Would you shoot if you didn't call him in?

[TrackeySauresRex]

Stalking is definitely not an option. Cutting em off in the direction you think they want to go is different. Flushing one, no. But.. If this constitutes shooting a non gobbling Tom.. I've worked tough birds in the past where they clammed up. Then I  decided to do what they did. Sit and wait patiently for a couple of hours to have a lip locked long beard to creep in. Boom time.

[hipp2412]

I would give him 2 rounds just for spite..lol

[topnotch]

Ashamed to admit it, but the younger me was guilty of taken/ambushing a tom if I could. At this point in life, it's not the dead bird at the end of the hunt but the thrill of getting him to come in.

[g8rvet]

I hunt how I like, when I like and where I like (always legal and my idea of ethical) and don't much care what anyone thinks about me. 

HOWEVER, that is not what the OP asked and it has spurred a good discussion and helps people think about their actions and what they consider ethical, which I believe is likely what was intended.  Most of the folks on here are just answering the question from their own perspective.  I have not taken offense by anyone saying what their ethics are, because that was the question.  I can't think of a single person that has said their ethics should be everyone's ethics.  Maybe I missed one. 

I see it like water whacking or ground swatting ducks, to me that is for kids and people that can't shoot good.  Why hunt them if there is no challenge?   The thrill and skill is to decoy and call them into the decoys, not pass shoot them like a noob.  But I don't judge others that  hunt that way, just not for me.

Seems silly to take offense because someone's ethics are different than yours if they are not judging your ethics, only explaining their own.

[runngun]

Hey Cuz, grab the wheel, they on MY SIDE!!!!


PUT THE ROPE AWAY, I's JUST FUNNING WITH YA!!!

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[1iagobblergetter]

I hunt how I like, when I like and where I like (always legal and my idea of ethical) and don't much care what anyone thinks about me. 

HOWEVER, that is not what the OP asked and it has spurred a good discussion and helps people think about their actions and what they consider ethical, which I believe is likely what was intended.  Most of the folks on here are just answering the question from their own perspective.  I have not taken offense by anyone saying what their ethics are, because that was the question.  I can't think of a single person that has said their ethics should be everyone's ethics.  Maybe I missed one. 

I see it like water whacking or ground swatting ducks, to me that is for kids and people that can't shoot good.  Why hunt them if there is no challenge?   The thrill and skill is to decoy and call them into the decoys, not pass shoot them like a noob.  But I don't judge others that  hunt that way, just not for me.

Seems silly to take offense because someone's ethics are different than yours if they are not judging your ethics, only explaining their own.

Thats all ive read also! I thought everyone in a round about way just said pretty much i like to hunt them this way,but hunt em however you feel like...I must of missed the elitist!!

[appalachianassassin]

For years I would have given you a firm no. But, during that period, I only hunted 2 states and had 0 issues calling my limit to the gun. Now I regularly hunt 6 states or more with limited time and want to poke in my limit and move on. So nowadays I will on occasion crawl a gobbler only after I have lost the battle. Judge me if you must. Just realize, everyone has different goals.

[PALongspur]

Yes I will. Calling "Isn't" Everything

[jhoward11]

Yep, no questions ask. Would I like to have called him in? Yes. But turkey hunting is not all about calling. Would you shoot a deer if you didn't grunt or rattle him in? There you have it!

[Wigsplitter]

Yes if I get an opportunity

[Shiloh]

I ambushed a lot of gobblers when I was younger and would shoot one that I didn't call up or stumbled up on.  I have done all of the above.  Anymore, especially at home, where I get to hunt a lot, I find myself wanting to make it as difficult as possible which means calling them to the gun at the very least.  They do not have to be gobbling

[Hook hanger]

Have roosted the birds the night before and got in early  where I thought they were going to fly down  at. Some of those mornings its just nice to relax and listen and watch the turkeys do their thing. On occasion I have killed some of those gobblers and never touched a call. Never felt like it took anything away from the hunt to me. Could I have called yep, would it have hurt anything  nope, would it have added anything to that hunt nope.

[Number17]

  But, additionally, in my home state it's not LEGAL to shoot a spring bird you did not call to your location.

I'm in Pennsylvania as well and this rule gets taken out of context, but our game laws are all written very poorly....I'll give you that.
It says "Hunting my calling only. No stalking." to emphasize that is is not legal to creep within shooting range of a bird and kill it.
You do not have to make a call to legally harvest a gobbler in Pa.

I've been accused of "stalking" before by other hunters who saw me belly crawling to get to a location. I crawled down a low spot and set up in a brush pile while birds were visible in a field. He was henned up and had zero interest in gobbling at anything. They were coming my way anyway so it would have been either neutral or a negative to make a call. Killed the strutter about 20 minutes later.
While they were busy for 2 hours yapping on their box calls with zero interest from the birds, I out maneuvered them and went home wit a set of 1.5" hooks. I did not cut them off either. This was on public and I was set up before their headlights even hit the parking lot that morning.
That hunt was completely legal in the State of Pa.

Another example of a poorly written game law in Pa is that blinds must hide 100% of your movement from an outside on looker 360 degrees and from above. So the minute you open a blind window it immediately becomes illegal according to the definition of a legal blind.

[joey46]

Last few posts are right on.  There are few things on these forums more enjoyable to me than watching "Elitist"  alibing that they aren't. The original poster that started this mess knew exactly what he was looking for.  He got it - in spades.  To add - States such as AL, MS, etc that are on the ban wagon plus screwing the non-res are shortsighted and foolish.  Reduce the limits, shorten the seasons and add quotas if necessary.  That will help maintain the turkey status quo.  AGAIN the private land hunters are laughing their butts off. 

[Yoder409]

  But, additionally, in my home state it's not LEGAL to shoot a spring bird you did not call to your location.

I'm in Pennsylvania as well and this rule gets taken out of context, but our game laws are all written very poorly....I'll give you that.
It says "Hunting my calling only. No stalking." to emphasize that is is not legal to creep within shooting range of a bird and kill it.
You do not have to make a call to legally harvest a gobbler in Pa.

Well........... One may interpret any law however he likes.   On occasion, I've been known to interpret a 65 mph speed limit sign as 70 mph.  It depends on the officer, I guess, whether or not my interpretation stands when I drive through his radar that day.  But, to the best of my knowledge...... "65 mph" means 65 mph.

So, this discussion has been somewhat informative.........to see what part of the turkey hunter pie graph I fall in, as opposed to others.  And it's been somewhat entertaining.   Just go back and read it.

But, just to be factual and to set the record STRAIGHT on Pennsylvania law (whether Pennsylvanians agree with it or interpret it another way).......here it is STRAIGHT from Pennsylvania Code as legislated by the PA General Assembly.  This is not the remedial version from the PA Hunting & Trapping digest they give you when you purchase your license, like I posted previously.

Anyways........ Not tying to be a smart alec.  Just being factual. 

Title 58 - Part III - Chapter 141.45.(b).(2).(iii)



Just sayin'