Can you shoot a turkey in its roost?

[Turner89]

WTH... I do not see the majority of the serious turkey hunters commenting on that issue   

We have no law saying you can not blow a turkey off the limb BUT Turkey hunting has its own set of rules and most serious turkey hunters take it serious and have that certain respect for turkeys than say a deer or an elk ..and blowing one off the roost is not in his vocabulary...Once someone ruins your hunt by listening to a gobbler in a tree while you are waiting for him to fly will serious send a charge to a mans temper... Including me !!! I have had several birds shot off the roost while we were calling to him and its not funny at all ...if you have to blow a bird out of a tree while on the roost then your not much of a hunter.....like I said us turkey hunters have our own set of rules and most who truely love turkey hunting will never do such a thing ... nothen in the game laws states that it is illegal because its hunting and they classify it as hunting ....just like shooting one on the side of the road ....I can handle that easier than blowing one off the limb ...For me its all about calling in a turkey and listening to him responding to my calls ....just like elk hunting ... its all in the way it was ment to be played ....the older you get the less your worried about just killing something ...you give more respect to the game than you did in your younger days ...you enjoy just being out there and not really caring if you get something or not.....blowing birds off the roost is just not ethical when turkey hunting  it was never intended to be done in that manner So I highly advise not doing it that way .... Remember nothen by law says you can not but like I said turkey hunters have their own set of rules and thats a no no 

Well said BH45.

[ing]

Absolutely legal, pending it's during legal hours.  Ethical, no.

Ethical, yes.

[Annette]

WTH... I do not see the majority of the serious turkey hunters commenting on that issue   

We have no law saying you can not blow a turkey off the limb BUT Turkey hunting has its own set of rules and most serious turkey hunters take it serious and have that certain respect for turkeys than say a deer or an elk ..and blowing one off the roost is not in his vocabulary...Once someone ruins your hunt by listening to a gobbler in a tree while you are waiting for him to fly will serious send a charge to a mans temper... Including me !!! I have had several birds shot off the roost while we were calling to him and its not funny at all ...if you have to blow a bird out of a tree while on the roost then your not much of a hunter.....like I said us turkey hunters have our own set of rules and most who truely love turkey hunting will never do such a thing ... nothen in the game laws states that it is illegal because its hunting and they classify it as hunting ....just like shooting one on the side of the road ....I can handle that easier than blowing one off the limb ...For me its all about calling in a turkey and listening to him responding to my calls ....just like elk hunting ... its all in the way it was ment to be played ....the older you get the less your worried about just killing something ...you give more respect to the game than you did in your younger days ...you enjoy just being out there and not really caring if you get something or not.....blowing birds off the roost is just not ethical when turkey hunting  it was never intended to be done in that manner So I highly advise not doing it that way .... Remember nothen by law says you can not but like I said turkey hunters have their own set of rules and thats a no no 

Well said BH45.

X2

[ing]

WTH... I do not see the majority of the serious turkey hunters commenting on that issue   

We have no law saying you can not blow a turkey off the limb BUT Turkey hunting has its own set of rules and most serious turkey hunters take it serious and have that certain respect for turkeys than say a deer or an elk ..and blowing one off the roost is not in his vocabulary...Once someone ruins your hunt by listening to a gobbler in a tree while you are waiting for him to fly will serious send a charge to a mans temper... Including me !!! I have had several birds shot off the roost while we were calling to him and its not funny at all ...if you have to blow a bird out of a tree while on the roost then your not much of a hunter.....like I said us turkey hunters have our own set of rules and most who truely love turkey hunting will never do such a thing ... nothen in the game laws states that it is illegal because its hunting and they classify it as hunting ....just like shooting one on the side of the road ....I can handle that easier than blowing one off the limb ...For me its all about calling in a turkey and listening to him responding to my calls ....just like elk hunting ... its all in the way it was ment to be played ....the older you get the less your worried about just killing something ...you give more respect to the game than you did in your younger days ...you enjoy just being out there and not really caring if you get something or not.....blowing birds off the roost is just not ethical when turkey hunting  it was never intended to be done in that manner So I highly advise not doing it that way .... Remember nothen by law says you can not but like I said turkey hunters have their own set of rules and thats a no no 

I'm not much of a history buff, but i'm pretty sure the pilgrims shot turkeys out of their roost when they had the chance..

