Can you shoot a turkey in its roost?

[dscubame]

Where is that pic of the guy on a high horse when we need it?

[turkeydancer]

It should be obvious by now to all the traditional turkey hunters that are passionate about their quality of hunt that you will never be able to say anything to convince anyone who is only concerned about whether it's legal, because they either don't truly care or are just egging you on.
You're just 

[pianoman9701]

It should be obvious by now to all the traditinal turkey hunters that are passionate about their quality of hunt that you will never be able to say anything to convince anyone who is only concerned about whether it's legal, because they either don't truly care or are just egging you on.
You're just 

It does kind of seem that way in these discussions sometimes. Ethical discussions are good for hunting. I have no idea why some people take it so personally when they hunt by different rules than others. Like I said before, I do things a certain way but if it's legal, everyone decides for themselves what their ethics are. If you don't like mine, I don't really care and I'm not going to hold yours against you either. But, berating someone for theirs is pointless. Haters just gotta hate, I think is the expression.

[yelp]

YELPS...

Do you see hunters on the outdoor channel surrounding a roost and flinging arrows shooting full choked shotguns, etc.?? I wonder why?  Do you ever read articles in outdoor life about shooting roosted gobblers?  I wonder why?  Just saying that the majority of hunters in the USA grew up hunting wild turkeys.  50 years ago Wild turkeys didn't really exist in our state.  Hunters who hunted turkeys back then were guys/gals transferred via military base or moved here from a state where they grew up hunting turkeys.  In Washington state..we are relatively new to turkey hunting.

Many of us grew up being taught to stalk, flush, or road hunt our game.  We flush grouse, pheasants..jump ducks, chase elk.  Stalk bucks, etc..So the skills we learned are a part of of our upbringing or what our mentors taught us.  Not everyone hunts the same.  Many of us are nor willing to change because it is outside of our comfort zone. and if we try a new tactic/method and are unsuccessful we revert to the old taught ways. 

Turkey hunting the roost isn't illegal. 

Trying to shoot a tom in the dark or early morning is hard to ID.  We should always properly identify our target.  When grouse hunting there is no sex id requirement..therefore some will shoot grouse out of trees.

A Wild Turkey Roost provides more benefits to hunters than you know.  It is a comfort/safety zone for turkeys.  If left alone it will pay tenfold.  Not all roosts are the same.  Some roosts are communal and annual.  Some roosts are sporadic and vary dependant on pressure, predation or hen movement after spring break up.

If left alone these sites will become areas that will hold turkeys.

Why is this topic comes up everyyear at this time???

Frustration.  Many hunters DO NOT KNOW HOW TO HUNT TURKEYS.   There is a basic way to go about turkey hunting.  Many guys get frustrated and then revert to old methods..stalking, shooting flushing. 

Why do these  hunters feel they need to shoot a bird out of a roost? Because nothing is working?  Its easy?? Not sure..I know that I talk with lots of hunters every year about how to hunt turkeys, what calls to make, how to out smart an ol gobbler.  Its not easy.  But more rewarding when that tom is gobbling 20 yards aways and he hears you safety go off!

Hunting in itself is defined differently by each of us.  I have friends that all they do is road hunt and they kill turkeys every year.  Is it illegal no.  I for one enjoy the hunt.  The challenge.  The kill is only a small part.  It isn't about meat for any of us.  There are cheaper deals at the supermarket.  Right now I am at $20/lb or more for my turkey.  LOL . 

I also like this notion that some of us are on a high horse.  NOT.  Some hunters again taught and/or brought up differently.  I am available to anyone who wants to send me a PM and I will analyze any problem you are having Turkey hunting.  I will try and figure out what options you have.  I have killed lots of birds just like many of you.  We can share experiences and hopfully provide solutions.  Remember the three P's.  Patience, Persistence and Perseverance.

 There also is the term "roosting turkeys"  This is a tactic used to identify where the turkeys are in the woods..it gives away there location.  If we all start shooting birds off of the roost..we ruin the ability to locate them.  Why do you guys think private land is where we see a majority of turkeys?  The hunting pressure is less and sometimes the habitat is better. 

[Tom Tamer]

                                  

[MR5x5]

Third post down.  Does that turkey look like he thinks he safe?  He must, they don't usually roost with there feet in the air.  Would you shoot him?

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=96496.0

[Dan-o]

I'd paste him!

But at that range, you better hold a little low.

[Turkeyman]

Good job Yelp you hit the nail on the head. The game department would love these guys just kill them all................

[Skillet]

I don't know if you can actually "win" a thread, but I think Yelp just did it.

I have to admit I'm a bit swayed by his and other's arguments against shooting a turkey on the roost.  Being a turkey noob, I wouldn't have even thought twice about it.  That's what this forum is so great for - it's like there's 10,000 Grandpa's on here to smack you up side the head when you're thinking about doing something stupid. 

So, RIP Gramps.  I got HuntWa.

[Tom Tamer]

You could say that was his " Final" Roosting place.....until he went in my belly.

[boneaddict]

I'm pretty sure that was worth more than 2 cents.   Nice post Yelp

[BOWHUNTER45]

that why I like this site SOME GUYS can just word things right 

[pianoman9701]

Very well expressed, Yelp, although I'm not sure I would always use the outdoor channel as my standard for ethics! 

[TwoSixFourWins]

Back home in Maine the wild turkeys come running or flying in whenever they hear the bird seed can rattle when we refill the feeders. They show up almost every morning and raise their young in the tall grass in our back field. I never turkey hunted there because it would have had no challenge. I could just step out on the porch with a slingshot and have turkey dinner. Well maybe not a slingshot. They are about the only thing I cannot seem to shoot proficiently. Perhaps that would make it sporting haha.
     Turkeys on the roost are hard to identify. A game warden friend of mine growing up told me about a buy who came up to him right at dawn one morning bragging about  shooting the biggest turkey ever off its roost. He showed it to the warden. It was a Turkey Vulture. OOPS.

[Wenatcheejay]

It should be obvious by now to all the traditinal turkey hunters that are passionate about their quality of hunt that you will never be able to say anything to convince anyone who is only concerned about whether it's legal, because they either don't truly care or are just egging you on.
You're just 

It does kind of seem that way in these discussions sometimes. Ethical discussions are good for hunting. I have no idea why some people take it so personally when they hunt by different rules than others. Like I said before, I do things a certain way but if it's legal, everyone decides for themselves what their ethics are. If you don't like mine, I don't really care and I'm not going to hold yours against you either. But, berating someone for theirs is pointless. Haters just gotta hate, I think is the expression.

 

yelps