Next Question - Wing shooting

[hotspur]

NO  NO  and NO!  This isn't wing shooting.  We are shooting guns that have very tight patterns, at a very BIG bird, with thick feathers, THICK breast meat and they fly very fast.  The percentages of a CLEAN kill is probably 10% or less.  You may break a wing if your lucky but that bird will get on the ground, get away from you and end up as coyote or fox food.  Respect the ANIMAL and get him tomorrow!  Last thing while I'm on my soapbox, why is it as ethical hunters do we try to get these birds inside 40 yards and shoot them in the head and neck?  BECAUSE THEY ARE A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL!!!  Period!!!!

. After shooting wood ducks and greenwing teal all my life  I have no problem hitting that turkey in the head. I know what shots to take and which ones I'll pass on

[owlhoot]

NO  NO  and NO!  This isn't wing shooting.  We are shooting guns that have very tight patterns, at a very BIG bird, with thick feathers, THICK breast meat and they fly very fast.  The percentages of a CLEAN kill is probably 10% or less.  You may break a wing if your lucky but that bird will get on the ground, get away from you and end up as coyote or fox food.  Respect the ANIMAL and get him tomorrow!  Last thing while I'm on my soapbox, why is it as ethical hunters do we try to get these birds inside 40 yards and shoot them in the head and neck?  BECAUSE THEY ARE A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL!!!  Period!!!!

I don't disagree with this at all.  We turkey hunters hold a reverence for "our bird" that is unique in the wing-shooting world, it seems.  The thought of crippling a gobbler weighs heavily in most of our minds. I am right at the top of that list.

I do find it curious that it seems that the same level of concern is much less apparent with regards to other game-bird species.  I wing-shoot a number of game-bird species each year,...and I know that I occasionally hit a bird that either flies on off or eventually dive-bombs off in the distance somewhere and I can't find it.  That seems to happen pretty regularly with the big waterfowl (and similar,...sandhill crane, for instance) species. 

Yet, my level of remorse with those birds is nowhere near what I have for the thought of crippling a gobbler and letting him get away.  I sometimes wonder why that is?  I also wonder if others feel the same way? 

....Just a thought from a wandering mind....

Respect for the animal , crippling a Gobbler I would say is tougher on most . Big buck would be the same thing.

[owlhoot]

NO  NO  and NO!  This isn't wing shooting.  We are shooting guns that have very tight patterns, at a very BIG bird, with thick feathers, THICK breast meat and they fly very fast.  The percentages of a CLEAN kill is probably 10% or less.  You may break a wing if your lucky but that bird will get on the ground, get away from you and end up as coyote or fox food.  Respect the ANIMAL and get him tomorrow!  Last thing while I'm on my soapbox, why is it as ethical hunters do we try to get these birds inside 40 yards and shoot them in the head and neck?  BECAUSE THEY ARE A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL!!!  Period!!!!

. After shooting wood ducks and greenwing teal all my life  I have no problem hitting that turkey in the head. I know what shots to take and which ones I'll pass on

That's good for you hotspur. Lots of shooting.
I would have to agree with bbcoach though. Being around the woods for years a guy can hear the 2-3 shot volleys turkey season . Watching YouTube and hunting shows where plenty of wounding (missing)? occurs even by the guys that are making videos while taking standing shots at the gobblers would suggest that many should not even think about taking a running or flying shot.

[fallhnt]

I never thought I could do it. Don't gun hunt much in Spring so my experience is with Fall. Tight choke, rifle sights and my old school Remington have taken maybe half dozen out of the air. Walking to find flocks in the Fall you sometimes get birds flying up under you.

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[Gobble!]

If a dead turkey is the objective.  To answer the OP's question. Yes.

If you are all cought up in the game and the experience of it then it's for you to decide.  Just remember that when hunting any game animal, that you and you alone dictate what is a successful and satisfying hunt.

x2. I take the shot.

[Tail Feathers]

I've been in that position, three spooked and flew the same path, one after another.  I had the gun up but opted not the shoot.  No regrets on it.  Seems like a high crippling opportunity with tight patterns to me.

[owlhoot]

I've been in that position, three spooked and flew the same path, one after another.  I had the gun up but opted not the shoot.  No regrets on it.  Seems like a high crippling opportunity with tight patterns to me.

Yep, were not all like Sergeant York. Shoot the one in the back so the ones in front don't veer off. He shot a real tight pattern with that rifle.

[dublelung]

It's not something I set out to intentionally do but I've killed 3 flying. One was rolled by my dad and recovered enough to get about 20 ft high and I folded him. The other two came in and busted me and were fleeing the scene and I had wide open close shots. Folded both of them! I've had way more instances where I walked up on gobblers or they walked up on me and I watched them fly away.

[RutnNStrutn]

Personally, I wouldn't. First of all, I shoot with a scope and that's not conducive to wing shooting. Second, if I miss the head and neck, I'd get a breast full of pellets. If they fly, oh well. Move on to the next gobbler.

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