Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I was wondering how many of you think this is okay. The subject came up on another message board, and it seems some people in NJ think it's okay not only to shoot them on the roost, but also write stories for a web site bragging about it. I always thought it was unethical to do so, but a few seem to think it's a good tactic, or a "golden opportunity" as the writer of the story stated.

Is it just me, or is this considered unethical behavior? I don't want to sound like an elitists, so tell me if I'm wrong, do they do that in places besides NJ?
edited due to not allowing to be able to post another hunting web site with in the forums.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Why would you want to. It's not what Turkey hunting is about.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I wasn't aware no other web site links could be posted here. Seems kinda strange, but I guess rules are rules.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

First off, Where is it legal to shoot them off the roost anyway? Its not legal here in Florida.
If it were legal I dont think I would do it anyway.


"Hunters will never stop debating the ethics of hunting over food plots, hunting with rifles,, evening hunting in roost areas, shooting jakes, fall hunting and countless other topics. The only way to measure right or wrong is to ask whether you're obeying the law, and then let your conscience be your guide, because you cant dictate
someone elses concept of whats ethical"
JIM SHLENDER
Editor of Turkey and Turkey hunting magazine

Very well said. imo .




/

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

It's legal here after 7:30. I have only seen a few in the tree that late and it was usually during a downpour. I have never shot a roosted bird. Don't think I ever will either.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Shooting a turkey on the roost is kinda pointless.[:'(]

It would be like getting a turkey at the store and saying you were hunting.[:@]

What would be the point of going if you were going to blast away at the trees.

That is so unsportsman like.

It would be like catching fish out of a barrel.

Wheres the chalange at ?

To me shooting a turkey out of the roost is poaching.

Some things just burn me up.

I would rather go all my whole life and not get a turkey than to get one that way.

But thats me.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Shooting them on the roost is not only unethical, it's pitiful, and usually illegal.

Hal

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Talked to the Dnr a couple of seasons ago and they said as long as you have leagal shooting light it was leagal. I have never shot one off the limb before. To be honest with ya I really cant sit hear and say I would never do it. If it was the last day of the season and I havent been able to harvest one and I had one on the limb and it was leagal shoting light I really think I would let him have it. But this is coming from a guy who dosent kill 1 or more turkeys every season. I'm sure the guys out there that think that this is unethical are the guys who limit out on gobblers on a regular bases

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

This subject can be debated back and forth as far as ethics. I personally do not shoot turkeys off the roost, but I work with a couple of guys that do. They grew up stalking turkeys, not calling turkeys. It's natural for them to stalk and shoot if the bird is in the tree or on the ground. I would have a hard time telling them it was unethical. Their stories are often a blast to listen to. They say it's a challenge to tip-toe in under a gobbler at daylight, and many times are detected and come home with nothing. It's not like they walk in pitch black dark and shoot him while he's sleeping. They get up just like we do and wait for one to gobble, then stalk him. If they can tip-toe under him, good for them.
WM

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I feel the same way about stalking turkeys that you guys do about shooting them off of the roost. It just isn't the point. Either way you are sneaking up on the bird. The only difference is whether or not it's on the ground or in the tree. Infact the argument could be made that is more ethical to sneak up and shoot them from a tree than it is to sneak up and shoot them from the ground since they have a better field of view from the tree. JMO

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Hell I Got My First Turkey Outa The Roost..After Hunting Many Days I Figured Hey Ima Try It..First Year Hunting Turkeys And Last Day, I Snuck Up And They Turkeys Flew But One Stayed I Shot....It Was Hard Sneaking Up To The Tree. Now I Dont Even Think About Trying It, But Heck For A 1st Turkey I Did It.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: jrbsr

You Try Sneaking Up To A Tree There In!
Its Hard...Altho I Dont Like It...Its Very Hard

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Ethics are persoinal.
there for if it is leagle I have no problem with someone doing it.

I would not but if some one else did who am i to judge?

It would be my guess that it is not a standerd tactic where its leagle.
I would say its more of a target of optunity.

