A post in another thread about shooting a gobbler that flies up in a tree when he's coming in (not technically "on the roost") got me to thinking this would be a good subject to pass some time on.
So, if you call a gobbler in that has been coming to you on the ground and then flies up into a tree within range (and assuming it is legal to do so) is it ethical to shoot that gobbler?
My personal opinion (again, assuming it is legal where I am hunting) is that any gobbler that does that with me is in big trouble. :)
What say you?...
He would be flopping shortly after landing on the limb. No hesitation on my part.
If he's on the ground and i called him to the gun, and he flies up to get a better look see, I'm killing him. He doesn't get a pass from me because of a technicality.
I've had that happen three times in the last two years. Luckily each time they were just out of range and one time it was a jake so I never had to make the decision. I'm not sure if it would even be legal here in Florida but it seems like some of the birds are evolving into that type of behavior, probably cuz of coyotes. I think if you called them in and they choose to limb hop to you they should probably get shot but im not sure. I't will be interesting to see what others have to say. It might also depend on the distance you called them-as long as their roost tree was nowhere in the vicinity.
Bang, flop, enhance the truth for entertainment purposes.
I would ask him nicely to please come out of the tree and get closer for a chat. If he dont . Then I must assume he ignored me and that would make me very mad.
Seriously though . Ive never shot one out of a tree and its generally frowned on . this is a different situation than a roost kill.
This is a smart bird and so taking the shot may be the only option .
Its really no different that if he had jumped up on a log or a high spot . IMHO
I've shot one out of a tree in the fall, after getting set up on a flock that flew off the roost shortly there after. One came into range, or so I thought, and I missed. A bird flew into a tree directly behind me, as they scattered, about 20 yards so I turned around, settled the bead and shot. The turkey hit the ground and started flopping so I thought ok I'm good. I run down to get her, a hen, and she jumps up and runs off, drops to the ground again as I'm in pursuit and she gets up again and runs out of site. I feel the small branches I didn't see when I shot blew the pattern apart. My heart sank, I went back up to get my stuff I had left at the tree and collect myself. I start walking the direction she went and get to a road and I'm thinking if she crossed here I'll never find her. There's a small branch I had to cross by the road and as I'm crossing it that little voice says look in that culvert, sure enough there she stood. the second shot was fatal but I said never again on tree shooting, it would have to be a perfectly open shot for me to even consider it and even then I'd pass.
Great question.... I have never seen a fired up gobbler fly unless I missed him. Do they pop up in trees to get a better view to find Ms. Raspy Hen????
On a roosted bird never. in this situation I am still not sure I would want to take the shot, just does not feel right to me. I would also not shoot at one on the wing.
I've never personally had it happen that I can recall, unless you count a coyote running a bird up into a tree. I know folks that have seen it, but in neither case did they have an opportunity to shoot. I suppose the bird flies up to get a better look. I'd have to assume that he has reason to believe that something isn't quite right. I don't really know if I'd shoot him or not
Ethically NO! First thing in the morning and fly up in the evening, he's on the roost. Middle part of day, GREY area. If you are hunting doves and they land on a wire, you don't shoot them. You scare them off and then shoot them. Same with ducks on the water, don't shoot until they fly, unless they are crippled. My 2 cents!
Quote from: JL_Longbeard on March 18, 2020, 10:10:06 AM
Great question.... I have never seen a fired up gobbler fly unless I missed him. Do they pop up in trees to get a better view to find Ms. Raspy Hen????
Yes , had it happen to me when at the end of the season in a creek bottom it was really growed up. Tom flew up at 25 yards or so .
Missouri so I did not shoot .
Also seen them hop up on large fallen trees to get a better look.
