Story Archive

When Turkeys Hunt

Kenneth Dienst, his brother Gary Dienst, and Justin Wiles were hunting turkeys in southeast Kansas. Kenneth Dienst split off from the other two to hunt using a technique called “fanning,” where the hunter uses the preserved tail fan of a wild turkey along with turkey calls to attract or sneak up on a targeted turkey. According to Kenneth, he saw a strutting turkey and used the technique to get in closer and fire. “Right after he shot, he thought he saw a turkey flopping on the ground,” said Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism game warden Jim Bussone. “But when he hurried up there, he saw two guys rolling on the ground. He’d shot [his brother, Gary, and Wiles] in the face.” The two men had also been fanning. “They were calling to each other and sneaking up on each other like two toms coming at each other,” Bussone said, noting the two men were hospitalized and should survive. “Both swore they were sneaking on real turkeys.” (MS/Kansas City Star) ...They were.