that one time you fell/ tripped

[WV TURKEY THUG]

just curious has anyone else ever fell after you shot a turkey and you go after him to put your foot on him. I only did it once. i was working a bird down in a holler. all of a sudden i hear one putting behind me i turned around real quick and seen it had a beard he was about 35 yds away when i got my bead on him. so i squeezed the trigger and he started flopping around. so i get up start running up the hill managed to fall hitting my shin off a rock. i really think it was the only rock on that hillside. in the heat of the moment it didnt really phase me after i got up there and settled down i then realized i hit it pretty hard. ended up loosing a good striker also. my shin hurt a good month after that. i know some people dont try to get to the turkey asap. but i like to get to them quick.Anyone have any stories?

[Crawl79]

Opening morning in Louisiana this year. (3/28)

Bird spooked and I shoot low. He took off running straight at me. Missed him twice at close range trying to take his head off and not mess up any meat. I took off running after him with no shells left. Believe me I even tried to shoot again even though I knew I was out. Threw the gun in bushes and caught him about 75 yards out in a briar patch. I tripped in briars and got scratched a little but got his neck.

It took me 20 min to find my gun in the tall ferns I was hunting in.

[g8rvet]

I used to trot to them pretty quick.  Now I go in with gun at the ready in a deliberate and steady pace.  Please don't ask me why.      I have tripped plenty of times in the woods, but not on my way to Mr. Tom. 

I tripped coming out of a wood duck hole a couple years back. Did a face plant right into a cypress knee.  Hit me in the lip and stung pretty good.  Quick check - no loose teeth and no blood, so I struck off to the truck.  When I got back my 2 nephews look at me and say WTH happened to you?  I started bleeding on the way out.  I reckon I thought my nose was running or something, but the cut was right in my moustache and I looked like Mike Tyson had popped me a few times.  A quick look in the mirror and I looked like a bloody mess.  It was a small cut and no biggie though.  It's not like I was that purty before the injury! 

[Mike Honcho]

Shot a nice tom after working him what seemed like forever, maybe an hour, and one of my legs fell asleep...made the shot got up to run and fell flat on my face...my buddy was videotaping me...very graceful.   Got the bird though!

[MDbowman]

My son was using a go-pro head mount and shot a bird. Took off after it and did a face plant about halfway there. It'll make you chuckle!

[tomstopper]

Shot a nice tom after working him what seemed like forever, maybe an hour, and one of my legs fell asleep...made the shot got up to run and fell flat on my face...my buddy was videotaping me...very graceful.   Got the bird though!

HaHa. Hey Mike, I feel your pain. I did the same thing one year and the only difference is that it wasn't being filmed. My buddy to this day still talks about it. He said that after my face bounced off the ground, he could see me just laying there saying some few choice words. I actually hit the ground so hard that I had a bruise on my cheek bone and cut my head above my eye. I don't run after the birds anymore.....lol

[West Augusta]

I run these beautiful West Virginia hills and mountains also.  I usually fall at least once every trip to the woods. 

[WV TURKEY THUG]

I run these beautiful West Virginia hills and mountains also.  I usually fall at least once every trip to the woods. 

these are some tough hills to walk on i will say that. i usually fall atleast once also after falling so much u get used to it. besides the one that involve rocks them ones usually always get me lol

[Snoodsniper]

If I do my part I don't have to run. Not saying I haven't had to run just saying I shouldn't have to! That said....I might have taken a spill or two in my day.

[30_06]

I ran after my first bird, didn't trip (young and agile), can't say I ran after another. Fell plenty of times trying to go up or down a mountain though.

[Gobbler2577]

Shot one across a creek one morning and learned the hard way I can't jump as far as I used to.  That water was deep and cold and I sure was proud no one was around to see.

[SinGin]

I learned a long time ago that I can't run as fast as my 870 shoots.

[Marc]

Back when I was using those 2 oz lead loads, I had a bird come in to my hard right on a steep incline.  He got behind a tree, and I set up on him, but I was twisted around pretty good...

The shot was safe and close, so I took it...  Because of my weird angle, the recoil really literally knocked me over, and I hit the side of my head fairly hard against the tree as I went down. 

As I regained my senses, I had no idea if I had hit the bird or not, but I assumed I had...  Went to where I shot the bird, and there was a pile of feathers, with a trail of feathers leading down about 50 yards or so to the dead bird...

That there was a real lesson in gun safety for sure...  It is also the reason that if I do use decoys, I set them to my left (for a right-handed shooter it is far easier to swing left).

[Phire Phite]

Last year, on the first day I shot at one and "rolled" him (read: missed, I think he may have been too close with a tight pattern).  My uncle was right behind me and knew it, jumped up and took off running.  He didn't fall, but ended up pulling his hammy.  Poor basket, he toughed it out the remaining 4 days though.