Third turkey I ever shot I missed clean and he flew up into a tree 20yds away like "what the heck was that" and I didn't blink an eye about dropping him like a sack of potatoes off that limb.
another scenario I've had though, I was set up on 2 birds on the roost, they flew down and I could hear them drumming just over a rise in a little creek bottom in range but out of sight then the woods exploded - turkeys cackling, all sorts of noises in the leaves I thought the birds were fighting until turkeys were airborne in every direction, one tom sails maybe 5ft over my head through the timber and lands in a tree at what i later ranged as 41yds. I hear running and think the other tom is coming at me on foot and a coyote barrels over the bank and is staring down my gun barrel. Ive now got the culprit of the mornings disturbance dead to rights and the intended target 40yds in the open on a limb. I instinctively decided I hadn't earn the turkey yet but the yote had earned a lesson. He took the #7s and the gobbler lived another day only missing a few tail feathers. I can only assume not getting to watch it unfold that the coyote attacked from behind while the birds was in strut and all he got was a mouth full of feathers.
Now I won't shoot a roosted bird out of a tree for any reason if his feet haven't touched the ground yet.
He's toast!!! He comes to the call he is shot, many states have a time where it is legal to shoot a turkey in a tree, I believe it is 7am in Illinois.
Comparing it to wing shooting makes no sense to me, we shoot turkeys in the head on the ground anyway, not a valid comparison in my opinion. Though I do agree on the ducks and doves!
Have never seen a gobbler in a tree mid day, but ain't looking up there either.
Quote from: owlhoot on March 18, 2020, 10:41:58 AM
Quote from: JL_Longbeard on March 18, 2020, 10:10:06 AM
Great question.... I have never seen a fired up gobbler fly unless I missed him. Do they pop up in trees to get a better view to find Ms. Raspy Hen????
Yes , had it happen to me when at the end of the season in a creek bottom it was really growed up. Tom flew up at 25 yards or so .
Missouri so I did not shoot .
Also seen them hop up on large fallen trees to get a better look.
I guess I can see it happening in late season. I've had a few Jakes jump up on a log to look for me while coming in silent, but never anything that flew. Maybe it'll happen this year, last year I had a hen that tried to gobble at me.... that was a new one, but time in the woods pays in experience.
I've had a hen hop from tree to tree twice, I have seen gobblers hop into trees when alarmed . if its obvious he's not roosted I see no problem
I would not think twice about it--I'd kill him ( or "harvest for you PC types)
He ain't roosted so he's gonna get roasted.
Quote from: Turkeyman on March 18, 2020, 02:05:53 PM
He ain't roosted so he's gonna get roasted.
I can't put it better.
I wouldn`t shoot a bird on the roost. This is different IMO.
Gently slide the safety off. Find his head in the scope. Squeeze the trigger.
I'm shooting him. Plain and simple. You worked him to the gun. He flew up.
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Only had this happen once in all my years of turkey hunting. I believe it was a sub dominant gobbler that flew up to get a look at the situation before committing. The area I was calling from was not overly thick so fear of a predator was unlikely the cause. He came in silent only thing I heard was him flying up he sat in the tree nervously searching the area in my direction. He was about 40 yards away so in range but I did not shoot him. He sat for a long time then when he didn't see the hen and I didn't call again he pitched out of the tree in the direction he came from.
I have doubts they do it because of coyote fear etc. if they hear a hen yelping in a spot I don't think they'd be expecting a coyote also.
In La unfortunately there is no specific rule about roost or tree shooting, as long as legal shooting time is obeyed. A lot of turkeys are shot or shot at on the limb. I have had a couple fly up to roost well within range and also shooting time but I did not shoot them either.
Last season I had one come off the roost . I couldnt see him but I knew he was coming. Then I see him fly up in a tree about 80 yards away looking over the ridge trying to see . Finally he flew down toward me and stepped over the hill. I got him inside 20 yards.
this is one time Im sure my hen deke (which I dont use much) helped seal the deal for me.
So will they fly up for a better look ?. Yep but thats the only time I ever saw a tom do it . I have seen hens do it more than once.
Interesting discussion for sure. What if you didn't call him in? Say you are walking quietly through the woods at 3:00 pm to reach your afternoon set up, spook and flush a gobbler, and he lands on a limb within range? Is it ok to shoot him then?
