Have you ever?

[thunderchicken09]

Have any of you all ever seen a turkey fly up in a tree and look for you. The last day of the season we went to this new farm I hunt and sat on this steep hill. I start callen and a hen answers me. I start mocking her and she starts coming in. I gobble with my mouth call then she almost came in runnin. She gets about 15 or 20 yards and i stop callin. She starts getting mad and walks around cuttin really loud and clucking. I call real soft and then she flies up in this tree right in-front of us and walks around on the limb looking for me. We had 2 gobblers coming too but i think when she left she went over there to them. I should have scared her off and let them come on in but o well.

[gobblergetter]

[I was calling a turkey in only to have him fly up the last 60 yards in a tree right above me. this was 9:30 in the morning. I wasn't real sure what to do. The bird technically wasn't on the roost cause it was mid morning. I DID call him in. After about 15 minutes of contemplating whether I should shoot him or not and trying to get him to fly down, I decided to shoot him. I'm not sure if it was the right call or not but its over and hindsight is 20/20.] quote

There is a thread called funny turkey behavior. I think it's page 6 or 7 on the turkey hunting forum. We talked about this happening to people. I personally had it happen to me in SW ky.

[thunderchicken09]

This was in lewis county. It was about 12pm and there were deer out feeding in the field right before all this happened. Also we saw two beagles running thru the woods. It was a crazy day.

[gobblergetter]

Turkey's do weird things. I've bumped turkey's (mostly males) off the roost all day long. I notice when they have a lot of pressure they'll either stay on the roost or fly up during the day to avoid danger. Also, I've seen hens that have already been bred stay on the roost longer (don't ask why) then fly straight down to their nest. Seems to me they'd want to be the first down to the nest. :confused:

[bowhunter269]

My dad had a similar story to gobblegetter this year. He called and worked 2 gobblers all morning and they came to within about 75 yards in a field. He didn't have his decoys out, and after they hung up they flew up in a tree on the edge of the field. It was about 11 am.
He wondered what to do as well, but finally got up and left. The birds stayed in the tree. I couldn't explain it, but it sounds like it's not as ridiculous as it sounded :D

[BurleyDog]

The first year I ever turkey hunted in the fall I had a HUGE tom flush from my dog and then land in the tree directly above me. It was obviously scanning for me but I was right beneath it. The thing was a 25+ lbs and had a big paint brush beard.

Didn't shoot it. Seemed unethical.

[gobblergetter]

I thought about it before I shot. If you read the other posts you can see what others said but turk2di made a good point. He said "once they leave for work (in the morning) they're fair game" In some cases the hunter does call that bird in. the bird just decides to fly up looking for the hen instead of walk in. IMO in makes it harder for the hunter when that happens. Imagine how much better your view of deer is when you are in a tree. Unethical or not, I can't take it back now.

[longtimegone]

Once they are moving I think they are fair game. You didnt walk up on them sleeping on the roost...thats a big difference. Theres plenty of game you can shoot on the ground or in a tree...I wouldnt shoot something bedded down or in the nest and you probably wouldnt either. It was perfectly ethical in my opinion.

[EKY.MTN.HUNTER]

longtimegone, just curious. Would you not shoot a buck bedded?

[DearDoctor]

The Kentucky hunting guide states that

"A person hunting wild turkey SHALL Not: Take a roosting turkey. (A roost is the place a turkey spends the night.)"

So doesn't sound like anyone is unethical on the thread.

[notimlmit]

I agree with the last statement - once a bird leaves his roost tree he is on the hunt - if for whatever reason he decides to fly back up in a tree he is fair game