Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Swing and a Miss

Well, I went with my buddy today to try and get his second bird. It was about as textbook as it could get as far as the hunt goes. Called in three hens and they were messing around in front of us, a gobbler sees them and is coming in from a good ways off. He is coming but the hens are moving away slowly so they are dragging him in closer all the time. I tell my buddy to let him come and he will pass within 10 yards of us. He tells me that it is a little thick between him and the bird, I tell him again, "just let him come". Well at about 25 yards, I guess he can't take it anymore and decides to shoot. I am watching over his shoulder and at the shot, the gobbler breaks out of strut and is in a dead out run! We jump up and are trying to see if he is hit/wounded or what. After about a half hour of looking, we go back to where the train wreck started. I look at where my buddy was sitting and where the bird was when he shot. I told him that I was almost sure that the bird was fine and not hit, he ask me why I said that, then I showed him this.
I don't know how he did not see the branch as it was only about 3 feet from the gun barrel, I guess he was so focused on the bird, he never saw it.

That’ll do it

Lol. It happens. Part of the frustrating fun.

It happens to everyone if they've turkey hunted enough. I relive all my misses on occasion, wish I had those back and did things different.