Ambushing
 

This topic was recently addressed in Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine. What do you all think of setting up on a gobblers line of travel, or crawling close to him in a field, if you're having trouble harvesting him? I believe it's absolutely ethical. Turkeys can be hard to come by, sometimes the only way to beat 'em may be to join 'em.

PBB

Pick a hair.....or a caruncle!!

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RE: Ambushing
 

sometimes that's the only way to get them ole smart turkeys. nothin wrong
with that in my book.

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RE: Ambushing
 

I agree also. I think that's just another tactic that you have in your bag of tricks. Sure, everyone always would want to call that big longbeard in stutin and gobbling his head off, but sometimes you've got to play another card. In my opinion, ambushing a turkey is totally ethical. Just be careful, I think it's more dangerous too.

RE: Ambushing
 

I have no problem with it!!
work it any way you can,as long as it is ethical in your book.



I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

RE: Ambushing
 

PBB,I've seen this question on here before and it got blown way out of proportion as to whats ethical or not.Trespassing,shooting birds out of season,or off the roost,are not only unethical but against the law.But the prospective hunter that outsmarts an old longbeard by putting himself in a position to harvest a gobbler,weather it be by stalking him or by knowing where he is going before he gets there is good hunting.I have killed alot more than one longbeard by knowing where he's going because of my preseason scouting.I dont make a habit out of stalking birds,but if I know that birds hung-up just on the otherside of that ridge in front of me,you can bet I'm gonna sneak up there for a peak. I love to call em in close if I can, but dont take the hunt out the hunter because he does'nt do it the way you do. <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Ambushing
 

I to think it's o.k.Sometimes if that gobbler is with hens,that maybe the only way to take him if your best calling efforts are a bust.

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not a problem in my book

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All this time I have been under the impression that if you didn't call it you weren't a turkey hunter .Now I find you can stalk them . That will make it a lot easier I think.

RE: Ambushing
 

.When i leave the house i go turkey hunting,alright in my book..:)..

..JESUS IS COMING BACK BE READY...

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I agree, GobbCaller's comment just about says it all.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

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Beating an old gobbler at his own game is the biggest test of woodsmanship there is.There is more to turkey huntin than bein a good caller.

RE: Ambushing
 

I think its totally fine. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

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RE: Ambushing
 

If I had to leave my calls or my woodsmenship I would leave my calls. I love to call them in, but it is satisfying to figure them out and beat them that way.

Ryan Tucker

RE: Ambushing
 

I can't see any problem with that concept. It makes it no different than deer hunting.
I'm sure there are hunters out there that would never shoot a gobbler they didn't call in, but these same hunters have to get their turkeys at the grocery store if their calling doesn't work!

RE: Ambushing
 

75% of the birds I have killed over the year have been from stalking turkeys. Sometimes the brid just won't call in no matter what. Stalked a tom last year for over 4 hours until I nailed him at 40 yards with 3 hens within 30. It's a fun way to do it, and is the most productive way around my hunting spots. It completely ethical in my book.
Visit My Hunting Page

RE: Ambushing
 

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt; This topic was hammered on this and one other forum last spring. I'll take the minority side and say that AMBUSHING is NOT Turkey Hunt'n.... I recall one guy saying that it's no different than sitting in a tree stand over a well traveled trail,waiting for a nice Whitetail buck to come along. Well,I disagreed then and I still do. No matter how &quot;savy&quot; we think an old Tom is,he has no sense of smell for the hunter to overcome. He's coming back to his roost 'cause that's where he felt safe that morning. He can't circle down wind and use his nose,so if everything looks OK and you remain perfectly still and quiet in your Mossyoak(or whatever),he's probably going to come right in....... BOOM!!!!!!
How about shooting turkey over feeders or baited trails.... Is that ethical? It's certainly legal in some states. How about shooting a gobbler off a limb at 8 O'clock in the morning.... That's legal in some states,but is it ethical? You guys have to decide for yourselves what's ethical,and decide based on what you feel is right...As for me,I play this game for the &quot;juice&quot; not for the number of birds I can toss in the back of my pickup.... Not trying to step on any toes..... just my opinion,and I appreciate the opportunity to state my case.

RE: Ambushing
 

In my book, if you are legal, you are ethical.

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Manybeards I like your style. I don't agree with you but, I really like what and how you said it. I guess I fall into the 1950kid mode of thinking with &quot;if it's legal&quot;. Here in IL we can take the birds off roost after certain times. I haven't done this, heck I haven't taken a bird yet. I bowhunt only and feel that I give a good chance to a bird with 200/200 vision 300 degree radius. So ethical has many faces...mine is in camo.

