Reminder to be aware!

[The Gobble-stopper]

Got word yesterday, a good friend of mine ( retired state patrolman)  got shot while turkey hunting over by Okanogan. He was using brush for a blind and hit the gobble call once. And immediately got blasted by someone. The guy did not even see anything. My friend was hunting with a buddy, which was able to keep the guy there. All the guy could say was.... why did you use a gobble call? Well, my question is, why would any sane person, with even a half a brain, shoot into the brush at a sound? Not even shooting at a decoy! Which is half witted too! He will be spending some time in the slammer with bubba! Along with never being able get his hunting rights back. My friend is in and out of surgery. Apparently nothing hit his eyes some how. Just missed his juglers. He received over 90 pellets in and around his face and upper body. So remember to keep your back to a tree, and a whole lot of space between you and idiots!

[lostbackpacker]

Your friend should buy a lottery ticket

[Mfowl]

That's scary! I hope your friend recovers with no serious damage. It seems like turkey hunting has quite a bit of "accidents," not just here but all around the country.

[ICEMAN]

Prayers for a speedy recovery for your friend.

[PA BEN]

Glad to hear he's Ok. Turkey hunters are some of the most desperate hunters I've ever seen. Guys go out and never see a turkey or hear a gobble, so some guys do the stupidest things to get a turkey. I was rained by pellets working a Tom on private land, the tom was coming and bang, I heard the bird flopping and yelled at them, they grabbed the bird and ran out of there.   

[turkeyfeather]

Hope your friend is ok. That is one reason why I don't use a gobble call.

[boneaddict]

Prayers for your friend.   I hope he is ok.   What makes people so desperate to notch?

[Greenhorn]

Wow,  talk about throwing all that you have learned in firearm safety out the window! Hope your friend recovers well!

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[Skyvalhunter]

Sorry to hear about your friend. This is the very reason why you never know what type of people are out there hunting. Obviously this guy didn't know what his target was he was shooting at. Guys like this need to lose their hunting privileges.

[bhawley76]

That's  terrible I hope you buddy makes a full recovery. I have heard of this happening way to many times. I just don't get it. That's one of the reasons I don't even hunt turkeys.   

[jackmaster]

WTF, that guy needs a shotgun blast to the ass, that crap is unacceptable, holy hell, why the hell would someone just shoot at a noise, makes me sick that there are people out there huntn that are willing to do something like that. people need to learn how to control their adrenaline when their huntn, aint no excuse what so ever hope your buddy makes a quick recovery so he can get back out and get his turkey, he definatly seems to have earned it

[The Gobble-stopper]

Just got word he is doing much better today. Lot more hits than origianlly thought, but many of the extras gave him welts. Those will go away, Just thank God he is alive. Thanks for all the wishes.

[jmaster4880]

glad to hear your friend is ok. hope his recovery is a speedy one so he can go back out and get his turkey.  some people are just plain stupid.

[hntrspud]

Glad to hear he is recovering from the incident. Hope he can get back on the horse and get out again.

[seth30]

Glad to hear he is recovering from the incident. Hope he can get back on the horse and get out again.

[Mfowl]

Any update on the shooter? Has he been arrested/charged? What are the charges if so? Was this on public land?

[bracer40]

Glad to hear your friend's doing better.

Yea, just like most others here,.......unbelievable how stupid people act out there.

[ghosthunter]

Wow

Hope all turns out.

Sadly I will bet this guy never spends a day in jail. He will get a fine, If he had home owners insurance that covered this maybe your buddy will get some cash.

But I am guessing this will be a long Civil matter.

[snowpack]

Was the shooter young enough that he would have been through Hunter Ed?

[ghosthunter]

Was the shooter young enough that he would have been through Hunter Ed?

Good question if the shooter was born before 1/1/72 he would not be required to pass hunter ed. 

