement by some states, do not assume orange to be an end-all for safety. Always identify your quarry and what may be in front of, behind, or to either side. You have no guarantee that others are wearing orange…
Reconsider the assumed risks of using “tail-fanning” or “reaping’ techniques (using gobbler decoys, a synthetic fan, or real tail feathers) out immediately in front of you, mounted on your gun barrel or a head/hat mounted product while crawling or stalking. A fan may be large enough to hide you from view from other hunters and you may falsely assume they will properly identify you vs. a real gobbler.
Always let someone else know where you will be and when expected to be back via text, email, or phone message. In an emergency, precious minutes can make all the difference for someone to direct first responders to your location or for someone to know when you are late returning.

We continue to pray for those injured, that those that have succumbed to their injuries and for their families. May they heal well Godspeed.

-MJ

Restrictions Ease- Hunting & Fishing Seasons Slow Roll Out, Covid-19 Update

Standard / by mookyj / May 5, 2020 / No Comments

Update of currently impacted state turkey hunting and fishing seasons. Some states are now slowly easing up restrictions. States with 14 Day Non Resident Quarantines are showing little progress in lifting the restriction at this time.

Alaska– current 14-day mandatory quarantine order is extended to May 19, 2020 link Gov. Mike Dunleavy rescinded the cancellation of all spring bear hunts in Alaska Thursday, saying that spring bear hunts will be open to Alaskan hunters, but not available to those non-residents and anyone from outside the state. link Limited Fishing Charters, Camping and Lodging link Added 5/5

Arkansas- Buffalo National River closure includes angling, turkey hunting. link added 4/18 added 5/5

Arizona– San Carlos Apache Reservation turkey hunts canceled link

Colorado– all playgrounds, campgrounds, dispersed camping and camping facilities (including yurts and cabins) at Colorado’s state parks as well as camping at State Wildlife Areas are closed. Spring turkey hunters now are able to return their license for a refund at any time before the opening day of turkey season. link San Juan County-all public lands closed Fort Carson- hunting is NOT available on Fort Carson or Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, USAF Academy “official business only”. Fishing the 5 lakes closed link Yuma County delaying spring turkey season to 5/2/20, Gunnison county banning any visitors until further notice. link

Delaware– All out-of-state residents traveling into Delaware to immediately self-quarantine for 14 days link

Georgia– Fort Benning- Restricted to Authorized personnel only link Fort Gordon- Open to recreation if you have access link Added 5/5 The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests is temporarily shutting down all dispersed camping corridors, day-use areas, trailhead facilities and other recreation sites on the Blue Ridge Ranger District link

Hawaii– All arriving residents and visitors will immediately go into a 14-day quarantines upon entering the state link Added 5/5 Lana‘i Axis Deer Hunt Canceled link

Idaho– The purchase of non-resident black bear, fishing and turkey tags is no longer available link If you already had an agreement with an outfitter for a spring black bear hunt before the April 4th suspension, you may still obtain your tags and go on the hunt.

Illinois– DNR to Reopen Select Sites for Limited Activities May 1 link added 4/28

Kansas – travel quarantine from the following: International– China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran States- ~~California~~, Colorado, ~~Florida~~, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts(new). New Jersey, New York. Rhode Island (new) ~~Washington~~ Massachusetts and Rhode Island are new to the list, while California, Florida and Washington have been removed link updated 5/5 Kansas has an “explicit ” call out of quarantine of 14 days before you can hunt link

Kentucky- All Fort Campbell iSportsman activities including hunting, fishing and general outdoor recreation are now open, Spring Turkey Season has been extended through 17 May 2020 link updated 5/5 People traveling to Kentucky from out-of-state will now be placed under quarantine for 14 days due to an executive order link suspending sale of non-resident turkey-hunting permits- 2020 spring turkey season link

Massachusetts – All travelers arriving in the Commonwealth are instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days, link Joint Base Cape Cod/Camp Edwards controlled turkey hunt canceled link

Maine– all travelers coming to Maine quarantine for 14 days link Maine regular turkey season open two days early, on May 2. The youth season has also changed from May 2 to April 25 and adding a additional day, April 27. Turkey hunters will not be required to register their birds at tagging stations. Changes are temporary for 2020 only. link

Maryland– strict w/penalty stay at home directive. recreational boating is banned. Subsistence hunting and fishing — limited hunting and limited recreational fishing and crabbing for sustenance only. No permits for fishing tournaments, Commercial fishing deemed essential link

