Is there any worse feeling, for a turkey hunter, than missing one!?!?!
I've been hunting this particular bird for about a week now (actually was trying to let my brother in law kill him) and he hasnt been gobbling on or off the roost for the last 3-4 days...Always got hens with him and he lives in some pretty rough terrain. Long story short, I get to go solo (Prefer it that way when I got a bird that really NEEDS to be killed) this morning and sure enough , he gobbles for me a few times on the roost....just enough to let me know where he is. He's on the far side of a creek that's a little too big to cross and he's got hens. I end up making a huge loop around him and get in front of them. We got in some thick stuff and I could hear them walking in the leaves and getting closer so I get set up and I sit down and scratch the leaves a little and purr and one of his hens answers almost immidiately and comes right in and here he comes right behind her in full strut. We're in some thick stuff and he's not coming out of strutt but is about to follow the hen on off when he finally gets a little clearing for me to shoot (still in strutt but it's now or never) and i'm not sure if I jerked or was just kind of watching "the show" but when I pulled the trigger, all I see is the tree right beside him take nearly the full load of my 20gauge at 5 yards... :P :P :P
He flew off so I cant imagine him being hurt much if at all. At that range, it would have cleaned him up pretty good.
Cant STAND to miss one like that...
Done the same thing only different last year. Look at the bright side, you can hunt him again.
you work so hard to get them into range and when ya miss there isnt a worse feeling
First miss for me in 15 years,full show 150 gobbles, hit the ground and was in the clear cut with two hens.Strutted for 15 minutes at 40-45 steps,starting to work away, and i gave him a barrel, just to watch him fly away.!!!!! Yes it is a sick feeling,and will cost me sleep for the next few nights.
On a good note,my hunting buddy took a very nice bird a couple of miles away. 10.5 beard,1 3-8 spurs.!!!!
(http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww9/contagious930/Resampled_2013-04-06_10-37-12_198_zps5f1b20e4.jpg)
Spooking one is a worse feeling IMHO.
Shoot at enough and you will miss every now and then. Does give ya that sick feeling in the bottom of your gut
Quote from: Spring_Woods on April 08, 2013, 11:28:52 AM
Spooking one is a worse feeling IMHO.
Missing is worse for me because it means it was all over but the crying and I just couldnt close the deal....
Quote from: redleg06 on April 08, 2013, 11:32:22 AM
Quote from: Spring_Woods on April 08, 2013, 11:28:52 AM
Spooking one is a worse feeling IMHO.
Missing is worse for me because it means it was all over but the crying and I just couldnt close the deal....
:agreed: Its alot of heart brake due to the fact that it was so close to being a done deal (calling worked & setup was good) & its all due to a miss that lets him walk IMO. Keep hunting him & hopefully you will connect.....
If you've never missed, you haven't hunted enough. Been there, done that, got the miss on video!
Nothing makes me feel worse than missing. And it's true, shoot at enough birds and you'll miss sooner or later. If you're anything like me, you remember the misses as much as the hits.. They haunt and torture me. :character0029:
You have no choice but to try again, as turkey hunters don't quit! Hold'er in there next time!!
Watched Will Primos miss one on one of the "Truth" videos.
Bird was too close and the shot went right past his head.
I've missed 10 and all but one was less than 10 yards except 1. The 1 busted me and I rushed my shot. I remember everyone vividly. Going through old photos I see pics of birds I killed but can't remember where or when. The misses I remember well
I feel for you redleg. I've done that a few times myself. Stay after him, hopefully he'll give you another chance.
There is a worse feeling and it happened to me today. Bird and 15 yards and all the gun does is click.....forgot to load my dern gun!!!!
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2
Quote from: birdyhunter on April 08, 2013, 11:58:20 PM
There is a worse feeling and it happened to me today. Bird and 15 yards and all the gun does is click.....forgot to load my dern gun!!!!
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2
I done that a couple years ago. That does suck.
LOL, yep were all human ! happens every day, me it was last year 6 set ups bird gobbling hard finally heading my way eyes searching.........up pops his head from behind a bush 10yards :OGani: slight adjustment of gun, birds putts starts moving off and click ??? ohhhhh nooooo hes moving faster now ! panic sets in rack a new shell in fire ,pump again fire and watch him fly away !!!!!!. After this is over I sink to the ground catch my breath and laugh :TooFunny: the last two rounds my head wasn't even down and the first one when I loaded up in the morning I had not pushed the slide all the way forward !!!!!!!! LOL.
Missing just means you were really enjoying yourself.
