Personal Ethics-Tree Gobbler

[Bottomland OG]

In the future, I've learned from this thread that the only victim to suffer here was the roosted gobbler. Forget about right, wrong, ethical, non-ethical if this happens to me, I will stand up, fire a shot into the air, and walk out of the woods singing loudly. This way, the bird flys off unscathed, the invading hunters learn a lesson, and you have this fine Tom to hunt another day. I know this is "Monday Morning Quarterbacking", but I try to learn from experiences on here. This really is something to learn about for the future.....Be safe...

I respect and agree with you on how you would handle the situation.

[Tom007]

In the future, I've learned from this thread that the only victim to suffer here was the roosted gobbler. Forget about right, wrong, ethical, non-ethical if this happens to me, I will stand up, fire a shot into the air, and walk out of the woods singing loudly. This way, the bird flys off unscathed, the invading hunters learn a lesson, and you have this fine Tom to hunt another day. I know this is "Monday Morning Quarterbacking", but I try to learn from experiences on here. This really is something to learn about for the future.....Be safe...

I respect and agree with you on how you would handle the situation.

Thanks. It's a tough situation to be in for sure. This is what's good about the forum. It gets contentious at times, but in the end, we all are in this together to hopefully be the fraternity that others look up to to make our sport better and more enjoyable.... Be safe, good luck this season....

[Zobo]

You don't call yourself a sportsman and shoot a bird out of a tree. Only if wounded, just like you wouldn't sluice a duck on the water unless crippled or a blast a ruffed grouse on the ground unless winged. If a frightened game bird flies into a tree he's safe, period. This isn't really a debatable topic and not a matter of personal ethics. It's cut and dry, and wrong, and has been for a very, very long time among American sportsmen.

[runngun]

Quite a few years ago, I remember watching Michael Wadell calling in a Longbeard that "Tree Hopped" all the way to him. The turkey answered his calls, gobbling all the way. He shot him out of the tree. This was nowhere close to daylight. It was way later.  He also offered no apologies.

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[Tom007]

You don't call yourself a sportsman and shoot a bird out of a tree. Only if wounded, just like you wouldn't sluice a duck on the water unless crippled or a blast a ruffed grouse on the ground unless winged. If a frightened game bird flies into a tree he's safe, period. This isn't really a debatable topic and not a matter or personal ethics. It's cut and dry, and wrong, and has been for a very, very long time among American sportsmen.

X10 here. My first post here is and always will be my stance on shooting a turkey off the limb. When I hunt, I set up at least 150 yards away from a roosted Tom. I hunt mostly open woods ridge terrain. I have been successful allowing the Tom to fly down, then I call him to the gun. Obviously it doesn't play out to a harvest all the time, but when it does it's an unmatched thrill. To me, common roost areas that turkeys use year after year are sacred areas that I am careful to not get in to close to. Again, this is just the way I choose to play the game. Be safe, good luck...

[Greg Massey]

I just like calling them myself.  Good luck this spring everyone. If he lives today, i hope i get another chance to hunt him again tomorrow. Just remember hunting gobblers on private / public takes different tactics...

YOU are the one responsible for the decisions you make in the turkey woods.

Good post everyone, i have enjoyed reading the different opinions..

[Super Fox]

Thanks folks.

My answers to much in my 60+ years of turkey hunting-successfully in 3 states- has been: "What would my Dad or Tom Kelly do?"
It has worked and you form your own honorable code as a sportsman.

Some of you, like myself, have finally gotten an old gobbler after 2 or 3 years hunting the same turkey.
If a gobbler fools you or bests you-he is still around to regale the woods with his voice. And that is what it is all about.


-----------------Remaining a member in good standing-Tenth Legion----------------------

Life Member-Parker GC Assn
AH Fox Collectors Assn
Special Forces Assn-Life
MACVSOG/SOA- LIFE

[Number17]

The interesting thing I take from this is that in the State of Pennsylvania there is no law against shooting a roosted turkey, but it would be illegal to fire a gun indiscriminately in the air and stomp out of the woods singing loudly.
Purposely spooking the turkey and disturbing hunters falls under harassing wildlife and hunter harassment laws.
You would be cited with nothing for roost shooting, but you could face 2-3 fines for the disturbance.

