In Minnesota and in South Dakota, it is illegal to take a turkey from the roost.

I think there is a distinction that needs to be made between " sporting" and " ethical." Does a sleeping tom, roosted in a tree which his whole life has taught him is a " safe" place, have a sporting chance against a stealthy man with a shotgun who sneaks to within 40 yards of his location and blasts him with a load of lead? Does a strutting tom, 200 yards out in a field, on display for his harem of hens, have a sporting chance against a man with a high-powered rifle? I think not, and therefore regard those types of taking of turkeys as unsportsmanlike.

To me, ethics is what is legislated. " Sporting" is what is perceived in a more nebulous context, and typically involves terms or concepts such as fair chase. The sportsman tries to pit his skills against his game. Sportsmen don' t go fishing with large nets or dynamite, because, although it is highly successful, there is no predator-prey " game" or challenge to the fisherman' s skills that occurs when a load of dynamite stuns or kills the fish. Likewise, it is not much of a challenge to whomp a tom off the roost or drop one from 200 yards with a rifle.

As far as the question of killing a turkey en route a strut zone, etc., I think that, in those contexts, the hunter is meeting the prey on the prey' s basic terms, and thus, those activities, to me, are sporting. The turkey has wonderful vision, fantastic hearing. Although I can be accused of unsportsmanlike behavior when I try to take advantage of the turkey' s spring mating behavior/hormones, I don' t consider that unsporting, as the turkey still possesses all his wariness, and sounding like a hen is no " sure thing."

I apologize, in advance, to those of you who take offense to my view, or regard my position as insulting. I am not trying to offend, just express my opinion.