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Re: [RC] Turkey Hunting - Jon . LindermanTurkey season opened this weekend for youth in Southern Ohio & runs through the event I help put on in May. My horse responds differently to turkey hunters than deer hunters. Hes not so frightened by the orange on the deer hunters as he is when he "knows" a camoflouged turkey hunter is somewhere nearby. I've taken to riding with a bell on his girth, a friend gave me some old sleigh bells & these work good. When we ride alone I think it gives him some "white noise" and hes less likely to be looking at everything & doing those little stutter steps and little jigs trying to find things to be spooky about. Lets the hunters know were on trail as we ding ding ding along. I wear bright colors like a bright bandana, choose his red saddle pad, and wear a bright t-shirt or this old yellow Nike vest if its cool enough. I have a bright white mesh rump rug and a bright red fleece rump rug, again if its cool enough. It was itn he 70's this weekend so I had nothign but my vest and bell to keep from getting a new bodily orofice on me or my horse. So far so good...........now granted some people: hikers, horses, hunters would prefer I not have the bell on, but I prefer not to get shot or encounter a horsemans dog off leash who might be feeling territorial and far in fornt of his rider. We stopped and chatted up a dad hiking out after hunting with his daughter who was young enought to need fingers to tell us how old she was. What a doll! She petted the horses and I produced carrots for her to feed them. Basic Goodwill 101 never hurts. I see lots of turkeys in this area and am always willing to let hunters know where I've seen hens or if I've seen any Toms. Then during trail marking for events I stop and let them know 100 or so horses will be pounding the trails that weekend & show them where on the map so they can plan accordingly.......Advanced Goodwill 102. I rarely sing.......probably get shot for my bad Elvis impersonations. Heck more than one person has given me a glare on Sunday when I warble hymns off key in church! "Wise men say only fools rush in............." Jon
Turkey season opened today in Southern Oregon and my new horse about jumped out of his skin when someone shot REALLY close to the heavily wooded trail where we were riding to access the "real" trail system.
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