Granddaddy
Well-Known Member
Do you guys feel like you have to call a bird to you for it to be an ethical kill? Or can you pattern an old tom & just use workmanship to get in his path & kill him that way without calling?
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Ol Fart
Active Member
I have ambushed a few over the years. Whatever it takes.
bobbuck
Well-Known Member
I have done that back in the day. However, I would not do it now. Nothing to do with ethics just not my cup of tea. If he does not come to my call I will not kill him.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I think that's ethical. Not my cup of tea either. I've done it years ago, and I don't even remember those hunts any longer. Dead bird, but that was about it. I can still remember every single bird I've killed that blew the woods down coming to my calling however. Heck, I can remember the near misses on birds that came thundering in but just didn't get quite close enough to finish better than the ambush hunts.
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
I think it takes a tremendous amount of woodsmanship, knowledge of turkey behavior, and downright patience to regularly kill a tom this way.
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
There are a lot of variations to this scenario. I have rarely, if ever found a gobbler that I could "pattern" in the spring like this. I've known some to roost in the same area time after time. I wouldn't just set up and shoot him on his way to roost.
If one flew down and wouldn't work, but I could course him well enough to maneuver in front of him (unlikely unless he was gobbling), I have no problem shooting him. I remember doing this only once.
But if a gobbler won't work to a call, and you can legitimately pattern him and get him within 40 yards based on your knowledge of that turkey and the terrain, well done. Not a particularly exciting hunt strategy, but a well earned turkey, IMO. I know some who wouldn't shoot one like this, but I'm confident it's not based on an ethics objection. Just personal preference on how they want to use their tags.
artwork001
Well-Known Member
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This is hilarious I've had the exact opposite happen many times where as soon as the Tom sees even a Jake decoy they run away. I wish I could run into these super aggressive Toms you guys are running into but in 25 years of hunting turkeys that hasn't been the case. To compare a decoy with dynamiting fish in a pond is a bit too of a reach. I respect everybody's right to opinions but come on guys lol. What's next no calling this call or that call not allowed? Over regulation is never a good thing some of us who still like to hunt can't run and gun the hills and hollers anymore so we have to use other tactics.
woodsman04
Well-Known Member
It isn't a snob thing. It's a concern with the resource. If it wasn't easy people wouldn't do it.
woodsman04
Well-Known Member
From my experience very hard to pattern one to the T and kill him.
But not my style. And I don't bushwhack them like I did as a kid.
I only shoot gobblers that I call up.
The state of The has been under regulating the resource for years and now some of us are paying the price. Don't believe me? Try a hunt out west Tn. Nice and flat out there
There's one here that is usually very knowledgeable and I'm surprised at his defense of decoys.
square
Well-Known Member
Folks that think a strutter or even a jake decoy is the end all be all have obviously not hunted with one very much. I have seen more run off with a strutterthan came in. Effectiveness of Jakes is debatable after the first couple of weeks.
Watch some of the videos that are in this forum. Just saw 3 longbeards drooling over a Jake decoy.
I have seen these shows too, and seen videos on FB and here for that matter, with the same scenario. Many years ago I thought, "I should do that" and got a strutter deke... I had bunches of turkeys on my property at that time. Sure enough right after fly down, big tom comes walking down my neighbors farm road (boundary of my property) His hens are on the next property over (a mere 35 yds). He sees my strutter and hen deke. Walks towards them about 10 yds into my property, and turns away and goes to his hens, and they feed off the other way.
The second time I tried it, Tom comes in, sees it, starts going in and out of 1/2 strut and walking at it, then turns and leaves.
Now it is a rare occasion that I use decoys at all, while I know your scenario is how it usually plays out, I don't think there is such thing as a guarantee in turkey hunting.
ttf909
Well-Known Member
You mean protected from anyone without super ninja skills .
