Two parts- Ethical and why

[rosscrazyelk]

I probably could of made this two threads but I have some questions. Do you find it ethical to shoot a turkey flying?
Also why is it some turkeys have red heads and some have blue heads. they are in the same area same species right? why different colors?

[robodad]

I would have to say that no you shouldn't shoot flying turkey's, I think they would be considered big game for most folks and you wouldn't shoot a runing deer or elk if you can help it !! 

[MountainWalk]

i think that after your first shot, if the tom is running or takes off to fly.. go ahead and dose em.. the head sometimes takes on different colors depending on mood.. least thats what i was told.

unethical to shoot running deer or elk? why is it unethical? we shoot birds with shotguns while they fly. i see no difference. if you feel you can take the shot and make it a good one, let er rip tator chip

[Skyvalhunter]

Would't shoot a running deer? Bad analogy

[Intruder]

Generally speaking you shouldn't try to shoot a flying turkey.  A wounded bird yea.  A point blank 15 yards or less for a bird you called in and it spooks.... maaaybee.  But as a general rule I'd suggest no.  To high a chance of simply wounding it.  

Head color.  All toms can change the color of their heads.... they can go from red to bright red to blue to white.  Color generally designates a level of excitement.  I've seen toms come in while their head is litterally changing from red to blue to white in a matter of seconds.  

Blood red is my favorite.... right after I send a load of 6s through his mellon

[robodad]

Wouldn't shoot a running deer? Bad analogy

if you feel you can take the shot and make it a good one,

Yeah this was my meaning, If you have the skills to make a clean kill shot at a running deer or elk then by all means go ahead, I have tagged more then one deer that a person shot at that was running and didn't even bother to go check to see if they hit it, I also ran into one of these hunters after the fact and he said "yeah I shot and it didn't even flinch so I figured I missed".

I just don't think it is a good shot to make !!

[rainshadow1]

I'm hopefully a future turkey hunter, haven't done it yet. I've heard that the red is like flushing, when their blood is up for some reason. Maybe they're embarrased? Most likely rut or fight.

I'm curious about the flying thing though. I've been wing shooting since I was about 7. I've shot tens of thousands of rounds of shotgun at airborne moving targets. All other birds it's unethical to shoot unless they ARE flying. What's up with turkey? I'd be curious to know from guys who know turkeys. Is there reason beyond "you just don't do it" to not take a wing shot?

I thought about this a couple weeks ago, what if I roosted a turkey, snuck in the next morning, set up, and it flew down and gave me a crossing shot? Should I shoot? Why not? It's a big head and neck area. Like a greater Canada Goose. Should be a slam dunk, right?

Educate me?

[tlbradford]

Here are a few reasons for not shooting a flying turkey.

1) If you walk into a group and flush them up, it is hard to distinguish the difference between a hen, jake, and tom, while they are flying and all hell is breaking loose.

2) Turkeys are notorious for setting their wings and gliding down a mountain, even after delivering a good shot that will have them dead shortly afterwards.  Since we don't hunt them with dogs, your chances of recovering that turkey are small.

3) Like Intruder said, they can absorb a lot of lead.  If you don't get a head or neck shot on them, and end up hitting them in the body, you may just wound them.  Even if you break a wing, they will outrun you once they hit the ground.  Unlike upland birds, they don't hunker underneath some cover and play invisible.  They keep going and going and going.

4) Most of us are set up with an extremely tight choke for turkey hunting.  This means you may only have an 8" cloud of shot at 20 yards.  That takes a real accurate shot at a moving target.

Rainshadow, in your example you have positively id'd the bird, you know the terrain, so I think that is up to you whether you are comfortable taking the shot.  However, once you start turkey hunting, you will find that the enjoyment is in calling them to you after they hit the ground.  Watching them strut, sound off, and fight with one another, or beat up your decoy is awesome.  Killing a bird is secondary.  To use an analogy, it is the difference between calling a yote into your lap vs shooting one that you spotted when driving along the side of the road.  It is the adrenaline rush that makes it worthwhile.