[Limhangerslayer]

People that shoot birds out of trees don't enjoy what turkey hunting is really about. I Won't shoot one out of tree or off the road.  There is absolutely no sport in walking up to a tree in the dark, let it get to legal hours(which a lot don't do) and pull the trigger.  Wow what a great hunt can't wait to tell my buddies about it

You mean they do not enjoy what YOU think turkey hunting is really
about.

Exactly, thats why I put this  at the end of my statement

[runamuk]

WTH... I do not see the majority of the serious turkey hunters commenting on that issue   

We have no law saying you can not blow a turkey off the limb BUT Turkey hunting has its own set of rules and most serious turkey hunters take it serious and have that certain respect for turkeys than say a deer or an elk ..and blowing one off the roost is not in his vocabulary...Once someone ruins your hunt by listening to a gobbler in a tree while you are waiting for him to fly will serious send a charge to a mans temper... Including me !!! I have had several birds shot off the roost while we were calling to him and its not funny at all ...if you have to blow a bird out of a tree while on the roost then your not much of a hunter.....like I said us turkey hunters have our own set of rules and most who truely love turkey hunting will never do such a thing ... nothen in the game laws states that it is illegal because its hunting and they classify it as hunting ....just like shooting one on the side of the road ....I can handle that easier than blowing one off the limb ...For me its all about calling in a turkey and listening to him responding to my calls ....just like elk hunting ... its all in the way it was ment to be played ....the older you get the less your worried about just killing something ...you give more respect to the game than you did in your younger days ...you enjoy just being out there and not really caring if you get something or not.....blowing birds off the roost is just not ethical when turkey hunting  it was never intended to be done in that manner So I highly advise not doing it that way .... Remember nothen by law says you can not but like I said turkey hunters have their own set of rules and thats a no no 

I'm not much of a history buff, but i'm pretty sure the pilgrims shot turkeys out of their roost when they had the chance..

thats what I was thinking  historically you wanted to eat you killed an animal however you found it....

[Kowsrule30]

I've shot two elk in their beds.... 3 deer.... Sneeking up on a turkey in it's roost and actually being able to get a shot during legal hours would be amazing to see and do.... I see nothing wrong with it in ethics..... My first turkey ever I shot out of the air as my Dad and I were stalking in on two toms we spotted.... Something jumped them and one came flying by 20 yards to my left.... It's like shooting a goose outta the air....    Best shot by far I've ever made on a thunder chicken!!!! It's just too easy when they walk right to you....

[BOWHUNTER45]

crazy .....8 pages  if its what you want to do then have it BUT STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY HUNTING AREA 

[bobcat]

Best shot by far I've ever made on a thunder chicken!!!! It's just too easy when they walk right to you....

Another good point. Maybe the unethical act is actually shooting them on the ground.

Anyone ever try turkey hunting with a pointing dog?   

For ground sluicing turkeys maybe a guy should be required to only use either a bow, or a 22 rimfire?

[h2ofowlr]

It would be like shooting a pigeon in a barn at night with a light on it.  That would just be shooting a turkey vs. hunting it.  No sport to it.
Then again that's how some role.  They may never get a bird otherwise and wouldn't know how to hunt an animal unless they logged onto this site.   
What happened to the good old days.   

[jackelope]

Calling a turkey in is soooooooooooo much fun it's worth the price of admission to me. I'm into the tradition of it all. I'd wager back east or in the midwest where turkey hunting has a lot more "roots" than it does out here...these discussions don't come up much. I am not interested in shooting one out of a tree and I would give my hunting buddies a bunch of crap for doing it too. I don't know why anyone would want to. It's not like you're killing an animal with hundreds of pounds of gourmet meat. Certainly not doing it to put food on the table I hope. If so, butterballs would be a hell of a lot more delicious and a lot cheaper too.
Sneak under tree in the dark...wait for light...shoot turkey. Go home...... Booooooooooo............

