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TheMadCatter

TheMadCatter

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This morning I had a great hunt! Everything was perfect, oh wait besides the fact I got out there and set up at 5:45am but besides that I had a gobbler come in at 30 yards and it was a tug of war for 1hr! He'd come in then back out in then back out. I got sick of it! Then here comes 3 hens and 2 other Toms he relaxed and I let an arrow fly at 31 steps from my blind. Feathers went everywhere and he made a weird sound. I watched him fly off, then went to look for my arrow about 30mins later and it wasn't there! I go looking for the turkey and I never found him! What are the chances he's still alive? If I go out this afternoon and look will he still be there? I had a good shot just a little high and to the right but other than that it was a great shot. At least I thought it was. He's a smaller bird 7" beard, 3/4" spurs, maybe 25# if I'm lucky. But he's still the first one I've actually hit good. Is it just because I'm hunting with a bow? I'm using muzzy pythons and 40# draw. I'm just confused on what happened! I have track practice then baseball practice tonight so I won't get home until 7ish which only gives me maybe 1hr of good light to search. I'll bring my bow just in case another Tom comes up but how do I know this won't just happen again?
 
In my opinion you got impatient and took too far of a shot. Unless you can consistently hit a softball sized target at 30 yards better wait till they're closer. My bet is you didn't hit him well enough to kill him. Next time be more patient, wait for a closer shot.
 
Take your dog out and look under any down logs, brush piles, thick grass, etc.. Look at a vitals chart on turkeys, not much room for error with a bow (when body shooting). I'm guessing he's still alive, but you need to exhaust all efforts looking. You owe to the game you chase :way:

Like Muddy said, wait until they're closer unless you are certain you can make a killing shot.
 
And, if you can, get a huge expandable broadhead. They help on putting those longbeards down. You're due for one, keep at it!
 
Well, if it was 25 pounds he's probably tough enough to survive. 7 inch beard makes me think hes about 1.65 years old. Which will leave him plenty of stamina to make it. They are tough at that age.

You said that you hit high and right. Which way was he facing?
Usually its hit 'em high watch em Die, hit em low watch em go... That is unless you are too high.

What kind of blood was it? Neck blood or tail blood? That may help answer the high and right question. Back and to the left is a famous shot that many of us know about and some may even remember. High and right though, that may be bad news.
 
Sounds like you hit him high, took off a bunch of feathers and the arrow skipped off to never never land. Was he strutting? Easy to do then. If you hit them good, they usually dont go far, if anywhere. If they do they sure dont look good, and most of the time bury in some thick stuff to die. I have shot all mine with a 3 blade muzzy. When hit good you know it. A breast meat or high grazing shot and they will just take off. If he drops dont waste time, get out and get him. They have a bad habit of coming back to life and getting away. Dont give up, and like Muddy said, "be patient".
 
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6x6 said:
Sounds like you hit him high, took off a bunch of feathers and the arrow skipped off to never never land. Was he strutting? Easy to do then. If you hit them good, they usually dont go far, if anywhere. If they do they sure dont look good, and most of the time bury in some thick stuff to die. I have shot all mine with a 3 blade muzzy. When hit good you know it. A breast meat or high grazing shot and they will just take off. If he drops dont waste time, get out and get him. They have a bad habit of coming back to life and getting away. Dont give up, and like Muddy said, "be patient".
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He wasn't strutting, what's the difference between neck blood and tail blood? The arrow was in the bird, I just figured when he flew he'd lose it. I'm having a tough time with Turkeys! He made a weird noise though. Like a screech gobble and a wheeze maybe a lung? He was angling to the right a little not in strut.
 
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Turkeys are a tough gig! And a 25 pound turkey is a pretty dang big turkey.Turkeys love to climb in tree tops and brushpiles to die so if you dont have a bloodtrail its gonna be real tough to find,especially since he flew off.Good luck!
 
Angling to the right, going away? Unless you just got breast , which I doubt, because the arrow did not go thru, it sounds like he may be dead. My bird a couple weeks ago made the same wheezing, gurgling noise as he walked off and died.
 
6x6 said:
Angling to the right, going away? Unless you just got breast , which I doubt, because the arrow did not go thru, it sounds like he may be dead. My bird a couple weeks ago made the same wheezing, gurgling noise as he walked off and died.
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Yeah, that's what he did, but it was weird how he flew off. He was disoriented as he flew. Jeez! I won't bring my dog with me but I'll look harder now. Might get a chance at another Tom going back to the roast. As there were a few other Toms there too.
 
What happened is that patience or lack of it got the best of you and you took too long of shot and had a not so great of a hit. The bird is dead and if you have a hunting dog that has a good nose take him out there and you will at least recover it. It won't be any good to eat but at least you will have recovered it and give it it's proper respect.

Like others have said it's a very small kill zone and it helps to use the largest exandable bh as well or only take head/neck shots. Those basically are a clean kill or a clean miss.

Turkeys will have you frustrated at some time every season. Enjoy it. It just allows you to go again.
 
I'll bring my bow just in case another Tom comes up but how do I know this won't just happen again?[/QUOTE said:
You don't.

The first year I bowhunted I wounded three that I was not proud of that I

could not find.

I practiced, practiced and practiced some more until I was in a grouping

the size of a baseball.

Patience is also important as Muddy noted . You might have to pass a few toms up at times because they do not offer you the right shot or might be a little to far out. Come back for him a different day.

It happens to us all. You do owe it to the animal though to make a quick

humane kill. Practice until it is second nature and you will do just fine. :way:

Good Luck.
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