Unethical or Not 2

[Spitten and drummen]

I have hunted public land many a years and that is just part of it. I do not crowd other hunters or try to work a bird they are already working. it is a very common occurrence now days. turkey hunters in the years past was a different kind of person. they took pride in hunting a tough old gobbler and overall respectful of one another. the way people are today has spilled over into this sport. the generation of I want it now and cant wait is the majority. that being said , I have came across some good guys on public land also. if you think things will change and get better , then I think you are in for a let down. all you can do if you cant deal with these things is buy or gain permission to hunt private land. even then its no gaurentee that things will be much better. I hunt a lease with 5 other guys and we have 2 that hunt the way the op described. we have 1300 hundred acres so that doesn't help. cant get rid of those 2 because they are the lease holders good buddies.

[GobbleNut]

Nephew has bird scouted on very public location - easy access, lots of folks know about the area.  Has listened to him for 4 days prior to opener.  On opening morning he parks where he wants to hunt. Gets there 4 hours before daylight.  Has a couple of trucks come in, see his truck and turn around.  One goes past (plenty of places to hunt beyond him).  The place he is hunting is a U shaped turkey oak flat above a creek bottom.  It is 600 yards wide and 300 yards deep at the deepest point. 

Just before gobble time he and friend get out of truck, waiting to see where he is roosted.  It is about 35 minutes prior to daylight.  Truck pulls in and sees him and backs up.  He is listening to hear if the truck drives off, but the bird sounds off, so his attention is directed at the bird.  The bird is on the end of the flat that he is parked next to.  Roughly 250 yards from his truck.  He heads in.  He gets as close as he dares and sets up.  Bird answers his call on the limb.  Flies down to the flat.  Gobbles.  He gives a little light calling when he hears a hen, toward where the guy backed up to.  The bird responds to that.  They have a little call war, with nephew being a little soft and late guy being aggressive.  Late guy has the bird coming and BOOM.  Shoots the bird (or at least no more gobbles and no tracks leaving the flat).  Not 150 yards from my nephew.  Definitely close enough to hear each other's calling.  The guy saw his truck and knew he was there.  Nephew walks back to truck and down the road to have a discussion but the guy is gone.  This is on 550,00 acre WMA in Florida.  TONS of rooms to spread out. 

I know what I think, but curious to hear from others.

Despicable.  Although the "two wrongs do not make a right" theory applies, I know,...but as soon as the bird started toward the other guy, your nephew should have done his best to scare the hell out of that bird before he got to the other A-hole. 

public land story...back when the 835 hit the scene a young friend of mine had to have one. he worked with it and picked his favorite ammo (which was slim back then). he practiced his calling and did his scouting. first week he's on public land set up on a bird on a wide ridge that runs off into a dirt road about 350-400 yards away.  he has a bird doing everything a hunter could ask for. the bird is coming in hard and he is ready. the bird shows up to his left strutting. he has the gun ready but watches the show for just a bit. the birds get in the middle of the ridge right in front of my friend about 35-40yds away. he makes a quick alert call and the bird sticks his head straight up, BOOM, bird starts flopping at the exact same time my friend hears blood curling screams from the narrow end of the ridge in front of him. Yep, he shot another hunter that was trying to sneak up on the bird. guy is full of shot cussing and screaming but not dying. friend gets help as soon as possible. local DNR shows and now keep in mind the sneaky hunter admitted he never once made a call.   I know the outcome but curious what the gang here thinks it should have been.

First off, this is worthy of more discussion on its own merit.  You should put it in a new thread so things don't get confusing in this one. 
The verdict is that this was a case where the "stars aligned" to result in an unfortunate hunting accident.  No charges should have been filed on anyone,...unless this happened in a state with some unenforceable law against stalking turkeys. 

What are the odds that a guy could be calling a gobbler in,...and another guy is stalking the same bird,...and the bird does not see the other guy,...and the stalker gets close enough and in line with the shooter at just the moment that the shooter fires,...and the stalker is close enough to result in significant injury?  I suspect the odds of that happening are about the same as one of us getting hit by a meteorite....