Michigan– charter fishing and guide operations are not permitted, possible opening- 5/15 link updated 5/5 DNR-managed boating access sites that were open for the season and remained open during the stay-at-home order will remain open. The addition of various amenities, such as the placement of courtesy piers and the reopening of bathrooms at boating access sites. State harbors and marinas are closed through at least June 9 link updated 5/5

Missouri– Fort Leonard Wood – Restricted to Authorized personnel only link

Montana– travelers arriving from another state or country to Montana for non-work-related purposes undergo a 14-day self-quarantine. The Directive follows the governor’s prior travel advisory and last week’s Stay at Home Directive link FWP ~~has suspended all spring turkey and spring black bear seasons through at least April 24th for non-resident~~ nonresident spring turkey and bear seasons resumed, April 25 link updated 5/5

Nebraska– suspended the sale of nonresident spring turkey hunting permits immediately. link

New Hamshire– no longer issuing kid’s fishing derby permits or any bass tournament permits. Online sales only for licenses and permits link

New Jersey: Starting May 2, All state parks and forests will re-open to “passive recreation,” that includes fishing and hunting link updated 5/5

New York– West Point, Outdoor Recreation= Round Pond Recreation Area – Permitted Fishing and Passive Recreation Only, 9AM-5PM link Boat launches, marinas allowed to open updated 5/5

North Carolina– multiple boat access, camping, public land closures see: link Dare County- ~~Resident only travel.~~ Non-Resident Property Owners who have a valid entry permit with matching government issued ID according to the schedule below:

Monday, May 4 at 6:00 a.m. – Entry is ongoing for non- resident property owners whose last name begins with A – I
Wednesday, May 6 at 6:00 a.m. – Entry begins and is ongoing for non- resident property owners whose last name begins with J – R
Friday, May 8 at 6:00 a.m. – Entry begins for non-resident property owners whose last name begins with S – Z link updated 5/5

North Dakota– All travelers arriving to North Dakota from international locations and states with widespread coronavirus outbreaks must quarantine immediately for 14 days link

Ohio– People traveling into Ohio to self-quarantine for 14 days. link non-resident hunting and fishing licenses suspended link

Oklahoma– order requiring travelers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Louisiana and Washington to undergo a 14-day quarantine. link

Oregon– Washington and Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife open Chinook fisheries along Columbia River on limited days in May link updated 5/5 Non-residents can fish and hunt in Oregon again beginning May 5 link updated 5/5

Pennsylvania- will reopen marinas and allow guided fishing trips again. Private campgrounds will also reopen. State parks and public campgrounds remain closed. link added 4/28

Rhode Island– all out-of-state travelers will be stopped at the border and told to quarantine for 14 days if they intend to stay in the state. Order extended to all states because of the rate of infection in other areas, mentioning New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire by name link Fishing system in place-staggers the days when licensed anglers can fish. Those with last names beginning with A through M can only fish on even numbered calendar days, and those with last names beginning with N through Z can only fish on odd numbered calendar days. link

South Carolina– Exec order- self-quarantine for 14-days for travelers lifted. link All dates all SCDNR Lottery hunts on WMA properties have been canceled. Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge hunts remain open unless a “Stay Home” order is declared. link Fishing events link updated 5/5

Texas– Joint Base San Antonio – Hunting closed until further notice link 14 Day travel quarantine from the following: flying into Texas from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the city of New Orleans, driving from the cities of Miami, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta. Also included in the order are the states of Washington and California. link Texas Attorney General Says Gunnison County’s Temporary Nonresident Ban Is Unconstitutional link

Utah– All recreational travel by non–residents of San Juan County is prohibited link

Vermont– 14 Day travel quarantine from any state link

Virginia– Langly AFB outdoor recreation canceled link Marine Corps Base Quantico- outdoor recreation canceled link

Washington- Hunting for turkey and spring bear open on May 5. Spring turkey season will end on May 31, as originally scheduled. All freshwater fishing and some saltwater fishing and shellfishing now permitted link updated 5/5 Spring bear special permit seasons will be extended until June 30. Spring bear hunters who would normally travel outside their local areas to hunt may wait to see how travel guidance evolves, or seek a permit refund link added 4/28

West Virginia– 14 Day travel quarantine from the following: Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Italy, and China link

Wisconsin– ~~No Motors in Michigan Boundary Waters link~~ Wisconsin State Parks And Forests To Reopen on May 1 link updated 5/5

Wyoming– all travelers coming to Wyoming quarantine for 14 days link nonresident fishing licenses has been suspended until April 30 link updated 5/5

