Misses

[Farmboy27]

Ok, here's another one to pass the time. What was your worst or most frustrating time you missed a turkey?  Mine was probably 12 years ago or so. I hunted a bird all spring and could never close the deal. He was with hens in a field all morning every morning and would never budge.  The lay of the land and the property lines really limited how much I could move on the bird. The next to the last saterday of season I saw him alone in the field. I ran to the top of the ridge above him, called and nothing. 10 minutes later he popped up over the brow silently. I happened to have my gun pointed in the right direction and when his whole body was in view I put it on his neck and squeezed off what was a sure shot.  And then he flew away!!!   This was a 25 yard shot with a gun I was intimately familiar with!  I missed a bird or two before that and a bird or two since. I have forgot the details of those but that one is still vivid as the day it happened! 

[Happy]

I hope you can come up with a bunch more of these to pass the time.
Would have to say this year. The miss didn't hurt so bad. The fact that I pulled off everthing perfectly and then pulled a rookie mistake is what got me.  Played it perfect, actually snuck past him at about 70 yards to get to where I knew I could kill him. It worked perfect and when he popped  his head over the rise I tried to shoot him with the safety still on. By the time I got the shot off his head was going behind a sapling and that saved his life. That made miss #3 for me in my 14 year stint since I killed my first.  #1 was pretty painful too tho. I will just say this. Once you adjust your sights make sure you shoot to confirm. Another rookie mistake.

[SinGin]

The first one I called up by myself when I was 15, I can still see the nice patter my Mossberg 500 put in that tree right next to him. Oh the memories.

[Hooksfan]

 Several years back, I made a late season jaunt to attempt my first ever Merriams hunt in NW Nebraska. I had dreamed of getting a Merriam for 25 years. I made the 14 hour drive from Southwest Missouri, and then there I was...sitting in Merriam country on a private piece of ground I had luckily just received permission on, watching  my first ever Merriam gobbler as he strutted inot range, mesmerized by those white rump and tail feathers, waiting for the perfect moment and.....boom...rolled him....and then watched him somehow spring to flight.  I spun around ahead of him and folded him with the second shot.....Only to see him get up and start running through the tall grass.  I looked for that bird for a day and a half. Never did find it. I have never been more sick and I have never seen a bird hit that hard that kept going.

[dirtnap]

I could probably remember all of my misses if I tried, but I like to forget them.  They don't bother me like they use to.

I know one year where I missed 4 in a row, including 2 in one morning on 2 different set ups.

I never tease anybody when they miss.  It happens.

I find that most of my misses boiled down to not aiming properly(head not down on stock). 

The best way to get over a miss is to go kill a few.

[Tail Feathers]

I missed THE boss gobbler in NE a few years ago.
He caught me trying to get up from a belly crawl and took off.  It was an off balance, clean miss.  Probably shouldn't have tried it at all, but it still stings to have missed that one.  I'd worked hard on that tom.

[guesswho]

I've been turkey hunting right at 50 years.  I can honestly say that I've never missed.   However, I have been known to fire a warning shot here and there.   The one that instantly comes to mind was way back when I was 11 or twelve.  We hunted a South Central Florida WMA.  Back then you could camp where ever you wanted to.  We always camped at an area known as Burnt Hammock.  My Dad woke me up and said its time to get up.  I had killed one the previous weekend and convinced myself I'd just stay in my sleeping bag and kill one later.  My Dad told me as he was zipping the tent back up that you can't kill them in bed.   Naturally when the sun started breaking I wished I had went.  I laid there for 30 minutes and thought I need a donut.  I unzipped the tent and one gobbled, I know now he probably gobbled at the loud zipper sound.   We used to hunt without camo but by now we had moved on up.  I threw my oversized camo pants and shirt on and grabbed my home made face mask my Mom made for me out of a pants leg and elastic.  Grabbed my gun and stepped outside.  A short time later I made a racket on a old box call, a Roger Latham I think.   He gobbled again and I knew about where he was.  I eased down a sandy pig trail/two track towards him. I've always been pretty good at Bobcat'n aka sneak and peek.  About 60 yards from the tent there was a curve, I eased and peeked around the curve and he was walking right down the pig trail towards me.  I remember thinking "yeah you can't kill them in bed".   I was going to show my Dad I can!    Should have been a slam dunk.  I got maybe 15-20 yards off the pig trail and just waited.   Even forgot to put my mask on because that was something new to us.  Anyway it wasn't long and he was right in front of me. As soon as he cleared the curve he picked me up and stopped dead in his tracks.  Perfect, head up, standing still.  I have know idea what happened but I decided to fire a warning shot to give him a fair chance.   Then I decided to fire two more warning shots back to back in case the first one didn't scare him enough.   I'm not sure but I think it was the second two warning shots that finally convinced him it was time to go.  Then before I could reload and shoot him fair and square he was gone.  No feathers, no nothing!    I still have that gun and my Mom uses it quite a bit.   A Remington 11-48 in a 16 gauge.  Every time I see it I think of the time I fired three warning shots to keep from proving my Dad wrong.    And for the record I have fired numerous warning shots with that old gun, and all my other guns.  But I have yet to miss one.  Missing would just suck!