[TauntoHawk]

Legal.....yes.
Ethical.....no, provided the guy knew your nephew was set up on the bird.  Some folks are just plain ignorant of ethics.  Some folks are devious.  Hopefully the ignorant ones learn and the devious ones find another hobby. (I could think of a few worse things that could happen to the devious ones)

I've had it done to me at least a couple times.  Both birds got away.

Agreed


I've had it done to me, never done it to anyone else nor will I.

[hs strut]

you guys really make me appreciate the private lands i hunt. im sorry to hear about your nephews luck but im sure given time he will find another bird.

[sswv]

the DNR and local police investigation showed the turkey was killed about 32yds from the shooter and the sneaky hunter was hit at nearly 80yds from the shooter.  the woods were just starting to green up where this happened and not seeing someone that far out crawling in the fresh cover is VERY possible, especially when you're young and totally focused on that gobbler you've been working and, ALL officers involved agreed. I guess it's easier for shot to travel thru fresh cover than to see thru it.  anyway,  the sneaky hunter was hit enough to scream and cuss but walked out just fine with his pride dragging behind.

now, considering this didn't happen in southern New Mexico where GobbleNut is but rather in the mountains of southern WV I guess your 'opinion' of this not happening how it did is just that "YOUR OPINION" and we all know about opinions.

[FLTXhunter]

I like hunting alone myself.  If I saw another guy or gal on a spot, I'd opt to go elsewhere both because...well....they got there first and I respect other hunter's space and secondly, I don't want to hunt around others.  I'll go deeper than the other guys are willing to go just to get solitude...and a crack at the hidden birds.

[Hooksfan]

It was over 20 years ago in the Kisatchie National Forest, I had a guy showed up two mornings in a row just at gobbling time and come in on me and spooked turkeys off the roost as he would walk in.  My father in law was a shade tree mechanic who always had a yard full of trucks and cars for sale.  On the third morning, I spent some time having the wife ferry me back and forth and when the dude pulled up to come in on me, I am sure he was surprised to find my truck and three other vehicles there.  He decided to go somewhere else.  I killed the bird that morning.

[Bill Cooksey]

It was over 20 years ago in the Kisatchie National Forest, I had a guy showed up two mornings in a row just at gobbling time and come in on me and spooked turkeys off the roost as he would walk in.  My father in law was a shade tree mechanic who always had a yard full of trucks and cars for sale.  On the third morning, I spent some time having the wife ferry me back and forth and when the dude pulled up to come in on me, I am sure he was surprised to find my truck and three other vehicles there.  He decided to go somewhere else.  I killed the bird that morning.

I'd call that going the extra mile...three times.

[Bowguy]

The guy is a dirtball. We're all brothers n should show sportsmanship to the other. Positive note is that lots of guys left area. If he woulda roosted him last night he may be closer than the idiot

[zelmo1]

Typical slob hunter, I want to earn my birds. Keep working at it. Hard work will pay off. Al Baker

[ruination]

Really depends on the other dudes intent.  But really, hunting a bird right next to the road is not a good idea for exactly this reason.  If the dude cut off the bird on the way to your nephew, that's unethical.  2 people calling to the same bird though happens all the time.  At least there was the rest of the day and 500k acres to continue hunting.

In Maryland goose season there are blinds pretty close together all over the place.  People compete for the same birds all day long, I wouldn't call it unethical. 

I think if you remove all the things the other guy could not have known the situation is not so black and white.

[ilbucksndux]

Legal ? ......yes, Ethical ?  .....no..........Would I do it ?......no..........Does it happen on public land ?.........Its probably happening RIGHT NOW somewhere. I dont understand why someone would knowingly set up and work the same bird that someone is already on. Most of the turkey hunters around here want to be alone and will run the other way when they know someone else is in the woods with them,but  there is always a few bad apples in the bunch.Here is my run in with a real winner........

