Flew down right in my lap

[fairchaser]

I bet you thought you would see me sitting behind a fan. Nope. I started early moving in on a randy limb hanger and gave him a few yelps a way off to let him know I'm interested. As I got to within 100 yards of his perch, I couldn't see him but could tell about where he was. There's a huge ravine between us. You could hide an 18 wheeler in this ravine so I decided to uncharacteristically give him a few soft yelps and see if he would fly down to my side of the ravine. I look up from my setup to see a turkey sailing through the timber right to me. It all happened too fast for me to know for sure this was the same bird and that he was a gobbler and not a jake. He hit the leaves just past me and went over a rise. I have to get turned some and I couldn't see him. I know he must be right there but I have to wait to see what happens. I guess he didn't like the fact that there was no hen and came back through clucking. I could see his head but not his beard until right before he got nervous and started adding some speed to his pace and he was gone. I could have taken some chances and shot him when I saw his head at 30 yards. But, we can't shoot jakes in our club and didn't want to risk it but that was a cool experience and one I won't forget. Y'all feel free to chime in on what I did wrong!

 

[Setterman]

You did nothing wrong from where I sit. Always another day

 

[fairchaser]

You did nothing wrong from where I sit. Always another day

He definitely gave me my money's worth without dying.

 

[Wrangler95]

They sure can pinpoint a hen call,I guess he grew suspicious when he didnt see a hen.Better luck tommorow!!

 

[TheLBLman]

You did nothing wrong from where I sit. Always another day

x 2

A few years ago I had a similar experience,
only this old gobbler landed exactly 10 feet from me, on my wrong side.
I swear, I did not see or hear him coming (he "glided" silently), just suddenly popped down beside me!
Like he was just going to hang out with me.

Sucker just stood there looking around for like 10 minutes without taking a step!
I couldn't move!

Vivid, exciting memories!

They sure can pinpoint a hen call.

And with AMAZING directional and distance accuracy!

 

[fairchaser]

One of these days I'm gonna shoot one flying in. Never have attempted it but I think it would be awesome to fold him up like a wet blanket.

 

[PalsPal]

One of these days I'm gonna shoot one flying in. Never have attempted it but I think it would be awesome to fold him up like a wet blanket.

You've done it now. That's unethical !

Great hunt, btw!

 

[fairchaser]

One of these days I'm gonna shoot one flying in. Never have attempted it but I think it would be awesome to fold him up like a wet blanket.

You've done it now. That's unethical !

Great hunt, btw!

I'm sure there might be some who think so but that would be the most difficult shot in all of turkey hunting. No more unethical than shooting any flying game bird. Alvin York would be right there with me! :super:

 

[Boll Weevil]

If I recall correctly, Archibald Rutledge thought it an abomination to call in and kill a lovesick and vulnerable spring gobbler...akin to shooting fish in a barrel he wrote. Some other old timer (I disremember his name) felt it perfectly unsporting to kill a gobbler unless he was flushed and "took wing."

Anyone that calls one in, intentionally flushes him, then shoots him outta the sky such that he crumples in a heap...now that's something.

 

[fairchaser]

If I recall correctly, Archibald Rutledge thought it an abomination to call in and kill a lovesick and vulnerable spring gobbler...akin to shooting fish in a barrel he wrote. Some other old timer (I disremember his name) felt it perfectly unsporting to kill a gobbler unless he was flushed and "took wing."

Anyone that calls one in, intentionally flushes him, then shoots him outta the sky such that he crumples in a heap...now that's something.

Well said Boll W. Isn't it peculiar how hunters evolve into certain methods of game harvest and eschew any other method? Not too many years ago, no one killed deer from an elevated stand.

 

[TheLBLman]

Isn't it peculiar how hunters evolve into certain methods of game harvest and eschew any other method?
Not too many years ago, no one killed deer from an elevated stand.

I have to agree with you.

Just generally speaking though, I like to see hunting promoted as a hunting sport, more than just a shooting sport.
Hunting & shooting are two different things, although hunting involves shooting, while shooting does not necessarily involve hunting.

Over the years, one of my reasons for not shooting either running away or flying turkeys has been the inability to get a clean head shot. I've passed up many birds over the years for nothing more than that reason, even birds that never spooked, but still didn't give me the clean shot, or maybe not without likelihood of collaterally killing other birds right beside them or behind them.

Just from a hunting ethics perspective, if I call up an old gobbler to within 30 yards, have ample opportunity to kill him, but not with that clean head shot, then he spooks, I really don't seen anything unethical about killing him after that spooking, if can get a clean head shot. It's just rare to have a clean head shot when a bird is running or flying away. On the other hand, for me, it's unethical to take any shot on a turkey other than a clean head shot.

 

[fairchaser]

Isn't it peculiar how hunters evolve into certain methods of game harvest and eschew any other method?
Not too many years ago, no one killed deer from an elevated stand.

I have to agree with you.

Just generally speaking though, I like to see hunting promoted as a hunting sport, more than just a shooting sport.
Hunting & shooting are two different things, although hunting involves shooting, while shooting does not necessarily involve hunting.

Over the years, one of my reasons for not shooting either running away or flying turkeys has been the inability to get a clean head shot. I've passed up many birds over the years for nothing more than that reason, even birds that never spooked, but still didn't give me the clean shot, or maybe not without likelihood of collaterally killing other birds right beside them or behind them.

Just from a hunting ethics perspective, if I call up an old gobbler to within 30 yards, have ample opportunity to kill him, but not with that clean head shot, then he spooks, I really don't seen anything unethical about killing him after that spooking, if can get a clean head shot. It's just rare to have a clean head shot when a bird is running or flying away. On the other hand, for me, it's unethical to take any shot on a turkey other than a clean head shot.

I would agree and that's the only shot I've ever taken on a turkey. A turkey is rightfully a big game animal and it shouldn't be treated like a duck or goose unless it's wounded and then whatever it takes to finish him off. If I ever have a clean head shot at one flying though. :lol: However the situation would have to be perfect. I've passed up many a shot at turkeys for one reason or another. For some reason on turkeys I don't suffer as much from FOMO. For me it's really about the chase and if I've gotten to hear them and talk to them it's been a good hunt.