Ontario Turkey

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So , a fella at work was tellin' us that his uncle has invited him to southern Ontario to hunt turky on the farm . His uncle will pick him up at the airport in Toronto . The problem is that the fella can get away for a long weekend but can't get away twice as he say's that he has to take a turkey couse before he can hunt turkey .

More than one fella commented that if a northerner has to take a turkey course to hunt turkey's in southern Ontario , then the southerners should have to take a specific moose hunting course to come north and hunt moose . The moose hunting couse should be offered in Kenora , in July so a southerner has to make the trip twice . Once for the course and once to actually hunt .

I didn't get in on that part of the conversation but it has me wondering . What's so special about a freaking turkey that a couse is required ? I've never seen a wild turkey . Do they attack if ya miss so the turkey hunter has to be taught how to defend themselves from maurading turkeys ? Are turkeys more bulletproof than a rabbit ?

Is the couse anything more than a money grab ? If you never took a turkey course would your chances of success be zero ? If a turkey course is so valuable shouldn't we have a specific course for every game animal ? What do they actually teach in a turkey course ?

It's up to the hunter to determine if it's a big calf or a small cow at various ranges without any specific moose courses so what's so special about turkeys that you need a course ? We call moose , rattle bucks and squeal for varmints so do i actually need a course to go gobble , gobble , gobble , cluck , cluck , cluck ? If it's shot size , pattern and range , every waterfowler already knows that without a specific course for ducks or geese . I smell OFAH but correct me if i'm wrong .
 
The deal is that OFAH took the initiative and the lead on the wild turkey reintroduction program starting in the early 1980's. From the start, OFAH has had a close relationship with MNR in managing the program, and to be honest, I would rather see them involved than out of the loop since they represent hunters. All of the money collected from the wild turkey seminars is reinvested into the program. $35 for a (long) 8 hour course is not expensive. The travel, well that is bummer for your friend.

Turkey hunting is quite different than moose or deer hunting. You lie in wait under complete camouflage and call in the birds. You do not stalk turkeys under any circumstances. People who stalk turkeys are likely to cause an accident, e.g. shoot your decoys and spray you with shot.

Turkey hunting in the USA is statistically the most dangerous type of hunting with regard to accidental shootings. Its a PITA to have to take another course but I took it just last weekend and learned a lot in it. Furthermore, our hunter safety record with the Southern Ontario turkey hunt is excellent. I think its logical to assume that the course has done some good from that perspective. The anti-hunters want to see as many accidents as possible to destroy hunting.
 
In a few words, since you dont have to wear orange, mnr wants to make sure you cant sue their ass' later. With the course they can say "told you so".
 
MauserMike said:
Turkey hunting in the USA is statistically the most dangerous type of hunting with regard to accidental shootings. Furthermore, our hunter safety record with the Southern Ontario turkey hunt is excellent. I think its logical to assume that the course has done some good from that perspective. The anti-hunters want to see as many accidents as possible to destroy hunting.
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I had the same thoughts about having to take a "Turkey course" since I am a longtime hunter. What it boils down to is what MauserMike pointed out; SAFETY!!!
Turkey hunting is inherently dangerous, & education is the best way to prevent disasterous accidents. The anti's will use every accident to their advantage. I assure you, you will enjoy the course. I thought I knew alot about turkey hunting, but I still learned a thing or two. The instructors are experienced turkey hunters who share their sucesses & failures with you. Well worth the $35 IMHO.
Let's all concentrate on being safe on the hunt. Good luck to all the turkey hunters out there.

George
 
I took the course in Ottawa last weekend - it could have been shorter, but it was worth the $35.00. They put 600 people through it in two days - a buddy who was at the indoor range for a some .22 bulls-eye competition said he'd never seen so many pick-up trucks in the RA Center parking lot (urban location). Aside from a few plugs for Mossy Oak and other namebrand gear (no doubt involving some kick-backs ;) to the OFAH, there was a lot of useful information thrown in. I have to confess, before the course, I'd have been tempted to 'stalk' turkey, now I won't be. I'm also more interested in trying for one than I was before the course.

On a related note, I was in Bass Pro in Vaughn north of Toronto Easter weekend - first time in there and I couldn't believe the amount of gear you 'need' for successful turkey hunting ... kinda makes you wonder how we hunted them to extinction 100 years ago... ;)
 
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IMHO, it's nothing but a cash grab. I don't see why they can't just add it to the Hunters Course and be done with it.

I took the "short" course at the Fishing show in Feb, and I can honestly say that in the 6 hours there, the only things I learned are:
1) You have to wear camo, or the Turkeys can see you, so be careful around other hunters.
2) Don't wear the American flag. Well, the colours anyway. These are the colours of a Tom and if you use a white hanky, you can get your nose shot off
3) The only Turkey you can shoot has to have a beard. While it's mainly the male with the beard, sometimes it's the female, but if you kill it, it better have a beard.

Now, in the last year I've (willingly) forked out for my PAL, my hunters course, a deer tag, renewed my Outdoors card to include all small game and sport fishing, then taken the Turkey course, a Turkey tag, and now my R-PAL. I think it's a bit extreme that I've had to take so many courses that encompass the same lessons. Not including guns and ammo, I've given various governments a TON of my after tax $$.

