Turkey's in The Tree
- Thread starter 44fordy
- Start date
It all depends on what type of hunter you are, sustenance or sport.
If you hunt more for food, you don't care where the damn bird is, if legal, you shoot. Sure you enjoy being out in nature, but if you tag out 5 mins after legal begins on the opener, you think it's great luck!
If you hunt more for sport, you want challenge and excitement. You pass up the easy shots to make it more difficult and exciting. You spend a lot of time in the woods, and sometimes passing up shots because the game isn't up to your standards.
There is no "better" hunter, or more ethical etc. There are only hunters.
If you hunt more for food, you don't care where the damn bird is, if legal, you shoot. Sure you enjoy being out in nature, but if you tag out 5 mins after legal begins on the opener, you think it's great luck!
If you hunt more for sport, you want challenge and excitement. You pass up the easy shots to make it more difficult and exciting. You spend a lot of time in the woods, and sometimes passing up shots because the game isn't up to your standards.
There is no "better" hunter, or more ethical etc. There are only hunters.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
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You pretty much nailed it!!
Personally, I've passed up a lot of game, going for bigger/more robust creatures, and I definately enjoy a challenging hunt.
I recently passed up a couple of jakes to pursue the larger toms behind them. All in all, I spent 10 hrs hunting that day and didn't get the tom IO wanted. Buuut I enjoyed the day and had lots of fun.
On the other side of the table, I don't see it ethically wrong to shoot a turkey in a tree, a duck in the water or a grouse on the road. HEY....ultimately "food" is the prize for me, so the order in which the animal gets dead, providing it's legal and humane, makes no difference to me.
So, I guess for me, it depends on my plan. I've been chasing a trophy buck nicknamed "Bob" for the past 4 years. I let him go once, I missed him once..and have had numerous encounters with him now, nut no "finale"....YET.
If a doe walked out in front of me on my quest for Bob...well, I'll probably let her go...as I'm looking for a particular animal.
If my day's goal is to have a turkey in the deep fryer by 3pm, I won't be nearly as fussy. Given an opportunity to bag a bird...it's gonna happen.
I've spent some time in the duckblind, and although I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a duck in the water, I generally leave them....just because they make REALLY good decoys!!
NOW....if the decoys decide to fly away....babang!
No roost for me !
I'm in the no shooting on the roost club. As an Albertan I haven't much experience with turkey hunting as we have limited opportunities for them here. I have been putting in the draw for several years and last year got it. I shot my bird after several exhilarating turkey experiences, a buddy was with me did the calling and showed me the ropes.
I have hunted deer, elk, moose, pronghorns, bears, waterfowl and upland game birds. I think my 2 favorites are still hunting for whitetails and walking the trails shooting ruffed grouse but...
I really have nothing to compare with running and gunning gobblers, it is one of the most challenging and fantastically fun types of hunting I have ever done.
My buddies and I just returned this evening from BC, we drove 6 1/2 hours from home and hunted hard for 4 days in some gorgeous pine forests, I never got my turkey and came home empty handed but I did pass up a chance to shoot Mr. turkey out of the tree.
Now for the discussion, I hate how hunters and anglers seem to jump on each other on these forums and others. We are at times our own worst enemies. I've seen the bowhunters condemn the rifle hunters, the fly fishermen call everyone else bait chuckers and lord help the mathematicians who with practice are able to take an animal at a great distance. A month ago I couldn't believe the crap because someone dared take a 30-06 to Africa.
But that aside I do struggle with some stuff and I don't know how to reconcile it . I hate the idea of baiting, period. so I don't do it. I know that shooting turkeys in BC with rimfires is legal but I really really hate it. For one I'm not sure I feel real comfortable sitting camo'd up with " henny penny" out in front trying to lure a gobbler in if someone's gonna fling lead out of their 17 HMR my way from the road.
To me its all about the experience, walking a trail in the fall with the smell of high bush cranberries in the air shooting grouse is just about as fine as it gets. On the ground or on the wing FOR ME !
But shooting turkeys in the roost totally misses the whole point of hunting this species. I'm glad I passed and I'll do it again next time.
What should everyone else do, I'm not sure but I struggle...... with the baiting...... with the rimfires for turkeys..... with the shooting in the roost.........canned hunts...lots of stuff.
I'm in the no shooting on the roost club. As an Albertan I haven't much experience with turkey hunting as we have limited opportunities for them here. I have been putting in the draw for several years and last year got it. I shot my bird after several exhilarating turkey experiences, a buddy was with me did the calling and showed me the ropes.
I have hunted deer, elk, moose, pronghorns, bears, waterfowl and upland game birds. I think my 2 favorites are still hunting for whitetails and walking the trails shooting ruffed grouse but...
I really have nothing to compare with running and gunning gobblers, it is one of the most challenging and fantastically fun types of hunting I have ever done.
My buddies and I just returned this evening from BC, we drove 6 1/2 hours from home and hunted hard for 4 days in some gorgeous pine forests, I never got my turkey and came home empty handed but I did pass up a chance to shoot Mr. turkey out of the tree.
Now for the discussion, I hate how hunters and anglers seem to jump on each other on these forums and others. We are at times our own worst enemies. I've seen the bowhunters condemn the rifle hunters, the fly fishermen call everyone else bait chuckers and lord help the mathematicians who with practice are able to take an animal at a great distance. A month ago I couldn't believe the crap because someone dared take a 30-06 to Africa.
But that aside I do struggle with some stuff and I don't know how to reconcile it . I hate the idea of baiting, period. so I don't do it. I know that shooting turkeys in BC with rimfires is legal but I really really hate it. For one I'm not sure I feel real comfortable sitting camo'd up with " henny penny" out in front trying to lure a gobbler in if someone's gonna fling lead out of their 17 HMR my way from the road.
To me its all about the experience, walking a trail in the fall with the smell of high bush cranberries in the air shooting grouse is just about as fine as it gets. On the ground or on the wing FOR ME !
But shooting turkeys in the roost totally misses the whole point of hunting this species. I'm glad I passed and I'll do it again next time.
What should everyone else do, I'm not sure but I struggle...... with the baiting...... with the rimfires for turkeys..... with the shooting in the roost.........canned hunts...lots of stuff.