Sounds like snobbery. Jmho
Setterman
Well-Known Member
1. I am a turkey snob, and an elitist and look down on people who waddle into a field a stake a strutter out, or sit in a blind, crawl behind a fan, shoot birds over 40 yards, kill hens, or generally do anything other than call a bird into gun range. Hate me for it? Fine, but I make no apologies for who I am.
2. I of course get gratification from killing a bird, but get more gratification from the hunt rather than the kill. The kill is anti climatic in a way, as for me the best part is the moment he crosses into range, or I see him committed, or he's right there but I can't yet see him But know it's imminent.
3. I will not kill a bird that does not respond to a call and come to me.
4. Claiming decoys aren't that effective is simply naive. Obviously no one that claims that has scrolled down this page and watched the videos posted. Every single one is a success because of decoys, if it weren't for the decoys all those birds survive. Youtbe is chocked full of millions of decoy kills from dolts sitting in blinds doing nothing and putting forth zero effort.
5. I think decoys are destroying the future of our flock nationally, and are one of the most controllable things that could be changed to improve the flock.
6. turkey hunting is one of the purest and coolest forms of hunting when done with a call, shotgun, and a tree to sit against. The new tactics and new generation of turkey hunters are clueless to this and absolutely destroying it with all the crap they do to make it as easy as possible To have success. Being old school it took many days of arse whippings, mistakes, frustration, depression, etc to finally start piecing it together and having consistent success. The new generation and their mentality miss the entire journey and challenges of learning this sport the right way. That's why I look down on them, their tactics, and have zero respect for them.
Hate on me, gnash your teeth and call me an elitist. But someday you might realize where people like me are coming from
2. I of course get gratification from killing a bird, but get more gratification from the hunt rather than the kill. The kill is anti climatic in a way, as for me the best part is the moment he crosses into range, or I see him committed, or he's right there but I can't yet see him But know it's imminent.
3. I will not kill a bird that does not respond to a call and come to me.
4. Claiming decoys aren't that effective is simply naive. Obviously no one that claims that has scrolled down this page and watched the videos posted. Every single one is a success because of decoys, if it weren't for the decoys all those birds survive. Youtbe is chocked full of millions of decoy kills from dolts sitting in blinds doing nothing and putting forth zero effort.
5. I think decoys are destroying the future of our flock nationally, and are one of the most controllable things that could be changed to improve the flock.
6. turkey hunting is one of the purest and coolest forms of hunting when done with a call, shotgun, and a tree to sit against. The new tactics and new generation of turkey hunters are clueless to this and absolutely destroying it with all the crap they do to make it as easy as possible To have success. Being old school it took many days of arse whippings, mistakes, frustration, depression, etc to finally start piecing it together and having consistent success. The new generation and their mentality miss the entire journey and challenges of learning this sport the right way. That's why I look down on them, their tactics, and have zero respect for them.
Hate on me, gnash your teeth and call me an elitist. But someday you might realize where people like me are coming from
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
The theory (with a lot of credible backing, data, and common sense) is that we are killing too many gobblers too early in the breeding cycle. That problem is compounded when you kill a lot of the dominant gobblers with harems of hens that would normally handle a big percentage of the breeding.
Not everyone agrees with that theory. But lets assume it to be true just for the sake of argument. The solution to that problem is to limit the number of gobblers killed in (roughly) the first two weeks of April, with particular concern for dominant breeder males.
Reducing the limit accomplishes nothing towards that goal. I'm aware of two viable options. (1) delay the season 2 weeks, or (2) prohibit decoys (or at least male decoys) for the first 2 weeks.
I prefer option 2 I'm happy to hear anyone's thoughts on why I'm wrong. Any why it's snobbish.
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I really think me and you hunt two diff worlds, the birds I hunt in extreme southern middle tn just simply do not adhere the rules you are implying here. If you absolutely would not shoot a bird unless you called him in here you'd be eating tag soup for the most part here. So few birds and they are hunted so hard they simply do not come to calling very often, 10 years ago, diff story
