Just talked to Chuck Sykes to clarify what the wording in the new reg meant. He said the wording was clarified this year and that it means that any fan whether natural or man made that is held by hand or attached to a gun is considered “mechanically manipulated”. He said not only is it illegal in Alabama, but it always has been.

Good.

Wow, very interesting. Keep your fans at home.

Ultimately, I agree. I hate giving up freedoms of any kind, but if the emerging research is true that “dominant” gobblers being taken away from a harem of hens too early in the breeding season is true.....there is not a close second place for making him vulnerable than a fan/reaping decoy. So much so, I quit carrying one years ago as I just couldn’t come to grips with how unfair it was to the turkey. When I killed one with a fan, it was ultimately the same feeling as watching Jimmy Houston or similar shoot a deer in a pen.

I figured there would be more discussion than this. I did it once or twice when the fad first started years ago but all I accomplished was pretty much spooking them into the next county. I don’t really like to do it and haven’t in several years. I think the “It’s always been illegal in Alabama” tagline they are saying is horse manure. Watch about any hunting show filmed in Alabama and they are doing it. That’s about all the Bone Collector guys do nowadays when they are hunting in Bama.

A lot of gray area. They all dance in a field/clearcut on a windy day.

What about crawling up to a spot just to setup?

No way to enforce anyway.

It has helped me with kids.

I’ve never used a fan or decoys to kill a turkey, but I don’t care what anybody else does. Every hunter has there own code of ethics they adhere to and I’m not going to impose mine on somebody else. I do think there is some irony in folks wanting to outlaw decoys and fans because it’s too easy to kill a gobbler with them but these same folks are killing birds at 75 yards with TSS 😀

Always wondered how the law would read should it ever get passed

holding a fan in yer hand is not a mechanical action no matter what he says.

What would make sense is to get rid of decoys altogether on public land. Private properties, I wouldn’t care either way.

I’m all for teaching a child how to turkey hunt the “traditional way”, which is my favorite way. But, decoys have helped me put smiles on faces as well.

I agree...

Are red gloves still leagal?

100%. Doesn’t matter what your personal preferences might be, this is a stretch and misinterpretation.

Seems like typical chuckie bullskit. Make up the rules however he sees fit.

Not a misinterpretation...... they guy that put it in there explained the intent. It is what he says it is................. even though he’s still a rooster lollipop.

What’s that about?

doesn't make any difference what his intent was, a handheld fan has no mechanical parts. Poorly written reg and would lose a case in any Circuit Court.

This^^^^

It says no mechanical,electronic or handheld,or any that attached to a gun,a fan doesn’t have to have a mechanical part,they’re handheld or usually mounted on a gun,I’ve never used one or a decoy so it doesn’t apply to me anyway

That means all decoys are illegal until they are setup and left alone. I generally tote stuff and handle stuff with my hands.