Trad Gang
Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: Guru on October 12, 2008, 08:22:00 PM
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Spent my morning in my Double Bull, had turkeys within earshot all morning,but nothing close enough to shoot. Couldn't stay real long as I had a b-day party to set up for. Packed up so I could go check my trail cam then head home. On the way to my truck it seemed they were turkeys everywhere else but where I was!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey001.jpg)
Drove around to the other side of the orchard and got out to walk the 100yds or so to my cam and ran smack dab right into a bird in the thick stuff on the way in.Last week I'd run into birds in the same place and they crossed the brush hogged trail after I saw them in there. With nothing to lose I snuck back out,ran to the truck and grabbed my bow.
Nocked an arrow that still had the string tracker attached, and started my sneak back in. I made it just in time, a bird was just crossing the trail as I thought it might. I was within 20yds, but it saw me and started to walk away fast! At about 22yds,and angling slightly from left to right,the big snuffer slammed home! The bird was immediately air born taking string like a bone fish on a fly rod!
I knew with the angle from back to front that I wad a good shot, but boy was the string wizzin' out! When the bird took to the air it was quickly out of site, but after about 30 seconds and almost a full 30# spool the string suddenly stopped. I put my bow down and checked the spot and about 20yds further and could see the bird was bleeding as it was flying. But it headed over some of the most hellatious cover you could imagine! My hope was that it would make it back out to the openness of the orchard before coming down...hopefully! I really didn't want to have to go in there!
My thoughts were that the bird had probably crash landed somewhere in that hell hole, but I had no choice but back out and get home for the party and come back in a few hours to track the bird.......
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Oh Yeah !! :wavey: :thumbsup:
Tracy
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Cant wait to see the end of that tracker string.
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:archer: we're ready when you are!
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Congrats Curt. I hope to make it out a time or two for some turkey stalking, so hurry up and show us how it is done.
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Grab hold of that string and reel'em back in.LOL
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Sorry guys......
....So when things at the party slowed down, I bailed. I hoped the bird(if it was dead) hadn't died in the sun as it was heating up and I sure didn't want the heat to ruin the meat......
.....It's always bizarre following the string on a flying bird. It's in treetops and it lays on top of everything instead of under and thru everything. I knew from the start that where this bird had flown,it would have been impossible,and I mean impossible to find this bird without the string. My hope was that when the string stopped,it had meant the bird came down and not the string breaking or the arrow falling out....but I was confident.....
....the start of the string.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey002.jpg)
...I was lucky that the bird had flown almost parallel to the edge of the orchard. I was able to follow the string from about 50yds away with the help of my Leica's. If I'd of had to follow the line of the string, I'd still be breaking brush and about dead!
Further along on the string....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey003.jpg)
After about 100yds I could see the string was getting tighter and it was getting harder to see. It was also getting closer to the edge now too,only about 20yds in now instead of 50yrs or so. It was also heading to a cut out in the orchard. I had my fingers crossed that it had dyed as it flew over the open orchard!
Further along.....some of the thickest stuff you'll ever see!......
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey004.jpg)
I decided to jump forward and see if the string was in the orchard ahead. Dang,no string....that means I'd have to go in and find the end!
Again using my bino's a much as possible I finally could tell the the string dove down about 10yds short of the orchard. It had to be right in front of me, but there was now way to possibly see anything in there. I decided to test the waters first and collected some dropped pears and pitched a half dozen into where it looked like the string plunged into the briars.....no movement or noise at all.....I nocked an arrow and slowly waded in....after breaking in about 5yds I saw my arrow right in front of me,but I still couldn't see a turkey. I had to use my bino's from 5 yrd away to see the bird.....this is waht it looked like....yes there's a turkey in there!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey006.jpg)
here it is a little cleared out.....it was so thick it never made it to the ground! It was hung up upside down in the briars...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey007.jpg)
It had apparently died in flight and crash landed,plunging into the briars....I had my bird!!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey008.jpg)
Without the tracker I wouldn't have had a clue!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey009.jpg)
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She went probably about 120yds or so. The arrow had entered at the base of the tail and drove up into the body cavity......
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey011.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey021.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/turkeys/101208turkey016.jpg)
"Timex" for those who don't know is my old reliable Kempf Kwyk Styk 'curve,63#. Arrow was a Carbonwood 4000 with of course a Big 'ol Snuffer 160......
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Congrats on a fine bird Curt.I was just wondering where you attached the string tracker in this particular bow? Thanks.
Gil
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Great job Curt!!!!! :clapper:
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I think a turkey is one of the finest trad bow trophies there is :)
rusty
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Man...you lucked out! That was a great story! :)
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Congratulations on the bird.
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:thumbsup: :clapper:
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Way to go Curt!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Them birds are tough. Congrats Curt!
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Curt, Awesome shooting bud. Way to go on the hunt.
P.
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Congrats my friend :wavey:
Tracy
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Nice follow up, Curt. That string tracker saved the day for sure!
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Congrats string tracker are nice.
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Great shot and story tellin..Man I could of swore I was there with you!!! I agree Turks are amoung th tuffest with stick and string.. :clapper:
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Good job Curt!! Congrats! :thumbsup:
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congrats :clapper:
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Great shot Curt!
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:thumbsup: :clapper:
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Good going. I read a story somewhere about a fellow using that string idea on deer.
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:thumbsup:
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That string tracker looks like it's worth it's weight in gold! Congratulations. Hap
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wow great stuff! well done Curt :thumbsup: your a bit of a pro went it comes to the turkeys well and deer well the list is long actually :notworthy:
you'd have prob never found the bird without the string tracker. where can i see what one of these things look like?
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Congrats Curt! :thumbsup:
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Awesome! :clapper:
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Wow! And again Wow!
I've never really thought seriously about using something like a string tracker as I have a bit of a gadjet phobia when it comes to bows but following along with you in your story really drove the point home of the place something lake a string tracker really does have in archery. The first "big game" animal I ever shot with a bow was a turkey and while I made a perfect shot on a broadside bird at about 15 yards, it managed to get airborn and I never found it. It's bothered me for a lot of years that I lost that bird.
I'm not certain that I'd run out and buy a string tracker just yet, but I certainly look at them in a new light now.
Thanks for the story, the food for thought and congratulations on a fine bird.
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Good shooting Curt!!!
Dang, it is amazing how strong they can be.
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:clapper: :clapper:
Larry
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Yeah baby! Way to go Guru. I have been wanting to do the string tracker deal for over 2 years and this time around (before next spring) I have got to get with it. "AS GOD AS MY WITNESS I WILL MOUNT ONE OF THEM THINGS AND DO IT RIGHT THIS YEAR". (Been said before but this time I mean it). LOL
That is just amazing you found that bird. Congrats Curt. And a quick..."You-da-man."
:thumbsup: :notworthy:
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Congrats! Well Done Curt!
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O.K., where can I see a picture of a string tracker and/or who makes them? Is this a home-made deal or are they commercially manufactured? Oh yeah, nice job on your turkey. Thanksgiving is going to have new meaning this year!
Jeremy
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Ben, Curt shot a great big ol doe with his string tracker last year when he was here. He shot through the netting of my blind and I recorded the whole hunt. Maybe Curt will post the video. :)
The arrow flew perfect and sold me on the string trackers, Curt also had a article in TBM this last spring about mounting and using the string tracker I will see if I can find it.
Tracy
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I've thought about using one especially after losing a huge tom this spring- i'm still sick about it!
Great job Curt!
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awesome bro!!! :archer:
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Congrats on a nice bird.I also would like to see a pic of it attached to your bow,if it's homemade or were you got it at.Terry
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:bigsmyl:
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/curtsstuff144.jpg)
Here's a pic of Curt's set up. He did a "how to" in TBM about it. (don't know what issue).
Also did one here, but I can't find it.
Way to go bud!! :archer: :clapper:
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"TIMEX, it just keeps on ticking....." Way to go Curt!!! You sold me on the string tracker for turkeys awhile ago, this just reinforces it.
David
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Curt, It just keeps getting better! You are a Turkey taker. LOL
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Congrats :thumbsup:
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Congrads :thumbsup:
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Very cool, I wished I had one of those trackers on my arrow a few weeks ago! Congrats on a great bird!
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congrats Curt nice bird :0)
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Thanx fellas....always nice to share with you :notworthy:
Thanx for the pic Charlie.....just home from work a bit ago...when I get time(hopefully tomorrow) I'll go into more detail on the tracker.
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Way to reel in the turkey!
ongrats, Curt! :clapper:
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:clapper:
Way to go! All warmed up for the deer opener?
;)
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OUTSTANDING Curt CONGRATS :thumbsup:
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Good story! Thanks for sharing....
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Exellent, Curt! Exellent!!!
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Wow, she went a long way with the shot you put on her!
Tough, those turkeys are.
Congratulations, glad ya made through the jungle!
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Great Story - Congrads...
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Thanx guys....