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To shoot off roost??

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To shoot off roost??

Postby ChukarNUT » 02 02, 2014 •  [Post 1]

Have heard some that have and some that dont. I personally fell into this situation last year. Could have shot at least one tom off roost, snuck in at dark and got ALOT closer to roost than expected. when light came i was staring at 3 toms perched in a ponderosa directly across from me at 20 yards. i chose to wait and they jumped down and came right into my decoys. BUT i know a fellow that snuck in on a roost and at first light arrowed 2 toms from the roost---2nd tom didnt hear the shot and just watched his comrade fall! what would you do??
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby jrnorton4 » 02 06, 2014 •  [Post 2]

No. Its absolutely taboo around here, and possibly illegal. That said, it still happens every year on public land that I hunt.
A few years ago, I snuck in early and set up under where I knew 3 toms were roosting together. They gobbled their heads off at daylight, flew down, and I shot one of them without ever making a call. Most personally unsettling kill I have ever made on anything, and the birds are just now starting to roost there again after 2 years. To each his own, but its not worth it to me.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby pointysticks » 02 06, 2014 •  [Post 3]

one of the most amazing event ever to happen to me hunting was this.

i was hog hunting public land (army corp of eng land..not exactly public). i found a great bunch of trees over looking a big grassy field. i crawled in under the cloak of darkness. ninja style.
my buddy Justin was with me. i leaned against a tree..got my binos out, and waited for first light.

when the light started coming..i heard turkey all around us. they started coming out of the roost!! right around us. i was blown away we could creep in right under the trees.. these birds are not hunted at all..maybe they are clueless?. dont know. they felt huge when they landed. HUGE! not graceful at all.

it was something i would never forget. justin and i still talk about it. not so sure i could blast one out of a tree.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby twinkieman » 02 08, 2014 •  [Post 4]

Never, just killing a bird is not why I hunt them. I will what until they fly out, and then try to call them in, then shoot. I have had them fly out and land right in front of me, if its legal shooting light when they hit the ground, GAME ON :lol:
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby SD220 » 02 22, 2014 •  [Post 5]

twinkieman wrote:Never, just killing a bird is not why I hunt them. I will what until they fly out, and then try to call them in, then shoot. I have had them fly out and land right in front of me, if its legal shooting light when they hit the ground, GAME ON :lol:



Ditto -- Also its illegal here in South Dakota...
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby tvbrewster » 03 13, 2014 •  [Post 6]

The "sport" of hunting turkey is to "sit to" a gobbling Tom. Get yourself 100 yards from a roosted gobbling bird and sit with your back against a wide tree. Wait till just before fly down and make the most seductive hen call you can. Once you call up a gobbling strutting Tom and won't ever have to ask
"is it ok to shoot a Tom out of the roost".
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby Ivyravens » 06 02, 2014 •  [Post 7]

If you know a roost site and sit there in the evening waiting for the turkeys to come to roost some say you are roost shooting or ambushing the birds. I often hear "scout, scout, scout". So if you know the roost site and know where they like birds are going in the morning and set up somewhere inbetween, then why is that not an ambush?


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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby LongShot » 06 28, 2014 •  [Post 8]

ChukarNUT wrote:Have heard some that have and some that dont. I personally fell into this situation last year. Could have shot at least one tom off roost, snuck in at dark and got ALOT closer to roost than expected. when light came i was staring at 3 toms perched in a ponderosa directly across from me at 20 yards. i chose to wait and they jumped down and came right into my decoys. BUT i know a fellow that snuck in on a roost and at first light arrowed 2 toms from the roost---2nd tom didnt hear the shot and just watched his comrade fall! what would you do??



