dispatching turkey
- Thread starter cnimrod
- Start date
If there is any chance he'd runoff you need to put another round in him. Could aim for the head but make sure you hit him.
But if you can get your hands on him, I had one that was flopping around, got behind him, put one hand on his back. Then with other grabbed his neck. Then broke his neck.
But if you can get your hands on him, I had one that was flopping around, got behind him, put one hand on his back. Then with other grabbed his neck. Then broke his neck.
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bamaranger
New member
There's.....
been many a foot race in the spring woods between man and a turkey, and I'll bet on the bird.
If that bird's up and looks the least bit oriented, shoot him again. You should know if you're in trouble before you get into turkey burger range. Aim for the head, again. I have held off a smidge and intentionally "fringed" a cripple at close range. I also missed one that way and had to shoot a third time.
The time honored way to dispatch a flopper that you reach is to stomp the head, or stand on his neck till he quits flopping.
been many a foot race in the spring woods between man and a turkey, and I'll bet on the bird.
If that bird's up and looks the least bit oriented, shoot him again. You should know if you're in trouble before you get into turkey burger range. Aim for the head, again. I have held off a smidge and intentionally "fringed" a cripple at close range. I also missed one that way and had to shoot a third time.
The time honored way to dispatch a flopper that you reach is to stomp the head, or stand on his neck till he quits flopping.
Fat White Boy
New member
But they never miss on TV!
dropthehammer
New member
+1 for bamaranger. If the bird is or gets back on his feet, shoot again.
waterfowler
New member
Ehhhhh, try ringing its neck. It works well
Okay, here's a true story:
I was turkey hunting in Nebraska, I'm at the end of the shelterbelt (a long row of trees planted for a windbreak) and my uncle is at the other end. I hear him open up, and knowing his shooting abilities, get ready for turkeys to come by me. Sure enough, a whole flock (fall season, hens are legal). I shoot once, but my swing catches a cedar. Shoot the second barrel of my over and under, turkey is flopping the rest jump the fence. I run up on two birds left behind, grab the livleiest one...wait a minute, I shot twice, missed once so where did this one...All Hell breaks loose. This jake (about 14 pounds) had gotten hung up in the hog wire fence and couldn't back out before I got there. He's 100% healthy, and luckily his spurs are still nubs, but his toenails dig in to my gut. I get worked over really good by the wing joints, hitting my nose. Not hard like a punch, but brings tear to your eyes and knocks the snot loose. It also sent my eyeglasses flying. The flight feathers actually cut my face a couple of times. I can't get disengaged enough to give him a good swing to break his neck (think of the jerk of a hangman's noose), so I pin it to the ground with my knees and use my Gerber LST pocket knife to pith it like a frog in biology class.
My uncle watched this whole fiasco. He said it's a good thing I won by a knockout, because the bird won all the early rounds.
Other guys have leopard stories, charges by elephant or Cape Buffalo, Grizzly Bear run ins...I have a turkey story. It isn't even a 20 pounder.
Oh, so how best to dispatch a turkey? If in doubt it will run or fly, definitely shoot it again. If you roll a turkey and the head pops up, you definitely shoot again, because it's gonna be heading out. If the head is down and it is fluttering, get over there as quickly as possible, and if it is alive grab it by the neck, give it a good swing, and then jerk back the opposite direction, and it snaps its neck.
I was turkey hunting in Nebraska, I'm at the end of the shelterbelt (a long row of trees planted for a windbreak) and my uncle is at the other end. I hear him open up, and knowing his shooting abilities, get ready for turkeys to come by me. Sure enough, a whole flock (fall season, hens are legal). I shoot once, but my swing catches a cedar. Shoot the second barrel of my over and under, turkey is flopping the rest jump the fence. I run up on two birds left behind, grab the livleiest one...wait a minute, I shot twice, missed once so where did this one...All Hell breaks loose. This jake (about 14 pounds) had gotten hung up in the hog wire fence and couldn't back out before I got there. He's 100% healthy, and luckily his spurs are still nubs, but his toenails dig in to my gut. I get worked over really good by the wing joints, hitting my nose. Not hard like a punch, but brings tear to your eyes and knocks the snot loose. It also sent my eyeglasses flying. The flight feathers actually cut my face a couple of times. I can't get disengaged enough to give him a good swing to break his neck (think of the jerk of a hangman's noose), so I pin it to the ground with my knees and use my Gerber LST pocket knife to pith it like a frog in biology class.
My uncle watched this whole fiasco. He said it's a good thing I won by a knockout, because the bird won all the early rounds.
Other guys have leopard stories, charges by elephant or Cape Buffalo, Grizzly Bear run ins...I have a turkey story. It isn't even a 20 pounder.
Oh, so how best to dispatch a turkey? If in doubt it will run or fly, definitely shoot it again. If you roll a turkey and the head pops up, you definitely shoot again, because it's gonna be heading out. If the head is down and it is fluttering, get over there as quickly as possible, and if it is alive grab it by the neck, give it a good swing, and then jerk back the opposite direction, and it snaps its neck.
FrankenMauser
New member
....Just never stomp the head of a fowl that some one else shot....
My brother winged a Sage Grouse about 15 years ago - with his last shot. Not only that, but we were about 100 yards from the game warden; with only shotguns legal for that species. There wasn't another shotgun between the six hunters (we were out for rabbit).
I laughed for a good two minutes, while watching him try to catch the bird. Finally, I ran up, stomped its skull, and presented him with his trophy.
To this day, my brother, my dad, and my stepmother all give me crap. ...Because he decided to mount one of the most average, and boring looking, grouse I've ever seen - screwed up wing, skull, and all...
My brother winged a Sage Grouse about 15 years ago - with his last shot. Not only that, but we were about 100 yards from the game warden; with only shotguns legal for that species. There wasn't another shotgun between the six hunters (we were out for rabbit).
I laughed for a good two minutes, while watching him try to catch the bird. Finally, I ran up, stomped its skull, and presented him with his trophy.
To this day, my brother, my dad, and my stepmother all give me crap. ...Because he decided to mount one of the most average, and boring looking, grouse I've ever seen - screwed up wing, skull, and all...