Do You Call to Roadside Toms?

[NEhomer]

I admit, sometimes I can't help myself. Part of my ride home from work is very rural and it's not uncommon to see a tom out in a field. Esp early season like the other day when I stopped and killed the engine. Used my box call to yelp at a loner and sure enough, he lit up double gobbling at every scratch I made.

It's aways in the back of my mind that I'm perhaps educating someone's tom that they've been scouting. My apologies to whomever may need to work a little harder.

So, am I breaking etiquette? Does anyone else do the same?

....my best advice to the locals, don't use a Lhoman 870 box!

[GobbleNut]

In general, calling to birds that I personally plan to hunt...whether they are "roadside" birds, or otherwise?  No way am I calling to them before I am going to hunt them.  Learned long ago that there is nothing positive that can come of that. 

Those specific roadside birds that you are probably talking about?  Around here, most of those are on private holdings and whether I would call to them depends a lot on what my opinion is about the particular private property owner on whose property they reside.  We have some real "winners" around here...and I personally don't care if I scare the bejesus out of every turkey I see on their place...and for good reason.     

[deathfoot]

I admit, sometimes I can't help myself. Part of my ride home from work is very rural and it's not uncommon to see a tom out in a field. Esp early season like the other day when I stopped and killed the engine. Used my box call to yelp at a loner and sure enough, he lit up double gobbling at every scratch I made.

It's aways in the back of my mind that I'm perhaps educating someone's tom that they've been scouting. My apologies to whomever may need to work a little harder.

So, am I breaking etiquette? Does anyone else do the same?

....my best advice to the locals, don't use a Lhoman 870 box!

I usually just blow the horn or say Hey. That works just as well on those roadside birds when I just want to hear a gobble

[Cowboy]

I like honking at them, but never call at them just for fun. Honking may solicit a gobble or if it don't,  it may spook them off the road. That way, someone may not be tempted to shoot him from the vehicle. I had a degenerate do that to a gobbler I was hunting in MO back in the 90s. I was down in the woods. Gobbler was swinging in high between me and the county roadside. Some clown in a jeep shot him out the window. 

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

[Clif Owen]

Ironic that you should say that Cowboy. I just saw an article  about our wildlife guys writing citations for different violations. One of the names listed was a guy I know well. He had told me once that the previous season; he and another guy had shot 10 turkeys (the limit is 2) and weren't tagging them...Guess what he got caught doing?? Shooting from a road, shooting from a vehicle and not tagging the bird. Maybe the judge will curb his activity for awhile. It will have to help our population.

[Zobo]

I don't like the idea because you could be drawing birds, some you don't even see, into a roadway. Hens are nesting, and shouldn't be bothered in the afternoon, that is the way where we live NEhomer, as you know, no afternoon hunting. But even in the morning you could bring hens into roads where no good can can come of it.

[Dougas]

No. I never do.

[3bailey3]

no!

[Gooserbat]

You're the reason it's illegal in TN to have a call in the woods before season.  Stop it!

[Lcmacd 58]

You're the reason it's illegal in TN to have a call in the woods before season.  Stop it!

Illinois also

[TrackeySauresRex]

Uhhhhh NOooo. I wish it was illegal here.

[Tom007]

No way!

[Hook hanger]

Quit educating my birds! Almost the same as the guys that stop thier trucks and try and shoot at them when they drive by too. Some people have no courtesy for other people's hunting spots any more.

[Greg Massey]

NO WAY AT ALL...

[Marc]

I have...  Rural neighborhoods which preclude hunting on or near.

Even though they are neighborhood birds, still interesting to see how they react to calling, especially at different times during the season.