Originally Posted By: John Roberts

Most of the time you miss spectacularly, but on occasion you actually hit him somewhere. Nothing sadder than watching a wounded gobbler go out of sight.
JR


You are shooting a shotgun with a certain sized pattern that changes size according to the distance to your target.

How could you be so sure that any shot is a total miss because the turkey flushed, ran or flew away ?

I've killed hard hunted gobblers towards end of season that the breast meat was gangrene from being shot.

I called in and shot a gobbler on Moss Island on the Mississippi river one year at the shot he flew up through the giant cotton wood trees like a 747 leaving town. About 150 yards away I see this dark flash...I'm thinking he went down.
I marked a big tree in my head picked up my calls and about 200 yards away I found him shortly after I reached the tree. I had to hold the gun up a long time...I'm left handed and was twisted as far to the left as I could...about a 20 yd shot. Open hardwood bottom no blind no decoys.

Years ago hunting in Missouri I shot a gobbler at about 35 yds and he took about three steps and sailed down the side of what looked like Mt Everest. I was pretty sure I had hit him. There were other turkeys gobbling so I turned my attention...that didn't work out so I came back to the spot. Started down the steep ridge when I got where I thought he might have landed I stopped and started a grid search....about the second time I moved down I noticed a 12" knee high stump with just a faint cover of briars...lucky I had my gun ready he came out like a Kentucky race horse. I still wonder how I touched him with the .650 choke I was shooting.

The point I was trying to make was most every turkey you shoot at with a shotgun is hit some where with shot....even the spectacular misses.