Would you shoot if you didn't call him in?

[topnotch]

Ashamed to admit it, but the younger me was guilty of taken/ambushing a tom if I could. At this point in life, it's not the dead bird at the end of the hunt but the thrill of getting him to come in.

[g8rvet]

I hunt how I like, when I like and where I like (always legal and my idea of ethical) and don't much care what anyone thinks about me. 

HOWEVER, that is not what the OP asked and it has spurred a good discussion and helps people think about their actions and what they consider ethical, which I believe is likely what was intended.  Most of the folks on here are just answering the question from their own perspective.  I have not taken offense by anyone saying what their ethics are, because that was the question.  I can't think of a single person that has said their ethics should be everyone's ethics.  Maybe I missed one. 

I see it like water whacking or ground swatting ducks, to me that is for kids and people that can't shoot good.  Why hunt them if there is no challenge?   The thrill and skill is to decoy and call them into the decoys, not pass shoot them like a noob.  But I don't judge others that  hunt that way, just not for me.

Seems silly to take offense because someone's ethics are different than yours if they are not judging your ethics, only explaining their own.

[runngun]

Hey Cuz, grab the wheel, they on MY SIDE!!!!


PUT THE ROPE AWAY, I's JUST FUNNING WITH YA!!!

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[1iagobblergetter]

I hunt how I like, when I like and where I like (always legal and my idea of ethical) and don't much care what anyone thinks about me. 

HOWEVER, that is not what the OP asked and it has spurred a good discussion and helps people think about their actions and what they consider ethical, which I believe is likely what was intended.  Most of the folks on here are just answering the question from their own perspective.  I have not taken offense by anyone saying what their ethics are, because that was the question.  I can't think of a single person that has said their ethics should be everyone's ethics.  Maybe I missed one. 

I see it like water whacking or ground swatting ducks, to me that is for kids and people that can't shoot good.  Why hunt them if there is no challenge?   The thrill and skill is to decoy and call them into the decoys, not pass shoot them like a noob.  But I don't judge others that  hunt that way, just not for me.

Seems silly to take offense because someone's ethics are different than yours if they are not judging your ethics, only explaining their own.

Thats all ive read also! I thought everyone in a round about way just said pretty much i like to hunt them this way,but hunt em however you feel like...I must of missed the elitist!!

[appalachianassassin]

For years I would have given you a firm no. But, during that period, I only hunted 2 states and had 0 issues calling my limit to the gun. Now I regularly hunt 6 states or more with limited time and want to poke in my limit and move on. So nowadays I will on occasion crawl a gobbler only after I have lost the battle. Judge me if you must. Just realize, everyone has different goals.

[PALongspur]

Yes I will. Calling "Isn't" Everything

[jhoward11]

Yep, no questions ask. Would I like to have called him in? Yes. But turkey hunting is not all about calling. Would you shoot a deer if you didn't grunt or rattle him in? There you have it!

[Wigsplitter]

Yes if I get an opportunity

[Shiloh]

I ambushed a lot of gobblers when I was younger and would shoot one that I didn't call up or stumbled up on.  I have done all of the above.  Anymore, especially at home, where I get to hunt a lot, I find myself wanting to make it as difficult as possible which means calling them to the gun at the very least.  They do not have to be gobbling

[Hook hanger]

Have roosted the birds the night before and got in early  where I thought they were going to fly down  at. Some of those mornings its just nice to relax and listen and watch the turkeys do their thing. On occasion I have killed some of those gobblers and never touched a call. Never felt like it took anything away from the hunt to me. Could I have called yep, would it have hurt anything  nope, would it have added anything to that hunt nope.

[Number17]

  But, additionally, in my home state it's not LEGAL to shoot a spring bird you did not call to your location.

I'm in Pennsylvania as well and this rule gets taken out of context, but our game laws are all written very poorly....I'll give you that.
It says "Hunting my calling only. No stalking." to emphasize that is is not legal to creep within shooting range of a bird and kill it.
You do not have to make a call to legally harvest a gobbler in Pa.

I've been accused of "stalking" before by other hunters who saw me belly crawling to get to a location. I crawled down a low spot and set up in a brush pile while birds were visible in a field. He was henned up and had zero interest in gobbling at anything. They were coming my way anyway so it would have been either neutral or a negative to make a call. Killed the strutter about 20 minutes later.
While they were busy for 2 hours yapping on their box calls with zero interest from the birds, I out maneuvered them and went home wit a set of 1.5" hooks. I did not cut them off either. This was on public and I was set up before their headlights even hit the parking lot that morning.
That hunt was completely legal in the State of Pa.

Another example of a poorly written game law in Pa is that blinds must hide 100% of your movement from an outside on looker 360 degrees and from above. So the minute you open a blind window it immediately becomes illegal according to the definition of a legal blind.

[joey46]

Last few posts are right on.  There are few things on these forums more enjoyable to me than watching "Elitist"  alibing that they aren't. The original poster that started this mess knew exactly what he was looking for.  He got it - in spades.  To add - States such as AL, MS, etc that are on the ban wagon plus screwing the non-res are shortsighted and foolish.  Reduce the limits, shorten the seasons and add quotas if necessary.  That will help maintain the turkey status quo.  AGAIN the private land hunters are laughing their butts off. 

[Yoder409]

  But, additionally, in my home state it's not LEGAL to shoot a spring bird you did not call to your location.

