What Goes Good With Feathers?

[Brent Rudolph]

So, Randy Morin and I head to the turkey woods yesterday morning and had a great day. It was a bit foggy with a light frost on the rolling hills, green fields, highlighting the juniper and pines. The birds start talking before light and Randy gives me this get ready look. He started calling and within twenty minutes, birds were on parade straight to the blind. They hung up just before getting into the decoys and left me with no shot. Randy let out a call to cover my movement in an attempt to jockey for a clear view of the four birds. I drew and fired resulting in an explosion. Randy and I both were confident that the bird was done on the spot. I have seen this on the Outdoor Channel! The arrow looked and sounded great, the bird went into a death flogging for what seemed like a solid minute. Got up and ran like a world class sprinter never to be seen again even with the best efforts of my pup to locate Jake.

Here are a few questions for you turkey killers out there that are always sharing pics of your successful hunts for the great bearded one.

1) What am I doing wrong? That is two lost birds in less than a year. I am shooting a 65# Sheepeater with carbons and Magnus heads.
2) Have I pissed off some turkey god that requires me to sacrifice something before I can bring home a bird?
3) Is there some secret organization I am supposed to join?
4) Does anybody have a good recipe for turkey feathers?

Ralph Renfro..........you better post on this!

Brent

[Bear]

Sorry to hear of your woes, Brent. But having had shots at birds and even harvested feathers you are a far more accomplished turkey hunter than myself.

Then again, I never have tried real hard. Why would I hunt turkeys when I can scout for, read about, fantasize about, obsess over, or shoot at targets shaped like... WHITETAILLLLLLLS!  

[Guru]

Sorry to hear it bud, they sure can be frustrating!!

 Tell me more about the hit,angle,how long did you wait, and such......

 A few things I've learned the hard way is...

1) If the bird doesn't try to run away and is "seemingly" dead in front of you,get to him ASAP!!!  

2) But, If he runs away don't chase him.He won't go far before holing up. Give him plenty of time before you go look for him. At least 1 hr,with what you think is a "good shot", at least 4hrs with what you think might not be such a good shot.

3) If at all possible,try to use a string tracker.I know it's hard to get one attached to a Sheepeater,I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to use mine.I usually install it in my quiver hood,but I want to shoot my Sheepeater with out a bow quiver. Might have to try one of those real light,small one's like the Eagle's Flight.....But don't like the idea of my arrows sticking out below my bottom limb.

[Brent Rudolph]

Bear, Thanks for your words of sympathy! Hope you, the wife and baby are fine.

Curt, Broadside with a bit of quarter away. I thought I hit him about mid body right behind the wing while he was in strut. Didn't have time to take off after him while he was on the ground before he got up and hauled butt. waited about an hour before trying to track him. the last time I saw him, he appeared in fine shape, clearing a fifty yard field in 5.3 seconds. Good enough 50 time to qualify him for a high NFL draft pick. I hear you on the string thingy. With so much working limb in the sheepeater, there is little room for any attachment like that. What about my broadhead? Sound good? I know others that use them and get clean kills. Randy was shooting a three blade. Maybe more cutting surface is the ticket.

[ishiwannabe]

Only othe thing I have learned (on bunnies) is that if you hit em, and have a chance, put another arrow through em. Sorry man, I have lost game before. It sucks. Good luck next time.

[the Ferret]

Guru make a little Z bracket out of some starp steel or aluminum, bolt the tracker to the bracket and then use electrical tape to attach to your bow.That's how I do it.

Brent turkeys are tough tough tough and losing one is part of the game when chasing them with a bow and arrow. They don't bleed well usually, they can run and they can fly AND they can hide like nobodys business. Curt gave great advice for dealing with them (he should he's got a LOT of experience with bow hunting them).

There are a number of very experienced bowhunters who feel turkeys should not even be hunted with a bow. I disagree. It's a great challenge and an even greater reward. Losing one is a part of the challenge and it happens with deer, bear, elk, antelope whatever is being hunted. Should we not hunt them as well because some are lost?

