Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Guru on October 02, 2011, 02:48:00 PM
-
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1050104christurk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1050105christurk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1050106christurk.JPG)
Used this spring for both of these...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1050234christurk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1050259christurk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1060008jake.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1060002jake.JPG)
I almost lost this extremely special bh yesterday morning...I'll be back...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070735fallturk.JPG)
-
:campfire:
-
I have been waiting for this since yesterday morning!!! I know most of the story and it is good! Shawn
-
:coffee:
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
-
:campfire:
-
Awsome job Curt!Somehow you always get it done my friend.Looking foward to the rest of the story.
-
:readit: :campfire: :clapper:
-
Good job Curt! :thumbsup:
-
Looking good
-
:campfire: :archer:
-
Great job...Curt!
Turkeys are by far my favorite of the quarries I have, thus far, been fortunate to pursue. Not even my previously harvested book bucks hold the memorable passion of certain gob hunts that found me on the short end of the stick.
You have done well!!!!!!!!!
-
:campfire:
-
:) :campfire: :)
-
I have a feeling this is going to be good.
-
You are one turkey slay'n fool Curt!
-
Come on bud!!!
-
:thumbsup: we're waiting
-
is there a way to but a notification on the computer for the next time curt post? lol only so many bad jets games he can watch.
-
:campfire:
-
:cool:
-
Sorry fellas....just a whirlwind weekend...birthdays, baseball, setting stands, family,etc...
Thought I'd be able to get back to get this started or I wouldn't have started it....off to work now...but later on...
-
Curt.....You're such a tease.... :campfire:
-
Curt, I know you have a family but You also have an online family too :readit:
Looking forward to when you are done with your primary responsibilities :thumbsup:
-
:thumbsup:
David
-
Congrats Curt....you are the man when it comes to turkeys! :clapper:
-
Congrats Curt.
-
:readit: :readit: :coffee: :coffee: :coffee:
-
:campfire: :coffee: Can't wait!
-
I agree with Tim but lets not forget Deer,Carp,Hogs and those damn Muzzy targets.
-
Alright Guru!!
-
Baseball? It's hunting season now. Let's hear about hunting!
Glenn
-
Great going Curt cant wait to hear! Ive been sick for the past week so I havent had an oppertunity to go out yet for turkeys but hopefully tomorrow will be better! Glad somebody pulled it off though!
-
Sorry fellas...
So the long awaited opening morning of fall turkey season was finally here. With Cade's birthday the on friday, I wasn't able to try to find a flock to zero in on in the morning...but I had a good idea where I needed to be...
I wanna back up a bit first and talk about this broadhead of Chris' that I was using.Ever since I used it to kill my 2 spring gobblers, I've been torn about trying to use it again...or pass it on to the guy who really deserves to have it. The fear of losing it was about more than I could handle!
But the more I thought about, the more convinced I was that Chris would want it no other way than to use it as much as possible, and if I did lose it somehow, there was no better way for it to be gone than shooting at a critter...
So, last week I took it off the original arrow that carried it in the spring, and put it on one of the arrows I'm using now with my Kwyk Styk "Cy".
I woke up to light rain(go figure), but I wasn't about to let that stop me. I had the best rain gear that can be had in my KUIU Chugach rain gear to keep me dry while setting up, and my DB Darkhorse blind to keep me dry once I was set up...
As it started to get light, the rain let up a bit, but was still dripping pretty hard on the top of the blind coming off the oak leaves of the giant oak I was set up under. Between the dripping of the big drops off the oak, the light pitter-patter of the rain, and the nearby creek that was about 2 feet above normal...it was pretty hard to hear much...
Then, a little after 7:00....I thought I heard some yelps....it was very faint, and I wasn't 100% convinced what I heard was yelping....when I heard it again, louder and longer this time....I smiled...it's on!
Knowing from scouting and past experience in this spot, and the fact that it was raining...I knew the flock would head for the orchard I was set up in. The trail they usually use to come to the orchard was only 10yds away from me, so I knew the best thing to do was just sit tight and quietly wait to see what happens. I was confident they'd be coming out soon...
Not 10 minutes later I thought I heard something behind me in the woods, but I couldn't really tell for sure what it was I was hearing, but I stayed alert just in case..
Not 30 seconds later I saw a head bobbing and reached for "Cy". By the time I got "Cy" in position to shoot, the lead hen was out in the orcherd not 8 yds. away!
Another hen came out behind her, then some young birds. With the lead hen right where I needed her to be, there was no need to wait any longer and I started to draw...
-
Uh oh :)
-
This is when it started to get interesting and I realized I neglected to fix a little issue I had with too loose nocks...
As I started to draw I pulled the nock right off the string before my arrow holder released!
Now I had to release the arrow holder, and re nock the arrow...not a lot of movement...but enough for her to see something she didn't like!
