[trapperBR549]

Wow thanks so much for the replies guys! It's illegal to shoot a turkey in a tree before 7am. They were on the ground before 7 so I couldn't shoot one in the tree. Which I know you guys know all that I was just clearing it up to why I didn't shoot one in the tree.

I will give it a shot again tomorrow and Sunday!

Are you in Missouri? Legal shooting is 30 minutes before sunrise in Missouri. Sunrise at my house was 6:09 today so legal shooting was 5:39am. Doesn't matter if its in a tree, on the ground, or somewhere in between.
If you are in another state the rules might be different though.

 

[rat]

Its illegal to shoot a bird on the roost in KS and others, not in MO as long as there is legal light.

You wonder how many birds posted here that really gave a show, came storming in to calls, etc were actually shot off the roost.

 

[hazelvillebucks]

there are places where one can find the birds roosting the same place every night. they are great places to hunt , you can get sit up right where they like to go at fly down. but on my farm there is no such place . with my birds it is hard to figure out where they might be. if i sit up in a known roost area i usually find no bird close that morning. WITH THE NUMBERS CONTINUING TO SPIRAL DOWNWARD ONE OFTEN FINDS FIRST LIGHT WITH NONE TALKING WITHIN A HALF MILE AND THE PLACES WHERE THEY ARE VARYING FROM DAY TO DAY.
I THINK THAT EVERY DAY SOME TOMS WILL CRUSE THRU KNOWN NESTING AREAS LOOKING FOR RECEPTIVE HENS AT SOME POINT BUT THE WAY THINGS SEEM TO BE GOING THE TOMS MAY NOT EVEN ROOST WITHIN A HALF MILE FROM DAY TO DAY. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY THIS SEASON TO FIND TWO DAYS WHEN THE TOMS DID ROOST WHERE I HAD A CHANCE BUT NOT LUCKY ENOUGH SO FAR TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN WHEN THE GRAND KIDS WERE ALONG.

 

[MO sportsman]

Shooting a bird off the roost is just plain dumb.
And it would be your first gobbler?
That misses the whole point, to call em in strutting and gobbling, all fired up.
Only time you can shoot one off the roost is if you swim across a creek first!

 

[Judah]

Shooting a bird off the roost is just plain dumb.
And it would be your first gobbler?
That misses the whole point, to call em in strutting and gobbling, all fired up.
Only time you can shoot one off the roost is if you swim across a creek first!

Dumb to some
Not to all
If it's legal and you feel good about the outcome
Go for it

 

[Gamegetter]

He said he was hunting Illinois where it is illegal to shoot a roosted gobbler out of a tree until 7 am.

 

[vonfatman]

We've all done it. The trick is to send the message and then sit quiet. Hard to do. To be good at this, you need a watch. If a tom is within 50 yards I don't call. If he's looking for you, he's hung expecting to see a hen. That's where too much can mess up. Hang him.

You gain experience over the years. They still "make a fool out of me". But there is nothing like it.

 

[trapperBR549]

Shooting a bird off the roost is just plain dumb.
And it would be your first gobbler?
That misses the whole point, to call em in strutting and gobbling, all fired up.
Only time you can shoot one off the roost is if you swim across a creek first!

I shot my first turkey almost 40 years ago. I've never shot one off a roost but if somebody else wants to and it makes them happy then I am happy for them.
A sportsman calling another sportsman dumb for doing something legal that they enjoy is just plain dumb. Unless you swim a creek first, then you can call anybody you want to dumb. :wave:

 

[chuck88]

I roost shot a turkey once and don't feel bad about it all. it was way past shooting time, I hadn't heard a single bird gobble when I heard a branch break in the tree almost right above me. looked up and there was a stupid turkey with his head stretched out staring at me calling on a box call. I dropped my call and let that little jake have it. walked home with a smile on my face.
I've also shot geese on the ground, and ate largemouth and smallmouth bass.
as for the posters delima I never try to get within 100 yards of a roosted bird. try to get between them and where they want to go. call softly and watch for a satalite bird sneaking in.

 

[hazelvillebucks]

Dumb to some
Not to all
If it's legal and you feel good about the outcome
Go for it

I HATE TO BRING THE THE DREADED X BOW INTO THIS THING:boohoo:
If it is legal to shoot turkeys in the roost it will probably just be a matter of time brfore one finds a bolt stuck in someones head or the old farmers cow.
the turkey where i hunt seem to be DARWIN'S BIRDS . IF THEY EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO A CALL THEY USUALLY COME IN QUIET. THE ONES THAT DO what one would prefer usually die because of it and that gene losses. But as those things go the sneakers often die to leavin one with the choice to swim the bank full creek and belly crawl thru 3/4 of a mile of wet sticker infested bottom land to get to one who is strutten his stuff to a real hen who came to him. IF THAT METHOD IS LEGAL AND ETHICAL:boohoo:
for the record i did my part this year to assure that the sneakers gene becomes less . the gobbling struthin tom coming in on a string is a rare sight around where i hunt. but a good doze of humility does a person some good once in a while.

