Turkey Hunting & Shooting Errors
Apr 28, 2019 20:33:20 GMT -5
Woody Williams, greghopper, and 2 more like this
Post by cedarthicket on Apr 28, 2019 20:33:20 GMT -5
Well, I wound up bagging a turkey Thursday morning (April 25). The experience confirmed some lessons learned from errors made in prior years of turkey hunting. My hunting buddy was correct about turkeys visiting my corn field just north of a neighbor’s bush-hogged “weed” patch. The turkeys came out to my field to eat some breakfast, at least in the area just east and northeast of my blind. The early group of 10 or 11 birds seemed to only be females. Not a one had a beard that I could make out and none gobbled or strutted. The closest they came was about 100 yards from my blind and I had forgotten my binoculars and range finder. Then, about 10:30 AM two toms came up north from the neighbor’s farm. They crossed onto my place about 40 to 45 yards due east of my blind (at my distance limit with my 20 gauge loaded with Winchester Long Beard shells with 1-1/4 ounce of copper-plated #6 shot). Both were toms with easily seen beards. I made a kind of grunt noise to get them to stop walking and raise their heads for a clean shot. It was not a perfect hold, but I figured it was a killing shot.
However, as soon as I shot, BOTH toms took off flying to the southeast toward a dead ash tree near the property line. One of the toms flew past the tree and the other flew INTO the tree and fell to the ground along with some fluffy feathers (presumably from the neck area where I aimed). Now the bad news. I could not find the bird at the base of the ash tree! My hunting buddy texted me asking if I bagged the bird. I replied “YES and NO.” I continued looking for the bird for at least 5 minutes with no luck in the tall weeds and brush and a low-hanging hedge tree jungle. Then, out of nowhere, from less than 10 yards from the ash tree my turkey is walking around in a daze. He first goes to my right and I was looking for a relatively clean shot through the hedge limbs. Then he reverses direction and walks to my left. This time I quickly put the bead on his neck and from about 10 yards I finished him off. I did not decapitate him, but this time there were lots more pellets that served to deliver a quick-killing shot. The turkey’s beard was estimated at 8 to 9 inches long and his spurs were about one inch long. I guessed the turkey’s weight was around 20 pounds.
Several years ago I had a large tom come within 40 yards straight toward me. I used a 12 gauge 3-inch magnum with #6 shot. At the shot he fell and flopped as usual with a head and neck shot. After a few seconds of flopping he quickly stood up and flew away! The last I saw him he was nearly 200 yards away, flying above the tree tops of the adjacent woods on a neighboring property.
In another instance years ago I hunted with a side by side 12 gauge. In mature woods I stalked a gobbling tom to within about 25 yards and shot him with the modified choke barrel. He flopped as usual for a while. Then he raised his neck and head. Taking no chances I quickly put him down for keeps with a head/neck shot from the full choke barrel.
However, as soon as I shot, BOTH toms took off flying to the southeast toward a dead ash tree near the property line. One of the toms flew past the tree and the other flew INTO the tree and fell to the ground along with some fluffy feathers (presumably from the neck area where I aimed). Now the bad news. I could not find the bird at the base of the ash tree! My hunting buddy texted me asking if I bagged the bird. I replied “YES and NO.” I continued looking for the bird for at least 5 minutes with no luck in the tall weeds and brush and a low-hanging hedge tree jungle. Then, out of nowhere, from less than 10 yards from the ash tree my turkey is walking around in a daze. He first goes to my right and I was looking for a relatively clean shot through the hedge limbs. Then he reverses direction and walks to my left. This time I quickly put the bead on his neck and from about 10 yards I finished him off. I did not decapitate him, but this time there were lots more pellets that served to deliver a quick-killing shot. The turkey’s beard was estimated at 8 to 9 inches long and his spurs were about one inch long. I guessed the turkey’s weight was around 20 pounds.
Several years ago I had a large tom come within 40 yards straight toward me. I used a 12 gauge 3-inch magnum with #6 shot. At the shot he fell and flopped as usual with a head and neck shot. After a few seconds of flopping he quickly stood up and flew away! The last I saw him he was nearly 200 yards away, flying above the tree tops of the adjacent woods on a neighboring property.
In another instance years ago I hunted with a side by side 12 gauge. In mature woods I stalked a gobbling tom to within about 25 yards and shot him with the modified choke barrel. He flopped as usual for a while. Then he raised his neck and head. Taking no chances I quickly put him down for keeps with a head/neck shot from the full choke barrel.
