Well the Nut started this so I have a question too.
You call in a gobbler and he spooks at 20 yards and immediately flies. You have a clean window, do you wing shoot him?
Let's assume you have the skills as a good wing shooter and confident in those skills, as no one should try it if they aren't confident in their ability.
In the past I am a big yes and I have killed at least 4 gobblers off the wing. To answer the question someone will ask: I have never lost a crippled gobbler from wing shooting. Everyone rolled up in a pile dead. A 20 pound gobbler falling out of the air makes quite a thud. I have also watched a bunch fly away as I have to have a clean shot. In my day I was a very accomplished wing shooter and was known for my skills. Now at 65 and reduced vision and reaction, I haven't even tried one for years and probably wouldn't now. I know I used to get PO'd if it took me a box of shells to kill a limit of doves and now I just hope I can keep it under two boxes. Yeah age matters.
I'm good with it, doesn't happen often I think. Once called a gobber for a buddy, at the shot gobbler rolled and recoveredthen flew sstraight at us. Buddy's gun jammed , I watched as he struggled with the pump, gobbler closing fast, when gobbler cleared buddy I shot him in the head at 8 steps, was to be buddy's first turkey. Sorry my man
That's a pass from me. I've been bird hunting since i was old enough to do it (I'm 29). Avid waterfowl hunter, doves, pheasants, and lots of crow hunting. I'm pretty confident in my shooting but I wouldn't take the shot and risk busting a wing just to have the gobbler run off. With wings that big and a body that thick, i think the risk of crippling a gobbler is too high for me to personally take a shot on the wing. I'm sure there's been piles of birds killed on the wing, but it's not a risk I'm personally willing to take.
"The 'Nut'",....I like it! (truth be known, it fits better, too) :)
Okay, to answer "the Shell's" question.....
Over the years, I shot a couple of gobblers flying,...and I missed a couple, as well. ...And unfortunately, in one of my younger years, I lost a gobbler that I crippled by shooting him flying away. That incident was enough to teach me my own lesson about trying those shots. Since then, I have refrained from those attempts, even though I have some level of confidence in my wing shooting ability.
On the other hand, there are various states of "flying",...from those initial attempts of a gobbler to get air-born,... to the full throttle, in-the-air and goin' away mode. Nowadays, the first I have no problem with as long as the shooter has sufficient competence,...the second is a sure-fire way to end up with a crippled and lost turkey.
Unfortunately, I think wing shooting turkeys is often a split-second, reflexive reaction for a lot of guys that have done a lot of it with other species. I suspect that will continue. I would hope that good judgement on the part of the shooter comes into play in any case.
Nope. For me absolutely not. The gobbler won the game. Crippled birds do happen and it gives me a sick feeling. Some people feel like they have to shoot. I have had guys say " he started walking off " or he "would not come any closer so I had to take the shot". I think to myself , exactly why did you HAVE to take the shot? I don't judge anyone for doing what they do but it is up to me to police myself. Therefore I wont do it. I wont ambush one , limb shoot one or shoot one I walk up on. This is just my personal rules I play the game by. Some will kill them at any opportunity. Alls fair in love and war. Just my 2 cents.
If a dead turkey is the objective. To answer the OP's question. Yes.
If you are all cought up in the game and the experience of it then it's for you to decide. Just remember that when hunting any game animal, that you and you alone dictate what is a successful and satisfying hunt.
Quote from: Gooserbat on March 19, 2020, 09:39:57 AM
If a dead turkey is the objective. To answer the OP's question. Yes.
If you are all cought up in the game and the experience of it then it's for you to decide. Just remember that when hunting any game animal, that you and you alone dictate what is a successful and satisfying hunt.
Well said.
It all depends on how mad i am at the gobbler , nothing is off the table in my opinion , i don't have to explain myself to anyone , but the good lord above. Hunt the way you want and just enjoy your time in the outdoors chasing turkeys. I'm not the macho turkey hunter , i'm just old turkey hunter trying to enjoy my last few years of turkey hunting regardless . AGAIN IT"S ALL OPINIONS...
Quote from: Gooserbat on March 19, 2020, 09:39:57 AM
If a dead turkey is the objective. To answer the OP's question. Yes.
