# Opening day buzzkill



## dsoy28

I understand this happens when I'm not the only one getting permission, but I got totally ****blocked this morning. Put my time in, took the morning off work, up at 4:30 to be in the woods at 5:30. Two toms called in to 60 yds, (interrupting my calling), and two hunters walk up on my hen decoy between me and the gobblers. Now I get that I don't own the property, but if I can't get in the woods on time, I don't hunt. Especially when they basically had to walk past my truck to get to the spot. Just venting I guess, maybe I'm overreacting...?


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## luv fishing

I understand what your saying completely it happen to me today to but the guy that did it me was a fence hopper. And wouldn't you know on my way out the woods here came the game warden and we had the guy on tape so we showed and told the game right where he was


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## M.Magis

It&#8217;s frustrating, but I&#8217;m not sure it was their fault. It&#8217;s sounds like they were just trying to get set up on a hot bird. I&#8217;m sure all of us have done the same thing. I had someone get a bit too close for comfort this morning as well, but I&#8217;m not positive where the new property lines are on the property I was hunting, so I let it go. 
When I used to hunt public ground, sometimes I would hang out in the parking spot, hoping if someone else was going to show up I could let them know where I would be. But more often than not they showed up as the birds were gobbling.  If possible, it would good to talk to them and coordinate together if you&#8217;re hunting the same property.


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## Lundy

That is all very frustrating but it could be worse, a lot worse.

My hunting partner and I split up at daylight many years ago on opening morning with a plan to meet back at my jeep at 11 AM.

I was into birds all morning but could never close the deal. I had heard a shot earlier in the morning and hoped it was my buddy and that he was more successful than me that morning.

When I returned to my Jeep I found that he had already been there. The cooler was open, his coat and gun was laying there on the ground but I didn't see him around. I waited a while thinking he might be heeding a call of nature but he after 10-15 minutes I yelled out for him with no response. I started circling the area but could find no sign of him. At noon I decided to drive down to the main road from where we were parked up in the woods and see if he was down there for some reason. 

When I picked up his coat and gun to put in in my jeep my hand got all sticky. I opened his coat to find the inside all covered with blood, Now I really am unsure what to do. I drove down to the road and went to the nearest house and asked if they had seen him or knew anything. They said that my friend had been shot by another hunter earlier that morning and had been taken by EMT to Logan Hospital. I drove to the hospital and they told me he had been transported to Columbus. I finally caught up with him some 5 hrs after he was shot. He was in a Columbus hospital being readied for some surgery on his right hand and forearm.

Some other hunter thought he was a turkey and shot at the eye cutout on my buddies mask thinking that was the head of a turkey. Only my buddy raising his right hand up towards his face, for some reason, in a camo glove, at the last second saved him much more serious injury. He never saw the guy prior to the shot.

A bunch of surgeries and years later he mostly recovered. He took the bulk of the load in his right hand, forearm and forehead. 

NEVER assume you are alone in the woods and NEVER assume someone isn't stupid enough to mistake you for a turkey or a deer.


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## M.Magis

What a scary story, glad your friend recovered, at least as well as possible. Though everyone likes to say they would never make such a mistake as the shooter made, it can happen to anyone. I know my eyes have played tricks on me before. I&#8217;ve never pulled the trigger, but it&#8217;s scary none the less.


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## dsoy28

That story is ridiculous to even think about, no excuse for that as far as I'm concerned. It's a little different than kickin up rabbits. 


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## Lundy

Do a google search for turkey hunting accidents and you find this happens a lot more often than it should. Hard be believe, but it does happen


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## Bulldawg

All these stories really make ya think sometimes , I only have a few farms I turkey hunt . But I always make sure the other guys are aware I am there or I will wait til they are hunting somewhere else another day . I know it doesnt always work that way , but after turkey hunting for the last 17 + years I just decided I wasnt going to hunt them this spring . 

I enjoy it every spring , its an awesome time of the year to be in the woods . But sometimes it is more of a hassle than anything , just as some of you have stated before . You do your homework , take off work , and have the whole plan laid out in your mind and then some trespasser bee bops in and wrecks the whole set up ! I am just going to do more fishing instead this spring ! Good Luck to everyone and Be Safe !


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## mrtwister_jbo

heard on the news an scanner this mornin that hunter shot near the jefferson co//// harrison co area.
twister


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## Fish-N-Fool

Sorry your hunt was ruined! Turkey hunting lends itself to these situations....again by the nature many hunt the birds. I've been on both ends of your situation. 

Just 3 years ago I heard a hot bird at the opposite end of the property I was set up on. I abandoned my set up and headed back quickly planning to try to set up and call him over. I probably had to go 1/4 mile and it was in Muskingum Cty (so hills). I wasn't certain where the bird was...I did know he was either just on neighboring property to the north, or over the ridge further east on "my" property. My plan was to set up on a small knoll just across the east creek about 40 yards from the east property line. No sooner than I crested that small knoll and picked a spot I heard the call right on top of me - I looked across the property line and there were 2 guys set up with a decoy (I should have seen right away, but didn't trying to get set up fast) maybe 75 yards east of me just on the neighboring property. They waved and I grabbed my stuff and retreated back over the knoll......don't know what they did?

My wife's family has a complete family history journal. It is the responsibility of the eldest daughter of th Patriarch to keep, update and hand down the journal. It is very interesting....very interesting. At the turn of the 1800s 2 brothers set out for a turkey hunt and one ended up shotting and ultimately killing the other. Turkey hunting has been dangerous since the firearm was invented.


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## Darron

we roosted a bird monday night. Got in at 5am under darkness. Set up on a logging road that leads out in a field where we saw him that eve. He flys down and is coming..... closest hen is about 75 yards and he is bringing up the back probably 100 yards out only to have a hunter walk across the pasture field in broad daylight. Once he crested the ridge the bird was gone. I took a day off from work only to have some idiot high school kid come in and ruin my hunt. Keep in mind this was private land too. I was sick. Drove 2 hours...took a day off from work....just to be screwed up. Left and checked some other spots but did not hear a thing.

He said he shot and missed one Monday morning. In two days this kid shot and missed one and messed up another groups hunt...he needs to take a break. As my partner said he's a one man FU machine.


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## dsoy28

Finally got some redemption. Found a spot with a little privacy and had consistent action for a few days. First time doing my own calling with mouth calls and after forty minutes of begging got four Jakes to come in. Best part was watching the other three attack my bird when he was down.

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## jiggin'fool

My buddy and his dad were the ones that got shot in brimfield opening morning by trespassers....They were bowhunting and called in a jake, but his dad couldn't get a good shot so let it walk... went over the hill and about 5 minutes later they hear BOOM! They went to confront whoever it was and got shot! My buddy's dad got hit in the chest and neck and my buddy(who just got married this past saturday) got hit with 16 #4 pellets at 50 yards one of which went into his left eye and nearly into his brain! He just had surgery yesterday to see if they could restore his sight and they said the retina is detached from the nerve and there is nothing they could do! this wasn't the guys first trespassing charge either... what I don't understand is how people look like BEARDED turkeys! I know hunts ruined get me fired up, but its better than what could happen! Congrats on the bird and guys stay safe out there and be sure of your target!


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