HELP!!! Missed shot, now what?

[bmc]

Hey guys,

I need some info. being a novice turkey hunter. I was out this morning and missed a gobbler (beard was haning down 8"?). I mis-judged the yardage and shot under him, taking 3 feathers off him. I watched him run off through the binocs, no worse for the wear. I was happy though that he walked by an open gate, went about 30-40 yards down the fenceline, and I called him back. I had a jake and 2 hens out, he seemed pretty nervous, probably not the boss of the woods I'm guessing. I wonder if it was my decoys or blind that spooked him? He came from the direction where I heard a gobbler for the first hour of daylight. Did I burn this spot, or should I hunt it again? If I should hunt it again, should I set up in the exact same spot or what? I'm thinking of trying a different area tomorrow. What to do, besides not miss?

Brian

[Wallydog]

BMC,

You should be fine hunting the same bird. Not in the same spot, not with the same set-up & probably not calling the same way.

WD

[Borch]

The spot isn't burned either. Other birds will have no problems coming in but this one may be very leary for a few days. To help witht he excitement of a bird coming in and the tendancy to misjudge distances especially in fields, pace off your yardage and stick a twig in the ground for a reference mark.

Good Luck for the rest of your season.

[RodNGun]

BMC don't worry about the missed shot everyone does it. As far as your spot goes you should be ok. Just not the same exact spot. If you are hunting the area because there is activity, I would advise watching him and trying to intersect him on his travels to and from the spot. If you see him come out of the woods at a certain spot chances are he will do that the following day. Try running and gunning for late season birds don't set up decoys if you are intersecting the birds. And put one the ground team 4 needs a fourth bird to score. Good Luck.

[Cheetah]

bmc, I assume your mention of yardage is because you are using archery equipment. With a shotgun, you shouldn't have to compensate at all, unless you have a funky gun that patterns poorly.

Either way, turkeys are pretty dumb sometimes. That bird may not be spooked too badly if he came back to your decoys like that. I bet you'll hear (or see) him again in the same area.

[bmc]

How's that saying go? Third time's a charm, or in this case, third shot is the charm. I let the "miss" spot cool off yesterday and hunted elsewhere's only to have no activity whatsoever. This morning, I go back to the exact same spot and set the blind up. Major gobbling activity this morning from 5am to 9am. I heard several different birds, including the one I missed the other day. I couldn't get my hen decoy stake to work today, so no decoys out front. About 6:15am I hear a hen cut loose, I mimick her calls, and she had the gobblers fired up. She came within 4 steps of the blind, then headed out to the planted field towards the closest gobbling tom. A short while later here she comes along the fenceline and what do I see, a big fan following behind her. The tom steps into the gate opening, I proceed to send an arrow just over his back, he runs to the right, and I call him back into the gate opening again. This time another miss, just under him. He kept gobbling off and on all morning, as did other toms. Tomorrow morning is my last chance. I'm very diappointed to say the least especially since I practiced a ton this spring. The shots were about 30-35 yds. What will this wind do to the activity? They're saying 15-30mph here tomorrow.

Brian

[RodNGun]

Put that bow down and shoot your first bird with a gun. Its so much funner to see them do backflips at 25 yards. Or get a gobbler guilatine and shoot his head off. Good Luck BMC. Ob1 Conobi your our only hope.

[Surface Tension]

Brian, I admire your determination to get your first bird with a stick. I wouldn't dwell on the missed shots, just enjoy the experience of the hunt.

Don't know if you got that bird your last day but I bet your hooked on turkey hunting.

[bmc]

Yep Frank, much to my wife's dismay, I'm hooked on turkey hunting! Actually she's really good about my outdoors hobbies. Now I may have a connection down by Menahga, MN to hunt, just have to see if there's a huntable number of turkeys in that area.

Brian