[Farmboy27]

I've been turkey hunting right at 50 years.  I can honestly say that I've never missed.   However, I have been known to fire a warning shot here and there.   The one that instantly comes to mind was way back when I was 11 or twelve.  We hunted a South Central Florida WMA.  Back then you could camp where ever you wanted to.  We always camped at an area known as Burnt Hammock.  My Dad woke me up and said its time to get up.  I had killed one the previous weekend and convinced myself I'd just stay in my sleeping bag and kill one later.  My Dad told me as he was zipping the tent back up that you can't kill them in bed.   Naturally when the sun started breaking I wished I had went.  I laid there for 30 minutes and thought I need a donut.  I unzipped the tent and one gobbled, I know now he probably gobbled at the loud zipper sound.   We used to hunt without camo but by now we had moved on up.  I threw my oversized camo pants and shirt on and grabbed my home made face mask my Mom made for me out of a pants leg and elastic.  Grabbed my gun and stepped outside.  A short time later I made a racket on a old box call, a Roger Latham I think.   He gobbled again and I knew about where he was.  I eased down a sandy pig trail/two track towards him. I've always been pretty good at Bobcat'n aka sneak and peek.  About 60 yards from the tent there was a curve, I eased and peeked around the curve and he was walking right down the pig trail towards me.  I remember thinking "yeah you can't kill them in bed".   I was going to show my Dad I can!    Should have been a slam dunk.  I got maybe 15-20 yards off the pig trail and just waited.   Even forgot to put my mask on because that was something new to us.  Anyway it wasn't long and he was right in front of me. As soon as he cleared the curve he picked me up and stopped dead in his tracks.  Perfect, head up, standing still.  I have know idea what happened but I decided to fire a warning shot to give him a fair chance.   Then I decided to fire two more warning shots back to back in case the first one didn't scare him enough.   I'm not sure but I think it was the second two warning shots that finally convinced him it was time to go.  Then before I could reload and shoot him fair and square he was gone.  No feathers, no nothing!    I still have that gun and my Mom uses it quite a bit.   A Remington 11-48 in a 16 gauge.  Every time I see it I think of the time I fired three warning shots to keep from proving my Dad wrong.    And for the record I have fired numerous warning shots with that old gun, and all my other guns.  But I have yet to miss one.  Missing would just suck!

Love the warning shot!!!  Lol!!  Got to start using that one!!  And I also have always ran into trouble trying to prove dad wrong!  Wonder why that is?  Lol.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

I've fired about 7 warning shots myself. LOL, One was just as bad as the other.

[Marc]

I have missed three...  Both were well over 10 years ago, but I still get very nervous taking a shot...  As a miss, I will include any time I pulled the trigger, and did not recover a bird.

One was the first  turkey I ever shot at, and I body shot him...  Rolled him over, and he took off flying.

One was the same year, and I simply shot at a bird too far (once again causing injury to the bird and not recovering it).

The last one was far more recent, but still over 10 years ago...  It was in close range (15 yards or so), but he stuck his head over a knoll, and shooting open sights I put my bead on his head and likely shot right over the top of him.  In order to kill him, I would have had to put the bead below the bird (essentially aiming at the dirt); I now will not shoot at a bird unless I have the whole beard, neck, and head to shoot at.

Only reason I have not missed in more recent years is cause I have not taken any difficult shots.  If I "think I can kill him" I generally pass until "I know I can kill him."  And last season, I passed on a bird in close, but I could only see the top of his head...  I was sure he would keep coming, and I was too nervous to take a shot that that I missed in the past (and is burned into my brain).

Now if you want to discuss shots missed in wing-shooting, I could fill some pages up (with some easy misses at that).