If I knew he came in to my calling,felt like I won,and the law was on my side he'd get plugged.
One time I patterned a old tom and knew where he roosted. Tried getting him a couple mornings and failed. The last day of the season I sat within range of the roost tree and he showed up within a couple minutes of the end of season. I could have killed him,but just let him fly up. I didnt feel right about not calling and felt more like an opportunist.
I'm not going to make my answer complicated , HE'S DEAD...
I had this very thing happen in Ky last year after a miss and I let him pass. I have on other occasions killed birds that done this, but the old gobbler last year got a pass. I missed him clean at 10-12 yards and I just thought he earned another day. Even my buddy couldn't believe I didn't take him. I think the fact I would have been tagged out with two days left and my buddy hadn't filled his first tag mattered too. I was actually telling him to shoot it, but he couldn't see it good enough. I have had a lot of fall birds do this. In Ohio it's illegal to shoot one from a tree anytime.
Quote from: TonyTurk on March 18, 2020, 03:14:26 PM
Interesting discussion for sure. What if you didn't call him in? Say you are walking quietly through the woods at 3:00 pm to reach your afternoon set up, spook and flush a gobbler, and he lands on a limb within range? Is it ok to shoot him then?
Free pass from me. I won't shoot what I consider a gift turkey. But understand why some would. I'd just scare the bejezzus out of him and kill him another day. Hopefully I could hunt him next morning.
I have never been in that position so I really dont know. Probably depends on how my season is going. If it happens then I will decide.
I don't have the ethical hang ups many people do. If it's a gobbler, he's getting shot at, I don't care what the situation. It's my reward for crawling out of bed.
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I'd take that shot.
Never been presented with that opportunity or anything even close. As for being an opportunist, I'll take any opportunity I can. I don't live in turkey country and my trips are usually long weekend trips. If I'm able to find a bird and put myself in a "shootable" position, I'm taking him.
Depends on circumstances. I let one go once because it flew up. Had been playing cat and mouse with that old character for the better part of a week. I didn't shoot because I figured it made it to its roost and had won.
Nope. It flew up to get a look. The other turkeys went on to the roost. The gobbler then went to join them. Talk about kicking myself. I was about to shoot it when it hopped up. I could have shot it when it was on the limb.
I don't know about this one. Just me personally I see the hunt as a game and I think I'd feel bad shooting one out of a tree. He lives in a tree and to me that kinda his one and only safe space against me so I'd say if he gets in a tree then the game is off, until he flies down. Guess I always have that "nice guy" mentality about a lot of things but you know what they say about nice guys, always finish last
I limited out early so went out to call for a buddy who had been skunked so far that season. We had a bird gobbling at first light and moved in to about 150 yds. We called...he answered. Then his hens answered. After fly down he gobbled again about 200 yds away and moving off. I crawled over to my buddy and we were discussing plan B when I noticed a fan in the woods about 80 yds out.
Apparently a subordinate Tom decided to come check us out after the dominant Tom left w all the girls.
This bird saw our deke and came in strutting-half strutting until he got about 18 yds from the hen deke which was ~20 yds in front of us.
For some unknown reason he slicked down and started putting and ran past us at 20 yds. I'm telling my buddy "SHOOT HIM, SHOOT HIM" as he's running past us. Then the bird flies up into a tree about 25 yds out and just sits there.
My buddy looks at me and asks if he should shoot.
Again, I say to him..."SHOOT HIM"
He does. Only bird he has shot the last three seasons
Shoot!!
ive only had them do that out of range. if one did it in range. and I knew it was a legal gobbler id probably shoot him. But im no limb lifter.
Quote from: guesswho on March 18, 2020, 09:54:17 AM
Bang, flop, enhance the truth for entertainment purposes.
Same here. The last part kind of goes without saying doesn't it? :toothy12:
If that bird came in to my calling from a further distance, that proves to me he has been fooled and is committed; in my mind that means I have earned the harvest of that gobbler. So this is how I would handle the situation. I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with the old TK and Mike comedy hunting videos, but if you are you will get the joke. The hunt would end like this- "KA-TOW! He hit the ground..."
