Would you shoot a turkey out off the roost?

[ghosthunter]

This comes up it seems a lot. Would you shoot a turkey while it was on the roost? And if not would you hunt with someone who would or did?

I have never killed a turkey, not that I haven't tried. Missed a nice Tom once.
But I have promised myself I will never shoot one off the roost. And the folks that hunt with me know how I feel about it. So far non in my group have done it.

What do you and your group think about killing a turkey at all cost no matter what it takes?

[seth30]

If I could back my truck up to that tree so when I take the shot he just falls in my truck that would be great. 

[seth30]

***Disclaimer***  that was a joke

[ghosthunter]

I know

[Karl Blanchard]

Absoluetely not!  And I wouldn't let anyone with me do it either!  Zero sport in it and classless in my opinion.

[Birdguy]

Turkeys at all cost...no matter what it takes  . Not going to be someone I am hunting with. I hunt for the hunt and the time in camp way more than the kill or the bragging rights.

No, I would not, I have killed a few turkeys and been skunked several years as well. Killing a turkey is a special time when you have either called one in (the best feeling) or outsmarted one, and it all comes together. Shooting one off the roost ranks up there with snagging salmon when no one is around, I do not see how one could do it and still feel as proud as someone who did it another way (just not the way I was taught). That said if done within legal hours and hunting conditions I do not know I would hold it against someone for one time, if it became habit that would be different.

[deaner]

Absoluetely not!  And I wouldn't let anyone with me do it either!  Zero sport in it and classless in my opinion.

ive never shot a turkey off the roost but.... if you shot a deer in its bed would it be classless?  is it only sporting to shoot a buck thats called in?  where is the difference?

[washelkhunter]

If its legal shooting hours, yeah probably.

[Karl Blanchard]

Huge difference!  Killing a deer in its bed takes actual hunting skills, woodsmanship and stealth.  Killing a turkey in its roost is as simple as getting one to gobble and then strolling up underneath him and waiting until legal light!  When a deer is bedded it is usually in a difficult place to stalk on them. Even when bedded a deer is still alert and ready to bolt at danger.  As long as its fairly dark, you can stand under a turkey or group of turkeys and sing them songs and they will not fly!

[snowpack]

if it is legal, I'd do it. 

[washelkhunter]

Huge difference!  Killing a deer in its bed takes actual hunting skills, woodsmanship and stealth.  Killing a turkey in its roost is as simple as getting one to gobble and then strolling up underneath him and waiting until legal light!  When a deer is bedded it is usually in a difficult place to stalk on them. Even when bedded a deer is still alert and ready to bolt at danger.  As long as its fairly dark, you can stand under a turkey or group of turkeys and sing them songs and they will not fly!

It's a "fair chase" thing then. What about coming across one long after sunrise?

[KFhunter]

If it's legal then no one has a right to complain how another hunter harvests his/her kill. (as long as it's done clean and quick)

If you have a personal rule that prohibits you from sluicing a bird out the tree then good on you 
I have a ton of "rules" and challenges, but I won't force them upon you all under the hammer of public scrutiny.

So while I won't shoot one out of a tree as I see no point in it....I won't bash someone else for doing it, unless I had that flock pegged the night before and was set up to call them.  Where I hunt turkey though there's usually only one road in and I'll park out of the way but make it obvious I'm down there.  If they drove past me and sluiced one then I'd be a little hot under the collar I suppose - but then that doesn't really have anything to do with turkey hunting, that's just being an *censored*.


Have you ever sluiced a grouse off a dirt road?  It's the same thing if you ask an upland guy with a prized bird dog.

Have you ever shot a running phez?  Same thing

Shot a duck on the water?  Same thing!


So don't get on here bashing the way someone else does something just because YOU don't think it's ethical.  The more I read HW the more I'm turning away from what's seen as ethical and relying on what's Legal. 

The problem is if enough people see something as unethical pretty soon it's prohibited  -  hounds anyone?

(I'm not talking to anyone in particular, so don't take offense)

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

When my son was 10 he decided that we needed to try hunting turkeys. I asked around, got some good info, got him through hunter saftey. Drove 5 hours across the state and parked the car.
Opening day of the youth season had us parked under a tree with turkeys roosting in it. He asked if he could shoot one out of the tree. I had never hunted turkeys before, but i explained to him that it would not be right, although legal it isn't what we are out here for.

He is now 14 and still hasn't taken a turkey. Every year we make plans to do it, but something always gets in the way. We have been invited to hunt with some great people on here but haven't hit the mark yet.

We will. I would really like for him to get a turkey. He still has dreams about those turkeys.

[runamuk]

yup if I can find roosted birds and then actually sneak up on and shoot one....sure why not  I would do the same to a grouse....course I missed the grouse so its looking good for the turkeys....and for the record I HATE turkeys freaky birds that just ....freaky birds....  this is all conjecture I have zero desire to hunt turkeys to begin with....turkeys emu and ostriches freaky dang birds I have no use for...

now if we want to start comparing personal rules I have some doozies that I dont even expect my closest friends to live up to, hence why they are MY personal rules of ethics and mores...  I just dont extend them to turkeys, I'd probably hit a turkey with a truck too given the option....I really dont like turkeys...or alligators or sharks I would also run over an alligator....and I brake for squirrels...so go figure

[jackelope]

No.