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Shooting turkey off roost?

Why would you want to sneak in and set down under a bird in the dark and when the clock ticks over to legal time shoot him? It is still pretty dang dark at legal shooting time in the woods especially on a cloudy day and he is sleeping until about that time of the morning. Just not a challenge in it really, sort of like shooting a deer in a 10 acre high fence, but to each his own I guess.
 
the reason some would say it IS ethical is that if you can get in close enough to one on the roost then why not shoot it. that's what most would say, on the flip side the others would say what's the challenge, all you have to do is get in super early to a roosting spot and wait for daylight. i wouldn't shoot one off the roost but that's just me.
 
Killing one in the tree would be a bird you would never get to put on a show coming to a call. Why in the heck would you ever want to take that opportunity away???
 
What if you slip in when its light and shoot one? would you guys consider this ethical?I figure if you can get in shotgun range of a bird after sun up that would be harder than calling one in.
 
A dead turkey is a dead turkey. If the regs say it is legal and you have no problem with it, go for it. To each his own.
 
spitndrum said:
Agree with everyone in this thread both sides, I have shot at hens in the fall on the roost lol!!
Click to expand...

X2 except I've never shot one off the roost, but had the opportunity and regret not taking it. :D
 
I set up right under one last year thinking I was still 100 yards or so out. When the sun started peaking over the horizon I saw him up there no more than 35-40 yards straight in front of me. He had a beard on him that looked about 10" long. It was all I could do not to shoot when it got shooting light, but I talked myself out of it. Looking back now I wish I would have shot him.
 
Ethical-why is it wrong?

Calling, stalking, decoys, walking, moving is all hunting.

It all works but some times they are in the tree.

No baiting, no electronic calling, no road hunting.

Why would you think it is wrong?
 
You can't relate deer and turkeys. Deer are not primarily called in, and the whole premise behind turkey hunting is matching wits with a bird and outsmarting him through calling. Just my personal opinion, but shooting one off the roost is as low as it gets. It centers IMO around this new age of hunting where folks don't care how,they just want to have instant gratification. It is all about the numbers of dead critters, not in how those critters meet their maker. JMHO.
 
To each his own, its legal so go ahead. I have heard old timers say that its unethical to call a gobbler in during the spring cause its when they are looking for nookie and its not right to try and play on that urge.
 

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