Clean miss...Dang it!!!

[Cut N Run]

I've had a rough season so far. Heard gobbles in the distance from some of the small properties I hunt, where I couldn't move closer to them. Had gobblers coming to my calls get hijacked by hens along the way a few times.  Had a gobbler move to a strut zone and holler back to me without moving a step closer. Just back & forth gobbling his @$$ off, taunting me.  Of course, it was a 100% ghost town the next day when I was in a better position.  Got inside of 125 yards from a roosted gobbling bird yesterday, who went silent on fly down and never gobbled again. I know he never saw or heard me, it's too thick.  I'm sure most everyone on here has been through the same at some point.

This morning there were two gobbling birds roosted on opposite directions, a long ways off from my ace in the hole hot spot.  I've killed 6 longbeards hunting from the base of the same tree over the past 5 years.  It is as close to an automatic spot as anywhere I know.  Since nothing was close, at 6:30 I walked up towards the ridge and cutt hard with my long box and got no response from either side.  Back in my usual tree, as I was checking my watch, a gobble across the ridge at 6:55.  I cutt right back and he gobbled on top of it.  I just set the call down because I knew he'd come looking. At 7:07 I saw the top of his fan coming down the ridge.  I moved my head a little and he saw it, but a breeze saved my bacon by moving all the leaves around.  he kept coming forward & I got the gun up when he went behind an oak bigger around than me.  As soon as his head popped out, I pulled the trigger and shot right over his head.  He flew off and I still can't hardly believe it. I rushed the shot.  If I had been locked down on the stock and waited a couple more seconds, I would have notched a tag. It has been 13 or 14 years since I missed.  At least it was a clean miss and he should be bigger next year.  The season ends Saturday and I already have plans to hunt a different farm then.

On the way home I drove past a small field that shares a boundary with the farm I hunt and there were 8 jakes feeding in the field.  Things look bright for the future out there.  As bad as the miss hurt, seeing those jakes made me feel a little better.

I'll bet I don't miss the next time.

Jim

[tomstopper]

Good luck man. Sounds like you're keeping a positive outlook. Good things will come....

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[dejake]

How do you know it was a clean miss?

[daddyduke]

If you hunt long enough, It happens. Good luck on next hunt! Maybe a Blessing in disguise.

[HookedonHooks]

I did the same thing this year on my Alabama trip, the last morning I was there. Wasn't even 15 minutes after shooting time, I rushed my shot right as he cleared the tree, just the same, and missed him. It sucks a whole lot, but I certainly have corrected myself on the other three birds that have came to the gun in Missouri/Kansas since then.

Keep your head up and stay after them. It's not the first time, and probably won't be the last!

[Marc]

How do you know it was a clean miss?

I cannot speak to the author...

But "misses" in my experience come from three most likely scenarios...

1) Shooting at birds too far.  These are generally not clean misses, and are situations in which we hit the birds with some pellets but nothing fatal...

2) Shooting over the top...  Either we do not put our head on the stock all the way (which will create a "high shot" or we can see the head, but the rest of the bird is obscured, and we put the hold point too high...

For birds at 20 yards and closer (or even 30 yards or closer) I think many times the shooter shoots over the top...

3) Hitting and obstruction (such as a rock or tree) instead of the bird.

All three scenarios are likely due to "shooting too fast."

[TauntoHawk]

How do you know it was a clean miss?

Shot was 14yds at that range you tend to know if you connected or not


Keep after it Jim, good txting with you today, and appreciate the help from earlier in the season when I was down in your neck of the woods

[Cut N Run]

I know it was a clean miss because he was 13 or 14 yards and I shoot for the head with a super tight choke.  If one single pellet of Hevi #6s hit the top of his head from that close, it would have knocked him on his butt, or he would have sprayed blood.  I didn't have my head down on the stock in a foolish rookie move.  I've been hunting turkeys for a long time and I definitely know better.  Having a gobbler close usually doesn't tear me up, but I made a couple of mistakes that I haven't made in 25+ years. I found no feathers, no blood, and the only reaction I saw from the gobbler was him jumping straight up and flying off.  If I hit a gobbler with even a small part of that pattern, it would have absolutely rolled him from that close.

Jim

[spaightlabs]

Look at the bright side - you earned another day in the woods. 

[ShootingABN!]

Yes it even happens to seasoned veterans. Good luck on you next hunts.

I was watching 411 with CUZ, and they showed Paul B miss one, Mark and CUZ were all hunting together. Great show.

Good luck everyone.

[renegade19]

I was one of the guys that thought I'd never miss.  Guess what, I was wrong!  It happens to all of us and you're right, it's usually a hurried/rushed shot.  Get right back on them.  Birds have to win some of the time or it wouldn't be as much fun!

[tomstopper]

I was one of the guys that thought I'd never miss.  Guess what, I was wrong!  It happens to all of us and you're right, it's usually a hurried/rushed shot.  Get right back on them.  Birds have to win some of the time or it wouldn't be as much fun!

Agreed. Happened to me this year and it was a long time ago that I missed. Got on him the next day and got my redemption. Made it even more satisfying

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[guesswho]

It happens to most.  But I can honestly say I have never missed in 50 plus years of turkey hunting! 

Now I have fired my share of warning shots during that timeframe.

[tomstopper]

It happens to most.  But I can honestly say I have never missed in 50 plus years of turkey hunting! 

Now I have fired my share of warning shots during that timeframe.

Lol....

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[1iagobblergetter]

Look at the bright side. You get to hunt longer...It happens. You just have to figure out what went wrong which you did and get back after them...
I missed 2 in a row on the same day. I was 2hrs40min from home and a spare gun,but I decided I couldn't hit with those sights so I quit before I wounded one. When I got home I put a Nikon Turkey Pro on, Patterned it ,and probably 15 or 20 Turkey's later haven't missed....Knock on wood!!! Good luck to you!!!