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You get to the access road and there is no one there. You park walk in to your pre determined spot and as day breaks you hear a bird on the next ridge.  You make your move and set up on the gobbling bird.  After he pitches down you make another move to get into a better position.  You start calling and he starts answering.  After a few minutes he starts closing ground coming  your way. When he gets just over the rise from you at about 80yds and just when he should be toping the rise  so you can see him BOOOOMMM a shot rings out and you hear the bird you were working flopping.  You get up only and walk over only to find out that another hunter has slipped in between you and the gobbling bird and waited for him to present a shot.  Upon talking to this hunter you learn that he knew you was in here and that he didn't care because he had roosted the bird the day before. He also says it was some good calling because the bird was working away until you turned him and then he was coming on a B line straight to you. He never made a call and just piggybacked off of everything you did.   

It's a thing that happens all to often on the public land that I hunt and its beyond aggravating and it is unsafe.  I've had this happen to me multiple times, I've had the tree I was sitting on peppered from the rear because someone shot at the bird that was in front of me and still out of my range. I've had people literally walk past me as I'm working a bird and set up in front of me ( I usually start shooting at squirrels when this happens).

All I can do in these situations is shake my head and leave.  I told the guy congrats on the bird and just walked away. Did I want to start something, oh heck yes, would it solve anything, heck no. Did I want to shoot the bird point blank and blow it to a pulp, heck yes. To me people that do this this have zero morals or ethics and are in my opinion looking for a fight. Is it worth it, maybe.


Realistically how would you handle it. My home state is MS, these encounters have all been folks from other states 90% from one state alone.
I've had way more good encounters with folks than bad so not bashing or hating on OOSers, I'm one myself but I do respect others.


On a positive note me and my buddy was in KY a few years ago and I called a bird around some flooded timber and after my buddy killed it a guy walked up and congratulated us on an amazing hunt.  He had slipped in and watched the whole thing. Said the turkey came by him at 30yds and he just watched it walk by and come to us.  When I asked him why he let it walk by and that I was used to people shooting them out from under me like that, he just said what I would say. Basically treat others as you would want them to treat you. We beat him there and we was working the bird. It wasn't right for him to shoot it out from under us.  Solid guy!

I'd have flat-out told the guy it was a B.S. move and I hope it was a bird he was proud of.  Go tell all your buddies you got one. 

And I'd turn and leave.

Pretty much what Yoder said.   I'd have also mentioned to him that he must be a
member of that if it's legal it's ok and I support my fellow hunter crowd.   

In my younger days it probably would have turned into an all out verbal beat down.

I don't want to think about what I'd have done. Just reading it makes me twitch. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Truly sorry.


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Quote from: Yoder409 on April 14, 2022, 09:12:53 PM
I'd have flat-out told the guy it was a B.S. move and I hope it was a bird he was proud of.  Go tell all your buddies you got one. 

And I'd turn and leave.

He wouldn't have cared in the least. Probably would brag about it to his buddies.

I'm to old and beat up to properly deal with people like that now but 30 years ago it wouldn't have turned out well if that would have happened to me. today, I'd have done what Yoder said. you'll have those type of people every where you go.

    I mean what are you gonna do fight the guy? And you're probably not gonna teach him anything either. These kind of idiots are generally not very reasonable. Maybe you didn't need to congratulate him. I probably would have yelled WTF right after I heard the gun blast. But in essence you did the right thing.

Numb nuts wouldn't have learned any lesson but couldn't you just see him returning to his buddies for a "social media " post with 2 black eyes and swollen bloody nose and a few teeth missing.
Oh that would be the old days


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Quote from: guesswho on April 14, 2022, 09:26:05 PM
he must be a member of that if it's legal it's ok and I support my fellow hunter crowd.   

Wow Ronnie. Really?
There's legal, which is black and white.
There's ethical, which is up to individual interpretation.
Then there's a selfish ASSHOLE, which is what the guy he is writing about is.
Just because I support any legal method of turkey hunting, doesn't mean I'm a selfish a-hole that would screw someone out of a gobbler. I've been f'ed over by those types of guys on public land more times than I can remember. I didn't like it, so I don't do it to others. That's also why I rarely hunt public land any more.



