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Would it be ethical to............................

cruff10 said:
Would you shoot a 12PT 180 class buck laying down in his bed broad side?
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I'm torn on this one. I won't shoot one off the roost, it's just my personal choice, but I also think a gobbler is at a huge disadvantage when it comes to "sleeping in its bed". From what I have been lead to believe, those birds use flight from the roost in the poor morning light as a last option, due to less than desirable visibility.

Now, a bedded 180 class buck has the advantage of sight, smell AND that maturity that comes along with age. If I was able to stalk up on a mature, bedded buck, I would consider myself wiley enough to accomplish such a feat.

Just my personal opinion, which really isn't worth that much. :grin:
 
I know if you get close enough to see him on a limb, and see his beard, either shoot him or go after another bird. Because you will not kill that bird if you let him fly down.
He has already seen you and even though he might still be gobbling he will fly down the other way and shut up just like you said that one did.

I never have shot one off a limb and I never have killed one that I could see he had a beard.
 
I personally like playing the game but its legal and if you want him you shoot him dont worry bout what others have to say I would shoot one off the roost if I could I wouldnt limit out doing it though JMO!!!
 
Yup I would say blast em! Had a gobbler roosted yesterday evening and got about 30 yards from him. He had his head tucked and I was waiting for him to raise up. A truck came down the highway and he was wide awake then. he pulled his head up and it was behind a tree so when I stepped back to shoot he flew. But you better believe he was gonna get blasted.
 
Re: Would it be ethical to........................

spitndrum said:
I personally like playing the game but its legal and if you want him you shoot him dont worry bout what others have to say I would shoot one off the roost if I could I wouldnt limit out doing it though JMO!!!
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come on now tell the truth...You like calling too much... ;)
 
Re: Would it be ethical to........................

shopson said:
Ethical was back when Hunters would Call turkeys to within 40 yards or less to shoot.
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Ethical was when birds and deer were killed for food and not for the sport or thrill... ;)
 
Re: Would it be ethical to........................

shopson said:
I kill for all three reasons.
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Killing isn't ethical, you "harvest" game.

lol, j/p, don't yall just love how politicly correct the USA has become.
 
Re: Would it be ethical to........................

Personally, at this point in my hunting career, I would not shoot one from the roost, nor would I shoot one I walked up on in a field. And nor would I stalk/ ambush one.

I've never shot one off the roost in the past, just never seemed right to me, but I've ambushed/ stalked many successfully in the past. It's just not what I want out of a hunt anymore.

If a bird doesn't come in gobbling/ strutting and putting on a show, I'm gonna let him pass. Again, that's a personal thing, though. Killing them is secondary to the hunt itself.
 
Re: Would it be ethical to........................

megalomaniac said:
Personally, at this point in my hunting career, I would not shoot one from the roost, nor would I shoot one I walked up on in a field. And nor would I stalk/ ambush one.

I've never shot one off the roost in the past, just never seemed right to me, but I've ambushed/ stalked many successfully in the past. It's just not what I want out of a hunt anymore.

If a bird doesn't come in gobbling/ strutting and putting on a show, I'm gonna let him pass. Again, that's a personal thing, though. Killing them is secondary to the hunt itself.
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I'm confident that later in my turkey hunting career I'll feel the same way. However, I'm working on only my second bird so I believe that if I'm in the previously said situation again I'll be letting the lead fly. At that time I had never really put much thought into what I'd do in that situation because I didn't think I'd be in it. Now that I've had time to think about it I'm pretty sure I won't let the next one have a free pass.

Now that my mind is made up I'll never get that close a roosted tom again.... :D
 
I'd shoot one off the roost and a bedded deer too and in bow season at the same time!! But, I won't shoot a sitting rabbit...Just your choice and how you see it as long as it's all legal
 
captain hook said:
cruff10 said:
Would you shoot a 12PT 180 class buck laying down in his bed broad side?
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No, just me personally, could care less if someone else did, but if I am going to make B&C books I want to have things go a little differently.
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LMAO! There is nothing I have ever done while hunting that is more satisfying than sneaking up on a mature buck and killing him in his bed, him never even knowing I was there! I've only achieved this twice and I gotta tell you, there is nothing any harder IMO!!!
 
Winchester said:
captain hook said:
cruff10 said:
Would you shoot a 12PT 180 class buck laying down in his bed broad side?
Click to expand...

No, just me personally, could care less if someone else did, but if I am going to make B&C books I want to have things go a little differently.
Click to expand...
LMAO! There is nothing I have ever done while hunting that is more satisfying than sneaking up on a mature buck and killing him in his bed, him never even knowing I was there! I've only achieved this twice and I gotta tell you, there is nothing any harder IMO!!!
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Winchester, Dan Fitzgerald has an old video where he sneaks up on a mature buck and arrows it. I think it's called Swamp Buck Fever. He also shoots a bedded one with bow in Corn Crazed Whitetails...like you, he thinks it's an awesome feat.
 
Shooting on the roost is not illegal. Shooting before legal shooting time (30 mins prior to legal sunrise) is illegal.

The unethical part, for me, of shooting one on the roost would be slipping under his tree under the cover of darkness and then blasting him after legal shooting time. The analogy of a deer isn't a good comparison, because the deer has his nose and much better eyesight in dark conditions. There is a reason why turkeys roost in trees. They would be defenseless on the ground.

Slip within shooting distance after it's light while he is still in a tree, I have no problem with.
 

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