Just my luck

[dublelung]

Well my season got off to a shaky start. I started the first hunt of the season (opening morning) with my dad, as I always do. We got on a gobbler that was gobbling real good and started early. Unfortunately, he flew down with his hens on the opposite side of the beaver pond we were on and we never could get him to come to our side. The woods are still bare and no way for us to get around to his side without spooking him so we ended the hunt around 9:00 and I went to work. Saturday morning we were joined by my son and we surrounded the beaver pond in hopes he was roosted in the same area. The weather was much colder and the wind was howling. Not a very good morning for turkey hunting and not a gobble was heard so we adjourned the hunt and went to separate places. I ended up going to a lease I share with a couple friends and parked the truck on top of a big hill. I eased down a road toward a deer plot I'd killed 2 gobblers near last year and cut some fresh gobbler tracks about halfway to the plot. I peeked around the curve and could see 2 hens about 125 yards away so I backed up and skirted them to set up on an old road leading to the backside of the plot. As I was getting set up I heard a gobble and he was close! I picked a less than ideal spot to set up and as I crawled forward to get to a better tree a hen flew in and lit about 5 or 6 yards from me. The gobbler gobbled again and was closer! Finally, the hen walked behind a clump of trees and I got set down grabbed my gun and listened to him gobble 3 more times as he closed the distance. He hit an opening at 40 yards and I shot! He hit the ground but was immediately back up and running, I jumped up pumped another shell into the barrel and attempted to get a finishing shot on him but my gun wouldn't fire. A stick had jammed into it when I pumped it and kept the shell from firing. As I fumbled with the gun to get one chambered the gobbler ran into a thicket never to be seen again.  I spent the next 2 hours circling the area and only found 2 breast feathers where I originally hit him. I also went back the next day and combed the woods again but didn't find any trace of him. That's the first gobbler I've hit and not recovered in over 20 years. It's a sick feeling I hope any of you who have never experienced it never have to. I'm just hoping the hit wasn't fatal and he makes it. I put a camera on the plot in hopes of getting a picture of him this week.

[eggshell]

It happens even though you done everything right. It always makes you feel bad, but all you can do is figure out if you made any mistakes that can be fixed. Then just move on. In my 48 years there are three of these incidents I feel the bird died after he got away initially and they all still make me feel bad even though none of them have happened in the last 10 years. Two of them were my fault and misjudged distance, but one was a close bird that I never figured out what happened. If you shoot enough gobblers it will happen. I see people who claim they have never done it, but if they have shot many birds (I'm talking 50, 75,100 or more birds) I find it hard to believe. I can believe they never have if they've only shot say 20-30 birds, but the clock is ticking.

[Big Jeremy]

It's happened to me once. I'd rather let someone yank out a tooth with pliers. Hope things turn up!


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[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

I know the feeling. Hopefully he is ok.

[HookedonHooks]

Definitely know the feeling. It's not one you can just shake off right away for sure. Chances are if he died he was coyote dinner that night, but sounds like there might be a good chance he's still alive.

[dublelung]

Definitely know the feeling. It's not one you can just shake off right away for sure. Chances are if he died he was coyote dinner that night, but sounds like there might be a good chance he's still alive.

Maybe possum dinner but I've hammered the coyotes and bobcats out there since deer season. 
There's still a few around but I've got them fearing where they put their feet.  :-)  Caught this beauty about 2 weeks ago.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

That's a rare yote there. Shoot em all!

[dublelung]

I forgot to update ya'll on the turkey I shot opening weekend. He ended up being the same one I killed Friday. He had shot embedded in his left leg, left wing, and thigh. This was the same side I originally shot him on and I spooked him the afternoon before I killed him with 150 yards of where I shot him the first time. It sure made me feel much better knowing he didn't run off and die.

[HookedonHooks]

I forgot to update ya'll on the turkey I shot opening weekend. He ended up being the same one I killed Friday. He had shot embedded in his left leg, left wing, and thigh. This was the same side I originally shot him on and I spooked him the afternoon before I killed him with 150 yards of where I shot him the first time. It sure made me feel much better knowing he didn't run off and die.

That's GREAT news! I think more often than not the turkey lives. If the turkey hit the dirt and did flopping before getting away that's one thing, but most birds that were clearly hit but rather immediately run or take flight I would imagine typically live.

Have killed several public land birds that had shot in them before.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

I forgot to update ya'll on the turkey I shot opening weekend. He ended up being the same one I killed Friday. He had shot embedded in his left leg, left wing, and thigh. This was the same side I originally shot him on and I spooked him the afternoon before I killed him with 150 yards of where I shot him the first time. It sure made me feel much better knowing he didn't run off and die.

That's great, I know you feel better for sure!