She turned and started picking up her pace as she quartered away walking up the hill at about 12yds...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070704fallturk.JPG)
Next thing I knew my pink wrapped/feathered arrow quickly caught up to her and entered way back, but with the angle it looked good as it knocked her forward off her feet. It struck solid and instantly I knew as she ran off that I'd struck bone as it hadn't fully penetrated...
She was up and racing off in a flash, peeling line as she went...
I knew the shot was either going to be real good, or just a tad low when I saw it hit her. After she made it about 75yds. and stopped, with her head up...I knew it wasn't perfect.
But then, minutes later when she just stood there with her head up looking around, I knew this was going to take a while...
I said a silent prayer, and looked to the heavens for help with this one. There was no way I was going to lose this bird, and "The" broadhead....I had to do this right, there was no other option!
She walked a little further forward, still about 80 or so yards away, and in view, and laid down in the high grass at the base of one of the pear trees...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070705fallturk.JPG)
The minutes went by, her head was still up, but she obviously wasn't doing well...
15 minutes later another flock came out of the woods over by her, and my heart went into my throat. I thought for sure they'd try to get her up and she'd go with them...
As they got closer to her, she got up and just hobbled off into the edge of the woods, but not very far in,the string stopped as soon as she went out of sight...the flock continued on without her...
OK...now I knew what I had to do, with her out of sight, there was no other option now but to leave!
I could have stayed and kept hunting because we get two tags for the fall. But I knew if I stayed I wouldn't be able to keep from going over, and checking her out, before giving her enough time.
I packed up, and snuck out...but first I unscrewed my string tracker and left it under a rock in case she got up and moved off. Whenever I do this I also leave the string a certain way so I can tell when I come back, if she'd moved...
I went home and ate breakfast. Then got my hunting cloths back on. Still wanting to give it more time, I went to another place I hunt to set a trail cam and clear a few branches from a double ladder stand I'd set the weekend before. It'll be a stand that hopefully Cade will be with me when I shoot a deer this fall.
That done, it was 4 hrs since I'd shot her and I was headed back to "stalk the string"...
First thing I did was go back to check out the string by the tracker. When I close and broke over the hill, I saw turkeys walking off right where I was set up. When I got the string it was obvious that one of them had got tangled a bit int the string and had pulled some out in a toally different direction. So now I couldn't tell if my bird had pulled on it...
I'd like to stop the story for a second here and say that the emotion and pressure of this situation was building by the second! I just kept telling my self to "do this right"....I needed to recover this bird!
I mean I always do all I can to recover anything and everything I shoot. Leaving no stone unturned, and giving it 110%. This situation was over the top though because of Chris' 1 1/4" VPA 3 blade that was in this bird!
As I got closer to where I could see the string entering the woodline, everything looked the same as when I left as far as I could tell...
At 10yds., as I snuck around the last bush that was obscuring my view, I saw my pink arrow...
My first thought was.."oh no, it fell out"...but then I thought I saw feathers!
On the way in I told myself that if given the chance, and I had any doubt if the bird was alive or dead, I'd shoot the birds as soon as I saw it. I'd made this mistake in hesitating before, and it cost me...not this time...
But.....This is where I messed up!
When I saw the feathers, I hesitated and mistakenly reached for my binoculars to see if the bird was alive or dead, and try to see exactly where to shoot...
-
Oh my...... :eek:
David
-
Just as I got her focused in the bino's, the arrow started to wiggle and brush started moving...oh no!
By the time I got bino's down and bow drawn she was out of sight!
I moved left a couple steps to try to get a quick shot at her as she moved off...there she was...I drew(my backup arrow also had one of Chris' BH's on it) and just as I shot she launched herself off the edge of the ravine on the edge of the raging creek below and the arrow sailed off, just behind her, over the cliff!
Her and the arrow disappered over the edge....I was stunned!!
"Oh my god, I can't believe this just happened"!!!!
Now my mind was racing....no way, this can't be happening!
Collecting myself I quickly looked over the edge and saw nothing!
Then I looked down and saw the end of the string...it had broken! This whole situation was falling apart by the second! Now I didn't even have the string to follow anymore!
She'd gone out of sight so fast over the edge that I couldn't even tell exactly what direction she'd gone. There was a small clearing across the creek, thick brush along my side of it...but my biggest fear was that she'd not made if across and went donw into the water. If that was the case, she'd be swept away in seconds!
I gathered myself, nocked another arrow and moved forward along the edge of the drop-off. As I hadn't gone 10yds. looking down into the creek when my eye caught some pink across the creek, on the edge of the clearing.
First thought...."which arrow is it, the arrow in the bird, or the one that just sailed over the edge"?
I stepped forward looking through my bino's and saw there was a turkey attached to the arrow!
Not a second later, she struggles to move off into the clearing....
She was at about 35yds, and sharply downhill when I drew and shot....at first I couldn't tell what the result of the shot was, it looked as though I might have hit her, but I wasn't sure...she hobbled about 10yds forward till she hit the south edge of the clearing and stopped...I could only see my arrow that was still in her...