Illegal in NM to shoot a turkey in the roost, doesn't stop some people. I have never done that and never will. at's just more fun, not to mention more sporting, to call them into your setup. Can't say with confidence, but I heard the birds find a different roost spot.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby LongShot » 06 28, 2014 •  [Post 9]

Ivyravens wrote:If you know a roost site and sit there in the evening waiting for the turkeys to come to roost some say you are roost shooting or ambushing the birds. I often hear "scout, scout, scout". So if you know the roost site and know where they like birds are going in the morning and set up somewhere inbetween, then why is that not an ambush?


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Sounds perfectly fine to me. It's shooting them out of the roost tree that's illegal. Besides, "roosting" turkeys at dusk with a loud crow or owl call, shock gobbling, is an excellent way to determine where you next up the next morning. :)
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby LongShot » 06 28, 2014 •  [Post 10]

LongShot wrote:
Ivyravens wrote:If you know a roost site and sit there in the evening waiting for the turkeys to come to roost some say you are roost shooting or ambushing the birds. I often hear "scout, scout, scout". So if you know the roost site and know where they like birds are going in the morning and set up somewhere inbetween, then why is that not an ambush?


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Sounds perfectly fine to me. It's shooting them out of the roost tree that's illegal. Besides, "roosting" turkeys at dusk with a loud crow or owl call, shock gobbling, is an excellent way to determine where you next up the next morning. :)

One clarification - I find it very difficult to call toms in in the evening once they are choose to their roost, I think because they naturally want to keep the roost's location hidden. However, if I see a tom 50 yds or so from heading for a roost, I'll try for a shot.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby wawhitey » 07 18, 2014 •  [Post 11]

LongShot wrote:
LongShot wrote:
Ivyravens wrote:If you know a roost site and sit there in the evening waiting for the turkeys to come to roost some say you are roost shooting or ambushing the birds. I often hear "scout, scout, scout". So if you know the roost site and know where they like birds are going in the morning and set up somewhere inbetween, then why is that not an ambush?

You really can't get them to respond at dusk? Sounds strange to me. I can go out in the evening and call from the porch and they'll respond from their roosts all around probably ten times until they get sick of talking to me.


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Sounds perfectly fine to me. It's shooting them out of the roost tree that's illegal. Besides, "roosting" turkeys at dusk with a loud crow or owl call, shock gobbling, is an excellent way to determine where you next up the next morning. :)

One clarification - I find it very difficult to call toms in in the evening once they are choose to their roost, I think because they naturally want to keep the roost's location hidden. However, if I see a tom 50 yds or so from heading for a roost, I'll try for a shot.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby wawhitey » 07 18, 2014 •  [Post 12]

Wow I messed up that post. Kind of buzzed. My statement is near top should be at bottom
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby LongShot » 07 27, 2014 •  [Post 13]

and I meant to say "close to their roost". :oops:

If I setup on their route back to the roost, but not close, they will respond to calling. This could be because of low population where I hunt.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby Indian Summer » 09 01, 2014 •  [Post 14]

Not legal to shoot turkeys off the roost in Pa.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby bald9eagle » 12 27, 2014 •  [Post 15]

Illegal in Alabama? No. Unethical. Open for debate.

I'm not a roost shooter. Anyone can "kill" a bird that they can sneak under.

You can get just as passionate replies when you talk about stalking turkeys. I have a buddy that has used his decoy the crawl behind in clearcut. He has taken 5 birds this way over the last 4 seasons. I have shed my vest many times trying to slide in for a shot.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby pointysticks » 01 12, 2015 •  [Post 16]

all bets are off if i'm in some south american forest chasing those wacky looking Ocelated turkey. BOOM!!! :D

i can say this, because i cant see me ever hunting them in my lifetime.
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Re: To shoot off roost??

Postby BadgerStateBugler » 01 24, 2015 •  [Post 17]

I wouldn't shoot at a roosted bird that I snuck in on under darkness, but if I am able to sneak close enough during daylight hours, I guess that would say a lot about my stalking abilities. I have gotten close to a bird that flew up well before shooting hours ended on an overcast day, but he spotted me when I had 8 to 10 more steps to take.
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