I missed... Now what?

[kingofspringmi]

Hey y'all,

I unfortunately joined the "I missed" club this afternoon and I need some help. I've been hunting these birds for a week now and I finally got an opportunity to harvest one and just didn't connect. Of course, they ran out of the field and I got out of there as quickly as I could without them seeing me. But now I'm unsure of how much their behavior will change. I know where they roost and where they go in the morning, and it was my plan to hunt them tomorrow morning before today happened. I'm now not sure how they'll react when they see decoys or hear my calling though. Do you think their behavior will drastically change, or will I be alright tomorrow morning?

I had one hen decoy out, and the bird gobbled about a minute after I shot. They're pretty vocal in the morning.

We'll never know until tomorrow, but any help is appreciated at the moment.

[mspaci]

we all miss, just keep hunting, Mike

[Sixes]

I wouldn't change a thing.  Sometimes hunters give animals way too much reasoning ability.  Gobblers survive on instinct and not memory.

A few years back, I spooked one bad that came in quiet, he left flying and putting, I circled around the same hollow, set up in another spot and within an hour, he had started responding and came right in to the gun

[mspaci]

I missed one Wed, killed him Sat. Mike

[Wigsplitter]

If anything change calls - get back after him !! Good luck!!

[kingofspringmi]

Thanks y'all, I appreciate it. I'm going back tomorrow pretty darn early before sunrise so I can be exactly where I need to be in the morning. If I'm lucky I'll post a pic of a bird tomorrow.

Safe hunting

[High plains drifter]

You missed? Jesus!!

[WildTigerTrout]

Anybody who says they have never missed one has not hunted them very long.  It happens to the best of us.  Does not feel good but do not let it get you down.  Get back after them. 

Several years ago I missed a nice one at 9am and killed my best ever(different bird than the one I missed) in the same spot at 1145.  He is now proudly posted on this forum as my Avatar!  GO GET HIM!

[Tail Feathers]

When you miss, you hang your head, you move on to gnashing your teeth and kicking yourself over it.
Then you make sure your gun is sighted in and move on from it. 
Yeh it sucks, but you got to get back in the game.

[mountainhunter1]

It often depends on where you are hunting at many times. On hard pressured public land, it is not uncommon for that bird to shut down for a few days at the least - to possibly being done for the year if he gets shot at. On private land, or much less pressured public, it can be totally different. The fact that you heard him gobble that quick tells me that you are most ikely still in the game. The responses on here are pretty accurate, you likely can still kill him. Take the advice another offered, change your call and give him a completely new sound. If possible, move to a different location on the property and try to not call him back to the exact same spot where he was shot at. Here is the thing about turkeys, I hunt pressured birds, and they don't take well to be shot at, but even in pressured areas - with turkeys there is always that one who will totally defy whatever we think that we know about them to begin with. Pressured or unpressured, the bird you missed today may be the one that tomorrow will act as if nothing ever happened. You just don't know for sure what they will do until you go back, and that is part of why I keep going back to the woods every chance I get.

[bonasa]

Get back on that horse

[kingofspringmi]

Thanks everyone for the stories and advice, I really appreciate it.

I didn't get to go out this morning since I woke up feeling under the weather, but as soon as I feel able I'll be right back out there hunting him.

I've had over 24 hours to think about the encounter and I've come to the conclusion that I over shot him. While I'm still a little bummed about it, I'm just glad he wasn't injured. I'll let y'all know how the rest of my season unfolds with him.

Safe hunting

[chadly]

I hope you feel better soon and get back out and get that bird. 

[ChesterCopperpot]

I've had over 24 hours to think about the encounter and I've come to the conclusion that I over shot him. While I'm still a little bummed about it, I'm just glad he wasn't injured. I'll let y'all know how the rest of my season unfolds with him.

Old timer told me once, "I ain't ever seen nobody shoot one's feet off." His point was that we almost always pull high (that is unless we've got a sight and the sight has been knocked off). Happens to all of us. Like a lot of folks have said, if you ain't missed you ain't been at it very long.


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[shatcher]

S.O.L.  Old school here.  You oughta know better.