Did the same thing three years ago...make it worse I was shooting a semi auto and it jammed...bird stood there a couple of seconds while I yanked on the trigger for second shot in vain. That really made my day...Franchi 912 is no longer mine.
Oh well, have a Dos Equis and Stay thirsty my friend
Sorry to hear about the miss, Redleg. That does stink... >:(
I, too, have experienced misses - and most recently, "the Benelli Click." Last year was tough hunting in my part of OH. One of the last days of the season, I had sat down and worked a bird first thing in the morning and realized I hadn't loaded my gun. Not sure why I forgot, I guess I was just in a hurry. Anyhow, I tried to load the autoloader quietly and slowly -big mistake. The bird finally came into range and "CLICK." No going back at the point...
Get back at em. :fud:
I want to see pics of him on here in a few days!
I missed one 2 years ago, sort of, problem was I might have gotten him if I had remembered to load my gun. I think that is even worse. Get one in range pull the trigger and it goes click. Missing happens but forgetting to load is even worse IMO
I have missed and only missed one. I have killed 33 birds as of today in the 7 years I have hunted solo. Killed some more as a kid hunting with my folks. This doesn't count probably 12-15 others that I have played cleanup on for young hunters or guests. So I have shot around 48 - 53 birds and I am 24. I missed only the first one I ever called in. I emptied my gun and didn't even really scare him badly. I killed him the next morning.
I am glad for that miss - it reminds me daily to keep my head down and squeeze the trigger. That miss has helped me more than any other shot I have ever taken. I stopped shooting at the head and started shooting the neck/waddles and hold my head down on the gun. I have also passed up on shots that I wasn't sure of because of watching the missed gobbler and the several others and myself have wounded and I finished off run/fly off. I hate seeing a gobbler roll and bounce back up - makes me sick to my stomach! I would much rather miss under 10 yards where I know it is a clean miss!
Quote from: Daman on April 09, 2013, 11:31:22 AM
I have missed and only missed one. I have killed 33 birds as of today in the 7 years I have hunted solo. Killed some more as a kid hunting with my folks. This doesn't count probably 12-15 others that I have played cleanup on for young hunters or guests. So I have shot around 48 - 53 birds and I am 24. I missed only the first one I ever called in. I emptied my gun and didn't even really scare him badly. I killed him the next morning.
I am glad for that miss - it reminds me daily to keep my head down and squeeze the trigger. That miss has helped me more than any other shot I have ever taken. I stopped shooting at the head and started shooting the neck/waddles and hold my head down on the gun. I have also passed up on shots that I wasn't sure of because of watching the missed gobbler and the several others and myself have wounded and I finished off run/fly off. I hate seeing a gobbler roll and bounce back up - makes me sick to my stomach! I would much rather miss under 10 yards where I know it is a clean miss!
Dang man, you're a stone cold killer
Unfortunately for me, I've missed them before and I'm sure this wont be the last one either... just part of it.
Quote from: redleg06 on April 09, 2013, 12:51:50 PM
Quote from: Daman on April 09, 2013, 11:31:22 AM
I have missed and only missed one. I have killed 33 birds as of today in the 7 years I have hunted solo. Killed some more as a kid hunting with my folks. This doesn't count probably 12-15 others that I have played cleanup on for young hunters or guests. So I have shot around 48 - 53 birds and I am 24. I missed only the first one I ever called in. I emptied my gun and didn't even really scare him badly. I killed him the next morning.
I am glad for that miss - it reminds me daily to keep my head down and squeeze the trigger. That miss has helped me more than any other shot I have ever taken. I stopped shooting at the head and started shooting the neck/waddles and hold my head down on the gun. I have also passed up on shots that I wasn't sure of because of watching the missed gobbler and the several others and myself have wounded and I finished off run/fly off. I hate seeing a gobbler roll and bounce back up - makes me sick to my stomach! I would much rather miss under 10 yards where I know it is a clean miss!
Dang man, you're a stone cold killer
Unfortunately for me, I've missed them before and I'm sure this wont be the last one either... just part of it.
Just fortunate enough to have had a great mentor and some good private land to hunt.
I will probably miss in the morning since I bragged today!
Yeah I hunted with an outfitter once and a guy in camp missed a turkey that morning. Another hunter kept asking "how do you miss a turkey?" "They are right there on top of you!!!" Further stating "I ain't NEVER missed a turkey!!!
Later that evening that same guy walked back into camp, with his head hung low......
He found out, HOW TO MISS A TURKEY!!!
Good Luck and May God Bless
Ray