Can you shoot a turkey in its roost?

[Fowlweather25]

I'm not asking to make any laws, I'm referencing several different posts where people are saying if it's legal then it must be ethical. Or people wondering why there is a question of ethics if wdfw says it's legal. I remember you being upset about the shot size restriction proposal for yotes at night, saying that it was ridiculous that they wouldn't allow anything larger than #6 because it was unethical. Kinda goes along the same lines IMO.

[Bob33]

Would you mind if the story of your incident was published in your local paper?  If someone you didn’t know was watching you, would you do the same thing? Would you mind if your mother knew what you were doing?  If you answer can “yes” to these, and it’s legal and safe, then go for it.   

Ethics are often situational.  "Shooting a duck on water" is quoted as an example of unethical behavior. What happens if you've crippled a duck and it's swimming away, and you have no dog?  Do you just let it suffer, or is it more ethical to shoot it on the water?  Sometimes the right thing is not legal, and sometimes the legal thing is not ethical.

I cannot think of a good case for shooting a turkey out of a roost tree.  However, I'm glad that it is not illegal. 

[FC]

This has to be the dumbest thread I have ever read on this site.

[Bob33]

This has to be the dumbest thread I have ever read on this site.

Hang in there.  In a couple weeks there will be 500 posts about WA draw results that will give this one a good run for its money.

[FC]

LOL...I suspect you are right!

[Curly]

Half of us spend most of our time on here b!?ching about wdfws rules now half of you on this thread are defending them? Hmmmmmm.

I didn't realize this had anything to do with any rules or lack of rules. This is about ethics, not laws. You can't have a law for everything. Shooting turkeys out of a tree is ethical in some people's minds, and not in others. Just like shooting a duck on the water or a pheasant on the ground is considered unethical by many. But generally I believe most people feel it's ok to shoot a grouse on the ground, or out of a tree. I remember several years ago at a WDFW commission meeting, a guy was there, I think representing the Ruffed Grouse Society, and he was trying to convince them to make it illegal to shoot grouse with a rifle or pistol, because in his mind it was unethical. My opinioin is, the fewer laws we have, the better. Let people make up their own minds on what feels right to them.

[BOWHUNTER45]

You guys are killing me .. We are just letting you know on how most of us play the game ...thats it !! Just like up land bird hunting ...why do you hunt upland birds to shoot them on the ground or flush them so you can hit them on the fly .... I do not care howyou want to kill one as long as it is legal ...But I in no means agreeing with shooting them off the roost ... Yelp explained it well !! alot more to it than just killing a turkey ..when you shoot them off the roost they may not roost there again ...This is where they feel save and roost in the same areas year after year .... Why chance messing that up ?

[Kowsrule30]

I don't see the big deal about stalking a turkey.... That's how I mainly hunt them.... Have killed four that way.... Sitting calling them in isn't my cup of tea... It's no different then calling elk or deer while still hunting them or spot and stock..... So most turkey hunters are so trigger happy they pepper the first thing they see move? Is that the problem??? It's no different then patterning any big game animal then hunting them.... They just fly and have two legs....

I patterned a flock of 17 birds @ 4 years ago...It would take them 7-8 days to make their rounds on 4-5 different ridges.... Different roost everyday.... On the sixth day Dad and I finally cut them off on a 4 mile stock.... He shot his in the face at 5 yards... I shot mine in the back of head at 27 when it was quartering away on a dead run.... Only call I ever used on that trip was a locater... I rather have them not know where I'm at and know right where they are as I stalk in... Having all those Ravens around was really their downfall though.... Might head back over there this year....

That sounds like fun and challenging, too.

Harder then some of my deer and elk hunts!!!!