Feel terrible about a bird we didn't recover

[g8rvet]

Wounded turkeys that are not mortally wounded are notorious for finding a good hiding spot if they can't fly. I had this same experience with a youth hunter last season and I ended up finding the bird in a stump hole still alive. I got extremely lucky to find this bird because he was 200yds from where he was shot. It's a bad situation and I know you feel terrible, but if you did everything possible to recover the turkey then that's all you can do. Get out there and find another one!

This

They like to bury themselves in deadfalls too. My brother wounded one. When we met up after the hunt in the local diner after the hunt he told me the story and how he rolled it over and it got up and half flew away. When it crested a small rise he seen it angle towards the ground. Thinking it might have died he  got up and checked over the rise. He looked around for a bit but didnt see anything. After hearing the story I said we need to go look for that bird again.
On our way in we were walking along the edge of the wood lot where he shot it. I asked where he was hunting he said just up here. Right when he finished speaking I heard something running through the leaves inside the woodlot and heard a thump. I went in and looked around. Nothing. We continued to where he was hunting. Maybe about 200yds away. We scoured the area where he seen it angle towards the ground. Still nothing. We set up line between the 3 of us, my dad was with, with about 50yds between us and started working our way back to the truck. The running in the leaves sound and thump kept bugging me. I had to go back there and look again. I came up over a little rise right before getting to the noise spot and there he was standing there about 20yds away. He turned and ran away with me hot on his heels screaming my brothers name. I didn't have a gun because I already filled my tag and was calling for my dad. There was a fence on the wood line and that dang bird ran into it 3 times.  On the third time I caught up to it and tried to grab it around the neck. That bugger ducked and ran right between my legs. Got airborne and it looked like it glided into a tree because I didn't see it come out the other side. About that time brother shows up wondering what the heck was going on. I told where I thought the bird was and we went after it. Before we could get close it sailed away across the valley.
Back at the fence the only place that bird could have been hiding was a small dead fall. I was damn near standing on top of when looking right after I heard the running noise and thump. Not sure who would have won if I actually caught him but I was going to give it my best.

That's a good story anyway!  My brother shot one and only had one shell when he went to load the gun(thought he had several as he walked in - I had my 20).  I was a couple hundred yards away and went to him when I heard the shot.  He was piled up in the thickest briar patch around-still alive.  I finished him off.  We hacked our way in with dead branches knocking down the briars to get to him. 

[fallhnt]

He could survive. I killed a longbeard in the fall and found lots of shot in him. Fall shotgun wasn't in and I bow hunt turkeys.

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[Greg Massey]

It's just part of turkey hunting , it has happen to most all of us. Better luck next time.

[catman529]

I'm sorry it turned out like that. It's easier to miss than you think. Yall put a lot of pellets in the bird, but none of them quite hit that sweet spot that knocks em down for good. Yes it's a dead bird, but don't beat yourself up over it. Stuff happens, and you sure tried your best. Good luck next time


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[Meleagris gallopavo]

Thanks for all of the encouraging words.  The gun is fine.  My son said it was before we test shot it.  He said he was pretty sure he shot low.  We will likely hit the woods again tomorrow morning if our afternoon scouting is successful.  The mood is still a little somber, but like many of you said, missing is part of it if you hunt enough.  Maybe if we get one it'll lift us up more.  Again, I appreciate the thoughtful comments.  It made me feel better just getting it off my chest.