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Had a bunch of hens come and land in the tree I was sitting under last season... I was looking for a tom... Not sure how I would have proceeded had one been a tom... Had it been on the last day of the season, I would guess there would be a bit less consideration though.
Quote from: Spitten and drummen on March 18, 2020, 06:13:39 PM
I have never been in that position so I really dont know. Probably depends on how my season is going. If it happens then I will decide.
This
I would not shoot a turkey in a tree any time of day, not sporting to me, but I also have no desire to shoot one with anything but an arrow.
Not my cup of tea.
I'd so smoke his rump.
My first turkey, which happened to be my very first turkey hunt, was shot as he was still gliding down from his roost mid air. About 4ft off the ground right in front of me. Now that was just youth ignorance on my part, but luckily it worked.
Many seasons later, I tree yelped at a bird on the roost and he pitched out and I could see him coming towards me. Just as he was about to hit the ground he must have spotted something he didn't like, flapped up and landed on a limb, right beside me. I raised up and and as soon as he turned around on the limb and stuck his head over to look at me, I introduced his head to a load of #4's.
Definitely have thought about that moment a few times. Would I do that again --in the same situation? Yes sir.
The situation you explain would be ethical in my book. Never happened to me. Would I shoot him?
Depends ...is it day one of the season or the last day etc.
Boom! Next!
Been chasing them for 43 years and have never seen one fly up into a tree coming in. Seen them hop up on logs and such but never a tree.
I think its fair game if he is coming due to responding to your call.
I have no control over where he puts his feet or the elevation he is when he comes to my calling. Bang! Flop!
Turkey hunting is a "sport" these days. It's not used or needed as a necessity to feed the family as it once was. While it may be legal to do so, I don't see it being very sporting in this day and time.
Last season I worked a bird all morning actually called him up but never got a shot. At around 11 he wouldn't budge after I'd circled him calling he was still gobbling every time I called. Kept easing closer finally saw him in the tree ended up crawling all the way to the tree. Ended up letting him go just didn't feel right.
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Like shooting sitting ducks, not right for me.
The technical term is "limb whooping".
I've killed exactly one turkey off a limb in 35 years of hunting. He flew tree to tree at 10AM coming to the call, watched him trade trees 3 times. As he flared into a 50' tall poplar tree about 15' from me I rolled up onto one knee with the gun almost straight up. I had to wait to get a clear shot at his head as he peered down from side to side, it was a little windy and the leaves were already out. He hit the ground with a tremendous thud. Under the same circumstances I'd shoot another without a second thought. We must do everything we can to remove that gene from the pool, just like quail that run and won't hold for a pointed setter.
Over the years I've passed on other turkeys in trees, in gun range and during legal shooting light (for all purposes legal to shoot by state regs) because I didn't call them in. For all the methods being used today I think it's comical folks would think legally shooting a turkey out of a tree was "unethical". :)
A twist.
Turkey on a limb at 25 yards, or a turkey on the ground at 50+ yards? ;D
Quote from: EZ on March 19, 2020, 02:08:57 PM
A twist.
Turkey on a limb at 25 yards, or a turkey on the ground at 50+ yards? ;D
My "train wreck" emoji isn't working.... :)
I have only had one tree hop on his way in. I wasn't the shooter and he dropped to the ground about 60 yards out and trotted in. Pedro took care of him. That Turkey was more desperate for attention than a millenial that lost their face book account
Quote from: GobbleNut on March 19, 2020, 04:48:00 PM
Quote from: EZ on March 19, 2020, 02:08:57 PM
A twist.
Turkey on a limb at 25 yards, or a turkey on the ground at 50+ yards? ;D
My "train wreck" emoji isn't working.... :)
LOL!!!!
