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

[scarkner]

I found it interesting that question 21 - where did you hear about this survey - didn't include this website!

[fratri]

I found it interesting that question 21 - where did you hear about this survey - didn't include this website!

Me too....
They may have included this site in "magazine" option.

[bush24]

Enough idiots in the woods don't need guys trying to shoot flying or running birds in a open field with a .22, and don't say it wont be done because im sure it gets done enough already.

I've lawfully and safely used a 22 LR for "on the ground" ruffed grouse, 22 rifles are legal to use for small game, why not turkeys?

On the side, more of today's hunters seem to hunt for sport and don't seem to care about the cost per bird/deer... Those who hunt for food soon will refuse to hunt for turkeys. I think if some could hunt and release they would? Over the years, fishing mindsets have also changed. Last fall, I caught 3 ganaraska rainbows, released 2 and kept 1 to bring home. Out came the dirty looks and comments from the catch/release fanatics. "You killed it, your gonna need lots of ketchup, etc.." Whatever.

[werner.reiche]

I've lawfully and safely used a 22 LR for "on the ground" ruffed grouse, 22 rifles are legal to use for small game, why not turkeys?

On the side, more of today's hunters seem to hunt for sport and don't seem to care about the cost per bird/deer... Those who hunt for food soon will refuse to hunt for turkeys. I think if some could hunt and release they would? Over the years, fishing mindsets have also changed. Last fall, I caught 3 ganaraska rainbows, released 2 and kept 1 to bring home. Out came the dirty looks and comments from the catch/release fanatics. "You killed it, your gonna need lots of ketchup, etc.." Whatever.

Ruffed grouse with a .22 and turkey with a .22 are two enormously different things, and anyone who know even the tiniest amount about hunting *should* be aware of it. Grouse shot with a .22 are usually at close range with the hunter standing so the bullet goes into the ground. A shot a turkey is going to be longer, with the hunter likely hidden, sitting and the bullet travelling in a near horizontal path. And the real kicker - its not very likely there is another hunter concealed nearby trying to call in a grouse.

[trimmer21]

A shot a turkey is going to be longer, with the hunter likely hidden, sitting and the bullet travelling in a near horizontal path. And the real kicker - its not very likely there is another hunter concealed nearby trying to call in a grouse.

On that note,I'm still a tad leery about running the Turkey and Black Bear seasons together. What could possibly go wrong?

[Fox]

On that note,I'm still a tad leery about running the Turkey and Black Bear seasons together. What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing different than deer hunting and migratory bird or archery deer and upland game.

[werner.reiche]

Nothing different than deer hunting and migratory bird or archery deer and upland game.

Not quite. I see trimmer's point. But I think we are counting on bear hunters not hunting the same terrain as turkey hunters on public land, which I think is a reasonable assumption.

[bellerivercrossbowhunter]

They will pass the .22 rule for turkey but to go along with it you will be required to wear hunter orange vest & hat. Good luck with that...

[Fox]

Not quite. I see trimmer's point. But I think we are counting on bear hunters not hunting the same terrain as turkey hunters on public land, which I think is a reasonable assumption.

It all comes down to knowing what is behind your target.

I do not see that many spring bear hunters in SW Ontario where most of the turkey hunting will happen, there are some overlap areas but not that many.

I do not see this as any more dangerous than people in tree stands with camo on hunting archery for deer during an upland season, you can have people shooting up when birds flush.

Think about migratory bird hunting, hunting a marsh in October and November when deer and moose seasons are on, you are in full camp in a blind and hunting along an area where both big game and birds are both found, same problem here.

What about groundhog hunters and spring turkey hunting? Are there not a lot more groundhog hunters than black bear hunters? Black bears in the spring are generally hunted over bait from tree stands, groundhogs are shot at long range in fields and mainly along field edges and your best hunting is right at the start of turkey hunting season, before the grass starts to get long.

We can look at any hunting and any property, you may have someone just walking through the bush.

I do not see using a 22LR for turkey any differently than a 22 LR for groundhogs or target practice, if the safety of someone with a 22 LR in the field is such a problem then we need to ban all firearms from being shot outside of a CFO authorized range.

[werner.reiche]

...
I do not see using a 22LR for turkey any differently than a 22 LR for groundhogs or target practice, if the safety of someone with a 22 LR in the field is such a problem then we need to ban all firearms from being shot outside of a CFO authorized range.

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.