Spin-off to the AR hunter in Catman's video ... BUT, I am curious as I've never done it (although I'll fully admit that I've thought about it a BUNCH) -- what specific situations would warrant a limb launch?

For the longest time (and I'm only talking a few years ago here that I found out), I actually thought it was totally illegal to shoot a gobbler out of a tree here in AL... Found out that it's not...

I had a public land gobbler I was hunting with a buddy that was coming to my calling, and then when he got w/in about 75 yards or so, would fly up in a pine tree to look down on us... Had I known THEN what I know now, I do believe I would've limb launched his *ss... I told a long-time turkey hunter this, and his rule was to let their feet touch the ground off the roost in the AM; after that, if they fly back up during the day, they're fair game...

BGD

Yep I done it once on a border roosted the evening before. When he started gobbling, on of the local dicks comes beebopping down the trail locked and loaded looking for the bird. It was either run him off or one of usbwas gonna kill him. I blew him down. Don't feel bad about it either

I don't see a reason to. Now I am new to turkey hunting so I have more questions than answers, but the fun for me is chasing the bird and trying to get him to do something I want him to do so I can win the game.
Maybe after I've been hunting them a few years they will make me hate them enough to do it.

To me, turkey hunting is a chance to "play the game". Shooting them off a roost and sitting on a greenfield waiting on a silent bird are about the same. Neither one is the game I'm looking to play.

I've limb launched one. Turkey was on the ground for the first shot...... He flew up in the tree above him. Second shot folded him off the limb. A very hollow diaphragm thud when he hit the ground. I'm from Arkansas so of course I've done it

Something like what Rockhound sound is completely understandable.
Or if a gobbler flew the trees to you early morning.

I don't consider that the same. Once a bird has been hit, you chase him down and finish him off by any means, whether he's in a tree or not.

Turkey that you have called to that gobbles from roost tree and then flies to a tree within shotgun range is a justified use of deadly force in my book

But ask Preacher. He is the true authority on limb launching.

Yep. I agree

I've done and like it. That's a game. Roosting him, going in WAY before daylight, watch him blow up an gobble on the limb then roll him down. Calling them up is fun too but off the limb is a harder to accomplish.

Top cat has a point there

I won't shoot one off the limb on roost. But I have finished off one that I wounded on the first and second shot. Bird came in and ducked his head at last minute he started flying straight away after the first shot, second one hit the body and he made a last ditch effort and pitches onto a limb. I snuck around two big tree's and folded him about 50yds away 20ft up. That's the only way I would kill one but don't think bad of anyone that launches one off of roost especially these southern birds that's not easy to do.

I hunt mountains where birds don't roost within 200yds of the night before and no way to pattern them. In my 22 yrs chasing gobblers I've had one chance to do it and I didn't react fast enough to take the shot... but u better believe I'll do it if I ever get the chance. A 2nd time?..., who knows but I want to do it at least once.

Never shot a gobbler off the limb, but back in my fall hunting days we walked right up in the middle of probably 100 hens and poults in the pitch black dark by accident. We are sitting there shooting the bull trying to catch our breath and hear stuff falling around is in the dry leaves and look up to see black dots everywhere. We checked lethal shooting times and were almost in it then. They started pitching out 15 minutes later away from us so we commenced to filling our tags. Ain't much different than shooting squirrels except they make more racket falling out and hitting the ground.

If ive been after one for long enough and i get the opportunity he gone. He will have to have really pissed me off though.

You serious Clark?

My thoughts too. The only thing harder about it is waking up a little earlier.

I hunted one this year that had me mad enough to shoot him off the limb with a .300 mag. But I wound up killing him so it's all good

I've shot two off the limb in my 50 years of turkey hunting. Both were wounded on the ground and flew to a tree, one of them was 100 yards from initial shooting and the other was 400 yards across a bean field. Both were found by listening for blood drops.

I have not, and would not, shoot an uninjured bird from a limb. Low class and uncalled for in my personal opinion. Much like ground shooting into a covey of quail.

Years ago in Chambers Co we had an old feller from a neighboring club come over and shoot the bull with us every now and again. He came over one day and was telling us about this hardheaded gobbler that had been whipping him good all season. Said he would get above him on a big hill and could watch him in the tree until he flew down. Totally joking, I looked up and said "I tell you what I'd do Charles. I'd shoot him out of that tree with a rifle".

The next morning me and my buddy are sitting at the gate waiting on the first gobble of the morning. Then the sound of a 300 Win Mag broke the silence.