I missed!!

alscalls · May 11, 2009, 11:50:39 AM

I have been working hard to get a bird to come in a gobbling and strutting ......I even passed up one bird this year cause I spooked him. I have had 5 strutters counting today but 4 of them were not close enough. I wanted to call one in strutting and gobbling his fool head off and shoot him with a shot gun even though we are allowed rifles.
Yesterday I was talking with my BIL and he had just lost a calf to coyotes....The mother had fell down a hill and hit her head on a rock and they had to put her down....We tried to find the calf with nothing to show for it....Wel last night about 9:30 the coyotes got it down and killed it eating only the tail and tearing off an ear.

I told him I would try for one this AM and then move to another area and do some turkey hunting.
So I do not even leave the house till about 7:30AM and take my time getting up there. When my BIL comes out of the house he said the yotes woke them up at 5AM howling again. So I take the rifle and go the VERY long way around so to have the wind right and set up way high on an open ridge.
I did my coyote set and sure enough after about 2 min a yote Warning barks me from behind me at like 30 yds. I could not get the shot....

So I move to the turkey hunting area I had in mind and sat for a while and yelped 3 times...YELP Yelp yelp.....Nothing
So I just sat there for a long time....I got up to leave and I hear GOBBLE!!!!! strait down the hill from me about 150yds....

It was ON! I just sat there not making any noise and he gobbled again.....GOBBBLLE! I yelped 3 times YELP Yelp yelp...
He Gobbled again GOBBBLLE! He was closer all in all I called 3 times in an Hour and he gobbled about 4 times in that hour.

I sat there quiet for what seemed for ever and I could not take it anymore.....I Clucked once and a fan appeared at 20 yds strait in front of me...This bird never gobbled again and I never called again I just watched him strut back and fourth for about ten Min. as I had some junk between he and I that I was not going to shoot through...It was a BEAUTIFUL site!

He finally stepped into the open and I took the saftey off my rifle and BOOM I MISSED!
All that work all that effort and I FREAKING MISSED!......

Ya gotta love hunting If I had not heard the word coyote I would have had my shotgun and I would be showing Yall a pic right now....

I had a great time though and I aint done yet....

Frogman · May 11, 2009, 12:48:26 PM

Good write up Al! Keep after them, the turkeys and the coyotes!

Jim

HaMeR · May 11, 2009, 02:00:31 PM

At least you got a shot Al. I pulled a bonehead move Sunday that cost me my bird.

pitw · May 11, 2009, 09:28:56 PM

Great story Al. I think I enjoy reading about miss's as much as hits cause then I feel a bit more normal.

FinsnFur · May 11, 2009, 10:11:52 PM

Yeah it wouldnt be any fun if there were never any misses.
Most of the rush is wondering if your going to connect.

Ya think the swat team gets a rush like we get when they are watching the Unibomber through his front window from a rooftop across the street?

Not much if they do.

alscalls · May 11, 2009, 10:13:14 PM

I will be back out tomorrow and then its off to the mountains again for some fishing........

KySongDog · May 12, 2009, 06:19:41 AM

Great story, Al!

I've never turkey hunted with a rifle. But I can understand when they are that close a rifle would be a disadvantage, especially a scoped rifle.

You'll connect on one before the season is over with, I'm sure of it.

nastygunz · May 12, 2009, 08:59:57 AM

DANG I wish we could rifle em!!...that would be a blast...no pun intended....handgunning em....

Okanagan · May 12, 2009, 10:48:04 AM

Great story! Didn't know there were many places where you can hunt turkeys with a rifle.

I've never hunted turkeys but I'd prefer to do it with a rifle if I ever get the chance. I'm a rifleman, haven't used a shotgun since high school duck hunting, except on one little buck in a shotgun only area a few years ago. We kill grouse with a .22 or with rocks we throw (My personal bests are two grouse with one .22 shot, and two grouse for two rocks. My worst is a sore arm and no grouse.)

I'd love to lay out with my heavy barrelled custom 6mm and take the head off a turkey across a field.

Better luck the next time out.

alscalls · May 12, 2009, 11:49:16 AM

This would have been my first gobbler with a rifle......I have always used a shotgun or bow, even though I have been allowed a rifle I find it a lot more fun.
I have killed hens in the fall with a rifle but never a big Tom. I have taken a bunch of em with a shotgun and I wish I had it with me on this day.
Only reason I brought the rifle was for the yotes.
The 6mm ? I got bold and tried to shoot it in the neck......thats how I missed....

Frogman · May 13, 2009, 01:06:45 PM

Al,

The nice thing about hunting with the rifle is you either miss them or kill them. Not much chance of a wounded bird!

Jim