How'd you or a friend get shot while turkey hunting?

[Ozarks Hillbilly]

Eggshell, I think you definitely need to keep telling your account as a reminder to us all!

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[tomstopper]

Eggshell, I think you definitely need to keep telling your account as a reminder to us all!

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I agree. Glad your doing well now. This is exactly why I won't take my daughters on public land. Even on private, you always need to be super alert. Had a poacher sneak in on my wife's grandmother's land and shot a decoy. Thank God he was behind me and off to my left, and all the pellets went past me. After serving in the Marines and deployed to Iraq, I can say that any instance where you have been shot at or in close range is not fun and will make you count your blessings. Again eggshell, I am glad that the good Lord gave you another chance on life.

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[Sir-diealot]

Wow Eggshell, you went through a lot. My first accident in 88 I came out of much more mature and able to appreciate life and what I had more. I was young and dumb and that accident was partially my fault, nothing like what you went through when it was no fault of your own. I am glad you got back out into the woods, it is such a incredible loss when it is taken from you. Not saying you did not appreciate it but at 18 I certainly did not appreciate life and all it has to offer, I am lucky God saw fit to give me another chance and glad he did you as well.

[Marc]

No turkey hunting stories...

I have been "peppered" while dove hunting and pheasant hunting from careless hunters shooting at low birds.  Hurt bad enough that I cursed, but kept hunting.

My father got shot while quail hunting twice.  The last time was with me and another friend of mine, and my buddy was simply careless...  About 30 yards away and my father took pellets to the head and hand (his hand luckily was blocking his head and took multiple pellets).

The other time, he was hunting a public area and some other hunters shot him (and then ran off).  he took a pellet to the orbital bone surrounding the eye, but suffered no vision loss.

Another friend was shot chuckar hunting, and took a load at about 30 yards to the chest and head...  No life-long injuries, but it sure ruined his day.

Someone else I know shot his own foot off duck hunting...  He was chasing a cripple, held the bird up for his brother to see, the gun slipped (and somehow spun), and in trying to catch it, he discharged the gun.

Someone was killed at a club near us, shot himself in the chest.  Older gentleman, and it was thought he was using the gun as a cane of sorts.

Eggshell, thank you for sharing...

[fallhnt]

Had shot hit the side of my face while pheasant hunting.
Had a buddy swing and kill a Woodcock that died in front of me. I seen it coming and hit the deck.
Had a guy pointing his gun a me and a buddy while calling turkeys in the Fall. Another guy in our group watched him do it. When I told the guy what was going on,he said he was aiming at turkeys.
Know a guy that was Spring turkey hunting near a road. A truck stopped, the passenger got out and ran to his hen decoy and shot it. In shock the hunter yelled at the guy about gobblers only. The shooter replied, "It's turkey season ".
Was Fall archery turkey hunting in KS near a road. Had a truck back up when the driver spotted my decoys. I yelled, don't shoot my decoys and the truck took off.
On the flip side of this,I was walking and calling Fall turkeys when I stopped to wait for my buddy. I had been there long enough that things settled down when I noticed a man sitting stone still at the base of a tree. He didn't move a muscle until I made eye contact with him. He too hunted this area for Fall turkeys. I'm glad he was a seasoned hunter.
On another hunt,my buddy and I roosted some Fall birds. He was to go north at the fence so I knew where not to shoot. I shot a bearded hen that came in quiet after flydown. I shot due west. Imagine my surprise when my buddy showed me his setup that was over the hill DUE WEST. I apologized and he said it was his fault for not going where he said he was going.
All of these hunts took place on public ground in three different states.

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[bbcoach]

This is terrible that it happens but we as hunters need to see and hear this.  This is a reminder that we are participating in an activity that is dangerous.  We need people like Eggshell to share their stories to remind us that we ALL should take precautions and remain vigilant when we are in the woods when hunting any bird or animal.  Thanks for sharing Eggshell!  Please post this up next spring to remind us ALL of the risks we encounter when hunting and to remain safe and vigilant.   

[bear hunter]

was moving in to set up on a roosted gobbler. The turkey flew down in very low light the earliest i have ever seen one fly down the turkey landed on ridge above me while i was still walking he moved to other side of ridge and someone on other side of ridge rained shot over my head it was really close call.