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   This has happened  to me a few times. Best thing to do is just walk away without moving in to talk to the Guy.
   Don't  get into a verbal with an Armed Stranger  with both of you all alone.
  Hard to walk away ,but you have to.

It's all in the title.

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That's how people get shot!  I would have confronted him and told him how dumb and dangerous it was. I would have explained how unethical it was and then left. Nothing you can really do above that. It s public!  No respect these days!!

Well, in my younger days I would have lit him up with a verbal battering and probably got my skinny arse kicked. Back in those days it didn't really matter,  as long as I got to release my anger.

Today I'm to old and fat to fight. Any fight would be very short and embarrassing, but I'm still capable of some talking. Mostly I'd just say, "it ain't worth it and walk away'. Yet as a born again and reformed Christian I would feel compelled to pray for him. I'd congratulate him and ask if he minded if I said a prayer. Then I build my prayer off the scene from John Wayne's the cowboys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEcjWPkok7s&ab_channel=TheDiamondMine

with a few modifications of course.

That exact thing has happened to me more times than I care to admit. Typically by guys with rifles. I feel for you but in this day and age everyone is out for themselves and really don't care who they run over in order to get it. The last one I had shot out from under me the guy snipes it with a rifle and then sprinted to it, barely slowed down to grab it and kept hauling because he knew full well what he had done. I feel for you man. Integrity and earning what you want is a rare thing these days. Specially if you can just take it from someone else.

Anybody that would shoot a bird they didn't earn knowingly is unteachable and not worth your time. The safety aspect is concerning, I got a chin/ear/ nose full of #5's pheasant hunting years ago and can attest to the feeling affecting me for years. I go further and further away from people as I get older. I ain't quite an " Old Goat" yet, but definitely getting closer to it. Good luck and be safe my brothers. Al

Quote from: RutnNStrutn on April 15, 2022, 12:55:28 AM
Wow Ronnie. Really?

Jim, yes 100%.   The guy broke no laws, and killed a turkey legally!   Why not support him? ::) 
And for tho record I don't support this guy, and I'm sure there are some other legal tactics he uses that I probably don't support.   It that's life. 

Sad part is that these people are everywhere. I have had hunters come in on my setups and spook birds I was working many times. Even had another hunter sneak in on private land and kill one that I was working down a logging road right to me. At about 100 yards from me up the hill, he shot, ran over grabbed the bird and ran up and over the hill and was gone. He %100 knew I was there and knew he wasn't supposed to be there. I really thought about sending some shot next to him but remembered I had a family at home that depended on me. Had I been just out of the Marines, I might have tried to catch him on foot lol.

At the end of the day, these types of hunters will get what's coming to them. Ex: took my nephew out when he was younger during youth season and ran into 2 full grown men that were hunting (both carrying firearms and no youths present). I did not know that the landowner had sold this small section of woods and quickly apologized and was ready to leave it at that but they became very aggressive to the point that I decided to call them out on hunting during youth season and at one point I felt like it was going to get physical and moved my nephew behind me. Thankfully it didn't and we just left. When we got to my truck, here came a game warden. They were all interested in us and after quickly checking is out, they went after the two grown men (as they were checking us out, I was telling them what just happened and they quickly hurried up with us).

Couple days later I got a call from one of them and was told that both men were cited for multiple charges with the biggest being hunting during youth season. Karma will take care of these asshole hunters that give us all bad names and we just need to keep our composure and not contribute to the stereotypes and stigmas that some people think of hunters in general.

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My son and I doubled on a couple birds a few years ago at mid-day.  We'd moved on them multiple times.  While inspecting our birds, a guy walks over the hill to us.  I had a sick feeling.  We'd not driven all the way to the back through a gate so I was immediately concerned that someone had already been on these birds and I'd called them off of them (because I definitely called them in). 