[sisu]

I'm hopefully a future turkey hunter, haven't done it yet. I've heard that the red is like flushing, when their blood is up for some reason. Maybe they're embarrased? Most likely rut or fight.

I'm curious about the flying thing though. I've been wing shooting since I was about 7. I've shot tens of thousands of rounds of shotgun at airborne moving targets. All other birds it's unethical to shoot unless they ARE flying. What's up with turkey? I'd be curious to know from guys who know turkeys. Is there reason beyond "you just don't do it" to not take a wing shot?

I thought about this a couple weeks ago, what if I roosted a turkey, snuck in the next morning, set up, and it flew down and gave me a crossing shot? Should I shoot? Why not? It's a big head and neck area. Like a greater Canada Goose. Should be a slam dunk, right?

Educate me?

Some of the turkey taken on Mauna Kea are wing shot. The Filipino hunters I hunt with on the Big Island absolutely love it when we get a fog coming down off the mountain while pheasant, chukar, quail, and Franklin hunting. You see the fog drives the turkey down from the upper slopes of Mauna Kea. You can hear the wing beats in the fog, so the hunters try to position themselves to where they feel the bird will emerge from the fog. Once visible the wing shooting begins. I've seen this with my own eyes. It's absolutely amazing to see a big turkey tumble out of the sky and onto a volcanic wind carved slope.

BTW there are three species of turkey on the Big Island.

[Skyvalhunter]

I have in laws over there and surprising havent seen any turkeys on the Islands. We usually stay up at Wimea and head down to the beach for some snorkeling.

[Intruder]

rainshadow1....

Tbradford spelled it out pretty well.  Also, physiology of a goose and a turkey are somewhat different too.  Think of the times you've crippled a goose and smacked him on the water w/ a load of 2s or BBs and didn't phase him. Turkeys are even more robust and can take a full load of shot to the body and run off.  Remember when you're shooting geese its pretty easy to bring one down by just breaking a wing.  With a gobbler you gotta kill em.  Also, the shot angles are gonna usually be different.  With geese you're often whacken em right in the chest and face from underneath.  With a gobbler he's gonna be goin away from you.  It can be done under really good circumstances but in general those don't exist if the ol' boy is flyin.  Means you've probably been busted and he's already at 30 or 40 yards out there. 

Call em close and shoot em in the head.  It's the surest thing.

[jackelope]

the biggest reason i won't shoot a turkey flying is because it's not the way you are supposed to do it. i mean that loosely, but why would you? it takes away from all of the fun and excitement of a turkey hunt. once you call one in to 20 and jelly-head him, you'll understand why you won't want to shoot him flying. it's no fun.
and it's not a good shot, and you'll likely wound him and you'll never find him and all that, but it's just not fun either. kind of like shooting one out of the roost. why would anybody ever want to do that?

[Intruder]

A very valid point Jack.  "Technically" I shot my very 1st turkey on the wing.... sorta.  I called it in and it came in from behind me.  Stood 10' behind me gobbling and drummin like a fool.  It finally snuck around just to the right of me.  It was about 20' away when he finally figured out the lump on the ground w/ the 12 guage didn't belong there.  He sprung up in the air and took 1 or 2 beats of his wings when I crushed him.  He was a good foot off the ground.... technically flying 

[MountainWalk]

i know in the mexican and central american jungles, there is a real warty headed turkey that they say  the only way to kill is to roost shoot

[Intruder]

i know in the mexican and central american jungles, there is a real warty headed turkey that they say  the only way to kill is to roost shoot

I've heard that too.  It's an Ocellated turkey.  I've seen em while down in Mex bonefishing.  On the ground they look surprising like a regular ol' turkey.  I don't know much about em but I guess they spend a lot of time in the trees so that's why ya shoot em that way.  I guess they call em some but end up killin a lot right up in the trees like a grouse.