Edited by - DeerThug on 01/08/2002 01:29:33

RE: Ambushing
 

hmmm, ya'll just learned me somethin! I didn't know shootin a turkey off
the roost was legal in any state. just my opinion, but i think a hot fire
needs to be lit under the butts of those game and fish comissions! that
just ain't right!! <img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Ambushing
 

Manybeards you make some great points and I certainly respect your opinion!Your certainly right as to its up to the individual to decide what he thinks is ethical or not as far as one's tactics used to harvest a gobbler.But I'm in it for the juice too,and when a plan comes together I get a pretty good charge out of it, and I must say that plan occasionly comes together without a call in hand or mouth.I'm sure you know this,but you dont have to bait,blow birds off the limb, or wait at the roost tree to kill turkeys.I'll reiterate what alot have said here that gives them a charge and thats hunting turkeys.Out manuevering a bird or the hunter that does his homework and knows where the birds are gonna be by his preseason scouting in my book are pretty credible.Obviously you would'nt hunt that way and thats allright,but I really feel that there is way to much emphasis put on one having to be a great turkey caller to kill turkeys.A combination of the two,&quot;hunter and caller&quot;to me makes for a more enjoyable time in the woods.IMHO!:)

RE: Ambushing
 

In my state it is against the law to hunt turkeys after 12 noon. So waiting by the roost tree for them to come back in the evening is out. But if you can pattern the gobblers and ambush them I think that is ethical and thats how I got one last year didnt even call.

Sounds like good hunting , heck if you can sneak up on him , you win !

Ambushing
 

I think it's ok it is still hunting, I've ambushed hard to get G obblers and you have to know where they are going and plan as you gosometimes it works and sometimes I'd doesn't but it is hunting. As far as Roost shooting that unfortunately is legal here in Colorado but I strongly believe it is very unethical. You might as well get your bird at the store if your shooting birds in the roost, I could do that every year but that is not hunting.

1) if you can stalk/sneak up on a turkey in most of the conditions I've encountered, and do it consistently to within 30 yards, you are a better woodsman than I'll ever hope to be. Congrats on dusting the birds!

2) Gotta be careful doing that on some of the public land I hunt...could get dangerous crawling around and yelping

3) Setting up in a travel lane is ethical as all get out...depending on the terrain it doesn't always mean the birds will pass in close range BUT it makes it a far cry easier to call them 30 yards out of their way than to turn them around or pull them 1/2 mile in...especially Osceolas who come in 45 minutes after their last gobble, and pop out of the palmettos 180degrees from where you think they're coming.

4) I set up in a travel lane saturday (opening day); had good evidence on the camera they were there about 1.5 hrs after sunrise. Heard 6 on the roost, two loud ones together and closest (250 yards). I didn't make a peep till the hens by me got going. Had toms gobbling at me until about 30 minutes till I figured they'd be there, then BOOM! somebody got in between us and ended my chance at those birds...turns out I should have gone after them a bit, but I got cutoff by somebody else in the birds travel lane. Turns out sitting on the sidewalk waiting isn't always super easy, and IMHO it sure ain't cheating

I did not read all the post, just the last couple especially Shemps.
If someone ambushes a bird that is not knowing being worked by a hunter, I have no problem with it. BUT, if you know or even think someone is working a bird and you get in between them and " ambush" the bird, that person is WRONG! That in my book is cheating and unethical.

Shemp, maybe the other hunter that shot the bird, really thought you where a hen. Or the other hunters snaked in and shot that bird, knowing it was in front of another hunter. There is a lot of stuff that happens on public land that effects other hunters hunts.( both positive and negative) Most things we will never know and it is probably better.

Talk about reviving a dead thread! If a bird wont work sometime you gota go get him!!

Since the OP is from PA he should know that crawling to get close to a turkey, ie, stalking, is not legal in the spring season in PA. It is hunting by calling only, consequently, it is not ethical if it is illegal.

Getting between a hunter and a Tom, that the hunter has been calling to and is working, is legal. Does that mean it is ethical?

Maybe my calling is better than I think :)

Had a gobbler that rooster in two areas about 100 yards apart... if I was set up near one area he would be over across on other hollow... so I decided to set a ground blind up near one of his locations for a rainy day hunt... well the rain came and in the ground blind I sat... gobblin time came and he goes off 40-50 yards away... full foliage so I couldn't see him... he pitches off and lands 45 yards out in front of me... I smoked him... that would be a ambush in my book... I do not have a problem takin a WILD TURKEY off public land like that

Just wrapped up a special opp hunt in FL with no harvest. Not a gobble in 4 days, not much gobbling heard by other hunters per what I was told. You can call him to you but most had hens. It's almost a spot and creep-to-within-100-yards-then call at that point.

Not sure what you all would consider that, but hunting silent Osceolas on Florida public land will make you cover some ground and wish you had eyes in the back of your head