What makes 40 yards “ethical”?

[TauntoHawk]

Just like archery each hunter and his weapon need to find their own proficient range and stick to it, the focus should always be to have an easy, clean kill shot well within that border and not pursue or glorify the blurred edges.

What I can't stand is bragging about the hail hairy, fleeting, or seemingly impossible shot that somehow worked. If you are shocked at the results you failed, even with a dead turkey if you "can't believe you killed him" you failed to do your part.

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[eggshell]

I think most of us are on the same page. Someone's personal choices are part of who they are and we are a diverse lot of characters. I have watched a lot of these ethics discussions and every single one of them go down the same road. It's good discussion and thought, but rarely changes a person's preferences much. I think as we put the years behind us and build an identity we often become more conservative in our hunting strategies, but when we're new and experiencing the new rush we often push the limits. Many seasons and dead birds temper this somewhat and we choose a personal satisfaction level. There's no number where this happens it just does. I know guys that have killed 100 plus gobblers and they still take long shots and iffy shots. It just who they are. Of course it kind of bugs me because it's not my way and I know they cripple birds, but they don't want my opinion and they are more than entitled to theirs. So I swallow hard and let it ride. After all we love the USA because we have the  freedom to do this thing and choose for ourselves. Let the lead or TSS fly.

[Marc]

I think most of us are on the same page. Someone's personal choices are part of who they are and we are a diverse lot of characters. I have watched a lot of these ethics discussions and every single one of them go down the same road. It's good discussion and thought, but rarely changes a person's preferences much. I think as we put the years behind us and build an identity we often become more conservative in our hunting strategies, but when we're new and experiencing the new rush we often push the limits. Many seasons and dead birds temper this somewhat and we choose a personal satisfaction level. There's no number where this happens it just does. I know guys that have killed 100 plus gobblers and they still take long shots and iffy shots. It just who they are. Of course it kind of bugs me because it's not my way and I know they cripple birds, but they don't want my opinion and they are more than entitled to theirs. So I swallow hard and let it ride. After all we love the USA because we have the  freedom to do this thing and choose for ourselves. Let the lead or TSS fly.

Very nicely stated...

[howl]

Steer clear of them big words if you don't use them regularly. Ethical isn't the word.

40 yards happens to be the practical limit of a good general purpose pattern. That's all.

As for how far it is sporting to shoot to kill a gobbler, that's up to you. Just don't expect anyone to be impressed if it's further than they do.