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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Dannon on November 22, 2018, 11:26:24 AM

Title: String trackers?
Post by: Dannon on November 22, 2018, 11:26:24 AM
Any of you guys use string trackers on your bows? I ordered one the other day. I thought it would be great for turkey hunting but not opposed to using it on deer either. Just curious what everyone’s thoughts are on these.
Thanks
Dannon
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: huntmaster70 on November 22, 2018, 11:56:33 AM
I had great success on turkeys with a string tracker :thumbsup:
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Kopper1013 on November 22, 2018, 02:44:39 PM
I’ve personally took two deer with mine, my brother took a hog and deer and my father took a deer with his. Absolutely love them!
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: GCook on November 22, 2018, 02:56:19 PM
I have one.  It hasn't worked well for me on deer.  Too noisy and they have jumped the string badly on the two shots I've tried.  Have yet to have it on for a pig shot but hope to try soon.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Crittergetter on November 22, 2018, 02:59:47 PM
I love mine and have it every time I’m in a stand.
I’ve taken hogs , deer, and bear without issue. I have had the broadhead cut the string when an animal takes off on a couple of occasions but other than that no problems.
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Fattony77 on November 22, 2018, 03:01:32 PM
Though I've never taken anything with mine, I have one of the leather ones made by Chad Orde. Jerry Russell swears by them for ALL big game animals & he knows his stuff. He also has a video on YouTube on his channel (Russell Outdoor Guides) that details how to properly prepare a string tracker, so that you have minimal drag & minimal noise. Hope this helps.
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: GCook on November 22, 2018, 06:16:19 PM
I love mine and have it every time I’m in a stand.
I’ve taken hogs , deer, and bear without issue. I have had the broadhead cut the string when an animal takes off on a couple of occasions but other than that no problems.
I need to remember to take mine with me to Canada next spring.

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Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Charlie Lamb on November 22, 2018, 06:55:29 PM
won't hunt turkey without one.
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: CDK on November 22, 2018, 09:31:02 PM
 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Bisch on November 23, 2018, 10:16:25 AM
I love my string tracker for turkeys and nighttime hog hunts. I’ve quit using them for deer though, as I believe they are just too noisy for our wired up Texas deer.

Bisch
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Dannon on November 23, 2018, 10:47:05 AM
I love my string tracker for turkeys and nighttime hog hunts. I’ve quit using them for deer though, as I believe they are just too noisy for our wires up Texas deer.

Bisch

That’s what I’m afraid of on the deer. They are just too quick to jump the string. However I think I’ll like it when it comes to turkey’s and hogs. Should be here this week so I can do some shooting with it to try it out. I’ve watched some videos on setting them up. Excited to give it a try.
Dannon
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Bisch on November 23, 2018, 06:22:54 PM
I've killed several deer with mine. I have come to the conclusion that they are just too noisy for Texas deer. Like said above, I won't purposely hunt turkeys without it. It has upped my turkey recovery rate a lot!!!

Bisch
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Dannon on November 23, 2018, 07:21:53 PM
It came in the mail today. I ordered a strap on mount to screw it into. The only problem is, I have a great northern strap on quiver and there doesn’t seem to be enough room for the other strap on mounting peice. However I did shoot one arrow with the string attached. It did make a little noise but it didn’t seem to affect my accuracy. Can’t wait till this spring!
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: jhinaz on November 24, 2018, 12:42:35 PM
Jerry Russell swears by them for ALL big game animals & he knows his stuff. He also has a video on YouTube on his channel (Russell Outdoor Guides) that details how to properly prepare a string tracker, so that you have minimal drag & minimal noise. Hope this helps.
That video is great! Thanks for pointing it out Fattony. It gives a LOT of good information. - John
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Jock Whisky on November 24, 2018, 10:16:48 PM
The area I hunt on the west coast has a lot of brush, mostly sword fern three to four feet high and a tough shrub called salal covering every square foot of every acre it occupies. It would be vaguely similar to laurel. How would a string tracker perform in this stuff? I'd be concerned that it would break.
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: hitman on November 25, 2018, 08:58:07 AM
I was kinda wondering about hog hunting in the palmettos also. Anyone got any input?
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Bisch on November 25, 2018, 09:45:11 AM
I’ve hunted south Tx cactus flats with my string tracker. I’ve had the whole spool get taken out without the string breaking, and I’ve had the string break after just 20-30yds. Even if the string breaks, it still gets you on the absolute correct path of the shot critters, so it is still helpful. When you are night hunting pigs, you just can’t tell exactly where they go after a hit. The string tracker won’t make a recovery happen on a bad shot, but it sure helps on good or marginal shots where there is not a great blood trail, but there is a dead critter!!!!!

Bisch


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Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: David Mitchell on November 25, 2018, 02:46:04 PM
I had a good hit on a hog and was using a string tracker.  No blood...the string hung up on a saw palmetto frond and cut about 15 yards into the thicket.  Lost hog.  Won't use one in palmettos.  I think for more open woods or in the absence of saw tooth fronds they might work OK. 
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Jerry Russell on November 26, 2018, 01:30:21 PM
I have used them a great deal for well over 30 years in every conceivable type of cover.  Conservatively 150-200 animals taken and never a single failure on deer, bear, hogs and turkey.  You MUST set them up properly for great performance.  They are great at getting you on first blood and will often make impossible recoveries very simple. 
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: sticksnstones on November 26, 2018, 07:03:45 PM
About half of my animals I shot with a string tracker and I'm a huge fan. I shot two hogs and a bear this year with one, and all were quick tracks in spite of rain. I do tell folks to practice with them and not to expect too much from them, it's just a tool and if used improperly it can cause more harm than good. They are absolutely no good for stalking in my experiences. I didn't take one with me to hunt mule deer or to Africa this year, but those are very different tracking conditions. I can't imagine not taking one to hunt turkeys or hogs.

On my ASLs I use a Drifter mounted high on my riser, on my RD longbows I use a Great Northern Gadget Adapter below the grip. I now use the white thread exclusively, the orange seemed to have more drag to me. It could be in my head.
Thom
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: Roger Norris on November 27, 2018, 07:32:19 AM
I think I will use one for turkeys this spring.
Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: BlacktailBowhunter on November 27, 2018, 01:44:03 PM
I don’t recommend them on deer. I used one last year and the year before and I believe I lost a deer because he was spooked by the string chasing him. He was gut shot and I believe would have stopped and bedded but instead ran to a point I couldn’t find him.

The 2 bucks that I did recover using a tracker went further than what I believe they would have without one.

Title: Re: String trackers?
Post by: TooManyHobbies on November 29, 2018, 02:10:31 PM
I'm using string trackers on both of my bows for deer and turkey. If for no other reason than I can find my arrows when I miss.  :banghead: