Tagged out, SAD SAD SAD

[Disco]

Got my second tag filled with a solid Tom.

He came running in to kill my Jake decoy.

Exciting hunt but no food to come of it.

The bird had a massive wound that didn’t effect it’s behaviour but did effect its ediblity.

The wound went straight through the left breast. The hole was old and festering. It was massive at 1.5” in diameter and filled with yellow fluid. The half the left breast had what looked like a tunnel going through it with a thickened wall around it. The meat was badly discoloured. I am sure this was an abscess. Since the infection was so large I couldn’t chance it being in the blood stream and eating the bird was a no go for any part. Such a bummer.


I am sure the Tom would have eventually died so it’s not so bad I took him out before his suffering was worse.

[Disco]

The good side.

[sabmgb]

WOW that quite the wound, I wonder what would cause such a large hole. Yeah there no way that bird would have lived, you put him out of a slow and painful death I would think.

[Jesse]

I could see that being a arrow pass through that got infected too bad no salvageable meat

[Disco]

Most definitely saved him from a miserable death I am sure.

I do t think it’s from an arrow pass through as the abscess ended inside the breast. I do think it could be from an arrow that didn’t penetrate all the way through. Maybe someone shot an arrow and it hit a branch deflecting the arrow and losing more momentum? Sure I will never know but it’s a valid hypothesis.

[Fishnhunt]

Just reading this now and agree with everyone else that you did thatbird a favour. Still a great hunt but I feel your pain on missing out on the meat. Turkeys are delicious!
Thanks for posting… super interesting.

[Rosscoe]

Wow that is a nasty would, I feel your pain after tagging out and have nothing to show for it at least you did that bird a favour by putting it down