Haven't been turkey hunting too many years but damned if that miss from this morning is eatin me up!
It will for a while too
If you are anything like me, you will lose sleep over it and never ever forget it.
there is always next time, well you got that one out of the way.
Now you didn't jinx yourself and say you never miss, did ya ::)
Pattern to tight or just plain old fashioned flub up?
Missed one about 10 years ago in New Mexico after working him for over an hour. Just the night before I was telling my buddies how I wondered if I'd ever miss. Pretty sure that load was a blank. Ha. Still haunts me...
Hit a sapling and i was towards the edge of my guns range. He worked so good too! Happened so quickly I probably pulled my head off the stock :TrainWreck1: I guarantee I will lose sleep over this!
Missing sucks there's no way around it..My misses still haunt me all the time.Its exactly what was going through my head when my first Alabama bird walked right into gun range opening weekend this spring.I savored the moment as he stood there in full strut with 8 hens.I dont feel bad lettin' em' have it...kinda makes all the misses a little less painfull.
If your going to be a turkey hunter...your going to miss sooner or later. Its just like getting up at 4 clock in the morning to go hunting you cant kill them in bed. You will never forget it...the miss...lol
Quote from: Greg Massey on April 19, 2015, 07:39:55 PM
If your going to be a turkey hunter...your going to miss sooner or later. Its just like getting up at 4 clock in the morning to go hunting you cant kill them in bed. You will never forget it...the miss...lol
I have no doubt about that! I know a miss was inevitable but I was hoping today wasn't the day. Makes me want to go after him even more!
Been there done that...sorry for your luck. Nobody's perfect and anyone who hasnt missed hasnt been hunting very long. Get back after em! Good luck.
Don't feel bad. I miss all the time.
Quote from: Greg Massey on April 19, 2015, 07:39:55 PM
If your going to be a turkey hunter...your going to miss sooner or later. Its just like getting up at 4 clock in the morning to go hunting you cant kill them in bed. You will never forget it...the miss...lol
Well said.
Your not alone. I missed on Saturday. 2.5 hrs from first gobble to shot opportunity and I just rushed it. I shot right over his head and watched the ground explode! I was a slightly down hill shot at 45 yards. High country mountain bird in Montana. :angry9:
Misses happen to the best of turkey hunters. Part of the sport. Anybody who has not missed at least one has not hunted them long enough. I missed my first last season and will never forget it but learned a valuable lesson and will try my level best not to let it happen again. Get back out there and carry on.
I'm not sure you ever quit missing. If you hunt them you will miss them and that's a fact !!!
The worst is a last day of the season miss where you have no redemption and have to think about it an entire year.
Quote from: TauntoHawk on April 20, 2015, 12:07:06 PM
The worst is a last day of the season miss where you have no redemption and have to think about it an entire year.
Thank god that isn't the case! This was our opening weekend in arkansas
I missed one a couple wks ago with my 20ga flintlock. The really bad part of that is having to go home and clean it.
I've missed more than I wish to admit. It just plain happens... Get him next time!
It will eat you up until you redeem yourself. I hope that isn't too long. Good luck.
Thanks for the support everybody! I gave the big boy a day break and I will be there after work waiting on him
Quote from: Full strut on April 19, 2015, 04:46:13 PM
Haven't been turkey hunting too many years but damned if that miss from this morning is eatin me up!
I joined this club this morning.
More correctly, I renewed my membership! :P
I miss more than I care to think about. Hunt long enough, it will happen.
We could go with the bright side and say that if you missed, it meant that you got to work a bird and hone your calling skills and got him close enough to pull the trigger! buuutt, doesnt make it any better, at least for a few days...
I have missed 4 times since I started chasing turkeys, and I remember each one of them like it was yesterday
It absolutely has happened to everyone OR will. I had two in one season. It is something that you never get over.
In a little over 20 years of chasing them I've missed 3. Two of them were a error on my part and I know what I did wrong. However one really baffles me. It was about a 30 yd. shot. There was no rush or big hurry. I had him strutting and was using a gun I had used many times and knew exactly what it would do with my combo. I was down on the gun, took my time and when he gave me the shot I wanted I squeezed the trigger. He didn't flinch or anything, just stood erect for a split second then took off! Still baffles me to this day. :OGturkeyhead:
If your a turkey hunter, you will see those birds for years. More so than the ones that went down.
