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How many of you have shot a turkey on the wing?

JayhawkerJayhawker ModeratorPosts: 14,081 Senior Member
in Hunting #1
I have a couple, but the best was a fall gobbler that was flying at me after we busted a flock...I was armed with 10 gauge autoloader and opened up on him about 30 yards out....Felt like an anti-aircraft gunner trying to shoot down a kamikaze....finally connected with him directly overhead and he crashed into my cousin who was standing behind me....
Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"

Replies

  • ZeeZee Senior Member Posts: 19,629 Senior Member
    #2
    Not I. 

    All have ave been standing on the ground and one on a tree trunk. 
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • earlyagainearlyagain Posts: 1,740 Senior Member
    #3
    I dont think they like to fly. The mountain grouse here will sit till you step next to them and fly to a tree branch, holding still for a head shot. Partridge in Michigan like fly up right in yer face, usually when you least expect it. Every turkey I've seen just run away if they're spooked.
  • Six-GunSix-Gun Senior Member Posts: 6,955 Senior Member
    #4
    Never have.  I spoke with a PA hunter who says that he or his dog has flushed one for a shot more than one while pheasant hunting, but it never happened while I was out there.
    Accuracy: because white space between bullet holes drives me insane.
  • bisleybisley Senior Member Posts: 10,112 Senior Member
    edited May 7 #5
    I have shot two turkeys in my life, both at the same time. One was the lead turkey running down a trail towards me, while I squatted in a briar patch. The second was airborne, but just barely, as a response to my first shot. I was using a twelve gauge O/U, with 3" No.1 Buck shot that happened to still be in my vest from deer season. I carried them on the off chance that I might get a chance at a deer, while duck hunting in the river bottoms, back home.

    My BIL and I were quail hunting in west Texas when we saw about six turkeys running down a trail, at about a 1/4 mile distant from us. We took an angle to intersect the trail in front of them, and ran flat out for about a 1/2 mile. When we got to the trail, we burrowed into a briar patch that looked straight down the trail, and just as we got ourselves situated and caught our breath, the turkeys appeared. We fired together at about 35 yards, and dropped two. The remaining birds took off, towards us and peeled off at an angle, as soon as they achieved flight. We both fired, and my bird fell. My BIL was using a 12 gauge Model 870 modified choke loaded with No.4's that he had used for ducks, and he failed to bring his bird down, with two shots.

    PS: This is the only time in 40 years that I ever killed more game than this BIL.
  • JayhawkerJayhawker Moderator Posts: 14,081 Senior Member
    #6
    My cousin took a shot at a flying turkey with a 16 gauge while we were pheasant hunting. At the shot, the bird locked his wings and drifted off like a head shot pheasant...about 50 yards out it folded up.  Later, when we dresses the bird, there was no shot anywhere in the body....finally we found a single #6 shot in the head....talk about the golden BB!
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
  • Gene LGene L Senior Member Posts: 9,659 Senior Member
    #7
    I knew a guy who shot one flying (just barely) with a long bow.
    Not too many problems you can't fix
    With a 1911 and a 30-06
  • snake284snake284 Senior Member Posts: 21,132 Senior Member
    #8
    In the words of the great Marcel Ledbetter when speaking about Quail, "You mean they can fly?"
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
  • orchidmanorchidman Senior Member Posts: 7,502 Senior Member
    #9
    I have shot quite a few turkeys on the wing. One property I was asked to cull turkeys from a few years back had in excess of 300 wild turkeys. The contour of the land was steep at the back of the farm and by judiciously showing ourselves at times we managed to herd about 60 into a dead end gully. When I sent my 2 Gordon setters into the top of the gully which was covered in shoulder high scrub, the birds started flushing downhill in 2's and 3's back over us.
    I was shooting my 1187 with an extended mag and had 1 1/4 oz copper plated #2 shot ( Homeloads with an ungodly amount of Winchester 540 powder).

    Between the 2 of us we managed to shoot all but 5 or 6 on the wing.

    All birds came to rest within about 25 yds of each other...............and when the gunfire ceased, I whistled my dogs back and ordered them to 'fetch'.

    The looks I got from both dogs were priceless. If anyone tells you dogs cant show disgust with a facial expression, then they have never studied mans best friend.

    We had to go borrow the farmers trailer and tow it with my Landrover to carry them out. We ended up breasting out about 40 and dumped the carcases and the rest of the birds in the farmers offal pit.

    Turkeys can fly deceptively fast and require a good amount of lead. Body shots rarely drop the bird, with the appropriate amount of lead you throw the shot pattern in front of the bird and they will fly into it with most of the birds dropping DRT with neck or head copping the shot. 
    Still enjoying the trip of a lifetime and making the best of what I have.....
  • jaywaptijaywapti Senior Member Posts: 4,262 Senior Member
    #10
    Never shot one on the fly, always on the ground, or as a kid in a tree.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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