Oh, how frustrating can it be

[deadeye]

I took my brother-in-law turkey hunting Yesterday. After expertly calling in two toms neither of which he took a shot because he felt they were too far away. I will give him the one although I would have no issue shooting it with a crossbow the other was just inside my 40-yard marker. Ok, so we keep hunting. Half hour after the last tom, here comes number 3. My two decoys are set at 20 yards and the tom walks midway between them and the 40-yard marker making a 30-yard shot. After his normal jumping around getting in position etc. finally, Boom..... a complete miss at which time the turkey begins to run away. I'm yelling shoot again, shoot the sob. My brother-in-law says I don't know why he doesn't fall down I should have hit him.    We searched but found absolutely no indication of a hit, nor could we find him after searching the wooded area he headed into.
First picture BIL looking at a tom. Second picture is from this morning a hen just feet away. I ask him if that how close I need to get the toms to come in......


 

[Steve-o]

Turkey hunting breeds stories of frustration.  I don't remember if I already told this one here...

I was watching a tom pick his way along a fence line.  I was on the edge of the woods and I knew when he got to the intersection of the fence and the woods, he'd be right at my max range - so I had to wait. 

I was ready.  He was 5 yards away from where I was going to plug him - and seemingly for no reason - he took off running.  What did I do wrong?   

5 minutes later I hear a 4-wheeler fire up down the valley.  It was my dad.  He told me he was going to get out of his blind at 4:00 PM sharp, which turned out to be 5 yards before too soon.   

And the best part was when we I got back to camp.  He asks me, "Did you ever see that tom that was working its way up the valley towards you?"