I asked the guy, We didn't call these birds off of you did we?  We had no idea you were here.  His response was "No, we drove past your truck if that red truck back there is yours, then heard them gobbling and moved over here."

For the life of me I don't know how they didn't recognize me calling because I was hammering the trio of gobblers with cuts and yelps.  I'm also not certain why only one of the three came down to talk to us.  He seemed friendly enough but I think they were hoping the birds would slide around towards them and we just got lucky that something similar to your experience didn't happen.

I think most guys back East darn well known what they are doing when they pull that crap.  I don't think the majority of locals here know crap about turkeys and they are viewed as a novelty to kill whichever way is easiest.  However, cutting a bird off that someone is working should easily enough be seen as an underhanded move.

My response would have varied in your situation based on just how pissed I was, always keeping in mind that cool heads are the best bet when everyone is carrying a loaded shotgun.

No matter if you hunt public or private land this type of situation happens far too often. Grant it, more so on public land.
If you spend time in the woods, you are going to run into what I call a few dickweeds or two. It happens! They are predators, bottom feeders, the lowest of the low. They know better, they are opportunistic and choose to take advantage of somebody else's hard work. Problem is they have offspring and teach a whole new generation to be dickweeds.
It happened to me last year of private land. My son and I got a bird to gobble, and we went dark allowing the bird to locate us.  Every 15 or 20 minutes or so we might call real soft or talking sexy to him as I call it or maybe just scratch some leaves. He was interested and coming.
My son noticed the guy before I did but another hunter came and sat 60 yards from us on our side of the posted signs setting up between us and that bird. Sure, I was ticked, mad, miffed and wanted a piece of this guy but at what cost? Getting into a confrontation with an armed individual in the woods isn't the smartest thing to do. Things can escalate really fast and not in a good way.
I figured if my son or I wasn't going to get a shot at this turkey neither was this dickweed! I got to my feet, started talking really loud and moving around ending his chance to even see the bird let alone get a shot at him. He got the message and moved on!
A turkey isn't worth getting yourself hurt, tossed in jail or killed! Any idiot can buy a hunting license or not, buy or borrow a firearm and go "hunting". Ya never know what the other individuals state of mind is.  Things can escalate really fast and not in a good way.
Sure, you want to confront a person like that, maybe give them a piece of your mind or dot their eyes but it's not worth it.
You are a better person then I am because I would have never taken the time to congratulate that individual. By definition congratulations is giving someone good wishes when something special or pleasant has happen to them or praise for a particular achievement. 
That dickweed might think or feel what he did or that type of cutthroat hunting is the norm and or okay. A congratulations at that point may have confirmed (in his mind) it was okay to continue to hunt this way.
At times it's best to bite your tongue, suppress that urge for a confrontation of any kind and walk away!

I live in the East and it is possible to accidentally call a bird off of someone else. I have done it before and i felt bad about it. Never head a hen yelp or knew anyone was in the area till  we were packing him out.They were probably 300 yards on the opposite side of the birds. We had crossed a road and scaled a pretty steep ridge to get to the turkeys so not sure when they arrived on the scene. We were moving on them as soon as they started on the roost. That being said if there is a truck parked in the area you intend to hunt then go elsewhere. Its common sense and common courtesy. Give people room to work the turkey.

I was accused of cutting someone off once but it just wasn't that way. The other two guys came in late and My buddy and i had set up on these birds in the dark (had  the roost pegged) and was working them. we could actually see the guys across the ridge coming hard and I poured on the calling and we finished the bird just before they got within spooking range. They were calling and owl hooting like mad men. They had this big story about how they had been working the birds and had them coming. The conversation ended when I told them I was a supervisor with ODNR and we could proceed to my office for a legal discussion about trespassing. They boogied quick. Takes all kind.

I doubt I was have said congrats.  I probably would have said that intercepting a bird coming to another hunter's calls is unethical and best and certainly not safe.  Probably ain't gonna teach them nothing, but would make me feel better.  How old was he?

