We definitely learn from our mistakes!
A few years ago, I got a shot at a big tom that was following some hens...at the shot, they all ran for a stone wall and disappeared into the thicket on the other side. I THOUGHT I had a good shot (he was in easy killing range of my double barrel 10 ga.)...I went over to the stone wall and started searching...nothing! I headed back, very dejected, when I crossed the wall..to my amazement, the gobbler I shot at was running IN CIRCLES in the meadow that I took my shot. He must have crossed back or I was so caught with the fleeing hens, I didn' t notice that he never left the meadow or something like that. I figured that my shot must have went high and a BB or 2 must have blinded him in one eye. I tried calling to see if he seek security with appeared to be other turkeys...he just kept running in circles. So, I started walking towards him to finish him off. He made a mad dash straight for a thicket and disappeared. I reached the thicket and started a very careful search. Eventually I spotted him squatting in some brush-in range. There was still enough brush to screw me up because when I shot...he started running towards the road. I guessed that he crossed the road. I knew the land was posted so, I went straight to the farmer. explained what had happened. He said that I could search until 9:00 AM (when he let his cows out to pasture). I thanked him mightily and started my search....NOTHING! I left at 9:00 AM. I went to a diner and had a little breakfast. I did a LOT of thinking. I returned to the area wher eI suspected the gobbler was..went down the road to a piece of land bordering. the farmer' s fields. I searched very hard on his land and figured that the tom was on the bordering land (not posted). I wasn' t into my search 20 minutes when I heard a commotion...I turned to see the tom up and running (apparently couldn' t fly). I snapped off a quick shot and saw feathers fly. I was really in high gear...pulled off another shot...and missed. I now had ONE shot left!!! I went in the direction of the tom and saw him weakly trying to cross a stone wall. I was close enough for a clean kill. THIS time I took my time and took careful aim and let him have it. He went down for keeps this time. He had a nice 9" beard and just a little wisp about 4" long for another beard. I don' t know how much he weighed probably 18-20 lbs.
The point of my story is DON' T give up on searching for ANY game that you have wounded.
Your bird is out there (probably dead by now-I don' t see how any animal could lose a limb without bleeding to death) KEEP LOOKING! I' ve let birds " hang" for a day (cool weather) before I put them in the freezer...and I' m still here after eating him
GOOD LUCK!
shot his wing off
] out of 3ft weeds.. My first 2 shots were just pointing and shooting out of excitment but the third shot i calmed down and put it right on him. Boom!! His wing flew off and down he came. Thats right i blew his wing clean off. Well at this point i am out of shells but not in too big of a hurry to reload because my turkey is laying in the high weeds 20yds from me. About that time there he goes out of the weeds and down into the hollow along the field. This is still all taking place within 25 yds!!It was like slow motion he came out and ran straight away from me. I didn' t know if i should chace him or reload and i was all befussled. Well he ran down over the hollow and out of sight but i figured he was hit hard enough that i would surely find him.WRONG!!! I looked for 1 hr this morning and another hour tonight and no turkey. I feel horrible because this was a real Limb Hanger. Does anyone know what the chances of him surviving are? I mean there were feathers everywhere around him and his WING but the 3.5in #5' s sure didn' t hold em.
I just can' t help it ! 