[The Gobble-stopper]

All I heard so far is the man that did the shooting was an older person. I havnt been abel to get alhold of anyone, Short of driving to okanagan and the hospitol wont let out information. I will you know when i hear more. Someone said they saw it on one of the new's

[The Gobble-stopper]

Update from sister of victim..... Yeah he is Lucky. It hit him in side of his head temple , forehead nose, neck , shoulder side all over. The man was from Michigan hunting with his daughter George thinks he was about 70. He was pretty shook up as you can imagine. No excuse though. The jokes are already coming. But, people who know George can probably really understand how he could be mistaken for a Turkey. lol. George should be home now. We are going to go visit soon. He said he is feeling 100percent better. Thanks again everyone.  Then letter from George...... I am home and feeling a whole bunch better than I could ever imagine. From now on when someone calls me a turkey I am going to abruptly tell them no I'm not a turkey. Hey everyone glad we are able to make light of the situation it could have been a lot worse, and for those who know me I appreciate all the snide remarks......  So good to hear from all of you that responded to this post. I will pass them on to George and family!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Man ...that's why it is getting more dangerous out there when you have more and more UN EDUCATED turkey hunters in the field ...I really can not fathom such an un excusable incident  why do people just shoot at sound is beyond me ...I would never use a gobble call personally , even using a stutter decoy with a real fan attached to it is very scary ...you best be aware of what's going around you at all times ...

[rosscrazyelk]

Got word yesterday, a good friend of mine ( retired state patrolman)  got shot while turkey hunting over by Okanogan. He was using brush for a blind and hit the gobble call once. And immediately got blasted by someone. The guy did not even see anything. My friend was hunting with a buddy, which was able to keep the guy there. All the guy could say was.... why did you use a gobble call? Well, my question is, why would any sane person, with even a half a brain, shoot into the brush at a sound? Not even shooting at a decoy! Which is half witted too! He will be spending some time in the slammer with bubba! Along with never being able get his hunting rights back. My friend is in and out of surgery. Apparently nothing hit his eyes some how. Just missed his juglers. He received over 90 pellets in and around his face and upper body. So remember to keep your back to a tree, and a whole lot of space between you and idiots!

Heard about this from a co worker who is friends with the patrolman as well.
Glad he is doing well.

[j_h_nimrod]

I know there are classes/tests required for certain hunts in many places and turkey hunting sounds like it would be a prime place to institute such a requirement.

Glad your friend is alive and well.

[The Gobble-stopper]

Family came home! Got the revised version of what happened. George was not in a blind. He was walking, and the man that shot him just heard noise. And assumed it was a turkey. I saw pictures of George, pretty messed up. Every place he was hit, it looked like he got stung by a killer bee, and had an allergic reaction. The swelling was incredible, with a hole in the center of every mound. The man is being prosecuted!

[kevinlisa06]

Glad your friend is ok! What a friggin idiot to shoot something and didn't even have a target completely idiotic!


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[turkeydancer]

Glad your friend is okay and getting better.

When I do my turkey hunting seminar, I tell people to never use a full strut decoy with real fan and/or a gobble call on public land.

However with that said ... on the fourth dayof this years hunt and knowing I was the only person on a good sized piece of private land ... and setup against a large pine with full 180 degree visabilty in front of me .... I set out my Killer B full strut decoy with real fan and when the reluctant gobble "peeked" for the umpteenth time at 60 yards or more I gave him a gobble off my tube call ... pissed him off and he came running in .... that's all she wrote folks !   

I would use it again in the same situation, but .... NEVER ON PUBLIC LAND !     

By the way ... congrats to all the successful youth and adult hunters !

[mossy8352]

First so glad he is okay!

Lets see no beard hanging from his throat, no tail feathers, no swelled red head and neck, not a turkey. No excuse for this at all. The type of call being used is not the issue the lack of skills needed to hunt anything is the issue period!

It is personal for me as I had a friend that took a blast in the face straight on and lost his eye sight, developed diabetes from lack of exercise and died. I was also shot at repeatedly deer hunting in CA years ago and they knew we were not deer (resolved it the old fashioned way).
Born in 1942 took hunter Ed twice in CA as it was fun and informative. End of rant glad he is going to be ok and on the mend!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Glad your bubbies OK! Do turkeys see color? Think I might where some hunter orange when turkey hunting? Maybe just some on hat and what not?

[Jester052]

I used a gobble call for the first time this year and THEY ARE GREAT! When I shook it the whole woods around me lit up. I had birds right on top of me and I didn't even know it. It's Unbelievable to me that some hunters are so careless or hard up for a bird that they would shoot before confirming what they are shooting at. I mean a legal bird MUST have a VISIBLE beard. That's means you have to SEE a beard BEFORE you shoot. Idiots. I wish your buddy a speedy recovery