Quote from: Gooserbat on April 15, 2022, 12:43:16 AM
Valve-core tool

Then, there's that............    :icon_thumright: :TooFunny: :icon_thumright:

I always have one in the truck...........along with 4 cores, Tire Slime and a 12v compressor.........just in case somebody wants to go there with ME.

I had two guys in Colorado try to slip in on a bird that I was calling to and bumped him.  I just knew that a bird that was gobbling good shut up and I may have heard wing beats.  A few minutes later I heard voices coming, "I don't know what else we could have @$_&#! done ", then they topped the ridge to find my 10 year old and I standing there.  They weren't surprised to see us and said the "#$$@! flew about a mile over the next ridge.  We were trying to sneak in on him.". (No regard for their language around my son )  I said, You know I've been calling to that bird for a while now and he appeared to be coming in.  Their response...."Yeah, we heard you, but this is public land."

I could have cracked him in the mouth with the butt of my shotgun.  I thought better of it though.  They could tell that I was pissed, so the conversation afterwards was pretty short and they went their own way not learning a dang thing.

I'll admit that, at the time, a cut valve stem or four sounded like a good plan, but I've never done the likes and didn't want to teach my son anything of the sort.

Quote from: guesswho on April 15, 2022, 07:45:19 AM

Quote from: RutnNStrutn on April 15, 2022, 12:55:28 AM
Wow Ronnie. Really?

Jim, yes 100%.   The guy broke no laws, and killed a turkey legally!   Why not support him? ::) 
And for tho record I don't support this guy, and I'm sure there are some other legal tactics he uses that I probably don't support.   It that's life.

All I'm saying Ronnie is that yes, he might not have broken the law, but that doesn't mean you or anyone else should lump me, or others in with that guy.
I support legal methods of hunting. I don't support A-hole methods of hunting whether they are legal or not. Sorry that you can't see the difference.

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Quote from: 3seasons on April 14, 2022, 09:00:23 PM


My home state is MS, these encounters have all been folks from other states 90% from one state alone.

Arkansas POS if I'm guessing.

Quote from: Gooserbat on April 15, 2022, 12:43:16 AM
Valve-core tool

Man have I been tempted before!

I have been hunting public land for a long time, rarely have bad encounters.  First two days of this season I had other hunters ruin my hunt.

On another note, talked to and met a few others at trail heads and had pleasant conversations.  Just gotta blow off the bad ones and move on.

I'd have to make a mental note of what the guy was driving and a plate number if possible. If I seen that truck parked again there would be special stash of regular shot shells in my truck. He'd be hearing them for sure. Not saying it would definitely spook the turkeys but I would give it a shot or 2 literally and figuratively.

I know a couple of guys that wouldn't take that kind of stuff kindly. Nothing beats an education.

Obviously, it's not just turkey hunters. Obviously, it's nothing new. A holes have been around since the beginning of time. However, I do believe that the number of people who report having had similar encounters is indicative of a general lack of respect which we are seeing across the entire spectrum of everyday life.

Most of these yahoos we're never taught any different by their parents. I wish people would understand that when you purchase a license to hunt turkey, or for that matter, any game, you are paying for the privilege of hunting, not for the animal you might bag.

Do I want to get a turkey when I go hunting? Sure, but I don't have to kill one to have what I feel is a successful hunt.

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I've been on public where the first guy at the gate there acted like he got to control and had first choice on any bird on all 3,000+ acres because he was first one there.  He wasn't going to make a move until he heard gobbling, even though I already had an area scouted a l-o-n-g ways from the gate where I'd put one to bed the night before.  He got bent out of shape at me, when I already knew where I was headed and he was just going to wait to move on the first gobble, wherever it happened to be.  I ended up killing the bird I was after and his vehicle was long gone by the time I got back to the gate.  Who was the A-Hole in that deal?

