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Scoot-n-shoot turkey hunting raises issues of ethics, safety

In this April 11, 2014 photo, Theresa Vail, Miss Kansas, shoots through a gobbler decoy's feathers during filming of a television hunting series called
In this April 11, 2014 photo, Theresa Vail, Miss Kansas, shoots through a gobbler decoy's feathers during filming of a television hunting series called "Limitless," to air on the Outdoors Channel next year. (AP/Michael Pearce)

HUNTING -- Promotion of a controversial turkey hunting technique that involves hiding or sneaking behind a fanned out gobbler decoy has caught my attention this season.

As you can see in the video above by Mojo Outdoors, this "scoot-n-shoot" method, also known as "fanning," poses major issues with hunter safety as well as ethics.

In today's Outdoors column I write about on these tactics, featuring the viewpoint of five experts in the field, from the International Hunter Education Association to the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Check out the video first and then the reactions from the experts. Then let me know what YOU think.

Should the state enact a rule that prohibits a hunter from being closer than 5 or 10 feet from a turkey decoy while in the act of hunting?

  • To show how the basics of hunter education are deteriorating behind this mentality, the photo with this post shows TV crews and men who call themselves turkey hunting experts setting up an outdoors show filming featuring Miss Kansas shooting from behind a gobbler decoy.


Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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