I'm in Pennsylvania as well and this rule gets taken out of context, but our game laws are all written very poorly....I'll give you that.
It says "Hunting my calling only. No stalking." to emphasize that is is not legal to creep within shooting range of a bird and kill it.
You do not have to make a call to legally harvest a gobbler in Pa.

Well........... One may interpret any law however he likes.   On occasion, I've been known to interpret a 65 mph speed limit sign as 70 mph.  It depends on the officer, I guess, whether or not my interpretation stands when I drive through his radar that day.  But, to the best of my knowledge...... "65 mph" means 65 mph.

So, this discussion has been somewhat informative.........to see what part of the turkey hunter pie graph I fall in, as opposed to others.  And it's been somewhat entertaining.   Just go back and read it.

But, just to be factual and to set the record STRAIGHT on Pennsylvania law (whether Pennsylvanians agree with it or interpret it another way).......here it is STRAIGHT from Pennsylvania Code as legislated by the PA General Assembly.  This is not the remedial version from the PA Hunting & Trapping digest they give you when you purchase your license, like I posted previously.

Anyways........ Not tying to be a smart alec.  Just being factual. 

Title 58 - Part III - Chapter 141.45.(b).(2).(iii)



Just sayin'

[FLGobstopper]

So, would you shoot a turkey that hasn't responded to your calling then? What's the line for you?

As for me...

YES - I have shot turkeys (yes multiple and would do it again) that have never made a peep that I suspected were in an area I had been calling off and on, but did not know for sure that they were until they appeared, by chance or, by skill gobblers have walked into more than acceptable shotgun range and I've killed them. Is it my most favorite way? No, but I would do it again, and again, and again, and again, and I'm good with it.

YES - I have shot turkeys that never gobbled I have roosted that night before. Turkeys that I spent countless hours scouting and put myself into position on that flew down into gun range without me ever making a sound because they were highly a pressured public land birds and I know I didn't call them in. I clucked once or couple times to make them stick their heads up before I shot them, but I did NOT call them in. I'm good with it!

YES - I have played cat and mouse with multiple longbeards in the past that have given me the run around, consistently skirting my setups out of range and have in response maneuvered myself in such a way as to put them into gun range and end the game. Again, I'm good with it and will continue to do it again, and again, and again, and again.

I have hunted mostly public land for a long, long time. I travel to hunt, I don't use decoys very often, but have in the past, I love every minute of it and love them, each and everyone one of them. If I'm turkey hunting I'm there to kill a turkey, otherwise I would take up turkey photography. That would be fun too, but I really like to pet them, take them for rides and eat them for dinner.

Not sure what others think of me or would call me, regardless I'm just really happy that I've gotten to do it for the past 35+ years of my life and hope I get to do it for many more. Each one is special and each season is special, I've learned not to take any of them for granted.

[Number17]

But, just to be factual and to set the record STRAIGHT on Pennsylvania law (whether Pennsylvanians agree with it or interpret it another way).......here it is STRAIGHT from Pennsylvania Code as legislated by the PA General Assembly.  This is not the remedial version from the PA Hunting & Trapping digest they give you when you purchase your license, like I posted previously.

Anyways........ Not tying to be a smart alec.  Just being factual. 

Title 58 - Part III - Chapter 141.45.(b).(2).(iii)



Just sayin'

I know what it says and have discussed this many times with Pa hunter and the Warden who lives 2 minutes from me.

Is hand calling defined somewhere? What about mouth calling? Do they mean friction calls and air operated calls, or do you have to use your natural voice? Seem open to interpretation. If we are taking these words literally we are pretty limited.
What about scratching in the leaves with your hand? What about scratching in the leaves with your foot?
If you can hunt with mouth calls and hand calls ONLY, it sounds like decoys are illegal, right?
Can I make a single cluck when I get out of the truck and be good for the day, or do I have to make turkey noises every so often?
Am I allowed to shut up when one is coming, and for how long?

I killed one two years ago that heard my footsteps coming through the leaves. Hadn't heard a bird all morning until he screamed over the hill 80 yards away. Before I could blink he screamed again at 40 yards and in another second he was dead. I never made a call except for walking in the dry leaves. Was that illegal?

Have you ever seen the PAGC definition of "Hunt":
"Hunt" or "hunting."  Any act or furtherance of the taking or killing of any game or wildlife, or any part or product thereof, and includes, but is not limited to, chasing, tracking, CALLING, pursuing, lying in wait, trapping, shooting at, including shooting at a game or wildlife facsimile, or wounding with any weapon or implement, or using any personal property, including dogs, or the property of others, of any nature, in furtherance of any of these purposes, or aiding, abetting or conspiring with another person in that purpose.

So of that entire definition of "Hunting" you believe you're only legally allowed to use the CALLING part to hunt spring gobblers in Pa?Any other method is strictly prohibited because of their poorly thought out wording? Heck, you can't even "shoot at" because you have to "hunt" them by CALLING only!
You can't even legally discuss turkey hunting with a buddy or you're guilty of Conspiring to Hunt!
The law you cited says you can't TRACK turkeys either. If you see a line of fresh scratchings headed to the North out across an open flat, are you heading North or South? I guess even if you loop around to get in front of them that would be considered "pursuing" them.
No wonder this turkey hunting is so hard. They make it about impossible if you do exactly as they say.

You can take it literally if you like, but I'll continue to follow the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law.

just saying.....