Out Turkeyed

[Ranger B]

We had a front move through over night and this morning so I went out this evening in hopes that things would start moving. I didn't see a deer but when the sun poked through for a few minutes I saw the black shinny backs of some turkeys moving up the ridge. I was watching them when I suddenly heard something behind me. I peeked around and it was about 20 more turkeys and they were moving in fast. I eased around, concealed by a cedar, and prepared for a shot.

The lead two came straight in to me and I drew the old Hackberry Hammer and let fly. I popped the first one and he flipped up in the air and began the dance. He flipped and flopped and did a few wing overs and I thought he was going to die right there under my stand. The others didn't know what to think and were about to put the spurs to him, then he composed himself, broke my arrow off just below the fletching and marched off through the woods. I looked for that turkey for over an hour until it got dark and found nothing! Out turkeyed!!!

[sailordad]

yup they are tuff like that, i have been bow hunting them things for several years and have had that happen many times.
now i try for head shots, either they are dead or not that way and they dont wonder off with an arrow of mine


                                                                    tim

[mullet]

  That's a shame, he's more than likely dead or coyote food. They will crawl under some of the thickest stuff and shovel leaves on top of themselves when hurt. They usually die this way and something with a better nose finds them.

[Ranger B]

well he must have used the leaf trick because I was on a ridge and the leaves are off the trees now so I could see pretty good and I looked everywhere....except where he was.

[mullet]

 Then again, maybe it was a flesh wound.

[sailordad]

i breasted a bird a couple years back,arrow went clean thru the breast meat.acted like a busted wing.tried to fly and couldnt
ran like hell though tracked him for about 10 yds from where i hit him to the tree line and gone,looked atthe arrow there was flesh,somefeather very little blood
but what you could tell was definatly white breast meat on the shaft.
i dont think i could have found that one if i wanted to ,he ran into a deep, and i mean deep briar patch that was thicker than hair on a gorillla.
i figured either the yotes got him that night since he couldnt fly or that"minor flesh wound" healed and he lived for another day.
tuff birds

[FlintWalker]

Turkeys are tough critters.  I killed one once with a .22 bullet against it's breast bone. A couple had had their breasts cut in half by something and had healed up (broadhead or bullet maybe). And a bunch of them with lead shot in their bodies and legs.  If you don't get a perfect shot on one, they can be hard to put down.  Better luck next time.

[mullet]

 Yea, a buddy of mine stuck one four times and still didn't recover it. He was trailing it after the first shot and everytime he got near it he shot it again and it would flop and then run off.

[armymedic.2]

i have had turkeys run off on me too, sorry to hear it.  they are tough!

[Papa Matt]

WOW! 4 arrows and still moving?? I've heard my brother who hunts turkeys more than I do, tell of tales where one would take an arrow broadside from a compound and fly away, but I always thought he was full of it. This is madness. But I guess it would make sense, if that arrow has to penetrate a wall of thick 3/8" primary quills, it's going to loose a whole lotta steam.

[sailordad]

there was another time i hit one at 9yds with my wheelie bow,it was set at 60lbs back then,arrow was sticking out both sides,one wing dragging
on the ground  and i'll be damned if he didnt jump up and fly with just one wing,never did find him.
he flew across three differant fields before he went into the trees. i looked for 6 hours no luck though.

[mullet]

 I lost one 3 years ago I hit at 15 yards with my muzzleload shotgun with #6. The gig was up and I had to pull the trigger, but the safety was hung half way. I got it off and shot to quick and hit it in the wing and leg.I sat there reloading as fast as I could while it walked off dragging it's wing and wobbling. I looked for that bird for four hours and never found it, I was sick. It was the first one I ever lost and the first bad shot I had put on one.

[Ranger B]

I got a big tom with a recurve last year but I hit him at the base of the neck and he bled like crazy.  I was hunting on the ground so I ran out and grabbed him quick to finish him off.

[mullet]

The one I killed last year I hit the base of the throat also, with a stone point.It flew 20 yards and then walked about 10' and fell over dead.

[GregB]

That's too bad Jimmy...they're tough critters I guess!