Screamin Steel

Sorry...didn't see all of the above posts before I responded.

DougE

How about someone stalking in and shooting one of your decoys?I know at least 4 different people that's happened to.Do you think that would hold up in court?How bout a guy I know and his kid who both got shot this past saturday by a guy who was stalking them?That would certianly hold up in court but the coward ran away.Unfortunately for him,he shot a cop and his kid.Usually that's a bad move.

Moving in on a turkey to change calling positions is fine.Stalking a turkey and simply shooting it is illegal,unethical and dangerous.It boggles my mind that anyone would defend that kind of behavior.

sproulman

you calling me WILD WEST . what do you call shooting your decoy?shooting other hunters, douge thats WILD WEST.......

DougE

There were 5 people shot on the first day of spring gobbler in Pa.

Screamin Steel

Whoaaaa, Nelly! You must have misunderstood my pots. i was in NO way defending that kind of behavior. I was only stating that I think in most cases, intention would be hard to prove. Obviously if some fool blasts your decoys, or shoots another hunter that's pretty concrete, but other times, it gets a little tricky. If I was observed by a WCO trying to ease closer to setup on a gobbling bird, he may very wellmistake that for stalking. I'd be moving very slowly, using cover and staying low to the ground. Not that I am INTENDING to stalk up and shoot the turkey, but its a good tactic on a hung up tom to creep up a few more yards when he wanders to the far edge of his strut zone and then call him back and possibly he'd be in range when he comes back around. Or if the tom wanders to the far side again, and your buddy takes the opportunity to sneak up another 50 yards while you try to call him back for the shot. By my definition not stalking, but I can totally see that those manuevers could be risky when other hunters are in the area...I'm just not sure they fit the definition of stalking, and truth of the matter is that if EVERYONE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THEIR TARGET EACH AND EVERY TIME, NO ONE WOULD EVER GET SHOT BY MISTAKE. I have been warned many times by veteran turkey hunters to NEVER ever make a gobble call in the spring unless I wanted to get shot. Well, it just so happens I make a a darn good gobble on a four reed cutting call and I have used that very tactic to take more than one tom. I won't live in fear that every other guy in the woods is trying to shoot me, or I'd hunt with a bulletproof vest. But I do try to remain alert and attentive for sounds of any other hunter moving in on me. Other than that I will move when I feel I have to (but not stalk a turkey), I won't wear orange unless its required, and I'll gobble if that's what tom wants to hear that day. Even with some idiots running around out there, hunting is still safer than most other sports and more people die each year from a bee sting than being mistaken for a turkey.

DougE

By my definition and what's written as law,what you describe is not stalking.I don't know a WCO that would site you for moving in closer to set up because it isn't illegal.If someone takes a shot while they're moving in,they broke the law.It would take an actual observation or an eye witness willing to testify but people get convicted every year of stalking.The truth is,alot of people get away with all kinds of violations every year because most violations go unreported.In alot of cases it takes a witness willing to testify.Two years ago,on the last day of flintlock season,I saw a guy glassing some woods from his jeep on a twp dirt road.I figured he was road hunting so I just drove slowly away.I no sooner got around the next corner when I heard him shoot.I turned around,went back and saw him reloading with his passenger door open,smoke pouring out the door.It looked like Cheech and Chong just got stepped out.I pulled in behind him,asked him what he was shooting at and he started to get mouthy.I don't take that well so I blocked him in,pulled out my phone and called our local WCO.He reloaded and walked into the woods,which couldn't be hunted with a gun by the way.I sat there while he went to look for blood and when he came back,I wouldn't move my truck because the WCO was on his way.I didn't actually see him pull the trigger so the WCO couldn't site him from shooting from a vehicle,even though there was smoke still coming out and we found where the bullet impacted the ground.Had he not missed,it would have been a different story.In the end,he cited him with something stupid like random shooting.The guy got a high priced attorney to fight a $100 fine and would have gotten off completely if I hadn't testified.This guy was a ****ey,career poacher that got away with it for years.He's also a corrections officer at a state prison.The point is,it's often difficult to get any conviction unless someone witnesses a game code violation because the laws are so gray.It doesn't matter though,illegal is illegal regardless if someone's watching or not.

sproulman

boy you have grit. what is it with correction officers. our fire chief was correction officer at state prison and he was FIRST one we caught 5 years ago shooting out window at ROBO DOE .

his new nick name is DOE KILLER!

fatsbucknut

Seriously? You only shoot them if they gobble when coming in? Hell most of the pressured gobblers i've killed have come in completely silent.

sproulman

here is good one. from week before TURKEY to now guess what bullet is being sold bigtime at local gunshops?.

22 CAL MAG. i wonder why all of sudden that spring turkey is in that 22cal mag is hot bullet being sold?i wonder why over/under with 22cal mag on top is used for spring gobbler?now that you can carry a pistol hunting is it being used for protection?
law says you cant carry a rifle bullet for your over/under in spring gobbler!is that happening?

did you know hunters are using BUCKSHOT for spring gobbler?how do we know, well hunters being shot are being shot with BUCKSHOT!

folks,every way you can get edge legal or illegal is being done.i heard 2 rifle shots the first day of spring gobbler right accross from my home.

oh, i forgot they are coyote hunting

DougE

Nope,I've killed several that came in silent.All gobbled at least at one point but still snuck in just the same.However,I know several people that won't kill them unless they're gobbling.Hunting turkeys isn't really about the kill to alot of people.The rush is calling them in.If a silent gobbler doesn't give them that rush,they'll find one that does.Shooting a stationary object with a shotgun at 30 yards is kind of anti-claimatic.It's the trill of calling them in that drives most serious turkey hunters.