Canada– inaugural New Brunswick spring turkey season canceled link US Border currently closed to all non-essential travel

Seven Turkey Hunters Shot in the 2nd Half of April…

Standard / by mookyj / April 28, 2020 / 2 Comments

As a general opinion, our hunting community has little tolerance for one much less seven fellow turkey hunting brethren making that awful trip to the hospital. One of them has been fatally shot. None of us want to be there… In that position… that scenario…

I feel a mighty big soapbox coming along to climb up on. It is a gut reaction, three of those shot were very young, one young hunter shot an adult, and one adult hunter was shot by an old-timer (for clarity of perspective, I am targeted by AARP these days), the 6th is not disclosed as of yet. The seventh hunter was fatally shot, a young man just 23 years old. Tragic, and heartbreaking.

The truth is, most everyone I know that chases gobblers know exactly what I would have to say. We all get it, right? I will spare the sermon as the lessons taught and preached among ourselves is a universal truth taught in every hunting safety class in every state.

Despite two and half million turkey hunters that engage in our beloved past time each year, the incident rate is so far down in the mud that you have to use negative powers of ten to express the unfortunate statistic. 0.003% in an average year is a victim of an errant shooting while afield. Not to lessen the impact of what has just taken place, the context is that 99.997% of us camo warriors manage to abide by safety rules, code of conduct, and do so without incident. That is all well and good and the actuaries and statisticians will be pleased in that. The families and friends of these three boys and four men will have far less appreciation of it.

Rather than detail each of these, I have their news stories linked below. One of the seven is very detailed by my good friend and fellow writer Ken Perrotte from Virginia. I am scheduled to interview the young man in the near future. As updates are released I will update.

Hunter Killed In Wednesday Accident At Young County Line (TX) https://www.grahamleader.com/news/hunter-killed-wednesday-accident-young-county-line By Brian Smith

Kansas Boy Airlifted to Hospital After Hunting Accident https://hayspost.com/posts/5ea6ce33eb7f1705360383cd Hays Post

A 14-Year-Old Boy Shot In Jones County Hunting Accident (NC) https://www.jdnews.com/news/20200421/14-year-old-boy-shot-in-jones-county-hunting-accident By Trevor Dunnell

Boy Shot In Hunting Accident Airlifted, 2nd sustained gunshot injuries (W.Va) https://wvva.com/2020/04/28/boy-shot-in-hunting-accident-airlifted/ By Bailey Pace

Some of these are titled and reported as “accidents.” It is a misuse of language and those of us in the turkey hunting community know that one hundred percent of the possibilities are preventable by following turkey hunting ethics and gun (archery implements as well) handling/safety rules.

The following tips, good practices are well advised for your safety and that of others:

Avoid wearing the bright colors of a gobbler’s head, red, white, or blue. Large areas of black may resemble the body of a turkey. These are turkey colors, and another hunter may mistake you for a bird.
Be 100% sure of your target. Check your foreground and your background. Those extra seconds of making sure can save a life!
Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Don’t rely on your gun’s safety. Treat every gun as loaded.
If you see another hunter, don’t move- any motion can be mistaken for a turkey. Instead, call out to alert the other hunter that you are there. Do not wave or attempt to get up, or use a turkey call to alert the incoming hunter.
Do not stalk turkey sounds; it could be another hunter. Find a good setup with your back to a tree, rock, or other large natural barriers wider than your shoulders. Then go about working to call the birds to you. Stalking is illegal in many states.
You may consider placing a hunter orange ribbon high on a tree to help other hunters identify your location, or wear on your person entering or leaving. It is a legal requirement by some states, do not assume orange to be an end-all for safety. Always identify your quarry and what may be in front of, behind, or to either side. You have no guarantee that others are wearing orange…
Reconsider the assumed risks of using “tail-fanning” or “reaping’ techniques (using gobbler decoys, a synthetic fan, or real tail feathers) out immediately in front of you, mounted on your gun barrel or a head/hat mounted product while crawling or stalking. A fan may be large enough to hide you from view from other hunters and you may falsely assume they will properly identify you vs. a real gobbler.
Always let someone else know where you will be and when expected to be back via text, email, or phone message. In an emergency, precious minutes can make all the difference for someone to direct first responders to your location or for someone to know when you are late returning.

As mentioned I will update as more details are published. We pray for those injured, that have succumbed to their injuries and for their families. May they heal well Godspeed.

-MJ

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Father

Spring 2021- Three Turkey Hunting Incidents, Two Fatalities.