I was on a VERY large tract of public land. I drove till the road ended and kept walking. Its late in the morning around 11 Im walking along a pretty steep ridge and made one gobble. I saw him at the bottom heading up(I thought you couldnt call a turkey up a hill ?) with no real place to sit where I was I stepped over the top of the ridge and I'm just on the other side. I'm calling and he is coming. The last time I hear him gobble he is CLOSE. I hear him walking then BOOM ! and the shot was CLOSE ! I stand up and see the bird flopping 30 yards from me and some 20ish year old is standing 40 yards from me . He walks over and now I'm worried that I may have walked up on him. I ask if he was working that bird when I came in and I just didnt see him. He said no I heard you calling and I just thought Id get close in case you lost him. "Oh and by the way thanks for calling for me"  I lost it and told him that one or both of us could have got shot and that you NEVER sneak up on a bird that someone is working. He giggled a bit . I had to walk away.


Another time I was at LBL and came in from a boat. I had just walked thru an area and heard one behind me and stated to work it. The leaves are thick and green. I sat down and started to call. I can see the bird is strutting and he is about 50 yards out. BOOM ! I think what the @*^$#^@*!@&^?  This guy snuck in between me and the bird.

[ilbucksndux]

Really depends on the other dudes intent.  But really, hunting a bird right next to the road is not a good idea for exactly this reason.  If the dude cut off the bird on the way to your nephew, that's unethical.  2 people calling to the same bird though happens all the time.  At least there was the rest of the day and 500k acres to continue hunting.

In Maryland goose season there are blinds pretty close together all over the place.  People compete for the same birds all day long, I wouldn't call it unethical. 

I think if you remove all the things the other guy could not have known the situation is not so black and white.

Really ? The guy KNEW they were there and parked close enough to sneak in on them.

Goose hunting in a public waterfowl area is the same but different. If geese are just flying around they are free game,but when they start to work another blind/spread you shut up. Alteast you better if your hunting near me

[ruination]

Really depends on the other dudes intent.  But really, hunting a bird right next to the road is not a good idea for exactly this reason.  If the dude cut off the bird on the way to your nephew, that's unethical.  2 people calling to the same bird though happens all the time.  At least there was the rest of the day and 500k acres to continue hunting.

In Maryland goose season there are blinds pretty close together all over the place.  People compete for the same birds all day long, I wouldn't call it unethical. 

I think if you remove all the things the other guy could not have known the situation is not so black and white.

Really ? The guy KNEW they were there and parked close enough to sneak in on them.

Goose hunting in a public waterfowl area is the same but different. If geese are just flying around they are free game,but when they start to work another blind/spread you shut up. Alteast you better if your hunting near me

Not even public.  Usually there is more than one group of birds in the air at any given time.  But let me just try and write it from the other guys perspective.  Take in mind that this is not something I have ever done intentionally and I can't know the exact details of this WMA or how it works.  I will say this, I have set up on one side of a tree and had another hunter set up on the other side,  happens.

"I pulled into the drive trying to find an open area to hunt, a lot of people have beat me to the punch this morning but its getting close to shooting time and I am still driving around looking for an opening.  I know of an area, its really well known, easy access, at this point it seams to be my best shot.  I pull in, there is one truck here, hopefully he has already walked a bit.  I park my truck down the road from him giving him some space and hop out.  I hear a gobble pretty close, I think it's pretty lucky I head in.  Get set up a few more gobbles come back.  I start calling loudly.  Gobbler responds.  Gobbler starts heading my way.  At this point I hear some hen calling, I hope its a hen, but chances are I am competing with another hunter.  O well to late to stop now.  Gobbler appears, I pull the trigger, pack it in too head home and make breakfast."

So it may just be conditioning of the area I hunt with 4 parking spots for 20 hunters.  But if you don't run into another hunter in the area and you don't hear any calling until after you set up I really don't want to pass judgement on a guy.   

[Gobbler2577]

Happens to me a lot actually.  Last week a guy parked and moved in on the other side of a bird I was working.  I heard him yet never saw him.  When the bird got in range I killed him.  I hate those situations but I love hunting public land.  The guy drove past my truck and knew I was there.  I looked hard trying to see him because it can be dangerous.  If he is willing to knowingly set up like that he will one day get shot.  That is the main reason I stopped shooting #4's and went to 7's.  I don't want to hurt anyone but if they are stupid then sometimes they have to pay stupid tax.  Unethical is not nearly a strong enough word for that behavior.