 

[MO sportsman]

:wave:

I shot my first turkey almost 40 years ago. I've never shot one off a roost but if somebody else wants to and it makes them happy then I am happy for them.
A sportsman calling another sportsman dumb for doing something legal that they enjoy is just plain dumb. Unless you swim a creek first, then you can call anybody you want to dumb.

Pot call kettle black much?
I never called any sportsman dumb, just feel that the tactic of shooting a roosted bird, especially when we're giving advice to a novice, is dumb.
So let me rephrase, trapper.
Any experienced sportsman who is advising a novice who is having trouble tagging his first gobbler, to just sneak in, and shoot it off the roost, because its legal, is dumb and giving bad advice.
Again, somethings aren't supposed to be easy.
My first turkey hunt ever, I called, 20 mins later my buddy shot.
Thought I had this turkey callin' business down.
Was 5 yrs later till I tagged one. So glad I had to work for it, and didn't just cheat.
Made the success THAT MUCH BETTER! :wave:

 

[ducksNbucks]

:wave:
Pot call kettle black much?
I never called any sportsman dumb, just feel that the tactic of shooting a roosted bird, especially when we're giving advice to a novice, is dumb.
So let me rephrase, trapper.
Any experienced sportsman who is advising a novice who is having trouble tagging his first gobbler, to just sneak in, and shoot it off the roost, because its legal, is dumb and giving bad advice.
Again, somethings aren't supposed to be easy.
My first turkey hunt ever, I called, 20 mins later my buddy shot.
Thought I had this turkey callin' business down.
Was 5 yrs later till I tagged one. So glad I had to work for it, and didn't just cheat.
Made the success THAT MUCH BETTER! :wave:

Trying to sneak up on a roosted turk that's already gobbling is next to impossible. Sneaking over a hill or down a waterway is mucho easier.

 

[Refuze2falo]

Most conservation officers don't start work till 8 am so I'd say y'all are splitting hairs waiting on 7am

 

[henry]

Most conservation officers don't start work till 8 am so I'd say y'all are splitting hairs waiting on 7am

I always figure that its 7am somewhere. :

 

[trapperBR549]

:wave:
Pot call kettle black much?
I never called any sportsman dumb, just feel that the tactic of shooting a roosted bird, especially when we're giving advice to a novice, is dumb.
So let me rephrase, trapper.
Any experienced sportsman who is advising a novice who is having trouble tagging his first gobbler, to just sneak in, and shoot it off the roost, because its legal, is dumb and giving bad advice.
Again, somethings aren't supposed to be easy.
My first turkey hunt ever, I called, 20 mins later my buddy shot.
Thought I had this turkey callin' business down.
Was 5 yrs later till I tagged one. So glad I had to work for it, and didn't just cheat.
Made the success THAT MUCH BETTER! :wave:

The dumb comment I made was tongue in cheek. I realize that doesn't always come through the screen though.
I didn't tell anybody to shoot a bird off the roost. I wasn't just clarifying the rules in Missouri.
As I mentioned I have never shot a bird off a roost. I just try to avoid all the holier than though stuff. It seems somebody can always one up you.
What if the OP is sitting by a tree and a gobbler walks up on him, is he supposed to pass on the bird because he didn't call it in?
I've heard people look down on others for using decoys, hunting out of a blind, using red dots or scopes, sneaking up on strutting birds that wouldn't respond to a call, etc.
Unless I call in the birds with only my mouth and shoot them with a bow I whittled from hedge apple I planted myself I don't plan on looking down on anybody else's method of choice.
They are turkeys and God put them here to be killed. :

 

[Hooks]

Most conservation officers don't start work till 8 am so I'd say y'all are splitting hairs waiting on 7am

True dat.

 

[henry]

Unless I call in the birds with only my mouth and shoot them with a bow I whittled from hedge apple I planted myself I don't plan on looking down on anybody else's method of choice.
They are turkeys and God put them here to be killed. :

Hedge apple ??? Talk about the easy button.

 

[rat]

Calling another sportsman dumb for saying roost shooting is dumb is dumb and people that do that might be dumb dumbs.

 

[jehrbo]

What'd you use to whiddle that hedge apple bow?
you'll be judged on that too

 

[trapperBR549]

What'd you use to whiddle that hedge apple bow?
you'll be judged on that too

Everybody knows you have to use a barlow. Unless you want to cheat. :rules: