Am I done?

CaptainMusky wrote:

I agree its different, but I quit for the day as being done. I certainly went the next day. If I was in his exact situation I would have considered myself tagged out for the season. That’s just how I am. That bird would still likely be alive had he not shot it before the coyotes got to it.

What I find to be the most interesting in his story is the coyote(s) getting it within 100 yards of him completely unknowing. I don’t know what kind of habitat he was hunting, but I can’t imagine the grass or brush is very high yet because its still kinda dead. Sneaky devils!

gimruis wrote:

What I find to be the most interesting in his story is the coyote(s) getting it within 100 yards of him completely unknowing. I don’t know what kind of habitat he was hunting, but I can’t imagine the grass or brush is very high yet because its still kinda dead. Sneaky devils!

That was certainly interesting. I would think you would hear all heck breaking loose the bird would give up a heckuva fight unless it died before they got to him.

This has happened to me with a fox getting the prize. I believe that you could legally continue to hunt. I didn’t from an ethical standpoint. I had my chance but didn’t shoot well enuf to close the deal. A license is for one bird,…I got one but didn’t get to eat it. Good enuf for me.

I can not see anyway this situation would end my Turkey hunting season. As much as any hunter hates to lose a wounded animal – It Happens. I don’t see this any different than if I was fishing and had a walleye on my line and a musky swam up and ate the walleye off my line. I surely would not count that walleye as part of a daily limit.

I think most people like to say they would consider themselves done but if the shoes was on the other foot they would be back out. What if you shoot at one with your gun and it flies away do you quit? You dont know if you you cleanly missed and it didnt die later. I wish everyone that hit a deer with an arrow and didnt recover it would be done. Woods would be empty by late season.

CaptainMusky wrote:

That bird would still likely be alive had he not shot it before the coyotes got to it.

This is exactly my thinking. Had he not shot, there’s a good chance the bird would still be alive. Thus his shot contributed to the death of the animal. Can I say that with 100% certainty? No, I cannot. But to me, that is where ethics comes into play. What you can legally do and what you should ethically do isn’t always the same.

captddh wrote:

A license is for one bird,…I got one but didn’t get to eat it. Good enuf for me.

LOL the part about “not having to eat it” I am on board with!

gimruis wrote:

LOL the part about “not having to eat it” I am on board with!

You dont like wild turkey? Its delicious!

CaptainMusky wrote:

You dont like wild turkey? Its delicious!

I could do without it. Its not great, but its not terrible either. Its just blah. Luckily I already have a home for one should I fill my tag next week so its a win-win.

Most people that have never had wild turkey think that it tastes like a butterball or jennie-O you eat on Thanksgiving. Its nothing like that.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
You dont like wild turkey? Its delicious!

I could do without it. Its not great, but its not terrible either. Its just blah. Luckily I already have a home for one should I fill my tag next week so its a win-win.

I’m with you on this one. I have tried it many ways and none are Great. By far the best way to eat it is to slice it in strips, and bread like fish and deep fry it. Its as least edible this way. To be honest I’m not a big fan of domestic turkey either.

fishthumper wrote:

I’m with you on this one. I have tried it many ways and none are Great. By far the best way to eat it is to slice it in strips, and bread like fish and deep fry it. Its as least edible this way. To be honest I’m not a big fan of domestic turkey either.

I’ll give that a try the next time I have the opportunity.

gimruis wrote:

I’ll give that a try the next time I have the opportunity.

Yes, please do and see what you think. That is the way we’ve always done it and it was very good. I think it was almost identical to pheasant.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
I’m with you on this one. I have tried it many ways and none are Great. By far the best way to eat it is to slice it in strips, and bread like fish and deep fry it. Its as least edible this way. To be honest I’m not a big fan of domestic turkey either.

I’ll give that a try the next time I have the opportunity.

I’ll tell you guys the wild bird I cooked this weekend could have been confused with a butterball. My secret… injection. The biggest (but not only) difference between wild and farmed is the salt solution they inject. You want to kill some of that gameyness, whipp up an injection of butter and your favorite rub, or go simple with salt pepper and garlic. Can even do chicken bullion or broth. It also really helps keep it moist and tender. I did mine on a pellet grill as well, but at 350 so not smoked per se but the smoke also helps take away the gameyness. I would think even if you just breast them out an injection would do wonders.

I appreciate all of the opinions and feedback. There is no doubt in my mind that turkey was a goner. I have arrow killed several and tracked/found most that ran. This was a 9 yard neck shot with a Magnus Bullhead, which is supposed to decapitate but obviously didn’t in this case. It actually broke off one of the three blades. Neck bone?? I like the concept of “kill ‘em or miss clean” but the lesson I learned is clearly you can wound with this broadhead as well.

I have never seen this much blood and said several times out loud, to nobody, “this is a dead turkey”. Thus, when I saw him “dead” on the ground and took this picture, I made the error of not putting a muzzy into him. Not even sure where I would aim as he lay there, besides front of body. (He is in the center of the pic)

The spot where the yotes got him was over a hill about 80 yards away from where I took the pic. I did register him as a kill, as I mentioned earlier. Even if I didn’t have a carcass to tag, I know my license only allows me to kill one bird. (Even though the regs say “bag” not kill. Oh no! Here we go again!! Lol)

Good luck out there!!

Attachments:

1. 

   C723C4BA-B3B0-4689-A3FD-12B136CE0B65-scaled.jpeg
   

Sure enough. There it is in that mess of wood.

I cant see the turkey but i can say i would look for mushrooms by that tree in the near future.

Good one Wish!

Thanks for sharing your story WIWW. This is why I like this forum. A lot of good discussion here on the ethics of hunting by hunters and there really wasn’t any consensus, which is just fine. Glad to hear you found your closure. Luckily spring Turkey is only (in my opinion) the start to the new hunting and fishing season (yes technically the fishing season starts in March).