Boogered Up Bird

[St. Augustine Strutter]

I have only been hunting turkeys for 3 years now and I have killed 3 birds, but I have a question about a rookie mistake (and I will make many more) that I made last weekend. Long story short, I had a bird basically fly down into my lap and he caught me off guard. I was standing behind a thin pine tree when he flew down into the middle of the road and I was able to slide down onto one knee and get the gun up. After two light clucks, he was headed my way and I had a small clearing at about 40 yards where I planned to feed him lead. Well, he stops one step before that clearing behind some brush and knew something wasn't right. As he turned to walk back where he came from, I jumped up onto my feet and took 3 hail mary shots at him as he left town.

My question is, how boogered up is this bird. Will he never be the same? Will he come back to this same area and if so, how long until he feels comfortable again?

I still don't know what spooked him. Perhaps he saw me kneeling at the bottom of the tree behind the brush but I know I didn't move. Perhaps he didn't see a hen and knew the jig was up. Regardless, in hindsight, I should have gotten myself more hidden but I was worried about moving around too much. Maybe I should have purred/clucked and tried to turn him back around once he turned the other way. Or maybe I should have just chalked it up to a busted bird and not shot at him.

Anyways, do I have another shot at this bird this season or is he boogered up too bad?

[guesswho]

Your best shot at this bird is going to be from another location.  Sometimes you can get right back on them in a couple hours. But most of the time I usually give them 2-3 days and try him again.  If you had let him just walk off You probably could have struck him again in an hour or so from a different spot.

[SteelerFan]

"Or maybe I should have just chalked it up to a busted bird and not shot at him."

Yep. Save those "hail mary" shots for a wounded bird / follow up shots.

[Spitten and drummen]

"Or maybe I should have just chalked it up to a busted bird and not shot at him."





Yep. This right here. You probably left some pellets in him.

Yep. Save those "hail mary" shots for a wounded bird / follow up shots.

[appalachianassassin]

if you didn't mortally wound the bird you still have a great chance. hunt a different bird for a few days then right back on him. good luck.

[AndyH]

I would personally hunt him the next day or As soon as you can. I wouldn't worry to much about different setups or using Different calls. Just set up on him however you can and use whatever calls you have.

[St. Augustine Strutter]

Thank you, gentlemen. I am definitely going to go listen for him on that same road just to see what happens. My rookie mistake has me regretting ever even shooting at the bird. Hopefully he is still alive and well, and god willing I have another chance at him. He had a boss man gobble and looked like a rather large bird.