Jim

 When the trigger was pulled I would have got up and walked away. I would have been pissed, maybe even have hollered some obscenities.
But, I would in no way have approached anyone. I am a little on the hot headed side, sometimes. Two men in the woods with two guns and people being hot headed, Is not good. States do have laws about standing your ground.
Years ago....I slapped a guy around pretty good, until I was done slapping him around. Technically, I went to jail for that. Even though it was for 5 minutes, I was charged, I plead no contest and had a VERY understanding Magistrate! For me with in possession of a firearm to slap someone else around may not be good if I were to have to go in front of a judge.
It wouldn't much matter if I were dead. I do like the valve stem tool idea.
It's public ground, learn to deal, or buy your own. I have had it to happen several times. The worst was three guys from Maryland that pulled in right beside me, the driver said to the one guy too hurry up and beat that guy in there. I had set there for half an hour prior to that. We did have a discussion, the four of us. I went in there, but it ruined my day and I still resent what went on 20 years later.
My advice, walk on.

That's part of sharing the land. I've had much worse happen. He roosted the bird, so you can't blame him, although he should have got there sooner. You can't expect everyone to have the same standards as you. I had some Arkansas hunters in 2017 park by my truck and sneak between me and the bird and shoot him off the roost. In 2020 I had the birds to myself on the same ridge, and had 4 guys park by me in 2 vehicles about mid morning, and they start working the birds from up above me on the ridge while I was already half way down. So of course I just dropped down into the creek bottom, made a few moves and a few calls and killed the bird. I'm not gonna intentionally walk in on somebody or cut them off, but sometimes people come in from another direction or sometimes people park by you and try to beat you to the bird. Usually I move on to another spot, even if I was there first, but if I'm already in a position to kill the bird, then I'm gonna kill him. If you're gonna hunt public land, you have to throw the whole entitlement mentality out the window and go with the flow. Some people play fair and some people play dirty. Worry about how you hunt, not how the next guy hunts.


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I agree.

I wouldn't say my congratulations wasn't without a lot of sarcasm and dually noted.

Most of the guys that have done this to me are in the 40-60yr old range.  They know exactly what they are doing and do it well. 

I've met quiet a few folks in the woods and we have exchanged numbers and still will let the other know if they are going to be hunting in that area.  Because it's nothing like waking a few miles back into a place and walking up on someone.

Some peoples mentality of "Public Land" is mind boggling to me.  Yes its for everyone's use  and no-one owns any of it any more than the next person but I was raised to respect folks and give them their space especially turkey hunting.   Are you going to bump into someone that came in from a different road, sure but make it minimal and both of you can have a good hunt.  A turkey gobbles and people go to him its how it is but have some respect if you know someone is in the area.

I have used someone that came in on me to my advantage.  Had a bird that would gobble at your every call but once you called he was going straight away from you and there wasn't any catching him. He did this to me a few times and one sat morning I figured there would be more people around so I go to the gate super early and walked past the birds normal roost area.  I was set up an hour before first light and I could hear trucks going down the road. As its getting light I heard a truck coming down the access road I was on and it was getting louder and louder until it finally stopped at my car(sometimes it helps being in a car vs my truck). I hear the door slam and then I hear an owl hoot.  The bird gobbles and he's in the area I was hoping for him to be.  A few dozed hoots later and some crow calls and then why not lets throw some peacocks in there too and the bird is still gobbling.  Then as its time for flydown the guy starts cranking on a box call. The bird hits the ground, gobbles and takes off opposite of where the guy is calling from, about 3 min later he gobbles about 30yds from the end of my gun barrel and I end the chapter on that wary old bird.  When I walked out the guy was sitting on his tailgate parked right behind my car, he asked me if that was me that shot and I told him it was and he just started telling me about how the bird was answering every call he made.  I asked him if he thought that since this was the only gobbling bird around that I might be on him since my car was parked there and he proceeded to tell me it was public and I didn't own it and he figured I was just some city guy trying to hunt since it was a car parked there.   I just laid the bird in the trunk and said yes sir it is public and I sure apricate you teaching me how to call to one it sure worked and to have a good one, as I got in my car and drove off.   