[wvmntnhick]

Well, since I've got a buddy that would discredit my lies, I'll just up and admit to it. I missed a chip shot a few years back. Had 2 birds coming. Happy was doing the calling. I was on auto pilot. Bird came in. We had a very quick discussion about whether I should shoot or wait as I flipped the safety off. About the time he said shoot and I was getting ready to let one fly, the other bird popped into view. Luckily, I didn't apply enough pressure to let that timney trigger break over just yet. Both birds in plain view, did the countdown and someone in the group (not mentioning names) forgot the golden rule. Guy with the rifle shoots first. Lol. Sure that'll get me some flack but I'll get over it. Anyway, his bird was flopping as I tried to get around a tree to shoot mine and he decided to get on with his morning. After a glorious airball, we high fived over his success and worked a couple more birds while heading back to the truck.

More info that some won't want to hear, pretty sure the bird I missed was the same bird I killed while heading back to the truck. He pointed the bird out in the field because I couldn't see him. Finally got him picked out, let one fly and the rest was history. Would've been more fun to get him at the original set but either way, bird came home. That's one of only a few I've shot with a rifle that was farther than shotgun range. As much fun? No. Still enjoyable? Was for me. Guess that what matters in the end.

[codym]

I had my first miss this spring. I was in the wilderness and found this gorgeous waterhole with a big green meadow bordered by the turkiest looking ridges you ever saw. I got in way before sun up and tried to roost some birds on those ridges with no luck, no matter because the birds in this country depend on water so I was sure they would be in the general area. I got set up, put up a couple decoys in front of a little stand of oaks facing the direction I thought the birds would come, sat back a cold called. I was starting to snooze when I decided to throw a series off my schaffer mad hen. Three yelps in a gobbler cuts me off. I cut and he double gobbled. I worked him a little longer and then I see him break out of the woods and start to cross the open meadow in the exact opposite direction I expected him to come from. He flew over a barbed wire fence and was running in, I put the call down and got my gun up. He was sprinting in and it was like he hit a wall and came to a dead stop periscoping and starting to cluck. I figured he was at 40 put the dot on him and squeezed, off he flew. I ranged it and he was at 60 yards.... what an idiot! If I would have been a bit more patient and not put my call down I think I could have pulled him in the rest of the way. If I would have know he was at 60 I wouldn't have shot. Really makes me sick to think about.

[Brian Fahs]

I have screwed up a couple slam dunk opportunities over the years. Some were complete  misses others unrecoverable wounded birds. The one that stands out in my mind the most happened years ago in ohio.

I had hunted opening day in Ohio and killed a nice bird that year. The next day. I chased a gobbler in some real rough stuff and could not get it done. I returned to pennsylvania and worked the next three days. The thought of  that ohio bird never left my mind. I made a stop 4 days later at my camp in western maryland and killed one there after driving straight from work that night and arriving in time to hit the woods. I then drove 250 miles to southern ohio and did not get there till after the noon quitting time. I figured I would  climb the ridge and take a nice nap till fly up time.....wrong.

When I got to the top that bird was going crazy and walking all over the place. I shadowed him for hours and thought for sure a couple times I spooked  him. He gobbled  constantly  till dark and I heard him fly up on a nasty knife back point off the big ridge. I crawled in the back of my old toyota that night and listened to a steady rain hit the topper. I was excited and could not sleep. I was up stupid early and up the ridge. It stopped raining but now it was thick fog. I got  in close just off the top of the knife back and waited. No gobbling no clucks  nothing. It got light the crows lit up and still nothing.  I could only see  about ten yards in the fog. I thought I had lost my mind and was getting ready to leave when I heard a huge thud just on the other side of a huge oak next to me. That bird had pitched into the bank without a noise and  was now abut 5 yards away. I cluck ed and he went crazy gobbling. All I could see was his head come out from behind the tree each time he gobbled. He would not take a step and  I was sure he would bust me if he did. I tried to time it with the shot and even put  a nice groove in the bark of that white oak. The rhino choked sp 10 with nitro don't leave much for error at 5 yards.

That quite him up for the morning but that evening he was back up to his gobbling and walking again. I hounded him till dark and rooted him in a much more killable spot. The weather cooperated and so did that old  longbeard the next morning. As I carried him down the ridge I took a moment just to take it all in. Sometimes we need to struggle a little to appreciate the times when all seems right.

[Kylongspur88]

Missed a brute gobbler last year. I miss judged the distance because of the steep angle and shot right over him.

If you turkey hunt enough you will miss birds. Off the top of my head I can count 3 I've missed since I killed my first when I was 14.

[hotspur]

I have found a few blanks in them turkey loads