What makes 40 yards “ethical”?

[Hwd silvestris]

40 yards has always been what you pattern your gun at!  Typically you know your pattern density at plus or minus 5 yards which is where 85 percent of the gobblers are harvested at.  Just a good rule of thumb to go by I guess.
In an ideal situation 30-35 is perfect for me.  I don't want him any closer than 30.  I know some fellers that let them come in real tight, nope not me, no sir!   I be shaking too bad! Them boogers will find me too!  Most places I hunt I cant shoot much past 40 because the woods are so thick.
I don't use a scope or a red dot either. 
However Im gonna be honest here if one is hung up there at 50 or 55 I'm gonna roll him!  They too hard to come by here in south ms. Them gobblers aren't around every corner and all land is public land.  No such thing as private here.  Ain't no way I'm letting him walk at 41yards


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[TonyTurk]

I limit myself to 35 yards.  Partly because my eyesight ain't that great anymore, and partly to allow a little room for error in case I misjudge the distance.  My longest shot to kill a bird to date was 42 yards and I would have sworn he was closer than that, until I paced it off after killing him.

[RiverBuck]

Because that's the range it turns their head into a limp dishrag and they had no idea what train wrecked em.

[Wasp]

To me the 40yd line is only useful in comparing patterns.  To me whatever you feel is ethical for your setup is all that matters.   

[Tom Threetoes]

Turkeys where I have to hunt are not that easy to come by and one opportunity is all I may have. If I know I can kill one cleanly I don't care how far away he is. I fooled him and that's where it's at for me. I remember when I had to let birds walk because they were 5 yards to far and never get another chance all season. To each his own.

[GobbleNut]

Bottom line is this. MOST people go in the woods without a clue what there gun will do.

THIS is exactly the reason we preach the 40 yard max mantra.  I suspect most of us that are really serious turkey hunters shoot guns and loads that we feel confident will cleanly kill a gobbler well beyond forty yards.  The average, casual turkey hunter most likely has no idea.  I have witnessed that fact time and time again over the years.  In reality, it is for THOSE people that we need to keep preaching forty yards,...and for a significant number of them, we should probably be preaching much less than that.

This site (OG) not only attracts those of us that are diligent about knowing our weapons and being mindful of shooting at turkeys only at ranges at which we feel we are capable of killing them cleanly,...OG also attracts folks that are probably on the opposite end of that spectrum.  Their motto is,..."it's turkey season, grab a shotgun off the rack, grab whatever shells might kill one, and go huntin'.  If a turkey gets somewhere close to where I think I can kill it, I'm firing away."

THAT is the reason I will continue to preach 40 yards max.  It ain't for you guys here that are commenting on this topic.  It is for the great majority of those other people that need to hear it! 

That's not to say that just because somebody takes the time to develop a gun and load that will reliably kill a turkey at extreme ranges they should be shooting at turkeys at those ranges.  At some point, the "fair chase ethic" should come into play for all of us.  Admittedly, that ethic seems to vary a bit with each of us and what conditions we hunt under. 

[ferocious calls]

Because the most excitement happens at 35 and under.

Having been around hundreds of easterns daily for years has taken the lust for the kill away. Having hand caught a strutter in the wild, I want them close just for the show. If you lay flat more will get closer.

[Yoder409]

Because the most excitement happens at 35 and under.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bwhana]

40 yds is a great yardage for loads and target comparisons only because it is the standard, but 20 yds up to 50+ yds may be the ethical range for an individual's own setup and ability.  Ethical distance is just where your setup will humanely kill each time you pull the trigger properly.

With that said, 40 yds is my personal desired spot and I setup my guns to kill perfectly at that range and never let a bird get any closer if at all possible.  I have had to shoot them from 5 steps to 30, but I don't get any more excitement up close than at 40, so I really don't get you guys that like it up close and I guess I never will, but you do you!  On the gamelands I have to hunt, the difference in time from 40 to 20 yds may also be the difference in killing the bird or having another hunter blow your chance - a lesson I learned many times early on and stopped that from being an issue.