I had one bh arrow left...
As all this was unfolding...it did nothing but add more weight to the burden that I'd put on myself by not making a perfect shot...this had to end like NOW!
I ran upstream to find a place to cross, couldn't find a decent place, so in I went right up over my Muck boots, mid thigh!
At this point I didn't care about anything but getting this bird, and broadhead back!
I came up the other side, nocked my last arrow and closed in on where I'd seen her last from across the creek...
As I came over a small rise, I knew I was close and saw the pink arrow as I stood taller looking over the rise....there would be no hesitation this time, I was gonna shoot ASAP!
As I moved a step closer, she came into view and i could see her trying to flap her wings, but her head was down....I ran up, grabbed her and ended it quickly...
I felt the weight of the situation lift and exhaled like I'd been holding my breath for the last 10 minutes!
There was no doubt I wasn't alone on this one... I bowed my head to thank all involved...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070706fallturk.JPG)
I picked her up and went down to the creek to figure out what happened to the 2nd and 3rd arrows that I'd shot while trying to recover the bird.
I found the 3rd arrow first, the 35 yarder I'd shot, it was stuck in the ground, clean...I'd in fact missed with that one.
Then the search for the other arrow with one of Chris' bh's on it. That one, I had no idea where it had gone.
I looked up the bank on the other side, tried to figure trajectory off the hill and quickly realized it was probably in the creek since it was in visible on either bank....I searched the water...
Bingo! A pink glow about 3 ft. deep in the middle of the creek! Once again wading over my boots I pulled up my sleeve and reached down and recovered my last arrow. I got lucky, the bh had wedged between two rocks, if it wasn't for that, it would have been long gone in the current.
My shot was literally an inch low from being perfect...
Entrance...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070708fallturk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070712fallturk.JPG)
Exit..
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070709fallturk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070711fallturk.JPG)
I'll have some autopsy photos later to show exactly what happened with the shot...
-
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070719fallturk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070724fallturk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070730fallturk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070735fallturk.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070737fallturk.JPG)
I cannot find the words to describe the what the thought of losing this bh put on me. Although I have no doubt Chris would want me to hunt the broadheads, and I have big plans for this fall with the bh....the thought of losing it is almost more pressure than I want to put on myself...
Thanks for the help my friend...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1060400.JPG)
-
Great story...very touching as well. Congrats on the turkey buddy! :thumbsup:
-
Very nice bud!! You tell a good story Pilgrim!! You texted me some, but ya did not tell me the whole story, glad ya got her and the coveted broadhead!! Shawn
-
Awesome Curt, simply awesome. You Sir can spin a yarn. I don't have the gift that you do for such things but I have an idea what you are talking about. The Surtees family Doc Tippit knife that I carried on my elk/muley hunt this season added some pressure, but it was very welcome pressure to preform to the best of my abilities and like your situation it had a positive ending. I very much enjoy reading all that you take the time to post on this site...and very well with much thought and attention to detail I might add.
Thanks again Curt, and happy Bday to Cade!
Travis
-
Way to go Curt! Thanks for the whole story, and you are right, you had help!
-
Well done bud!!
-
Congrats Curt :thumbsup:
Looks like the pink BH help out tremendously. No doubt your "Guide" was with you on this one.
:campfire:
-
Good job Brother enjoyed it all the way through. Hope we get a fall season sometime.I got plenty of birds.RC
-
Now thats a hunt'n story. I think my heartrate picked up as well reading this one. Felt like I was right there too. Congrats again Curt. Great writing and pics. :thumbsup:
-
Great job Curt, I can't wait for the other stories sure to follow this fall......
David
-
congratts :thumbsup:
-
Thank you all, your kind words a very much appreciated :notworthy:
Tomorrow I will try to get up some pix of the autopsy...
-
congrats!!!
-
NICE!! Good story tellin Bro. The Surtees family is lucky to have a guy like you keeping the memory alive.
-
Curt you are the Turkey TERMINATOR!
-
Thanks for sharing with us!! I hunted turkeys with my longbow last spring and didn't get a shot but you are an inspiration that shows that it can be done!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-
Some autopsy pix...
As I said earlier, the shot was just a tad low...
Bird on his back...arrow entered the back of the near thigh and you can see it poked out the opposite side breast...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070739fallturk.JPG)
Skin off, you can see where the arrow went into the body cavity after passing thru the thigh...see the liver?
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070740fallturk.JPG)
Enterance and exit...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070741fallturk.JPG)
No with the breast pulled up...you can see where one blade of the bh cut a slice in the liver...but just missed hitting the heart that was right in front of it...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070742fallturk.JPG)
Literally only one inch higher and it would have been over in seconds after slicing thru the heart!
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070743fallturk.JPG)
2 inches higher and it would have hit heart and lungs....always remember..."High they die, low they go"...