Heck if you watch the hunting shows, even when 12 guaged they sometimes run and fly off

Sorry about your luck but as much as we hate it, it happens. Get back out there and recover the next one.

[Brent Rudolph]

Ferret, great idea on a string holder. got any pics of yours? I disagree too. even thought it is frustrating, I choose to bow hunt, period. I am sure that something like a string line would be a great recovery tool.

[the Ferret]

Brent here's the one for my wife's take down recurve (goes under the upper limb bolt)

 

And here's the one for my longbows and selfbows

 

[Guru]

Tough call bud...... What did the arrow do...go thru,stay in,or go in and fall out? How far in? What was on the arrow?

 I'm of the "bigger is better" school with turkeys.....I have had great luck with 160 Snuffers. The Snuffers and string tracker have turned some marginal hits in to recoveries. But don't sacrifice arrow flight and accuracy just to shoot a big head.

 Mickey, Can you show a pic of it in your bow bud? Great idea!!  

[the Ferret]

Curt I lost all my old pics when my puter went down a year or so ago (about 1000 pics) but here's one of it mounted on an osage selfbow in 1999 with the bracket trapped under the strap of a great northern strap on quiver. Once I quit using bow quivers I just wrapped electrical tape around the bracket to hold it on. Gee still wearing camo..this was a while ago ha ha..and no grey in the beard. I miss those days ha ha

   

[the Ferret]

Here you go guys. Mounted to a skinny osage bow. I like mounting mine below the handle grip but it really doesn't seem to matter, Dianne mounts hers above the grip.

 

[Dave Worden]

Thanks, Mickey.  I've been trying to figure out what to do with my brand new string tracker.  Steel and electrical tape I've got.

[Brent Rudolph]

Good news for all us small handle shooters Mickey. Thanks. Do we who use it owe you any a fee or was this just good info on the side for buddies?   :rolleyes:  

Curt, thanks for the Snuffer info. I am all good on heavy broadheads. I got plenty of bow poundage to push it.

[the Ferret]

I know... checks in the mail right? LOL

[Brent Rudolph]

You mean you'll take a check?!!!!! You bet! I thought you wanted cash.

Hey guys, does the string cause any problem with arrow flight I need to know about?

[Ralph Renfro]

Brent, I'm a dyed in the wood Magnua II guy, that the inch and a half wide two blade. However after not recovering a couple of birds, I too, have gone to the Magnus Snuffer for turkeys. If you can gut em on the way through they won't go far. By the way, I've given up on shooting anywhere other than the top of the drumstick. You kill him above it and cut one or both legs into if you're low. JMHO Works fine for me.  [/IMG]

[Ralph Renfro]

Err...Magnus II!!!

[Pinelander]

Maybe this accessory from 3 Rivers would work on your bow... similar to Ferret's bracket. It's the AMS Traditional Mount Adaptor. Attaches with a rubber strap and has a 5/6" hole for a string tracker. I don't turkey hunt without a string tracker.... it has helped me recover what would have been unrecovered birds. No arrow flight problems with string stracker out to 25 yards that I can tell.

  AMS Mount Adaptor

[SCATTERSHOT]

I have had a lot of track soup in my hunting career. bet that would go well with the feathers!

[Randy Morin]

Brent...that was a Snuffer I was using.

 You should also tell them about your secret for not getting buck fever...something about pretending to not be able to get your arm guard fastened while the turkeys are streaking in to the calls.  Man that was fun.

Folks...I'm no Turkey expert or anything expert for that matter but Brent made a great shot (apparently not though) and we thought for sure that guy was done right there the way he went to flippin an-floppin.  What a surprise when he streaked off.

Try as we might we couldnt find Brents arrow on the ground. Puff!!Dissapeared.  Actually, we think the Turkey was so huge the complete arrow must have been inside him as we saw no evidence of it hanging out as he ran off.  You'd think we were in Texas. Did you see the size of that chicken!