COLD TURKEY APPROACH. Anglers and Hunters president Rob Little, left, and treasurer Murray Johnston flank conservation officers Rick Williams and Ron Arnold as they demonstrate the mechanical wild turkey purchased by the club for use as a decoy to take aim at illegal shooters. Contributed Photo Dufferin Northern Peel Anglers and Hunters Association has made an investment of about $1,500 in a form of decoy to be used for targeting "illegal and stupid" gun toters, such as to eradicate them.

"We hope to get the bad guys out of the field," said club Vice-President Bob Clarence as the club presented a mechanical "wild turkey" to representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) last week.

The turkey, he said, will make an attractive target for shooters who drive along roadways looking for prey, and shoot from their cars at whatever comes in sight.

"Those are not hunters," said club treasurer Murray Johnston. "They are people who give hunting a bad name. The good get slandered because of the bad."

They might also be a menace to public safety in rural areas. Club president Rob Little said the good hunters make certain they know where the houses and people are before they shoot at anything.

The people who trespass, who "shoot off the road or across the road, and sometimes out of their vehicles, are illegal and just plain stupid."

Several local landowners, especially in Melancthon, have complained about such shooting activities. The club and the MNR conservation officers are aiming to stop the illegal activity.

Where does the mechanical turkey come in? The bird looks real enough, and moves in such a way as to give it the appearance of being alive. Midhurst District conservation officer Rick Williams said a similar bird "took five shots before the guy knew it was a stuffed bird."

The officers position themselves about 100 yards from the turkey, control its movements by a remote device, and are ready to apprehend anyone who shoots at the thing.

"We need to know (where the offences are occurring), to set up the decoy and to get the guy who gives hunting a bad name," Mr. Williams said.

Mr. Little said the club raised the funds for the turkey with barbecues and such, as well as by collecting for the gun safety courses it conducts. The next purchase is likely to be a mechanical deer - possibly one that runs on some kind of track.

It might have been appropriate that the turkey was presented during the month of March. It is in March that the Wild Turkey Federation locally holds its annual banquet - this year at Orangeville Agricultural Centre on the 29th.

The federation has been successful in reintroducing wild turkeys to Dufferin and, although the population is growing, the birds may be harvested only in season, and then with stringent restrictions.

Last week, there were several questions posed to the conservation officers. Among those, someone pointed out that not all farmers have firearms any more, yet the farmers need to protect their livestock from coyotes.

Mr. Williams said it's always an open season on coyotes. He said it's perfectly legal to make arrangements for a licensed and qualified hunter to shoot coyotes on behalf of the farmer.

Conservation officer Ron Arnold of Peel Region said there had been a recent case of an off-duty Peel Regional policeman spending some off time with decoys near Orangeville - legally.

As the officer waited for the arrival of some birds, along came a shooter who took aim at the inflatable decoys. When the officer arose from his position, the shooter had his firearm pointed directly at him.

Seeing the presence of the officer, the guy took off running.

The officer evidently was able to run faster, as he apprehended the shooter.

The anecdote, he said, shows that illegal shooters might pop up anywhere.