Happen to me last season. Perfect morning, first hint of blue in the sky and turkey gobbles on the roost. I move in his direction while he's hammering away. Being public land I know to get close but come to a creek. I don't want to cross but know I should, he's close and don't want spook him. Then bang, hunter isn't further 25 yds. Never called, never made a peep.

Crazy thing is how little it bothered me, just use to it. Got up and walked in further as that area was toast.

Quote from: Cut N Run on April 15, 2022, 09:10:28 PM
I've been on public where the first guy at the gate there acted like he got to control and had first choice on any bird on all 3,000+ acres because he was first one there.  He wasn't going to make a move until he heard gobbling, even though I already had an area scouted a l-o-n-g ways from the gate where I'd put one to bed the night before.  He got bent out of shape at me, when I already knew where I was headed and he was just going to wait to move on the first gobble, wherever it happened to be.  I ended up killing the bird I was after and his vehicle was long gone by the time I got back to the gate.  Who was the A-Hole in that deal?

Jim

I see no issue if you pull up to a gate and have a conversation with the person sitting there. Especially if its a huge block behind the gate. It really is the best case scenario if you can talk at the gate that way you should know what area the other person is in. I'm not in any way saying that just because you're the first one to an area that you have that whole area to yourself, The difference would be if you told him hey I'm going to this area where I was at yesterday evening and after day breaks he slips in on you while you're working the bird. 
I've had that conversation a many a time. Most go well  some don't. If they don't I'll go somewhere else, not worth it to me.

Quote from: catman529 on April 15, 2022, 09:28:07 PM
He roosted the bird, so you can't blame him,
If you're gonna hunt public land, you have to throw the whole entitlement mentality out the window and go with the flow.
Some people play fair and some people play dirty. Worry about how you hunt, not how the next guy hunts.


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He "said" he roosted him but he wasn't there the evening before, I know for a fact. 

Not sure about any entitlement more so respect of other hunters.  I don't care if you hunt the same area I'm in just be respectful if you hear someone working a bird and don't do what he did.  If I hear someone calling I'll go the other way and hope I don't mess their hunt up.

I do worry about how the next guy hunts because that guy could be the guy that shoots you because he's trying to beat you to a bird or is just careless.   Like I said I've had the tree I was sitting on peppered by someone.

 The problem I see and have seen for years with all the new turkey hunters is None of the social media, TV outlets teach them how a hunter should respect another hunter.

That includes a lot of what I have read here.

We should all always keep in mind, a good turkey caller can sound like a hen, seriously, so mistakes can be made. It can happen honestly. Hostility is not always the first thing that should come to your mind.

One day, the shoe may be on the other foot. When it does, and it will, look at yourself. There are some blatant things that people do, but sliding into position, may not always be as it seems.

Don't miss read this. I do my damnedest to not be around other people, but if you cover enough ground you will find yourself in between someone and a turkey.

Now ask yourself, do you own that turkey? Not until he is dead!

Quote from: 3seasons on April 15, 2022, 09:34:21 PM
When I walked out the guy was sitting on his tailgate parked right behind my car, he asked me if that was me that shot and I told him it was and he just started telling me about how the bird was answering every call he made.  I asked him if he thought that since this was the only gobbling bird around that I might be on him since my car was parked there and he proceeded to tell me it was public and I didn't own it and he figured I was just some city guy trying to hunt since it was a car parked there.   I just laid the bird in the trunk and said yes sir it is public and I sure apricate you teaching me how to call to one it sure worked and to have a good one, as I got in my car and drove off.

And he's probably been telling the story in his circles about you for years about how nothing was happening until he got there, he had them cranked, you moved in on his gobbling bird and shot it without even making a call.
It all depends who's telling the story sometimes, especially when two parties don't know each other.
I've been hounded about killing birds "out from under" other hunters, but the truth is I was in the driver's seat from the start and they just didn't want to believe it.