The question really is one of whether that dead turkey is going to be one that you hold in your hands and put a tag on,....or is one that flies off and dies somewhere in the woods. In every "flying turkey" instance,...and depending on each individual shooter's ability,....there is the "sure kill" period and then there's the "maybe" period. Hunter's need to know which is which and curtail their shots once a gobbler gets past the "sure kill" stage of flight. If there is a question in anybody's mind about when that is, they should not be pulling the trigger.
I have always been taught and preached that you owe it to the animal to only take a good humane shot. I would not nor would I shoot one off of the perch. But to each his own.
Know you're skill level,confidence level, and shot presented. Based on that make a good decision . For me by the time I get the gun up,safety off, and lined up he's outta range. So issue settled. Reflexes aren't what they used to be :)
As you describe it, clean shot and the shooter has the ability to make the shot, then yes I see nothing wrong with it. for me personally probably not.
My question would be whats the conditon of the bird if you do hit him?
Of course non of us want to cripple and loose the bird
But for me I believe in eating the animal I shoot.
If I cant eat it I dont kill it. If I shoot a flying bird it will probly be full of shot and or bruised up meat.
Too many negatives for me so ill not do it.
How many here take running shots at passing deer? Not wounded deer just pot shots at spooked running deer. If I want to jump shoot birds I'll take up quail.
I have never had that opportunity, but I would guess my wing shooting and killer instincts would kick in and I would roll him!
I would likely hold off on a bird flying straight away, no clean line to his melon!
First shot? No, follow up shot? Yep.
Quote.there is the "sure kill" period and then there's the "maybe" period. Hunter's need to know which is which and curtail their shots once a gobbler gets past the "sure kill" stage of flight. If there is a question in anybody's mind about when that is, they should not be pulling the trigger.
That is exactly right. THe shots I would never take are:
Anything over 30-35 yards
going straight away
tree top High and crossing side to side.
Heavy brush or canopy
The shots I have taken :
Crossing at an angle
going away but at least quartering
shooting down on a bird.
In every case I have to see the head and neck completely
I am not talking about jump shooting, I am talking a called in bird that's been shot at or spooked from close range. As for the bird filled with shot. All 4 I killed on the wing never had a pellet in the body. You swing into the head and upper neck and with tight turkey tubes he is really exposed and your eating him up. Before I ever hunted turkeys I hunted Ruffed Grouse with a passion. I learned quick reaction woods shooting pretty young. Like Gobblenut said, "know yourself your gun and the capabilities of each".
Wayne Bailey, an author and one of the biologists that pushed hard for wild trapping and transplanting wild birds, wing shot many a wild turkey. And he was a fish and game biologist. Read his book "Wayne's Turkey World:60 Years of Hunting." That being said I would not do it. If it's legal, OK for you, but not for me. :z-twocents:
Nope, not a high percentage shot and the toughness of a turkey's wings has been known to deflect shot and I do not want to leave an injured animal.
Not a chance. I know he was just a tab better than me that day, so a tip if the hat and a verbal warning to not ever get that close again.
I shoot well enough that a limit of doves doesn't take more than a box of shells. That's not great but it's better than most. There just aren't enough gobblers around to take anything other than a sure shot. So, if I'm shooting at a flying gobbler it is because I think I wounded it on the first shot. Otherwise I tip my hat and try again later.
With a crossing shot give him a lead and shoot. Going away shot pass.
NO NO and NO! This isn't wing shooting. We are shooting guns that have very tight patterns, at a very BIG bird, with thick feathers, THICK breast meat and they fly very fast. The percentages of a CLEAN kill is probably 10% or less. You may break a wing if your lucky but that bird will get on the ground, get away from you and end up as coyote or fox food. Respect the ANIMAL and get him tomorrow! Last thing while I'm on my soapbox, why is it as ethical hunters do we try to get these birds inside 40 yards and shoot them in the head and neck???? BECAUSE THEY ARE A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL!!! Period!!!!
Quote from: bbcoach on March 19, 2020, 09:54:38 PM
NO NO and NO! This isn't wing shooting. We are shooting guns that have very tight patterns, at a very BIG bird, with thick feathers, THICK breast meat and they fly very fast. The percentages of a CLEAN kill is probably 10% or less. You may break a wing if your lucky but that bird will get on the ground, get away from you and end up as coyote or fox food. Respect the ANIMAL and get him tomorrow! Last thing while I'm on my soapbox, why is it as ethical hunters do we try to get these birds inside 40 yards and shoot them in the head and neck???? BECAUSE THEY ARE A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL!!! Period!!!!
