A debate

**trkykilr** · 05-26-2015, 05:50 AM

I had something I wanted to run by y'all to see where everyone stands on this. First, I do not take a turkey that's been shot for granted, but I have seen a few dead ones and I do trust my judgement to determine if further action is needed (follow up shot).

I shot a bird standing on a ridge above me last week. He was a big bird and the one I was looking for. When I shot the bird flipped off of the back side, which was a steep down to a little grassy spot (probably 10' below the top of the ridge). Because I could no longer see the bird I hurried to the top. When I reached the top the bird was right below me maybe 10 yards away. He was lying in a grassy spot with his wings spread about 3/4 of the way out and his fan about half spread. His head was up but not straight up. Bottom line is that I wasn't the least bit worried. Had he even considered standing I could have easily shot again, and I felt 100% in control of the situation. Well, he also felt the same way. I looked down to figure out the best way to him, he sprung like a damn pheasant, flapped twice, and sailed off of that damn mountain keeping enough shit between us to save his ass. Made me absolutely sick.

It was a hot topic of discussion in our house up there, and in this case I clearly made the wrong call. How many of yall err on the cautious side? What's your rule on shooting again?

**joelt1971** · 05-26-2015, 05:57 AM

Shells are cheaper than loosing a wounded bird if I even think he ain't stone cold dead he's gonna get another one fat boy's can't run

**Smilee** · 05-26-2015, 05:57 AM

I'd have shot that bastard. If one even thinks about lifting his head up he is given more medicine. Were you worried about someone hearing you shoot?

**YoungBuckTX** · 05-26-2015, 06:08 AM

I had one last year that tried to do the same, but got a knife in him first.

**rocketman** · 05-26-2015, 06:15 AM

A lot depends on the thickness of the woods and the terrain.
But I "think" if I was in your situation, being OOS and hunting a subspecies far from home I probably would have shot again. The extra shell is the absolute least expensive part of the hunt.

**trkykilr** · 05-26-2015, 06:17 AM

Originally Posted by Smilee

I'd have shot that bastard. If one even thinks about lifting his head up he is given more medicine. Were you worried about someone hearing you shoot?

No. I wasn't really worried about anything. My assessment was that he wasn't going anywhere and I was in control of he did. I was clearly wrong.

**Smilee** · 05-26-2015, 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by trkykilr

No. I wasn't really worried about anything. My assessment was that he wasn't going anywhere and I was in control of he did. I was clearly wrong.

Understood. I was taught at a young age to respect a wounded animal and always assume them to be wounded until you confirmed them dead. I still jab a deer with the rifle barrel or my foot before trying to grab him. Turkeys get the same treatment considering those razors they are packing. Hopefully he will live to see another spring.

**willk** · 05-26-2015, 06:50 AM

**DMP** · 05-26-2015, 07:22 AM

From my experience if a bird has his wings out, fan out, and can somewhat hold his head up, he needs another slap in the face.

**fuzzy** · 05-26-2015, 07:43 AM

Your judgment was wrong on that bird, but it happens. As they say, hind sight is always 20/20. I bet you won't think twice about it next time.

**dixiedeerslaya** · 05-26-2015, 07:43 AM

i shot one bird out of a double that came in this year. when i shot, the bird started flapping and rolled down a small hill about 5' until he hit a tree. when he hit the tree he stopped flapping and didnt move another muscle. i sat right where i was and tried to call the other bird back in. i sat for atleast 10-15 minutes calling to the other bird which gobbled back and forth and eventually started working away from me. all of a sudden my bird started flopping again and next thing you know he was getting away. i jumped up and took off towards him, and all of a sudden he went still again. i put the bead on him and eased up to him and about 5 yards from him he got up again. i was able to run to him and get a foot on his head, but i really really considered shooting again and i think had i not been in such open woods i probably would have. couldnt believe that little sucker sat there for 10-15 minutes dead still, no head up, wings out, or anything, and then got up like he was going to run off. Luckily, he had a wing and a leg broken from the shot, or else i think that bastard would have ended up getting away.

bottom line is, hind sight it 20-20. you can only do what you think you need to do. i would rather not shoot a turkey a second time. it usually tears them up pretty bad, but i would rather not lose one either.

**SCtrkyhntr1** · 05-26-2015, 07:54 AM

If there head is up and they are not close enough for me to grab their neck, I'll usually chop them again.

I had a incident with a turkey about 15 years ago that led me to chose this method. I shot a bird through a little brush but felt sure that I pounded him. For some reason I leaned my gun on a tree and began walking towards the bird. When I got close to him, he took off running and so did I. I reached a point during the run where I could almost reach the bird about the same time I felt my heart was going to explode. I dove and ending up catching the turkey around the neck and killing him but I never forgot how close I was to losing that bird. Now days if the head is up, I will try to detach it with another round.

**quack head 11** · 05-26-2015, 08:13 AM

Hell you shot his ass once, shoot him again!!!

**MKW** · 05-26-2015, 09:49 AM

I certainly won't fault you for your choice. Not sure what I would have done in that situation, without being there. Sometimes things go wrong. No way around that.
Sometimes you just don't know what to do. This spring I shot a bird at about 30yrds. He hit the dirt and as sat there trained on him, he stood up and began stumbling around in about 5ft diameter circles. He looked just like he was normal, but walking in small circles. I was dumbfounded. I stood up and walked towards him with my shotgun trained on him. I walked right to him and grabbed his throat and snapped his neck. Turns out that I hit a small sapling and one pellet went in one eye and out through the other. Weirdest shit I've seen.

**WNM** · 05-26-2015, 10:01 AM

Not a turkey playing possum, but we had it happen with a goose. Dropped stone cold dead, not a twitch. We had another group come in and short stop us near the "dead" goose 20 minutes later (didn't want to trudge through the mud out of the blind during prime time). All of the sudden, the "dead" goose comes back to life and starts flailing around, still with his head down dragging. He does this for a few minutes and magically lifts his head up and starts swimming and trying to fly off like nothing had happened. He had a broken wing, so he couldn't get away. Only other pellet hole we saw was through an eye.

**coonsqualler01** · 05-26-2015, 10:02 AM

They aren't dead until they are hanging on the skinning rack. Boozer you know I am a big fan of a follow up shot or shots, you just never know. Damn if some of em just are not meant to die. So many variables after it goes down with the first shot, and they are slick little bastards at getting out of dodge with the quickness. If one hoo dood you he earned his freedom.

**trkykilr** · 05-26-2015, 10:11 AM

As I stated over 55 beers the night we debated this in WA, it is a gut feeling thing to me. I feel like I have walked up to enough of them to have a feeling. This time my feeling was flat wrong. As I replay it, I was above the bird and it appeared he flat out had no where to go. Turns out, that was completely wrong. On flat ground, he never gets away, but being on the top of a mountain, it took exactly two flaps to gain enough altitude to sail for miles. Just a complete fuck up. I posted this to see if I need to modify my behavior and it seems that I do. Plenty of hunters that I respect have weighed in, and I need to be more vigilant. I will say this, it was a lonely hike down that mountain.