Cheating?

[Snoodsniper]

Man this thread must be on life support........

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

Different sport, same idea.  I learned to trout fish with worms and salmon eggs from my dad, uncle, and grandfather.  One day a pool full of trout completely ignored our bait.  An older gentleman fishing with flies asked if he could give them a try and we said sure.  He immediately hooked a nice trout.  An epiphany of sorts for me. I learned to fly fish. Over time I realized that most of the time (not all of the time, like after a heavy rain) I could catch more trout with flies than with bait and I learned a lot more about trout and had more fun doing it.  But I have great memories of catching trout on worms and salmon eggs and don't regret a minute spent learning to fish that way too.

(From Ed Zern's "To Hell With Fishing")

[stinkpickle]

You must not have ever used a stuffer decoy!

Only on the beach, and they still say "Call me, Call me!

I'll have to try that, never had any luck with a potato.

HINT:  The potato goes in the FRONT! 

[jblackburn]

WHEN DID TURKEY HUNTING BECOME ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN KILLING TURKEYS???

If it's legal and it helps you bag your bird then go for it!!

I'm not sure how exactly, but I'm gonna blame Obama. 

THIS!  That S.O.B has even ruined turkey hunting now!

[Bennett]

It is not cheating if it is legal, just a personal code I believe. I saw the post were the gentleman mentioned Tom Kelly, Ben Lee, and Gene Nunnery. I would be curious how many hunters have read the books written by these men and still use decoys regularly. I have only been hunting for 6 spring seasons and most of you would laugh if I told you how many gobblers I have killed to date. Would I like to have more beards and Spurs hanging on my wall?  You betcha but the 4 I have hanging there are special and bring back fond memories every time I walk in my study. My brother has given me two nice decoys for my birthday the past two years. I have not used them except when I take my boys. He is the best turkey hunter I know and has killed several nice gobblers without the use of decoys. He and his hunting partner started using them pretty often a couple seasons ago with great success. I have to admit it is tempting to want to use them when I get multiple pictures of harvested birds. But then I go back and read passages from these books and I am reminded of why I prefer not to. Like I said, nothing against anyone who does as long as it is in a legal manner.

[deerbasshunter3]

The bird that I killed yesterday, to the best of my knowledge, could not even see the decoy that was out. That is not to say that he didn't see it once he started going where he was going, but I feel like I could have killed him without the decoy. That being said, I will probably be using them in the future to sit on a field at some point. Just like everything else utilized to kill a turkey, it is a matter of preference.

[Ericbrooks]

If it's legal and you like doing it WHO CARES what other people think. That's the problem with modern hunting today. Be it deer, turkey, or whatever, a lot of people worry way too much about what everybody is gonna think about the size of the game they shoot, what method they used, what they shot it with......ect. Just go enjoy Gods creation and do what makes you happy

[Bill Cooksey]

Do duck and goose hunters ever argue about this?

Far worse than turkey hunters. Not so much about the use of traditional decoys, but the arguments about spinners have been epic. You can also throw in pass shooting, sky busting, hole claimers, downwinders, topwaters, flooded grain and a litany of others. Turkey hunter arguments are tame by comparison.

[TrackeySauresRex]

HINT:  The potato goes in the FRONT! 
[/quote]

 

[g8rvet]

Do duck and goose hunters ever argue about this?

Far worse than turkey hunters. Not so much about the use of traditional decoys, but the arguments about spinners have been epic. You can also throw in pass shooting, sky busting, hole claimers, downwinders, topwaters, flooded grain and a litany of others. Turkey hunter arguments are tame by comparison.

hardcore duck and goose hunter here.  What is a topwater?  Never heard that expression hunting in FL, MS, MO and Canada.  Just curious. 

The other one that brings a good argument is limit sharers. 

[Bill Cooksey]

Do duck and goose hunters ever argue about this?

Far worse than turkey hunters. Not so much about the use of traditional decoys, but the arguments about spinners have been epic. You can also throw in pass shooting, sky busting, hole claimers, downwinders, topwaters, flooded grain and a litany of others. Turkey hunter arguments are tame by comparison.

hardcore duck and goose hunter here.  What is a topwater?  Never heard that expression hunting in FL, MS, MO and Canada.  Just curious. 

The other one that brings a good argument is limit sharers.

"Topwater" is a term for new/clueless hunters who screw things up for everyone else without realizing it. There are a variety of terms used for this type of person.

By "limit sharers" are you talking about party shooters?

[nickp]

Go get your decoy and work some birds man.  Cotton picking ridiculous with this immoral/moral arguments over decoys.  When you lay one down with them you will get congrats.  Without it you will get congrats.  There is nothing immoral about it.  You are hunting and doing what you can.  You sure can learn alot about a bird watching him and/or hens react to decoys.  The same is said for when you don't use it.  if you feel like toting it, then tote it.  If not, then don't.  No way that it is cheating to go with or without it.  Go knock some heads brother and post some pics.   

[g8rvet]

Do duck and goose hunters ever argue about this?

Far worse than turkey hunters. Not so much about the use of traditional decoys, but the arguments about spinners have been epic. You can also throw in pass shooting, sky busting, hole claimers, downwinders, topwaters, flooded grain and a litany of others. Turkey hunter arguments are tame by comparison.

hardcore duck and goose hunter here.  What is a topwater?  Never heard that expression hunting in FL, MS, MO and Canada.  Just curious. 

The other one that brings a good argument is limit sharers.

"Topwater" is a term for new/clueless hunters who screw things up for everyone else without realizing it. There are a variety of terms used for this type of person.

By "limit sharers" are you talking about party shooters?

Kinda.  I take party shooters to mean that no one is really sure who has killed what. Most times when laying in a layout blind and everyone trying to pick out Greenheads, a single drake will get shot more than once by a couple of shooters.  There is no way to know who killed what and we do our best at calling it someone's bird.  A limit sharer to me is someone that knows dang good and well they have shot their limit, but "help" their buddy shoot his limit.  One may be technically illegal if someone were to figure out who's shot it is, but no ill is intended.  The other knows exactly what they are doing.

We call "topwaters" "Duck Commanders"-especially if they are face painters.  It is best when they give their group a name - like Duck Stackers or such.  If they make bumper stickers, even better. 

[catman529]

If you're following the laws, being safe and having fun, who cares what anyone thinks about "cheating". Turkey hunting isn't a contest to me. It's an addiction.


Sent from the talk of tap

[LI Outdoorsman]

to me cheating is a term used to describe a way to get around the law. If its legal to use decoys in your area then in now way can that be termed cheating.If its illegal to use a rifle and you pot shoot a gobbler out of your truck with that .22 u keep under the seat THATS cheating. Here in NY you cannot use bait anytime during the year during season or off. If u setup a blind in front of a big pile of corn youve been planting there for weeks than THATS cheating.Some people are making it seem like you throw a few plastic turkeys in a field and the toms come running...Not in my neck of the woods..actually most of the time I've hunted with decoys the birds get real skittish and hang up at the edge of the field. Its easier to call in a bird without one in my opinion.