What should the future of wild turkey hunting in Ontario look like?

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Originally Posted by werner.reiche

Actually there is a big difference...The turkey, which may be there because of decoys/calling by a hunter.
If you can't understand that, I think you should go retake both hunters safety and the turkey hunting course.

As far as knowing what's behind your target, with a shotgun you need to know for a few hundred yards. With a rifle, even the lowly .22, its more than a mile.

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Wow, just wow.

So if someone is hunting with a shotgun for turkey and hiding along a field edge that guy with a 270 rifle on the other side of the farm is hunting groundhogs it is safer than someone hunting the other side of the farm with a 22 LR?

I know what safety is, I also know that "cause I said so" is not a viable answer.

The 270 is a lot more dangerous than a 22LR but it is perfectly legal to hunt with a 270 for groundhogs when someone is out hunting turkeys. Same with a 243, 223, 222, 17 Rem, how many more long range centerfire rifles do I have to list.

It is also legal to target shoot on a farm, put a target against a tree and fire a 7mm Remington Mag, still legal, even when there is an open season for turkey hunting.

I mentioned in the survey I'd like to use .22LR for turkey. While some may think it's more dangerous than shotguns, I don't buy it.
Ppl are out spraying .22s all year long for a variety of hunting and recreational purposes. Including turkeys doesn't up the danger one iota.

I also flat out stated that I know TONS of hunters who buy one tag to be "legal", and then harvest 2-4 birds and tag their last one.

The govt is losing money, the bird population takes a hit, the MNR misses out on key information and a mentality among hunters of Us vs Govt (the robbing crooks!) is perpetuated.

I suggested a $50 license for spring hunt with a 3 bird limit, or a $75 license for Spring & Fall hunt and a 4 bird limit. Or something to that effect.

The Hunter's perceived value is improved, the govt gets more money & the MNR (hopefully) gets improved accuracy in its collected data.

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Originally Posted by Oddmott

I mentioned in the survey I'd like to use .22LR for turkey. While some may think it's more dangerous than shotguns, I don't buy it.
Ppl are out spraying .22s all year long for a variety of hunting and recreational purposes. Including turkeys doesn't up the danger one iota.

I also flat out stated that I know TONS of hunters who buy one tag to be "legal", and then harvest 2-4 birds and tag their last one.

The govt is losing money, the bird population takes a hit, the MNR misses out on key information and a mentality among hunters of Us vs Govt (the robbing crooks!) is perpetuated.

I suggested a $50 license for spring hunt with a 3 bird limit, or a $75 license for Spring & Fall hunt and a 4 bird limit. Or something to that effect.

The Hunter's perceived value is improved, the govt gets more money & the MNR (hopefully) gets improved accuracy in its collected data.

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I hope you report the TONS of hunters harvesting 2-4 birds every year.

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Originally Posted by Fox

Wow, just wow.

So if someone is hunting with a shotgun for turkey and hiding along a field edge that guy with a 270 rifle on the other side of the farm is hunting groundhogs it is safer than someone hunting the other side of the farm with a 22 LR?

I know what safety is, I also know that "cause I said so" is not a viable answer.

The 270 is a lot more dangerous than a 22LR but it is perfectly legal to hunt with a 270 for groundhogs when someone is out hunting turkeys. Same with a 243, 223, 222, 17 Rem, how many more long range centerfire rifles do I have to list.

It is also legal to target shoot on a farm, put a target against a tree and fire a 7mm Remington Mag, still legal, even when there is an open season for turkey hunting.

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That's a pretty lame straw man.

You still don't get that adding turkey's to the equation changes everything. We're not talking about shooting groundhogs. We're talking about shooting turkeys (and turkey decoys). It wouldn't be the first time someone erringly shot at a decoy with a rifle and killed someone.

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Originally Posted by Hunter John

I hope you report the TONS of hunters harvesting 2-4 birds every year.

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Ever see the remnants of a hunt camp fire? One of the many things that can happen when tattling on locals living off the land.

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Originally Posted by werner.reiche

That's a pretty lame straw man.

You still don't get that adding turkey's to the equation changes everything. We're not talking about shooting groundhogs. We're talking about shooting turkeys (and turkey decoys). It wouldn't be the first time someone erringly shot at a decoy with a rifle and killed someone.

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They also taught you to place the decoy so that anyone coming from a distance cannot sneak up on you and put you in your hide in a dangerous situation, I guess you missed that part, that is why the course I took back 15 years ago talked of not calling like a male bird and only using hen decoys.

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Originally Posted by Fox

They also taught you to place the decoy so that anyone coming from a distance cannot sneak up on you and put you in your hide in a dangerous situation, I guess you missed that part, that is why the course I took back 15 years ago talked of not calling like a male bird and only using hen decoys.

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*Exactly* And that is why we are limited to shotguns only... so the other hunter has to sneak up on you, not shoot from 100+ yards away across a field. Shorter range increases the odds of two hunters each realising the other is there. That is the purpose in limiting the hunt to shotguns and small (4,5,6) shot.

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Originally Posted by Fox

Ever see the remnants of a hunt camp fire? One of the many things that can happen when tattling on locals living off the land.

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That's lame Fox, real lame. Call the MNR tip line or crime stoppers as they are anonymous . Do you really support the no snitch mentality ? whats next , wearing an I CANT BREATH t shirt. LOL

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Originally Posted by Hunter John

I hope you report the TONS of hunters harvesting 2-4 birds every year.

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Nu-uh.
For a variety of reasons.

But mostly I only concern myself with hunting issues that have to do with ppl's safety. I'll report someone for hunting drunk, road hunting, etc. Because there can be immediate and deadly consequences from it. But I'll let the law handle the policing of bag limits.

It's not worth pissing off neighbours & friends over.

Make it more affordable & increase efficiency of reporting and it becomes a much lesser issue.

werner.reiche, I think most of your posts are blowing what could be a small issue out of proportion. I would hunt them exactly the same and at the same range. Just with a well placed head shot.