If the Turkey course is so important because the hunter is camo'd, tell me this. Why didn't I have to take a Duck Hunters course??????

I'm all for orgs like OFAH helping the individual hunter get ahead, and every year at the Fishing and Sportsmans shows I buy a few of those raffle tickets knowing that the $$ goes to the org, and I won't get the prizes, but will benefit from my "donation" anyway.

But this is different. If we allow this to continue, the we will be standing in like to take a course to hunt ducks. And one to hunt bear. And another to hunt deer. If we act like sheep and allow Government and these organizations take control of our sport, we may as well lay down our arms and take two steps back.

Just my two cents.
 
csmith99 said:
If the Turkey course is so important because the hunter is camo'd, tell me this. Why didn't I have to take a Duck Hunters course??????
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CSmith99,

I understand your feelings, however duck hunting is quite different, has been around for a long time in Canada, & has been integrated into the Hunter edu. program. Turkey hunting is fairly new to Ontario, & quite frankly we need this sort of education to quell needless accidents in the field. I didn't mind giving OFAH $35 for the course. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the money goes to the government. As to having to take individual courses for deer, bear, moose, etc. IMHO this will NOT happen as they are already integrated in the Ontario Hunter edu. program.
 
I don't mind paying the $35 either. It's siting there all day listening to how good 1 brand of calls and camo are. I mean theres what 12 questions why does it take all day?

Either way they must make alot of money there was over 300 people when I took mine, thats $10,500.
 
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Turkeys are a managed species. Management takes money. Training generates that money. As hunters, we pay for our privledge. The feds don't offer a goddamn cent, which is most likely why there isn't a course for ducks, as they fall under federal regs. Hunting and the WMU Wildlife Management process in Ontario is supported by hunter through tags and courses. There is no Federal or Provincial suppprt.

You may think the training is pointless, but I feel safer knowing that the other hunters in the woods with me in season have at least had some training.

Not everyone knows about the dangers inehrent with hunting turkeys, and I am POSITIVE we would have more fatalities here without the courses. And most likey more poached turkeys.
 
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csmith99 said:
Now, in the last year I've (willingly) forked out for my PAL, my hunters course, a deer tag, renewed my Outdoors card to include all small game and sport fishing, then taken the Turkey course, a Turkey tag, and now my R-PAL. I think it's a bit extreme that I've had to take so many courses that encompass the same lessons. Not including guns and ammo, I've given various governments a TON of my after tax $$.
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I hear you - that first year of courses/registrations/licenses was expensive... but nothing compared to the bills once the gun addiction kicked in :eek:

csmith99 said:
If the Turkey course is so important because the hunter is camo'd, tell me this. Why didn't I have to take a Duck Hunters course??????
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I suspect it's in part because nobody is tempted to 'stalk' ducks through the marsh ... but maybe I'm wrong ;)


csmith99 said:
But this is different. If we allow this to continue, the we will be standing in like to take a course to hunt ducks. And one to hunt bear.
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I'd stand in a long line to get my 'spring bear hunter's course'...

I'd imagine the rational is that a lot of folks who took the hunter-safety course (or never had one) prior to Ontario having a turkey season and/or it's recent rise in popularity would benefit from a safety refresher. For those who took the hunter-safety in the last few years (and my instructor was a turkey hunter... so I don't know he added material not normally part of the course), a lot of it was certainly redundant, but as a relatively new hunter I didn't mind hearing it again.
 
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JB said:
it's just a cash grab for OFAH:mad:
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well they might make a few bucks.. but i have to say...
i did learn a few things from the course..
i think they should cut down on the length of it though..like 8 hours was a bit to much
 
fogducker said:
i think they should cut down on the length of it though..like 8 hours was a bit to much
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I havent taken the course, but I have heard alot about the amount of advertising in it. I guess it would be more expensive, but a shorter course if they did get rid of most of the sponsers...
 
The course I took, didn't have a lot of advertizing, so maybe they are learning from feedback. They do promote their sponsors stuff, and sell it there at the course, during break, but, it's good stuff, and the videos we watched were not too bad.
The course could be decidedly shorter, but then again, for some of the newbie hunters present, it may not have been long enough. ****""" Yawn"""****
 
In answer to the original question, here it is as simple as I can put it:

The OFAH brought turkeys and turkey hunting back to ontario.
Their field, their rules.
Don't like it? Don't hunt them.

Soory, but this pisses me off. Ask your grandad about his turkey hunts...oh yeah...THERE WERENT ANY!

Frig..35 bucks and it's a "cash grab"....To me, 35 bucks to hunt a game bird that my father, grandfather and great grandfather couldn't is CHEAP.

Thanks OFAH. At least I appreciate it.
 
I remember learning a few things in that course and I found it to be beneficial. I paid a bit more than $35, don't remember how much, but that included a bunch of stuff they gave us at the end of the course, lunch, and free entrance to the Toronto Sportsman show, so it was all worth it in the end.
 
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