I made a huge mistake years ago. Winchester started making a nice 1300 pump turkey gun and I bought one in flat black. It Patterned well and I had taken several birds with it.
A few years later they had a NWTF gun, blk with laminated stock, I had to have one and picked it up a few days before season.
Same gun, same choke I used in my first 1300, same shell. Same barrel length. You guessed it, Didn't bother to pattern it.
Called in a bird to 30 yards wide open, standing still head straight up.
When I shot a sapling a foot to the right fell over, yes a foot away at 30 yards. Baffled I headed off to the range. I found out the barrel ring was welded on crooked. Vent rib on the barrel was off from the receiver.
Never go to the woods with out a proven gun. I see him every time someone mentions a miss. It wasn't my only miss though out the years, but sure is the most memorable one. Live and learn.
Missing is God's way of keeping us humble. I always use this strategy as a gobbler approaches, Aim,Aim,Aim,Aim,Aim it works most days. Last year I got a nice rope on opening day, the next day I had another in my sights but, I really didn't want to kill another so soon, so I missed. Got into my own head. I never got to kill another bird that year. Lesson learned, when the gods send you a gift , take it.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for their kind words. Also wanted to let yall know that I ended up getting the same bird I missed, gave him a 2 day break and he turned up around supper time
Way to stay after him. Congrats.....
One time I shot at a tom coming up a hill to me and it flew away; it had been inside of 40 yards, and I was using my gun I always use, with the same load I always use. My hunting buddy and I commiserated for several minutes, when I noticed two turkey hunters coming our way, with a turkey. We went up to them, and we were told that they brought me my turkey. They were hunting on the next property, heard me shoot, and saw the tom flying across the field, when it suddenly folded up and fell, dead. The taxidermist who had the check station we took the bird to, to check, told me he had seen this before, when shot penetrates a lung, and it takes awhile for the bird to die. (Yes, I was aiming at the head and neck) Next time I miss, I'm going to follow that bird's exit path, just to be sure.
Congratulations! That's the way to stick with it.
Good job!
There you go!!
Quote from: Full strut on April 22, 2015, 11:14:28 PM
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for their kind words. Also wanted to let yall know that I ended up getting the same bird I missed, gave him a 2 day break and he turned up around supper time
Awesome!!! :you_rock: Way to stick with it!! :fud: :OGani:
Congrats!!! :icon_thumright:
Quote from: daveco on April 22, 2015, 11:32:38 PM
One time I shot at a tom coming up a hill to me and it flew away; it had been inside of 40 yards, and I was using my gun I always use, with the same load I always use. My hunting buddy and I commiserated for several minutes, when I noticed two turkey hunters coming our way, with a turkey. We went up to them, and we were told that they brought me my turkey. They were hunting on the next property, heard me shoot, and saw the tom flying across the field, when it suddenly folded up and fell, dead. The taxidermist who had the check station we took the bird to, to check, told me he had seen this before, when shot penetrates a lung, and it takes awhile for the bird to die. (Yes, I was aiming at the head and neck) Next time I miss, I'm going to follow that bird's exit path, just to be sure.
Congrats man
Last year I took the baikal single shot out, loaded up with longbeard 4's. 3 gobblers stroll on, I shoot, 1 run, 1 flies, and 1 just Casually walks off as I try to reload. By the time I get loaded up he goes over a rise. I'm kicking myself in the hind end for screwing up a chip shot and I hear him flopping. He walked about 30 yards ans hit the deck
Way to hang in there! Congrats!
Congratulations! Glad you got him.
Happens to us all !!! Get back at it and be positive :icon_thumright:
Dont feel bad, I missed one this morning, rushed the shot as he was walking briskly between 2 trees, thought he made me. Missed a total of 3 since I started. Cant help but think I hit them some where, but hope not.
My most memorable miss I missed him on the ground he took off flying and I knocked him out of the air. That's quick redemption right there!