lurchman

To make a long story short I went out three days ago and called in two gobblers and a jake. They came in srtutting and putting on quite a show when they got about twenty yards away I had the bird I wanted picked out. The two gobblers looked alot alike they both had real nice beards and looked close in size the only thing different was on of them had been all pecked up on his left side so I decided to take the other one. About the time I am ready to shoot the gobblers took after the jake and he runs right up in my face and I mean right up just a couple feet from the barrel or my gun. He looks me in the eye for a second and starts putting and getting all nervous and turns and runs off the gobblers start to get nervous as well I put the bead on the bird I wanted and pull the trigger. He flaps his wings a couple times and flies off out of sight I sit there in disbelief at how I screwed this up then I get up and check for feathers or blood nothing. I assumed I had made a clean miss. Fast forward to the next morning I set up and eventually work the pecked up bird and the jake back in and this time I shoot straight. He is a nice bird ten inch beard 25mm spurs and twenty five pounds. I just have this sick feeling that the bird I missed the day before should have been with the other two and since he wasn't I wounded him and he is laying dead some place. Would a mortally wounded bird be able to fly this easily and that far(at least 150 yards)? This is eating at me for several reasons one I hate the thought of wounding anything it just seems like such a waste and two I think If he is dead we very well may be fresh out of gobblers in this section and my area is not blessed with a large number of birds (northeast IN.) What do you all think?

BuckAlley

At close ranges your pattern is very close, and I've heard of more guys missing at close range for that reason. If you found absolutely no blood or feathers. Plus why he flew off, I'd guess he's fine. But now 1 skiddish bird. If you had a couple of buddies you went into a bar room with, and you got your butt nearly whipped. Would you go back there with your buddies the next day! He's just all the wiser now.

huntnma

that is where i screwed up last year, took a shot that was too close, the bird flew up and landed by by decoys, about 10 yards, a clean miss, i thought no way, but it's true that pattern is really tight at that range, so i try to at least have them 15-20 yards out when i shoot.....

Carpmaster

Very good chance you missed him and he went on vacation.....permanently!!!! To a different zip code. Congrats on the bird you did bag!!!!

Doemasters

We have a video called "Crash Landing" I called up a bird to about 30 yards for my father-in-law. He shot, the bird flew, & we assumed he missed. It was standing in the wide open & we found no trace of a hit. Here's the kicker, we were set up on a pipe line & could see forever in two directions. After I blasted him for missing (twice as bad on film) he started to glass the direction the bird flew with his Nikons. Sure enough, there was a brown pile in the side of the hill about 400 yards down the line. It was his bird. I'm not trying to bring you down, just offer you some past experience. In the future, if (& I hope it never happens to anyone ever again) your turkey gets up follow him. Just like when you loose blood on a deer, go further than you think he could have made it & do circles. You just might find him. Anyway congrats on a fine bird & don't let this bring your experience down. You are now a better hunter than you were a week ago. When you can honestly say you've stopped improving, that's the time to stop hunting.