What Yoder said!! I was set up about 80yds form A roosted bird, that had answered my tree call. A piss ant guy slipped in and shot the bird out of the tree! I've been cut off several times on public and once on private! People like that need to be taught a lesson
I know for a fact that this bird was still in the tree when he was shot. We got back in the boat and found another gobbling bird.

I've been accused more than once of shooting birds off the roost because I killed them so early. One late season longbeards feet just touched the ground off the roost and landed right in my lap when I hammered him. I'd hear guys later on claiming it shot them off the roost and they're probably still telling their versions of the story to this day.
One guy on public told me flat out he knew for a fact i shot one off the roost because of the way they were gobbling.  I got in too close for comfort in the rain really early and sat under two chiefs all by themselves. Another hunter had them cranked and they stayed on the limb a long time. They finally pitched down and kept right on hammering and walked right into my gun barrel. He wasn't happy with me, but that just happened to be my day and not his.
I'm sure he's still telling the story of the guy that snuck in and shot them off the roost to all his buddies too.

Quote from: RutnNStrutn on April 15, 2022, 03:35:25 PM

Quote from: guesswho on April 15, 2022, 07:45:19 AM

Quote from: RutnNStrutn on April 15, 2022, 12:55:28 AM
Wow Ronnie. Really?

Jim, yes 100%.   The guy broke no laws, and killed a turkey legally!   Why not support him? ::) 
And for tho record I don't support this guy, and I'm sure there are some other legal tactics he uses that I probably don't support.   It that's life.

All I'm saying Ronnie is that yes, he might not have broken the law, but that doesn't mean you or anyone else should lump me, or others in with that guy.
I support legal methods of hunting. I don't support A-hole methods of hunting whether they are legal or not. Sorry that you can't see the difference.

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This appears to be a slippery slope. I would like to know who makes the
determination of what constitutes an A-hole method of hunting.

Just as different people have different ideas about what is ethical, people
will have different ideas of what is an A-hole method of hunting.

IMO this is why it's impossible to support all legal methods of hunting,
because within those legal methods are A-hole methods.

I had it happen to me and I about jumped out of my skin! I was getting my gun up and ready when the guy shot. He never made a call but had come in from a different road bed. He said he thought I was a hen and was going to let the hen do the work. I believe what he told me and it was totally innocent. It was his first bird and he was estatic! I shook his hand told him that I was glad to help , went to another spot struck a Tom and killed it that same morning. Sometimes it's innocent, sometimes guys just have 0 ehtics. Either way it's best just to go on about your business. I am the guy you love to be around, you beat me to a gate it's yours! I will not pull out my phone and start showing you where I am going, I simply leave. If I got one roosted I better get my rear up and be first. Just the way I operate!

I like your attitude turkeyfever!

I have hunted these birds for 50+ years and if it's possible I have probably experienced it.

I have commented on my personal reactions and thought through this discussion. what I have determined is that turkey hunting is no different then life when the human element is introduced. There are takers and givers. I once read a devotional that made a lot of sense to me. It encouraged us to ask ourselves this simple question, "Am I adding to this world in a way to make it better or am I taking away form it and subtracting the value ?" The woods and world become a lesser place if more are taking than adding to the experience. I have learned to set aside my anger and try to bless everyone I encounter. Sadly to say, my human nature often rises up faster than my inhibitions and I become a subtracter instead of an adder. However, my balance is that I believe I am adding more then I subtract.  We can philosophy and banter on about how to react, but in the end we can only control our own feelings and do as our spirit leads. Harsh and bitter discussions will never fix the problem and you will get trampled on, but all we can do is be better and insist that those close to us be better.

Why let someone who really does not care one bit about your welfare or happiness steal your Joy! Just move on and find as much peace in God's creation as you can. Someday we all learn, it's not actually killing the bird that feeds us, it's the experience. Let the jerk have the bird and you take the peace.

The most disturbing part of these scenarios is it is profoundly unsafe and I can assure you a darn turkey is not worth dying for.