How do you "Finish Off" the ole Tom???

[GobbleGobble]

[:D]I love this web site....I just came upon this yesterday.  Why I like it is all the questions turkey hunters have (like this one on finishing off a turkey) that you don't get answers by reading magazines or watching shows.  It is picking the brains of you all (the experts) that I will learn from. 

Think about it....the magazines and shows are for those who have been hunting and may want to fine tune their skills.  For those starting fresh on hunting turkeys....good luck.  This message board is priceless!

OK- enough butt kissing by me [:D]

Did you all have an answer for the second part of my question on not going after shot turkeys or deer untill an hour or so???  I have seen that in magazines- is that so you don't scare off the injured animal futher away???

(does my question make sense???)[8|]

[OptimO]

No, it doesn't make any sense.  After you shoot, get up and get on the gobbler before he has a chance to get away.

[JPH]

In response to the first question, I have a few thoughts. Central nervous system activity is very common in dead turkeys. They may appear to be "alive" but given close range shots, with quality amunition and a full choke, I doubt it. That being said, do not take the shot for granted. Get on your feet and follow up on him right away. be ready to shoot again if he picks his head up. Once on him, look to see if his head is bloody and dragging on the ground. If so, let him be. Touching a bird in this state may often stimulate more flopping. But if he looks like he has control of his head, or his eyes are looking at you, put your boot on his neck and control his legs. from there you can lift his body off the ground while holding his head into the dirt. It shouldn't take long.
 
In response to the second question, deer and turkey are very different. The decisions you make after wounding a deer are baised off of a very different set of rules. If you have clearly wounded a turkey and he has managed to get away from you, you are going to have a bad day. I would seek as much help as you can summon as quickly as you can. get as dog if possible (and legal) and be ready to take a snap shot as he comes out of whatever brush pile he has hidden in.
 
Good luck, and keep you cheek on the stock!

[tracebusta32]

I don't care how good your shotguns patterns if you hunt turkeys long enough you will hit one and not get a clean kill sometimes.
With that said when that happens I just grab the neck and break it, this is the quickest method that I know of.
As far as shooting one then waiting an hour to go pick him up, I don't know that you would be very successful at that. Most times when they are wounded they will look for the nearest brush pile or hiding spot they can get to. I usually will wait a minute or two after I have shot a bird just to not have any otherbirds that are in the area associate that loud boom to humans.

[Dank]

I just watch out for the spurs and stand on his neck. As for the second question, with turkeys one of my favorite parts is the race to him once he's down, seems like i just cant get to him quick enough.

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: tracebusta32

I just grab the neck and break it, this is the quickest method that I know of.

 
How do you do that? I have tried to break the neck of a live turkey with my hands and all I got was beak bit. It bends further than I can twist it by hand, particularly if he's flopping and spuring.

[tracebusta32]

Pick it up by its neck and swing it around using a tight grip

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: tracebusta32

Pick it up by its neck and swing it around using a tight grip

 
Makes sense, although I hope I never have to do it again.
 
My story about getting "beak bit" is one of my all time best, but I can't tell it in print. It has to be over a cold beer.

[Otsdawa_Ridge_Runner]

ORIGINAL: tracebusta32

Pick it up by its neck and swing it around using a tight grip

 
Yep I agree...just like you are cracking a bull whip.

[bowebb]

We've all made shots before that weren't quick kill. I've made a few over the years and finished those birds off in a variety of ways depending on the situation at the time. Some, I ain't too proud of, but got the job done. I've chocked em, I've slit their throat, I hit one on the head with a rock after he pecked the heck out of my arm, but the one I will never forget is the one I drowned. It had rained hard the night before and more rain was predicted for that morning. I snuck in real close to a Tom I knew was roosting just over the hill of an old logging road. I called one time, he gobbled and I heard him land on the road just to my left. It all happened so fast. I looked and there he was 30 feet from me looking right at me. I hurried the shot becasue he was fixin to leave. The shot knocked him into a mud hole on the road and he appeared to be dead. When I bent over to pick him up he jumped up and tried to get away. So I grabbed him and we commenced to fight right in that mud hole. I got my foot on his head and held him under the water until the thrashing stopped and the last air bubbles quit coming to the surface. I proudly took him home, mud and all. A 20 pounder with a 10" beard. I had as much if not more mud on me than he did.