Necropsy/ X-rays of a flopping gobbler

[decoykrvr]

A few observations on a flopping gobbler.  I recently shot a mature 3 yr old gobbler w/ 3", Hevi-13, 7's at about 40 yards which was down below me on a ridge w/ a 50-60 degree slope.  The shot was a little high and the gobbler immediately dropped with his head down and began to flop downhill.  The bird flopped about 15 feet down hill then went over the slight bench, flopping out of sight down a steeper face, and was recovered about 60 yards down the ridge at the bottom.  As evidenced by the deposition of feathers, the gobbler had flopped down the ridge assisted by gravity and continuing down hill even when stopped by saplings and root balls.  Examining the path of the shot down the ridge to the turkey, several small limbs, maple saplings and a dead horizontal branch was impacted w/ the shot.  I skinned out the head and neck, examined the pellet holes and X-rayed the head and neck.  The gobbler had 5, #7 shot which had penetrated the cranium into the brain cavity, and 6 pellets to the head which had not hit vital areas.  Interestingly, of the 5 pellets which hit the upper neck, none penetrated and impacted the spinal column.  The gobbler had received fatal pellets to the brain, but had not been pithed, which results in interrupting nerve impulses to the body: hence the flopping.  There are usually "death contractions", but the lack of damage to the spinal cord allowed the sympathetic "flight response" to be processed by the muscles resulting in the flopping.  I think that the "drop in their tracks" results from HTL shells is probably a result of the KE shock delivered to the brain and spinal column.  I told my hunting partner that when I weighed the bird that I was going to add about 5 pounds for the feather loss.

[mikejd]

You my friend are a maniac.

I LOVE IT.

[eorlando]

I love it. How about some pics of the x rays. Now that would be really cool.

[reynolds243]

This may be one of the greatest post I have ever seen on here


Joshua 24:15
"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."


Sent from my phone sucka

[WNCTracker]

A few observations on a flopping gobbler.  I recently shot a mature 3 yr old gobbler w/ 3", Hevi-13, 7's at about 40 yards which was down below me on a ridge w/ a 50-60 degree slope.  The shot was a little high and the gobbler immediately dropped with his head down and began to flop downhill.  The bird flopped about 15 feet down hill then went over the slight bench, flopping out of sight down a steeper face, and was recovered about 60 yards down the ridge at the bottom.  As evidenced by the deposition of feathers, the gobbler had flopped down the ridge assisted by gravity and continuing down hill even when stopped by saplings and root balls.  Examining the path of the shot down the ridge to the turkey, several small limbs, maple saplings and a dead horizontal branch was impacted w/ the shot.  I skinned out the head and neck, examined the pellet holes and X-rayed the head and neck.  The gobbler had 5, #7 shot which had penetrated the cranium into the brain cavity, and 6 pellets to the head which had not hit vital areas.  Interestingly, of the 5 pellets which hit the upper neck, none penetrated and impacted the spinal column.  The gobbler had received fatal pellets to the brain, but had not been pithed, which results in interrupting nerve impulses to the body: hence the flopping.  There are usually "death contractions", but the lack of damage to the spinal cord allowed the sympathetic "flight response" to be processed by the muscles resulting in the flopping.  I think that the "drop in their tracks" results from HTL shells is probably a result of the KE shock delivered to the brain and spinal column.  I told my hunting partner that when I weighed the bird that I was going to add about 5 pounds for the feather loss.

yes of course, the sympathetic chain....why didn't I think of that 

[kdfester]

CSI for turkeys. Very neat.

[albrubacker]

Neat!

[Tail Feathers]

Sure wish I'd been there with you to watch that.

I just go with "he's dead" and call it all good.

[decoykrvr]

I shot a 3 year old, 21 #, gobbler yesterday at 32 yards w/ 3" MagBlends.  The gobbler dropped in his tracks and even when the companion gobbler jumped on him, pecking and flogging him w/ his wings he never moved.  With the "dominant" gobbler prostrate on the ground, the other gobbler mounted him in a breeding pose or mimic and proceeded to "false breed' him.  It was a this point that, with face mask and hat off, that I told the gobbler, "I think it's time for you to leave."  Undeterred the gobbler looked at me then proceeded to flog and mount the dead gobbler again.  When I repeated my message, only louder and more forcefully, he reluctantly left.  There will be no necropsy or post-mortem examination on this gobbler, since both the head and neck were shredded by the HTL MagBlend load.

[Mike Honcho]

And I thought I was "ate up" with turkey hunting!!! 

I tip my hat to you sir!

Mike Honcho