I don't disagree with this at all. We turkey hunters hold a reverence for "our bird" that is unique in the wing-shooting world, it seems. The thought of crippling a gobbler weighs heavily in most of our minds. I am right at the top of that list.
I do find it curious that it seems that the same level of concern is much less apparent with regards to other game-bird species. I wing-shoot a number of game-bird species each year,...and I know that I occasionally hit a bird that either flies on off or eventually dive-bombs off in the distance somewhere and I can't find it. That seems to happen pretty regularly with the big waterfowl (and similar,...sandhill crane, for instance) species.
Yet, my level of remorse with those birds is nowhere near what I have for the thought of crippling a gobbler and letting him get away. I sometimes wonder why that is? I also wonder if others feel the same way?
....Just a thought from a wandering mind....
First turkey I killed was during the fall season while hunting quail (after my first unsuccessful season of spring hunting). I would never take that shot today... The birds flushed to a tree, and when they flushed again, one came my direction, and I had a crossing shot (that was honestly a bit too far)... Luckily I crushed the bird and was very pleased with myself.
Couple years ago, I had some birds fly over to me from a high ridge, and honestly, did not recognize them as turkeys immediately, causing them to see me, and continue flying... They flew over at 20 yards, and I still regret not killing one of them.
I have killed several birds that were running and booking out of town with their heads up... Honestly, probably more difficult shots than many flying shots... My first spring bird was a bird that came in from the "wrong side" and was leaving in haste when I pulled up and shot him. Shooting a running bird is very similar to wing-shooting.
To answer the question, I am a wing-shooter first and foremost... I hunt ducks, dove, quail, and pheasant. I would never, ever take a quartering away shot at a turkey (that had not yet been shot or shot at)... Too much chance of crippling the bird. I would take a crossing or incoming bird under the right circumstances.... If the head is up, with a clear view, I will take a bird in good range "booking out of town, running on the ground."
I'll shoot them out of the air, out of the tree, off the ground. I'm there to kill a turkey, not play a game.
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Quote from: TravisB on March 20, 2020, 10:58:53 AM
I'll shoot them out of the air, out of the tree, off the ground. I'm there to kill a turkey, not play a game.
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Lol. When you learn how to kill them it becomes less of a desperate struggle.
It is a game. Enjoy it.
Quote from: LaLongbeard on March 20, 2020, 11:32:23 AM
Quote from: TravisB on March 20, 2020, 10:58:53 AM
I'll shoot them out of the air, out of the tree, off the ground. I'm there to kill a turkey, not play a game.
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Lol. When you learn how to kill them it becomes less of a desperate struggle.
WELL SAID!!! Lalongbeard! As you age, it becomes more about the hunting experience then the kill or bragging rights.
Quote from: LaLongbeard on March 20, 2020, 11:32:23 AM
Quote from: TravisB on March 20, 2020, 10:58:53 AM
I'll shoot them out of the air, out of the tree, off the ground. I'm there to kill a turkey, not play a game.
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Lol. When you learn how to kill them it becomes less of a desperate struggle.
Cool.
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Quote from: bbcoach on March 19, 2020, 09:54:38 PM
NO NO and NO! This isn't wing shooting. We are shooting guns that have very tight patterns, at a very BIG bird, with thick feathers, THICK breast meat and they fly very fast. The percentages of a CLEAN kill is probably 10% or less. You may break a wing if your lucky but that bird will get on the ground, get away from you and end up as coyote or fox food. Respect the ANIMAL and get him tomorrow! Last thing while I'm on my soapbox, why is it as ethical hunters do we try to get these birds inside 40 yards and shoot them in the head and neck???? BECAUSE THEY ARE A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL!!! Period!!!!
