So, I got served a full slice of humble pie and whiffed on a good bird. How long do you typically wait before trying him again? Note, this is public land so if I wait, someone else that does not know what happened will not. Advice welcomed!
Change calls
The next day
As long as you didn't hit him with some of the shot, you should be able to go right back after him. Missed one last year and killed him the very next day.
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That's what I was hoping to hear!
One hour unless you immediately jumped up and ran toward him.
Sil, I did not jump up because I could tell immediately that I missed. I actually sat there for awhile going over my mistakes in my head. Every chance I step in the woods, I try to leave a better hunter than I walked in. I quietly packed up my gear and slipped out to work (and to see if any trucks were around ha).
If you didn't sting him, he should have been ready in an hour, especially if there had been a real hen in the equation.
A few minutes to a couple hours, definitely by the next day. I've killed one, then called his buddy back to the same same spot after he freaked out and flew away. He died about 15 minutes after his friend.
My buddy hit one in the morning. We went to another area and hunted for a couple of hours. I went back in to about 100 yards from the hit at around 10:30 and called in and killed a gobbler. When I went over to look at the bird, his leg was bloody and a #5 cooper plated pellet was embedded in his leg.
When guiding for clients I just let the bird walk away. Give it 45 minutes or so, reposition and go back it starting with some soft talk. Killed a few that way. Of course, I instruct the people I take to not jump up after the shot but sit and let things clear naturally before going to a bird. I hunt private land though.
Same day, just move to a different setup.
I spooked a bird last year on a hunt to the point that he was 15 yards from me when we saw each other, I didn't shoot, but he immediately took flight and sailed several hundred yards down a hill. I got up and moved about a half mile loop to the other side of the hill. 45 minutes later, same call, I killed a bird that I would bet was the same one that I spooked.