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The Art of Reaping and Fanning Tom Turkeys

When carefully practiced in a safe manner, the strategy of using a tom turkey decoy to fan your way into shooting range of a longbeard can carry amazingly high-success rates, according to David Holder of 'Raised Hunting'

The Art of Reaping and Fanning Tom Turkeys
Does turkey reaping work? Amazingly well according to Raised Hunting host David Holder. The Iowa hunter says he and his family members have found success rates as high as 75 percent when trying to fan a gobbler into range. (Photo courtesy of David Holder)
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Don’t restrict the hunting method to the end of a season, however, because Holder says he, his two sons, Easton and Warren, and his wife, Karin, have enjoyed reaping success earlier in the year as well.

“The great thing about this tactic is that it can be done at virtually any time of the (turkey season),” said Holder.

“It can also be done on the same turkey gobbler more than once. Since each time you do it, he thinks he is seeing another tom moving into his area. And that’s when the gobbler’s natural instincts kick in and he defends his ladies or his turf.”

So, how does one actually go about the...

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