What is your longest MISSED shot???


KYLimbHanger

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Most birds I have shot have been 30 yards or less. My first gobbler I took at 18 years old was only 20 steps away. Boy did he put on a show. The longest shot I have taken was 50 yards (I thought). I was in the eastern KY mountains on a bench below the top of the mountain. I gave a loud couple yelps to shock one and heard one thunder out real close. I sat near the first tree I saw, looked up to the top of the ridge, and there he was. He was in full strut with a paintbrush like beard. I held my gun up for what seemed to be forever. Finally I decided to take a shot. My 870 thundered and the tom fell. But, got up and flew off. I then walked off the shot to a massive 65 steps. I am sure a few bb's hit him, but the #6 shot wasn't enough. I am sure others have taken birds down at long distances. I just completely misjudged my yardage. 40 and under now. I would rather not even attempt a shot than to have to live with the miss of that bird. It was the biggest bird my barrel had seen. The beard seemed to stick out from his chest 3 inches before droping a few inches shy from the earth. Ah well. It sucked.

Many people seem to tell how long of a shot they took a bird at. I would like to see what is the longest shot you have missed a bird?

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Re: What is your longest MISSED shot???

Well, I ain't ashamed to tell ya, I've missed 20 of dem suckers in 18 years of hunting them. I am ashamed to say the longest was about 52 steps. In my defense, however, there was nothing but grass in between him and me and as most know, it's hard to judge the distance if there's nothing in between. And about the missing part, I heard an old timer say this when a young 'un asked if they cut the shirttails off the hunter than misses a wild turkey. He said, H&*^, no, you shake the man's hands and congratulate him for getting close enough for a shot. AMEN!

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Re: What is your longest MISSED shot???

[ QUOTE ]

He said, H&*^, no, you shake the man's hands and congratulate him for getting close enough for a shot. AMEN!

[/ QUOTE ]

That sums it up pretty good RedBeard. I also heard, "You gotta shoot 'em to kill 'em." For all those who have not missed....grats!!! I really can't say that a miss is inevitable, but I am sure we all missed a few sqwaks when were a young lad as well.

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Re: What is your longest MISSED shot???

I hardly ever bother to step off a miss unless it was a shot near my self imposed max range and then just to check if I misjudged the yardage. It's been a long time since I felt the need to step a miss off too. I'm usually too busy pounding my head against a tree and then just look down and up at the sky with that look of dejection. Oh I did have a guy kick me in the butt once too for a miss. I returned the favor a few years later. grin.gif

I can understand checked about misjudging yardage but I mean really, who wants to step off a miss when you know for a fact it's within your kill range. smirk.gif

The farthest I can recall was between 45 and 50 yards. The closest was......well lets just say less than 20 yards. crazy.gif I don't recall the actual number of misses but probably somewhere around 15 of um now but hey I've been hunting turkeys since (if memory serves) 1973.

One thing I've noticed through the years about devoted, hard core turkey hunters. There are turkey hunters that have missed and there are those that will miss. The only ones that don't miss, haven't shot at enough turkeys yet. grin.gif

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Re: What is your longest MISSED shot???

Well I have one miss under my belt...it was approx. 8 feet! shocked.gif

I seen the bird out in this green field about 100 yards away...it was getting close to quiting time (noon in PA). All I could see was the red head...so I gave a few putts, and he started walking straight up the tree line towards me. In my disbelief that this was going to happen this easy...I sat right down behind a big patch of green briars that seperated me from the field...about 8 feet.

There were two holes looking out this thorny mess...I used the first hole to get a look at his beard. When he passed the first hole (about 15 feet) I seen the rope hanging from his chest. After he passed the hole, I swung to the hole in front of me and seen a big ole red head at...at about 8 feet...BANG! Then this bird (seen beard) takes flight, and I can't get off another shot. Really wasn't expecting to see him fly away. I stood up, pulled off my face mask and said a few choice words (out loud) when I heard a flopping sound? I peaked over the green briars and seen a wing flopping in the high grass! shocked.gif I had no idea what I shot (Gobbler or Hen) but def. a turkey. I was hoping like heck it wasn't a hen. blush.gif I ran around the thorns and got to the bird...a jake! I never seen two birds come up the wood line and they must have switch places between the first hole and second hole.

So it wasn't really a miss...I killed a bird. However, it was a miss because it wasn't the bird I thought I was pulling the trigger on. smirk.gif

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Re: What is your longest MISSED shot???

I've missed 2 toms since I began hunting them in 1980 or thereabouts.

One was a gross misjudgement of range. I mean gross. I called three massive West Virginia toms around the lip of a wide open, sparsely timbered flat. I estimated the distance to be 45 yards and left 2 1/4 oz. of #4 shot go down through the woods. Nada. No feathers no nuthin'. Actual distance...........63 yards. crazy.gif I couldn't believe I had pulled such a boneheaded move.

The only other tom I've missed was under 40 yards.......probably 35 or 37. Problem is, there was a sumac tree significantly closer than that and it sprouted up in the line of fire. smirk.gif Missed the bird (which was also massive), but totaled the tree. grin.gif

Come to think of it...............that one was in WV, too. Something about that place..............bad luck............. confused.gifgrin.gif

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Re: What is your longest MISSED shot???

I've missed two over the years. One was a tom at 37 yards that was starting to get nervous. He was behind a tree and then stuck his head and neck into an opening. I put the bead on his neck and squeezed the trigger. Just before the gun went off he pull his head back. I shot where his head used to be.

Different scenerio but same type of miss for the second one. Tom got nervous and turn to head out. Shot was 35 yards and he was running. Again shot where his head used to be.

Live and learn I guess.

Borch

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Guest beardsNspurs

Re: What is your longest MISSED shot???

I've missed 2 that I can think of off the top of my head. One was under 10 yards. I was enjoyin watchin him so much I almost forgot to shoot at all. The second was after belly crawlin through grass for 200 yards....and he was 30 yards away. My arms were shakin so bad I couldn't hold my gun still. Hope I can avoid repeating either of those performances

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Re: What is your longest MISSED shot???

[ QUOTE ]

I'm usually too busy pounding my head against a tree and then just look down and up at the sky with that look of dejection. Oh I did have a guy kick me in the butt once too for a miss.

s......well lets just say less than 20 yards. crazy.gif I

One thing I've noticed through the years about devoted, hard core turkey hunters. There are turkey hunters that have missed and there are those that will miss. The only ones that don't miss, haven't shot at enough turkeys yet. grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

True words from a veteran. Love it! I missed one year when my 6 year son was with me and as I was hangin' my head in the palms of my hand, he said,

"Daddy, Daddy, don't be sad, I think you got one, I saw wings flopping everywhere" tongue.gif Yeah, flopping to get airborne. As any turk hunter worth his salt would do, I got up and offered my butt to Will for a swift kick. He declined saying he loved me too much to kick me. laugh.gif

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