[dublelung]

Because 50+ is too far....

[HillclimberWV]

One thing that i don't think gets mentioned enough with this kind of debate about tss is other birds getting hit with the pattern.  I wonder how many hens or other gobblers get seriously wounded never to be found because the fliers at 70 yards peppered them.  Yes your core pattern is dense enough for a lethal shot but any bird within 5 feet of that bird is going to get hit as well. At 40 yards with TSS your pattern is probably dense enough not to hit the other turkeys with the gobbler.

[cracker4112]

I don't know what made 40 yds the magic number. But I'm in the camp that shooting one farther than that is just shooting a turkey, not really fooling them. I hunt a place where stalking to within 75 yards of a turkey is pretty easy due to the terrain, but that's not the game for me. I want them to come to me and come inside 40 for sure, I prefer them around 20.  That said, we all mess up.  I killed one at 54 paces a few years back that I misjudged in the open pines and shadows, which is why I carry a gun I know will do the job is I screw up.

Knowing what your gun will do, is the least you can do for the birds.

[Marc]

I want a pattern that is efficient at 30, but effective to 45 yards.  I find it a lot easier to get birds in close, in wooded/brushy areas, than in open country.

If he is at 30 or closer, and will not come closer, I am going to pull the trigger if he is a shooter.  I would probably pull the trigger on a 40 yarder if it was a bird that has given me the slip on multiple occassions, and presented a good target at 40, and was not coming any closer...  Generally anything over 35 yards gets a pass from me, and that still seems far.

My longer shots more recently have been on birds that came in good range, and for one reason or another, I could not shoot until they were futher.

Most two recent examples, were a bird that came in with cattle following, and had to wait until he was well clear of the cattle...  Came into 10 yards and I kept the gun on him, till he was well clear of the cattle and killed him at just over 40.

Last bird, was a bird I had been after all season...  He came in with a group of birds, and they were bunched up.  By the time he seperated from the group enough for a clear, shot he was about 46 yards.

Both of these birds were killed with a standard full choke and Hevi-shot #6's...  And with both birds, knowing how close they were, I was completely shocked at how far from me they were when all was said and done.  In the heat of the moment, I was completely focused on the bird (once they were in good range), and did not pay attention to the distance they had gained on me.  The latter bird would likely have had a pass, had I realized how far he was.

But, I want a load/choke combination, that can consistently kill birds further than I want...  Cause, as I have found, it can be easy to misjudge range (especially in the heat of the moment).

[Turkeyman]

Haven't read all the responses but I'm with Happy and Gooserbat on this one. I'm not a what I would call a "meathunter" but rather a turkey hunter. If you're a "turkey hunter" you know when you've actually called a bird in as opposed to just having him interested. If you don't know the difference you haven't played the game long enough. Having a bird come in to 60, 70, 80 yards or whatever and swatting him with your super TSS load, or a rifle where legal, does not IMO constitute calling a bird in. So kill him at 80 or 90 yards and brag him up on social media if you like...but call yourself a turkey killer, not turkey hunter.

I'll give an example. Years ago a friend was hunting down in WV, calling a bird across a field. When the tom was about half way across the field a "hunter" about 100 yards away blew him up with his 7MM. At the expense of getting disagreement from the TSS crowd I don't see much difference. Again...YOU KNOW the difference between a "called in" bird and an "interested bird". Off my soapbox LOL.

[greencop01]

I call em in as close as I can. When I say close I mean 15-20 yds. I don't use decoys or blinds. I love seeing them up close knowing I got em close and looking them in the eye when I drop the hammer. We wait all year to hunt em. why not let them in close and hear the rattle. When it becomes how far I can shoot em I'll quit because seeing them up close is the thrill. The ethics ain't just the distance you shoot it's the whole package, the calling, the equipment you use,or don't use, it's everything about the hunt and a clean kill. The kill is the end of the hunt, I enjoy what comes before, getting them in close.