Shooting a turkey off its roost is a controversial topic among hunters Some view it as unethical and unsporting, while others see no issue as long as it is done legally But what does the law actually say about shooting roosted turkeys? The answer varies from state to state.
An Overview of Roost Shooting Laws
In many states, it is illegal to shoot a turkey while it is still on the roost States like Maine, Florida, and Oklahoma have laws expressly forbidding this practice However, in other states, like Texas and New York, there are no regulations prohibiting roost shooting.
So whether it is legal to shoot a roosted turkey ultimately comes down to your specific state’s hunting regulations. Be sure to carefully review your state’s turkey hunting laws before going afield. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Why Some View Roost Shooting as Unethical
Those who argue against shooting turkeys on the roost point out that it violates principles of fair chase. Turkeys are most vulnerable while on the roost at night. A hunter can easily approach a roosted flock under cover of darkness and ambush the birds at first light.
Because the turkeys are stationary on their roosts, they have little chance to detect danger or escape. Unlike hunting turkeys on the ground, roost shooting gives the hunter an overwhelming advantage that reduces the challenge to near zero.
Many see parallels between roost shooting and other controversial practices like shooting deer over bait. Both tilt the odds dramatically in the hunter’s favor in a way some view as unfair and unsporting.
The Risks of Educating Turkeys
Another argument against roost shooting is that it can make turkeys harder to hunt in the future. Turkeys that experience frequent roost shooting often abandon their traditional roost sites and roost on the ground instead. This makes them much more difficult to locate and pattern for future hunters.
Heavy roost shooting pressure can essentially “educate” turkeys over time, making them more wary and less likely to use traditional roosting areas. This negatively impacts hunt quality for all hunters, not just those who roost shoot.
Roost Shooting Can Harm Reproduction
There are also concerns that excessive roost shooting could harm turkey reproduction. The spring turkey season overlaps with nesting season in many states. Hens will continue to roost with gobblers even after becoming bred. Shooting hens off the roost could impact nesting success.
While shooting hens is illegal during spring seasons, mistakes happen, especially in low light. Shooting a roosted gobbler also often flushes any accompanying hens, disturbing and stressing the breeding birds.
A Lack of Consensus Among Hunters
Clearly, there is no consensus among hunters on the ethics of shooting roosted turkeys. Strong, reasonable arguments exist on both sides of the debate.
Ultimately, it comes down to aligning with your personal ethics. Legal or not, some hunters will choose to avoid roost shooting as a matter of principle. Others believe that as long as it is legal in their state, roost shooting is an acceptable practice.
Know Your Local Laws Before Heading Out
The most important takeaway is to understand your state’s laws prior to the season. Ignorance of hunting regulations is never a defense. Familiarize yourself with rules on roost shooting, baiting, electronic calls, and other issues specific to turkey hunting.
Be particularly cautious if hunting across state lines where laws may differ. A tactic that is completely legal on one side of the border could result in a citation just a few miles away in the next state over.
When in doubt, take the most conservative approach. Choosing not to shoot a roosted bird is usually the safer ethical and legal choice, even if roost shooting is technically legal in your area. Why risk a fine or worse just to bag a gobbler? Understand the regulations and align your tactics accordingly. Your conscience and wallet will thank you.
A word or two on turkey call apps, baiting birds, and roost shooting
Game laws are intended to limit certain equipment and hunting tactics to ensure a certain degree of fair chase. Unfortunately, some hunting gear and strategies, while legal, stray over the line of sporting ethics. As the saying goes, Legal aint always right. Take the following examples, for instance.
In Maine, It’s Legal to Use an E-Caller
In Maine, the use of electronic calling devices for hunting wild turkeys is legal. Yep, you heard right. I was surprised, too, the first time I read this regulation listed under equipment in the lawbook. Fact is, I thought it was a misprint. Predator calling, sure, but turkeys?
The turkey calling tradition — one many of us respect — is founded on using hand-held box calls, or pot and striker combinations, often custom-built, well-crafted devices that are nice to look at and hold. Some are folk art, with painted gobblers and hunting scenes. Mouth diaphragms, difficult to run for some, add to the challenge.
If you can call well enough to master the vocalizations of wild turkeys, and a bird slips into range as a result, thats fair chase. Using an app on your phone to call in a turkey is not fair chase. Apart from this, it sends a bad message to youth or new hunters.
Upside is, no one I know does this. No one I know would.
How to Hunt a Turkey off the Roost
FAQ
Is it legal to shoot a turkey out of the tree?
But it is perfectly legal to shoot one out of a tree. Why? Because it’s not specifically stated as being illegal. As turkey hunters know, it’s not all that hard to approach a roosted bird under the veil of darkness.
What to do if you bump a turkey off the roost?
The first thing to remember after you spook a wild turkey is wait 20 or 30 minutes before you try to hunt that turkey again. Also, plan to call softly. After noticing the direction in which the turkey ran off or flew, very quietly walk in that direction, take a stand and start calling softly and infrequently.
Can you shoot a turkey out of the air?
You don’t shoot them out of the air because they only fly a few times a day. Can get a much better shot on the ground.
Where not to shoot a turkey?
Shots to avoid, for instance, are, if a bird comes in excited, then you know that his head will either be moving all around or he’ll be strutting. If you aim for its head, then your main shot pattern might miss its head and neck if he’s busy bobbing around.
Is it legal to shoot a Turkey out of a tree?
But it is perfectly legal to shoot one out of a tree. Why? Because it’s not specifically stated as being illegal. As turkey hunters know, it’s not all that hard to approach a roosted bird under the veil of darkness. Shooting a turkey out of a tree is not fair chase. We should be careful.
Is it illegal to shoot a Turkey in a tree in Maine?
Uh, no. Wild turkey prohibitions should include the words it is illegal to shoot a turkey in a tree. Maine makes it illegal. Many states prohibit it. A good number of states don’t. Possibly errors of omission? In New York state, unlike Maine, you can’t use an electronic calling or amplifying device to locate or hunt turkeys.
Is it legal to bait a Turkey?
Yeah, in some ways, baiting turkeys is a geographical deal, even an accepted philosophy of game management. Down South, baiting is more common on private properties; again, even legal. Up North, in places like Vermont, baiting turkeys is illegal.
Can You Kill a wild turkey in Texas?
In others however, like neighboring Texas, wild turkeys are baited to private ranch feeders without apology. You can sit right there and kill one if you want. Fact is, it’s encouraged though it’s sure not fair chase. Yeah, in some ways, baiting turkeys is a geographical deal, even an accepted philosophy of game management.
Is baiting a Turkey illegal in Vermont?
Up North, in places like Vermont, baiting turkeys is illegal. The Green Mountain State regulation reads: No person shall use electronic calling devices, bait, live decoys, or participate in cooperative drives for turkeys. Is it fair chase setting up the legal distance from a feeder? Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn’t.
Can a Turkey be hunted within 100 yards of a bait?
Turkeys may not be hunted or taken within 100 yards of any bait. Baiting is the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain or other feed so as to constitute for such birds a lure, attraction or enticement, on or over any area where hunters are attempting to take them.