Some one out deer hunting or some other form of hunting just happans across a roost and they get one.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

guys, it's only a turkey, for crying out loud. in vt, it is legal to shoot one off the roost. haven't done, have a boss that did, i think he knew that i wasn't terribly impressed, but it was his moment of opportunity, so he took it. and by the way, stalking is way harder to do on a bird than to call them in, that's how i do it. sorry, i just don't have any respect for these things, i like to shoot them, but they are the dumbest creatures on the earth, if you ask me. know here is a twist to the question, i watched a couple of guys trying to sneak up on a flock, knew they were going to mess it up in the fall. so, i set up a few hundred yards away, sure enough they busted, and it sounded like world war three. i saw the whole show, not one bird fell. two flew down towards me where i was sitting, next to the pavement, across from posted land. i saw one hit the ground running, tried to find him, couldn't, but heard another above me, took it out of the tree and brought it home. now, how do you feel about the situation? by the way, the hunters went the direction of the main flock, so i wasn't stepping on their toes.
Pat

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

You shoot one out of the roost on one of my leases and it will be your last opportunity to hunt there legal or not!!!!Irregardless of the ethics involved here,to me its a huge safety issue!!I have been on a # of occasions set-up on a roosted gobbler to suddenly have a some dood send a load of magnums sailing just over my head!!!Its a sick feeling to be settled in on a roosted gobbler to suddenly have somebody go blazing at the birds while there roosted!Lowlight hours present difficulty in identifying your target AND whats beyond,besides the iminent possibilty of making a poor shot crippling a bird!We have alot of uneven country here and it is extremely dangerous to to shoot where one cannot see clearly through the limbs and leaves,and now with the progression of heavi-shot and other loads delivering more down range energy making them lethal at greater distances makes it that much more of a safety issue!!What scares me even more are the states where rifles come into play here!!Learn to call them in and apply some good woodsmanship you'll get alot more out of the sport without the possibilty of an accident in this regard!!!Bob

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

i wouldnt do it, that is one reason it took so long for me to get my first bird...if they are roosted, it's not an issue, there is no shooting it.....

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

If it's legal and the person is just wanting to kill a Turkey I suppose it would be OK

It is a good woodsman who can sneak on a flock in the Fall, but the Spring woods seem a bit easier [to me] to move in without detection.

Old day turkey hunters in the deep south would kill em however they could and off the roost was common.:eek:


Personally I've never done it. Been tempted as I had one strutting and Gobblin on a big limb a few years back, but I waited till he hit the ground and called him in a couple steps before it ended.


If your a Turkey Sniper then that's what you are. I'm a Turkey HUNTER. And would rather listen to Bluegrass.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

thats not hunting, and the calling is the greatest part of turkey hunting. I dont see the point of just sneaking up on one and blasting it out of a tree

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I respect them birds too much too shoot them off the roost does not seem to me it would take awhole lot of skill or woodsmanship too do it that way

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I agree with several of the latest posts. I believe it is a safety issue as well as un- sportsman like. Kind of like going to a game ranch, picking your trophy out of a book, kill it and pay the fee. Hunting???hell no.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I just don't see any fun in roost shootin.I kinda get a kick outta when an old Tom whoops my butt. As for walkin under a roosted bird I've done that many times just by pure accident.Just my opinion but to me it takes the fun and the challenge outta the hunt.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I've only been Turkey hunting for about four years and limiting out hasn't been a problem I've had to deal with. I would never shoot a bird on it's roost especially if it was my first bird, it would just make the hunt unmemorable, but that's me. I'd rather go seasons with out getting one.For me Turkey hunting isn't all about bringing a bird home. It's the whole spring experience that I love. The interacting with a wild critter and convincing it your one of them. The reawakening of the woods.

As far as it being hard to sneak in on a Turkey on the roost. Come on. If I can do it being basically a rookie Turkey hunter with my son along it's not that difficult.

I'm not going to sit here and put down people for doing it just can't understand what would drive a person to do it.

If your not catching walleye and it's the last day of the season would you throaw a stick of dynamite in so you could limit out?

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

If it's legal, what's the problem?

