121553, the first bird i ever called in was a bearded hen. i had a beautiful setup, i could look to on side of me out into a field, large boulder at my back. in the front, just past my feet was a log about 3 foot high, which covered any movement i might make. there was a path to my left from the field to the woods, the only way a bird could easily see or walk by me. that bird walked ten feet away from me after having been called in. ithought it looked like a hen, but when i decided to play with it by calling( it was on the other side of the log, having walked in from the field), she dropped her wings like a tom and commenced to strutting! i mean wing dragging, tail fanning strutting! so i put the binos on her at about 20 yards, nothing. we kept playing this game, with me second guessing myself, until she turned into the morning sun, chest puffed out, as was her beard. that was all it took, near the end of the season, 1/2 mile from the truck, 45 minutes playing with one bird. i still wasn't actually certain which sex it was until i met another hunter. she was the hardest bird i have ever killed, i think she is probably the most prized one. the lenght of her beard was only but an inch and a half, but i have never had to work so hard as i did for her. yes, it is regretable to have killed a female during the spring, but look upon her as the trophy that she is.
Pat

I see nothing wrong with that. I like that method. Sometimes stalking them is the only way you are going to get a shot at one.

If you can stalk up on turkey and do it SAFELY and with COURTESY, then have it at......it's not my preferred method....the hunt for me is the game, the dialogue, the strategy, etc....NOTHING burns me up more than getting my setup screwed up by another hunter.....the guys that REALLY, REALLY irk me is the snipers.....unfortunately, rifle hunting is still legal here in Virginia during spring gobbler season.....and there's a bunch of snipers around here.......they hunt in pairs......one stands at the truck with a locater call, the other sneaks toward a gobbling bird with a .222.....I personally feel that just because something is legal, doesn't necessarily make it right.

Fullback-
That's awful. Had no idea a rifle was legal anywhere[:@] Not much challenge in that. Be safe out there.

I think it's completly ethical. If you can sneek up within gun range of a wild turkey with spooking him......you deserve to shoot him. I don't think that's any easier than sitting hidden and calling the bird in. As far as poachers go.....well, you should always ID what you are shooting at anyway. So if it's not a turkey w/out a doubt then don't shoot it. I can't imagine shooting at a sound or some unknown movement hoping it's a turkey. What is that about?

Amen Takes far more woodsmanship to work into gun range of turkeys than calling ever will

Do it.

I think RedAllison said it all back on page 2. WELL PUT!!

I've called birds in and shot them at less than 10 paces which has been very exciting and also have had some stalks that have been quite satisfying. I hunt private land except for the Black Hills and I do love to call them in as they are awesome to watch all fanned out and spit drummin' but when the opportunity arises I'll use the terrain to get around to where I think they are headed. Sometimes I've called them in after that and other times I've headed them off and made the shot. One stalk in particular had me runnin' my tail off as I first spotted a group of gobblers with hens on a distant field top. I used a low spot in the middle of an open field to get around to where I thought they were going. Belly crawled to a corner of the field where they should have been headed. Well, they turned and when down to an old road. So I crawled back out while watching them, ran down a trail, along a steep hillside that lead around to the road, and snuck as far as I could up to meet them. I saw the first hen come thru the woods and got the gun up. That Rem Super Mag was getting heavy by the time the 2nd gobbler stepped out on the bank above the road. Had to lower the gun barrel while he turned away in full strut to rest my arms for a second. Then brought it back up as he was turning back around. Knocked him down as he walked into the road. That stalk was really fun. So it's all good to me either way...