2nd shot

[ninepointer]

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences.

[benjhind]

I had a similar experience a few years back.

I was taking an apprentice out for his first hunt. I knew he could bust skeet, but this was is first real hunt. This was the landowner's grandkid. The kid's dad was a write-off (by Grandpa's description) so Grandpa wanted someone to show him the ropes (Grandpa does not hunt turkeys, only deer). The landowner had been VERY good to me over the years so I jumped at the opportunity and hoped to make it work for the young man.

We got in very early with heavy cloud cover. It was black dark. The birds usually roosted in the area so I only hit the "honey hole" under cover of complete darkness. We set up in a stick blind on the ground (just like a big nest of sticks around the base of a tree).

At first light, the gobbler starts spitting in a tree only 50 yards off. I knew it would be a great morning!! I could see him gobbling from the roost, although this was to my left and somewhat behind, so the kid to my right couldn't see as he was sitting to my right. The gobbler flies down and lands 5 yards in behind us. Gobbling and strutting, he makes his way toward our decoy. I see him walking beside me to the left, but Junior can't see him yet. He's only 3 or 4 yards away when he gets far enough that Junior can see him. He starts shaking like a leaf.

The gobbler continues to strut and gobble. He gets out to about 10 yards and the tail is blocking us from his view. I motion for Junior to get the gun up. I hear the click of the safety. So does the gobbler and the tail comes down and the head goes up.

BOOM

The gobbler does that 3 foot vertical leap thing that they often do when you shoot one right beside them. My first thought is "well, Junior got a good show and I get to keep my tag!" When the gobbler hits the ground, he starts running. To my surprise, Junior is almost instantly to his feet. I hear him rack another round into my old 870.

BOOM

Clean head shot. It is all over for old Tom and he's doing the nerve dance.

I've never seen a look of pride like the one I saw on Grandpa's face seeing the boy with his first bird. I showed him how to dress the bird and we prepared the fan for a display.

Sorry for being verbose. This was my best experience as a hunter, and it happened on the second shot. A turkey on the run sticks its head way out and it doesn't bob when they are at full tilt. It is no different from shooting a goose on the wing. Go for the head, lead appropriately, and they will fold.

[ninepointer]

Great story Ben, its like I was there with you guys. Glad it had a happy outcome. After his initial miss, my young hunter tried for the running head shot too, but I think he grazed the bird's chest.

BTW, I've built my fair share of brush pile "nests" for deer and turkey. Effective, free and they don't get stolen or blown away by the wind.

[toddy]

Two examples of where I benefited from a 2nd shot and a 3rd shot and both turkeys were flying. I will start by saying I don't condone shooting a flying bird and in both examples I was probably in the wrong but its how I reacted in the moment.

1st one, very odd morning to start, I was walking into the farm in the dark and I hadn't scouted. I am crossing a pasture and I hear a gobble. I set up, and waited. Gobbling continues, my guess is the bird is 250 yards from me. I am graced now with 3 coyotes stalking the gobbling bird in the tree and they started stalking my decoys. I was torn as all three coyotes got within 20 yards of me before catching my wind and bolting. I was going to shoot them but I hadn't filled a tag yet so turkey was a priority. The turkey took FOREVER to fly down because he had seen the coyotes. Anyways, a hen flew down and made its way to my decoys, shortly after that the tom came out of the tree and briskly made its way over. He stands 20 yards from me. I shoot and I clean miss. I am DUMFOUNDED by this, but he starts to run and I shoot and miss again and he flies and for whatever reason I fired a third shot where I jellyheaded the joker out of mid air at 30 yards. To this day I replay this in my mind and cant figure out how I missed the first two shots.
2nd example - 3 seasons ago it was a tough go, I couldn't get onto birds and they were sparse. It was the last week of May and I set up in the dark, I couldn't get a turkey to sound off the evening before so I was going in blind. When the sun started to come up I could hear a turkey gobbling almost out of earshot. My assumption was there was nothing around me so I sat against the tree, did a few tree cuts and proceeded to play candy crush on phone oblivious to the fact I had a jake working by me at 5 yards. Once I noticed him I froze and waited for an opportunity to raise the gun . . . never really happened as he wouldn't go into full strut and turn his back to me. I slowly raised the gun, he gets nervous and I rush the shot. Clean miss but the joker flies strait at me and does a 90 degree turn at the bushline and I fire a second shot and jellyhead this guy at maybe 3 yards as it flew past me. I literally almost decapitated this bird in flight.

Both examples of a need for an additional shot and both bad examples of taking an additional shot that worked out for me.

[Fox]

Both examples of a need for an additional shot and both bad examples of taking an additional shot that worked out for me.

Proof though that everyone misses every so often.

Good stores, real life accounts.

[dutchhunter]

I have seen it many times after firing a shot birds will jump but stay around for a second shot.