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Seems to me that shooting a turkey on the roost would be like shooting squirrels in their nests, or sight fishing bass on their nests with a bow and arrow, or spotlighting deer at night. Just ain't right.

Hal

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

people do it here in PA. i dont like it. i think it is alright to shoot to get the turkeys off the roost, and break them up, but i think it is just plain lazy and wrong to shoot them off the roost. why not go out and get a turkey by calling it in. that seems more rewarding to me

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

[:'(] I love to be around people that just shoot for no good reason. You telling me you need to fire at birds on the roost? Why so you can spook them. Especially in low light conditions.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

i would be ashame to tell some one i had shot one from the roost, what have you learned from that,turkey hunting is all about the challenge of making him come to you,good luck with your decision.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I also thought it was illegal?

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

i dont but ill anser for micheal wadell..."Yes"

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Well I'm new to this forum but not to turkey hunting. I 20+ years under my belt so I claim a right to an opinion. As many of you get to know me through this forum you might wish I didnt have an opinion. I speak my mind freely and loudly.
As for shooting a roosted bird, if I catch the SOB he'll be trying to find a roost to get away from me. Roost shooting is just one of the acts that led to the near destuction of the most magnificent game bird known to man. There are two ways to get on my bad side one is to mess with my dogs and the second is to poach my turkeys. Either of those will get you hurt.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

NO! end of discussion

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Only cheaters or lazy hunters shoot birds off roost!

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Just curious. All the guys who said that they would "never" do it. What kind of property do you hunt private or public???

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I would never shoot abird on the limb and i hunt both private and public lands

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Ken,I've had the unfortune of having it happen to me on both types of ground!In fact one time we had a bird roosted on our piece of ground but only about 60 yards from the next piece of property's fenceline!Some "Jackass"snuck up to the fence touched it off and sent the gobbler sailing off down into a canyon we were set-up next too!The best part of the story is, we ended up getting the guy kicked off the nieghbors property after a heated lengthy discussion on what took place!!!!:)

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I thought about it last year...had 3 huge gobblers within 25 yards of my setup...foggy, light drizzle...didn't even know they were that close until the fog lifted 45 minutes after sunup. I was talking back and forth with the boss that was 75 yards away...these guys were clucking and yelping like hens, but had some decent beards (8"+). Anyway, it's illegal here in CT...which is why I only thought about it [&:].

To me, nope, wouldn't/couldn't do it. If I need turkey that bad, even on my student's salary [:'(] I could easily shell out the $10 for a nice plump Butterball. The hunt is worth more, in my opinion way more, than shooting one off of the roost.

But if you hunt for the meat, don't have the cash and it's legal...no, I don't have a problem with it being done.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Both, Why would were you hunt make a difference?

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Well kinda. I hunt public land and it sucks!!!! You wait all winter for spring to come and you get in the woods a month before the season and scout your butt off and opening day comes and your at your main spot 2 hours before sun rise and just when you think you have your spot all to your self some inconsiderate a!@ hole pulls up and parks in the pull off 50 yards from you[:@] Anyhow it's quite obvious this moron is after the same area that you plan on hunting. Anyhow to make a long storie short this a!@ walks right up on you and start to owl hoot 50 yards from you. That day I did not hear one gobble with in 1/4 mile!!!!

This is a every year night mare:(

The morel of my storie is. I want a wall full of beards and spurs like you private property guys but unfortunately that's never going to happen. I have to hunt my tail off just to have one chance at a turkey... Birds just don't come running in waving a flag saying shoot me shoot me;) So after you have a lot of your hard work getting flushed down the drain you just might reconsider you position on roost shooting. Were legal;)

And before all you private property guys start crying about how you property is private but you still have other people hunting it. That's not the property I'm talking about. You know who you are. You have one of those place that Will Primos or the Drury boys would hunt;)

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

I know guides that hunt public land. Some of the best places I hunt are public.

No I won't. It's not all bragging right for me.

RE: Shooting turkeys on the roost
 

Charlie P what state do you hunt were the public land is some of the best turkey hunting????