[Karl Blanchard]

Calling a turkey in is soooooooooooo much fun it's worth the price of admission to me. I'm into the tradition of it all. I'd wager back east or in the midwest where turkey hunting has a lot more "roots" than it does out here...these discussions don't come up much. I am not interested in shooting one out of a tree and I would give my hunting buddies a bunch of crap for doing it too. I don't know why anyone would want to. It's not like you're killing an animal with hundreds of pounds of gourmet meat. Certainly not doing it to put food on the table I hope. If so, butterballs would be a hell of a lot more delicious and a lot cheaper too.
Sneak under tree in the dark...wait for light...shoot turkey. Go home...... Booooooooooo............

Well said!   Plain and simple, if I don't call him in he walks!  If you don't get the thrill of working the bird then all your left with is a stinky dead turkey which honestly don't taste all that great when compared to a butterball or chicken.  Someone mentioned something earlier about sneaking on a couple toms!   Not safe and should never be done!  I had a buddy get peppered a few years ago in gdale by a sneaker!

[jackelope]

BLRMan...now that you brought that up, you'll find  that  out west it is ok to stalk turkeys. Nothing unsafe about it at all. At least thats what a lot of folks on here will try and tell you.
 

[carpsniperg2]

Calling a turkey in is soooooooooooo much fun it's worth the price of admission to me. I'm into the tradition of it all. I'd wager back east or in the midwest where turkey hunting has a lot more "roots" than it does out here...these discussions don't come up much. I am not interested in shooting one out of a tree and I would give my hunting buddies a bunch of crap for doing it too. I don't know why anyone would want to. It's not like you're killing an animal with hundreds of pounds of gourmet meat. Certainly not doing it to put food on the table I hope. If so, butterballs would be a hell of a lot more delicious and a lot cheaper too.
Sneak under tree in the dark...wait for light...shoot turkey. Go home...... Booooooooooo............

Well said!   Plain and simple, if I don't call him in he walks!  If you don't get the thrill of working the bird then all your left with is a stinky dead turkey which honestly don't taste all that great when compared to a butterball or chicken.  Someone mentioned something earlier about sneaking on a couple toms!   Not safe and should never be done!  I had a buddy get peppered a few years ago in gdale by a sneaker!

WOW I never heard about that! I have a few friends in law enforcement and this is a small town! Glad he is o.k! How long ago was that?

I was working a bird hard on the youth opener last year. He was playing everything perfect and so was I at first light. We were about 80 yards from the roost tree. All of a suden he shut up and I knew something was not right. Pretty soon 2 kids come sneaking along "without a adult" one has a 22 rifle and the other has a shotgun. I yelled at them and told them we were there and told them it is a very bad idea to be packing around a 22 with a tukey tag in your pocket and out turkey hunting

[Turkeyman]

WTH... I do not see the majority of the serious turkey hunters commenting on that issue       

We have no law saying you can not blow a turkey off the limb BUT Turkey hunting has its own set of rules and most serious turkey hunters take it serious and have that certain respect for turkeys than say a deer or an elk ..and blowing one off the roost is not in his vocabulary...Once someone ruins your hunt by listening to a gobbler in a tree while you are waiting for him to fly will serious send a charge to a mans temper... Including me !!!   I have had several birds shot off the roost while we were calling to him and its not funny at all ...if you have to blow a bird out of a tree while on the roost then your not much of a hunter.....like I said us turkey hunters have our own set of rules and most who truely love turkey hunting will never do such a thing ... nothen in the game laws states that it is illegal because its hunting and they classify it as hunting ....just like shooting one on the side of the road ....I can handle that easier than blowing one off the limb ...For me its all about calling in a turkey and listening to him responding to my calls ....just like elk hunting ... its all in the way it was ment to be played ....the older you get the less your worried about just killing something ...you give more respect to the game than you did in your younger days ...you enjoy just being out there and not really caring if you get something or not.....blowing birds off the roost is just not ethical when turkey hunting   it was never intended to be done in that manner So I highly advise not doing it that way ....   Remember nothen by law says you can not but like I said turkey hunters have their own set of rules and thats a no no