. After shooting wood ducks and greenwing teal all my life I have no problem hitting that turkey in the head. I know what shots to take and which ones I'll pass on
Quote from: GobbleNut on March 19, 2020, 10:15:43 PM
Quote from: bbcoach on March 19, 2020, 09:54:38 PM
NO NO and NO! This isn't wing shooting. We are shooting guns that have very tight patterns, at a very BIG bird, with thick feathers, THICK breast meat and they fly very fast. The percentages of a CLEAN kill is probably 10% or less. You may break a wing if your lucky but that bird will get on the ground, get away from you and end up as coyote or fox food. Respect the ANIMAL and get him tomorrow! Last thing while I'm on my soapbox, why is it as ethical hunters do we try to get these birds inside 40 yards and shoot them in the head and neck???? BECAUSE THEY ARE A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL!!! Period!!!!
I don't disagree with this at all. We turkey hunters hold a reverence for "our bird" that is unique in the wing-shooting world, it seems. The thought of crippling a gobbler weighs heavily in most of our minds. I am right at the top of that list.
I do find it curious that it seems that the same level of concern is much less apparent with regards to other game-bird species. I wing-shoot a number of game-bird species each year,...and I know that I occasionally hit a bird that either flies on off or eventually dive-bombs off in the distance somewhere and I can't find it. That seems to happen pretty regularly with the big waterfowl (and similar,...sandhill crane, for instance) species.
Yet, my level of remorse with those birds is nowhere near what I have for the thought of crippling a gobbler and letting him get away. I sometimes wonder why that is? I also wonder if others feel the same way?
....Just a thought from a wandering mind....
Respect for the animal , crippling a Gobbler I would say is tougher on most . Big buck would be the same thing.
Quote from: hotspur on March 20, 2020, 01:25:34 PM
Quote from: bbcoach on March 19, 2020, 09:54:38 PM
NO NO and NO! This isn't wing shooting. We are shooting guns that have very tight patterns, at a very BIG bird, with thick feathers, THICK breast meat and they fly very fast. The percentages of a CLEAN kill is probably 10% or less. You may break a wing if your lucky but that bird will get on the ground, get away from you and end up as coyote or fox food. Respect the ANIMAL and get him tomorrow! Last thing while I'm on my soapbox, why is it as ethical hunters do we try to get these birds inside 40 yards and shoot them in the head and neck???? BECAUSE THEY ARE A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL!!! Period!!!!
. After shooting wood ducks and greenwing teal all my life I have no problem hitting that turkey in the head. I know what shots to take and which ones I'll pass on
That's good for you hotspur. Lots of shooting.
I would have to agree with bbcoach though. Being around the woods for years a guy can hear the 2-3 shot volleys turkey season . Watching YouTube and hunting shows where plenty of wounding (missing)? occurs even by the guys that are making videos while taking standing shots at the gobblers would suggest that many should not even think about taking a running or flying shot.
I never thought I could do it. Don't gun hunt much in Spring so my experience is with Fall. Tight choke, rifle sights and my old school Remington have taken maybe half dozen out of the air. Walking to find flocks in the Fall you sometimes get birds flying up under you.
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Quote from: Gooserbat on March 19, 2020, 09:39:57 AM
If a dead turkey is the objective. To answer the OP's question. Yes.
If you are all cought up in the game and the experience of it then it's for you to decide. Just remember that when hunting any game animal, that you and you alone dictate what is a successful and satisfying hunt.
x2. I take the shot.
I've been in that position, three spooked and flew the same path, one after another. I had the gun up but opted not the shoot. No regrets on it. Seems like a high crippling opportunity with tight patterns to me.
Quote from: Tail Feathers on March 22, 2020, 10:41:07 PM
I've been in that position, three spooked and flew the same path, one after another. I had the gun up but opted not the shoot. No regrets on it. Seems like a high crippling opportunity with tight patterns to me.
Yep, were not all like Sergeant York. Shoot the one in the back so the ones in front don't veer off. He shot a real tight pattern with that rifle. ;D
It's not something I set out to intentionally do but I've killed 3 flying. One was rolled by my dad and recovered enough to get about 20 ft high and I folded him. The other two came in and busted me and were fleeing the scene and I had wide open close shots. Folded both of them! I've had way more instances where I walked up on gobblers or they walked up on me and I watched them fly away.
Personally, I wouldn't. First of all, I shoot with a scope and that's not conducive to wing shooting. Second, if I miss the head and neck, I'd get a breast full of pellets. If they fly, oh well. Move on to the next gobbler.
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