First year I ever turkey hunted about 10 years ago or so I was in a W M A romp and stomp last day of the year and last hour of the hunt . I had my 12 year old son with me . On our walk back to the truck I let him take a gobbler call out and play with it, he's banging away on it having a good time. We are 100 yards from the truck on a lil dirt path when this gobbler flew in bout dusting our heads . Lands looking for his rival see us and jumps up flying off . I did take a shot as he flew off and would again .
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I was bow hunting a specific dominant gobbler in one of my younger years, and this guy had been frustrating me all week. Finally, I call from a creek bottom late in the day and he comes clear across the corn field towards me. There's one stalk ranged at my outer range, once he hit that I've got him. Well, he's 100 yards, then 50, then 5 yards out of range...I draw back, waiting for him to cross my pre-ranged stalk...and the damn thing flies up and lands on a cottonwood limb directly above me! To be honest, I didn't consider the ethics of it, I checked what was behind my target, pasture with nothing in it for a mile...I drew back...pulled the trigger of my release...and...nothing! And I mean nothing, not a nick, a leaf falling, no response from the turkey, nothing! I somehow threaded my arrow through a maze of cottonwood branches and leaves, past the turkey, without hitting a single thing! So naturally I got more frustrated and nocked another arrow, aimed, pulled the trigger on the release...and CRACK! I hit dead center of the branch the turkey was sitting on (was about dead center where I was aiming, didn't take into account the branch he was on!). I don't know if it was the shock, sound, or impact that thrust him from that branch, but he was flat out moving when he hit the horizon! I found my first arrow out in that pasture, and that fall deer hunting I noticed my second arrow was still stuck in that branch!!!
So I have tried, and if a legal opportunity were to present itself, I'd try again.
Only had one fly up into a tree. Buddy was breaking up a fall flock and one flew into a tree about 25 yards away. Went home with me in the truck. I eat turkey. Jumped one one time and shot him as he took to the air. He also went home to the pan. Would do it again. I don't shoot birds off the roost as it is not legal and I don't put out a big pile of corn as it is also not legal. Some do. I see it as a personal choice however the wardens number is programmed into my phone.
A bird coming to the call "tree hopping" would be fair game where legal or if one flew up to see due to being in thick cover. A spooked bird that flew up into a tree would be safe.
Fall birds, especially young, fly up into trees on a regular bases when spooked.
Quote from: derek on March 20, 2020, 12:15:55 PM
A bird coming to the call "tree hopping" would be fair game where legal or if one flew up to see due to being in thick cover. A spooked bird that flew up into a tree would be safe.
Seems to me it would be hard to tell if one was poping up to see or if it was spooked. Only time I ever seen them tree hoping was when they go to roost and are trying to find the right perch. They get a pass. The others, well each to his own so long as its legal.
Quote from: mtns2hunt on March 21, 2020, 12:23:42 AM
Quote from: derek on March 20, 2020, 12:15:55 PM
A bird coming to the call "tree hopping" would be fair game where legal or if one flew up to see due to being in thick cover. A spooked bird that flew up into a tree would be safe.
Seems to me it would be hard to tell if one was poping up to see or if it was spooked. Only time I ever seen them tree hoping was when they go to roost and are trying to find the right perch. They get a pass. The others, well each to his own so long as its legal.
I had a hen fly up to look for me last year in South Florida. It was very thick. She hung out in that tree looking for a bit then tried to pitch down right on top of me.. at which point she did see me when she hit the 15 yard mark and flared, landing back into a tree. But had she been spooked initially - I don't think she would have tried to pitch towards me. Weird gal though - she would also gobble. I have shotty video of the events but it gives you the idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04XpIynhIM0
A few days before my buddy had a hen fly up as she came into him as well. Common practice there because its so thick?
I've personally never been presented in a similar situation or the tree hopping situation with a gobbler. But I've heard tale of each.
Quote from: guesswho on March 18, 2020, 09:54:17 AM
Bang, flop, enhance the truth for entertainment purposes.
;D :TooFunny:
Yup!!! :icon_thumright: