And since I teach Hunter Education -
Ethics - It is beyond fair chase!

I also will not shoot a bird out of a roost.........


Now that does lead me to another question......

Would you shoot one out of a tree??.......well beyond roost time....well beyond fly down time.....you have been working a bird in front and here a cluck off a ridge...not once but several times....you jsut ignore it as the Tom in out front is till in the trees...and then you hear wing beats as you are on a river bootom with lotsa standing water to the ridge side...you actually saw a flight of woodducks land in it.......bird comes flying right at you .....mature Tom and he looks like he flew right off the Wild Turkey Liquor bottle....it is absolutely awesome....you see him and think great he will stop/land right in front ofyou on this river bottom....no decoy out...have wide open river bottom with huge silver maple trees.........trees are wider that you have ever seen......no udnerbrush to worry about
And then the bird stops/lands 20 yards in front of you on the only limb of a tree around and not more than 15 feet up! You are flabbergasted!
And he sits there and gobbles.....Time is 8:15 AM

What would you do?

JW

WHile I would never "roost shoot"a bird in JW's case IMHO JW ,yes I would,if its a clear safe shot!!!In fact I've done it in the fall!I hunted a flock of birdsthat they were notorious to come in and than fly up in a tree specifically to get a better look at the bird/hunter they were hearing!I've seen many a gobbler jump up on a stump or tree trunk blowdown to get a better vantage point to see also.Two completely different situations in my book!!

I agree Bobgoggle i have also seen them flyup in small trees and bushes to get out of the rain

I have also heard of stories where the gobbler flys right in looking for the hen doing the calling (you) and lands in a branch a very short distance away. Yep, you called that bird in, and yep, it's well after daylight, and yep, I'm taking it home for a ride in this particular case, especially if he's wearingan awesomelylong beard!!

I'm mostly talking about slippin' up on him in the darkness/early light,and not even calling to him,but just going for the pure fact of wanting to flip him backwards off of the limb...That's not right IMO.

In Ga.It is illegal to shoot ducks on the roost,but not Turkeys as long as it is past legal shooting light which is 30 minutes before sunrise..to..30 minutes after sunset.It's still not the way I was taught to hunt them.as JW! said..Ethics..Some have them some don't.

I rather take my turk on the ground. It tries your patience more, and cleans up your hunting skills as well.

Ranchhand99 - you hit it right on the button!

Ethics - the right of fair chase.......it is not ehtical.....and that is why in most states it is Illegal!

Sorry for taking your post off the subject.....

and just to finish my question....think of me as you must...yes I did take the shot.......bird like I said was leagal - a 3 yr old due to the spurs......had a safe shot - branch was perpendicaular to the trunk so most of the shot hit the tree trunk......had a great neck stretched out shot........though I had a heck of a time getting him outat that tree crotch he died in!

JW