**Hot Topics**Another thread currently on here got me curious...

[Meatseeker]

The questions I ask in all three scenarios is;  Was the hunter happy to harvest the bird?  Will he enjoy/use the meat?  Did he have fun?

To me, provided it was a legal method,  those are the only things that matter.


In my opinion there are three unethical ways to kill a turkey;  1. Baiting. 2. Trespassing  3. Roost shooting

[eggshell]

there are three unethical ways to kill a turkey;  1. Baiting. 2. Trespassing  3. Roost shooting

You know you just ruined someone's season  .

One of my biggest shocks in my turkey hunting travels was when I went after my Rio for the grand slam......almost everywhere I looked in Texas and Oklahoma they were baiting birds. I finally found an outfitter that was ok with me not wanting to hunt baited birds and found me some ground away from feeders. I still killed my two birds. There are some who do not bait, but it is pretty common in the southwest.

[Meatseeker]

 I'm not judging others.  Baiting where legal is fine if that works for you.  It's just not for ME.

[GobbleNut]

The questions posed are a fascinating topic for discussion, but to be honest, all of the choices and their corresponding difficulty are, to a large degree, contingent upon the conditions under which one is hunting.  There are places where killing a gobbler by grabbing it and choking it to death would be easier than trying to get a gobbler within TSS range from a stealth fighter in others. 

However, all things being equal, ethical, and under "normal" turkey hunting circumstances, anybody that can kill a turkey with a bow without a blind or decoys will always hold my utmost respect.

[Gobble!]

I'm not judging others.  Baiting where legal is fine if that works for you.  It's just not for ME.

That's right there with shooting birds at 100+ yards with a rifle for me. At least deer have the option of walking up to a bait pile after dark.

1.  Calling in a mature bird and shooting with a gun

2.  Shooting a mature bird from a blind

3.  Fanning a mature bird. 

Not sure what aggrandizing is so I hope I wasn't.

x2

[TauntoHawk]

The questions posed are a fascinating topic for discussion, but to be honest, all of the choices and their corresponding difficulty are, to a large degree, contingent upon the conditions under which one is hunting.  There are places where killing a gobbler by grabbing it and choking it to death would be easier than trying to get a gobbler within TSS range from a stealth fighter in others. 

However, all things being equal, ethical, and under "normal" turkey hunting circumstances, anybody that can kill a turkey with a bow without a blind or decoys will always hold my utmost respect.

It's about the ghillie suit and a musky net, purely catch and release... Usually just sign their legs with a Sharpe and put em back out there

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[g8rvet]

We are supposed to pick the most difficult from each group, right?



1. shooting a jake with a bow without a blind

2.  shooting a mature tom from within a pop up blind.

3.  I have no idea, never fanned, but my gut tells me this is a tie. 

So in order of difficulty of the 3 winners, I would rank it 1a 1b,2.   

[WNCTracker]

We are supposed to pick the most difficult from each group, right?



1. shooting a jake with a bow without a blind

2.  shooting a mature tom from within a pop up blind.

3.  I have no idea, never fanned, but my gut tells me this is a tie. 

So in order of difficulty of the 3 winners, I would rank it 1a 1b,2.

Exactly


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[stinkpickle]

...
3.  Fanning a Tom or shooting a hung up Tom at distances well beyond 40 yds with loads intended to do so.
...

#3 has both the easiest AND the hardest for me.  The "shooting a hung up Tom at distances well beyond 40 yds with loads intended to do so" part sounds super easy for me.  The "Fanning a Tom" part sounds like it would tear up my knees.

[g8rvet]

...
3.  Fanning a Tom or shooting a hung up Tom at distances well beyond 40 yds with loads intended to do so.
...

#3 has both the easiest AND the hardest for me.  The "shooting a hung up Tom at distances well beyond 40 yds with loads intended to do so" part sounds super easy for me.  The "Fanning a Tom" part sounds like it would tear up my knees.

Stop reading if you are easily bored. 

I had 4 jakes and a hen in a field.  Private.  Late season.  They gobbled their heads off for a solid hour and then would not leave the field.  Easter Sunday.  I had to go.  Did not want to spook them really bad, but enough to gtfo of the field.  They were about 100 yards away.  So I waved my hat at them slowly. Nuthin.  So then I waved it violently.  Nuthin.  The hens left, jakes stayed. Then I barked like a rabid dog.  Nuthin.   I really really have to go at this point,   more scared of pizzed off wife than ruining my future turkey hunt at this point (had a young un I wanted to kill one of these birds at some point).  So I get on my hands and knees and start crawling towards them.  Like a dog.  Figure they will say WTH? and leave, a little spooked, but not human panic spooked. Ummm, nope.  The biggest one, with the bright red head (and the dim brain) starts walking to me all puffed up, half strut.  He gets to about 30 yards and we both stop, looking at each other.  He finally says, I have no idea what that is, but maybe I should leave and just kind of walks off, not panicked, just heads off at a little more than a stroll.   Jakes.  Like a dumb teenage boy. 

[WNCTracker]

...
3.  Fanning a Tom or shooting a hung up Tom at distances well beyond 40 yds with loads intended to do so.
...

#3 has both the easiest AND the hardest for me.  The "shooting a hung up Tom at distances well beyond 40 yds with loads intended to do so" part sounds super easy for me.  The "Fanning a Tom" part sounds like it would tear up my knees.

Stop reading if you are easily bored. 

I had 4 jakes and a hen in a field.  Private.  Late season.  They gobbled their heads off for a solid hour and then would not leave the field.  Easter Sunday.  I had to go.  Did not want to spook them really bad, but enough to gtfo of the field.  They were about 100 yards away.  So I waved my hat at them slowly. Nuthin.  So then I waved it violently.  Nuthin.  The hens left, jakes stayed. Then I barked like a rabid dog.  Nuthin.   I really really have to go at this point,   more scared of pizzed off wife than ruining my future turkey hunt at this point (had a young un I wanted to kill one of these birds at some point).  So I get on my hands and knees and start crawling towards them.  Like a dog.  Figure they will say WTH? and leave, a little spooked, but not human panic spooked. Ummm, nope.  The biggest one, with the bright red head (and the dim brain) starts walking to me all puffed up, half strut.  He gets to about 30 yards and we both stop, looking at each other.  He finally says, I have no idea what that is, but maybe I should leave and just kind of walks off, not panicked, just heads off at a little more than a stroll.   Jakes.  Like a dumb teenage boy.

Maybe you just have a turkey face :-)


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[g8rvet]

I DO have a beard, so there is that.