[Southerngobbler]

My turkey hunting pants have a cargo pocket that holds nothing but a wadded up orange vest-the perforated type that rifle deer hunters wear. When I change pant that's the first thing that gets swapped out. Anytime I see another hunter in the woods I take it out and hang in in a branch near me until he looks over and sees it. They typically walk away at that time which is just what I was hoping for. Also I'll usually wear it on the walk out if I'm carrying a dead turkey or even a decoy.

[paboxcall]

Spring season about 15 years ago a very good friend was peppered in the face about 75 yards when another hunter crawled / stalked into my buddy's decoy setup location and shot the inflatable jake deke. The shooter never made a call. Fortunately my friend was wearing his prescription safety glasses as one pellet shattered the lens but stopped it from hitting him.

Another reason I never carry and use a deke.

[quavers59]

I have been Peppered several times from a long distance while pheasant hunting in New York. On the Preserve- everyone has to wear safety glasses.

[3bailey3]

I know a guy here in MS. that was walking out in a wide open field with his 8 or 9 year old son when he was shot in the head, thankfully he survived but his son never hunted again, the story is in Bobby Dale book Double Gobble. The OP ask if some might have been prevented, you cant fix STUPID!

[MDSTRUTNRUT]

WOW eggshell that is some story, thanks for sharing and hopefully will be a an eye opener for someone else.  In my old job, I had the opportunity to see hunting accidents first hand with many sad circumstances some fatal.  The only turkey hunting one I was involved with was a 12 year old that shot his father in the face blinding him in one eye an he was  VERY LUCKY!   The dad had heard a bird and left his son to work the bird then crawled back to the boy.  As he crawled out of a shallow ditch he waved at his son wearing brown jersey gloves and the  boy was sure that he was shooting at a turkey that was near and gobbling.   The boy had not had hunter safety.     
This young man Josh Carney has a sobering story about getting shot while turkey hunting as a boy by his dad and a tremendous testimony.  He also has unbelievable ability to use his voice to call turkeys and other animals that resulted from the accident.
Be sure to watch these and some more out there
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyAC8umfKVs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNKqbaRmEUE.

[eggshell]

I watched the video and the young man is very impressive in his attitude. The dad had to be devastated. The feelings and thoughts he described immediately after the accident are things I felt as well and were quite moving for me ( not particularly good feelings). when you think your dying you find out what you cherish in life and it's not turkey hunting that is your treasure. You think of those you love deeply and how their life will be without you. If your a person of faith your relationship with God becomes very real. Your not sure just what is going to happen next. Physical pain is a very real part of the experience, but often when injuries are so serious it's not as prevalent as one might think. However, later pain is horrible as your body resets to recover and everything starts to work towards healing. It hurts to breath, it hurts to move and some days it hurts to think. This is when you make up your mind to either sink into self pity or get to work at getting better. This young man got to work.

As much as we love turkey hunting, no turkey is worth a human life or injury. You must always know what your shooting and have a realistic knowledge of what is beyond your shot. After I was shot, I plead with the Lord to let me see my wife and kids again, I didn't give a damn if I ever turkey hunted again!!! I still pray every season for all my friends safety in the woods. That is why turkey hunting is still a passion of mine, but is only a recreational joy of God's great earth. I realize it's not my treasure. That is why I purged all my beards, spurs and trophies. I realized the real joy is not on the wall, but with the fellowship of friends and the wonders of the woods and fields. After the kill it's over except for a good meal and good memories. Please understand I don't think mounts and trophies are wrong, I just say the hunt isn't about the bragging rights for me. I actually enjoy looking at good mounts and they inspire good memories. I just realized I was hunting for what I could show off and missing a lot of what was real. For many they can do both, but I didn't. At one time I would ditch family just to turkey hunt. My oldest daughter's birthday is mid April and I missed many of her early birthdays just to turkey hunt. As an adult she still tells people, "dad was never at my birthday parties, he was turkey hunting". Perspective people, that is what we need to focus on. How do you see your sport against life? That is what each person has to answer for themselves. For me that all changed the day I almost died!

[Ozarks Hillbilly]

Another great post Eggshell, I think this thread is a great safety reminder along with being a gut check as to what we should hold nearest and dearest.

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[NCL]

Eggshell,

Your posts are very inspirational, especially the last one above, also very important information that should be thought about every time we are in a hunting/shooting situation, regardless of the type of weapon. What we doing in out hunting efforts is building memories, some good, some bad and some terrible like you experienced. If you think about it have you ever seem a hunting story that starts with I killed X animal/bird and then going back to the when, where, and how.  Thank you for relating the information of your tragedy and keep posting it less someone forget how life can change in an instant.