Misses and comeback?

[Hhayes6]

when you completely miss a bird no feather or anything but he flies you think he flies to the next county or has a chance of coming back? I missed a BOSS at 10 yards I must have not had my head down good along barrel and shot right over him. im sure pattern was not too big that close either 

[Old Gobbler]

Depends .....


You can count on the gobbler running or flying a minimum of 400-500 yards and perhaps quite a bit further depending on terrain - if he comes back in a day or two is going to vary - he may move off for a day or two , find a hen and no rival gobblers and set up shop down the road

Gobblers gravitate around areas that have a good availability of hens , they know where the hens  are to be found , find the hens and the gobbler will come find you

Try not to use the call you used to call him in last time , switch it up some , try clucks etc... Instead of yelping - if he is gobbling and coming to what worked in the past fine , but don't be surprised if the gobbler is quite hesitant after first encounter

[DirtNap647]

more than likely come back

[Vabirddog]

He probably doesn't even know what happened but may be on heightened alert next time.

[Gooserbat]

Depends .....


You can count on the gobbler running or flying a minimum of 400-500 yards and perhaps quite a bit further depending on terrain - if he comes back in a day or two is going to vary - he may move off for a day or two , find a hen and no rival gobblers and set up shop down the road

Gobblers gravitate around areas that have a good availability of hens , they know where the hens  are to be found , find the hens and the gobbler will come find you

Try not to use the call you used to call him in last time , switch it up some , try clucks etc... Instead of yelping - if he is gobbling and coming to what worked in the past fine , but don't be surprised if the gobbler is quite hesitant after first encounter

I'll agree with this, but at the same time remember a turkey is scared of everything.  Just because a bird is spooked and spooked bad doesn't mean it's over.  I never thought of them as being smart only super wary and habitual.  So just because it got messed up today doesn't mean it won't work tomorrow.  Did the bird ever see you or was the shot just a loud clap of thunder?  I think if a bird doesn't see a hunter as a hunter, but only hears a shot it won't be as likely learn to associate as high degree of danger with being called.   

[silvestris]

I haven't missed many, but certainly more than I like to admit.  I would cuss and rant and rave each time until one day something occurred.

After coming within about 15 degrees of getting peppered, I drove to a different spot and walked a half mile down a swamp road.  I took out my wing bone and let a series fly.  He responded immediately from about 100 yards.  I quickly hid and directly spied a hen coming my way followed by a nice gobbler.  The hen walked about 15 yards to my east and the gobbler was 30 yards to my north.  I fired and the gobbler ran northwest and the hen ran south.  I immediately recognized a possible fall break situation.

I attributed my miss to still being shook up about nearly getting shot.  I decided to wait 30 minutes before getting up to see if I had knocked feathers.  After the wait, I calmly walked to where the gobbler was standing at the shot and could find no evidence of a hit.  At that time, I was never so certain that I was about to kill a turkey as then. 

I walked 100 yards in the direction he had gone and found a hide.  I decided to wait 30 minutes before calling, but he began gobbling north of me and I began to work him.  He moved to my west and continued gobbling to my south.  The first time he failed to answer, I put away all of my callers but one.  I waited for about 30 minutes and he gobbled 30 yards southeast of me.  I quickly gave him four soft snappy yelps on my Morgan Caller, raised my gun and two minutes later, he was mine.

To make it as short and sweet as possible, I would say that the possibility of killing today's missed gobbler today is situational.  But, unless you are within a week of the end of the season, a missed turkey can be taken before the season ends.  But never think that those rascals can't learn.

[sasquatch1]

I shot at one one time then he got up and flew right over me and my friend, I unloded on him and my friend shot once, knocking off feather at the same time. The next week i killed a big horse tail bearded gobbler not 100 yards from that same spot. I cant guarantee it was the same bird but I honestly believe it was

[steveo]

Has happened to me, shot at missed and killed another day,  had two longbeards come from 1/2 mile across a open field to 25 yards shot at the bigger of the 2 missed shot at him flying and missed again. looked around followed his flight path (nothing) beating myself up I walked in the direction the other flew to and first soft yelp boom he gobbled 2 min latter I was walking him back to the truck.....he came a running and gobbling. I think he missed his buddy and wanted to find anyone to hang with.

[gwa]

My last gobbler of last spring I rolled on a Wednesday and killed the following Monday within 30 yds of where I rolled him. It can be done....
Denny