[Tom007]

The interesting thing I take from this is that in the State of Pennsylvania there is no law against shooting a roosted turkey, but it would be illegal to fire a gun indiscriminately in the air and stomp out of the woods singing loudly.
Purposely spooking the turkey and disturbing hunters falls under harassing wildlife and hunter harassment laws.
You would be cited with nothing for roost shooting, but you could face 2-3 fines for the disturbance.

My life is more valuable than any turkey in the woods. If people with zero ethics come in and purposely set up around me when I'm on a bird first, No one in their right mind would stay in that unsafe environment. I'm leaving WITHOUT getting shot. I do not hunt public land for this reason, period........

PS, I would not "Stomp" out of the woods, just a casual walk........

[eggshell]

The interesting thing I take from this is that in the State of Pennsylvania there is no law against shooting a roosted turkey, but it would be illegal to fire a gun indiscriminately in the air and stomp out of the woods singing loudly.
Purposely spooking the turkey and disturbing hunters falls under harassing wildlife and hunter harassment laws.
You would be cited with nothing for roost shooting, but you could face 2-3 fines for the disturbance.

My life is more valuable than any turkey in the woods. If people with zero ethics come in and purposely set up around me when I'm on a bird first, No one in their right mind would stay in that unsafe environment. I'm leaving WITHOUT getting shot. I do not hunt public land for this reason, period........

PS, I would not "Stomp" out of the woods, just a casual walk........

I am with you on the leaving thing and I might be making some noise doing it, Like talking really loud and saying hunter coming through or making sure they know I am a person. I carry a hunter orange stocking cap for these times as well. I flat out guarantee you no turkey ever hatched or that will ever be hatched is worth getting shot over....yeah most of you know how I know that. Get pissed, stand your ground, or whatever, but I am leaving and leaving fast, if a turkey is that d*mn important to someone they can have it.

[Tom007]

The interesting thing I take from this is that in the State of Pennsylvania there is no law against shooting a roosted turkey, but it would be illegal to fire a gun indiscriminately in the air and stomp out of the woods singing loudly.
Purposely spooking the turkey and disturbing hunters falls under harassing wildlife and hunter harassment laws.
You would be cited with nothing for roost shooting, but you could face 2-3 fines for the disturbance.

My life is more valuable than any turkey in the woods. If people with zero ethics come in and purposely set up around me when I'm on a bird first, No one in their right mind would stay in that unsafe environment. I'm leaving WITHOUT getting shot. I do not hunt public land for this reason, period........

PS, I would not "Stomp" out of the woods, just a casual walk........

I am with you on the leaving thing and I might be making some noise doing it, Like talking really loud and saying hunter coming through or making sure they know I am a person. I carry a hunter orange stocking cap for these times as well. I flat out guarantee you no turkey ever hatched or that will ever be hatched is worth getting shot over....yeah most of you know how I know that. Get pissed, stand your ground, or whatever, but I am leaving and leaving fast, if a turkey is that d*mn important to someone they can have it.

Amen my friend...

[Cut N Run]

I'm not sure if it's legal to limb shoot a gobbler in N.C., but it should be if it is.  My grandfather always told me that if he's off the ground, he's off limits.  Play the game, if he wins, he wins.  That is what keeps you coming back.  But if you find the chink in his armour and get the drop on him, you win!

Jim

[Tclipse01]

Shooting off the roost takes no skill. Why even bother when you can pick up a rotisserie chicken at Publix for less than the cost of a TSS shell.

[outdoorguy3]

In the future, I've learned from this thread that the only victim to suffer here was the roosted gobbler. Forget about right, wrong, ethical, non-ethical if this happens to, I will stand up, fire a shot into the air, and walk out of the woods singing loudly. This way, the bird flys off unscathed, the invading hunters learn a lesson, and you have this fine Tom to hunt another day. I know this is "Monday Morning Quarterbacking", but I try to learn from experiences on here. This really is something to learn about for the future.....Be safe...

Tom007,  The only thing I could disagree with in your statement, that the other hunters learned a lesson.  The ones have come across don't ever seem to learn!

I have definitly walked away from folks wanting to mix it up!  My comment to them was they weren't worth the effort!

Ralph

[Vintage]

Thanks for the replies. A true turkey hunter would never shoot a bird on the roost