Real Name: Curt Matthew Cabrera
Nickname: "Guru"-an old softball nickname
Age: 40
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 175#
Home State: N.Y.
TradGang member number: 616
Member Status: moderator
Years traditional bowhunting: 20yrs.-time fly's when you're..................
(TG)- Tell us about yourself.
(Guru)- I'm a blue collar guy that lives for his family and bowhunting. I just can't seem to get enough!!
(TG)- How long have you been bow hunting with traditional gear?
(Guru)- I've been hunting with trad gear since '86,20 seasons now.
(TG)- Any heroes? Any role models?
(Guru)- First off,my Dad for sure. When I was getting into trad I was reading about guys like Gene and Barry, G. Fred, Paul Shafer, Paul Brunner, many more that I can't think of right now. I don't know if role model is the right word, but I sure would love to share a campfire with these guys!!
(TG)- What got you started bowhunting?
(Guru)- Dad got me started. He wasn't no where as serious about it as I am. But he was the one that got the fire started. I've taken that and turned it into a raging wildfire! I simply love to hunt.
(TG)- Do you have any favorite memories or kills that stand out? Tell us about it!
(Guru)- Wow,that's a tough one..so many good memories.But the turkey hunt I shared with Dad last year is the one that sticks out. We pulled off an opening day double.He was in the blind to see me shoot mine first with my bow, then a few minutes later he shot his first turkey with a shotgun. That's about as special a morning as any hunter could ever ask for!
(TG)- Do you remember the first animal you took with a traditional bow? Tell us about it!
(Guru)- My first was a 4x4 bull elk in Colorado in 1987. I called him in and shot him at 19 steps as he tore up a little spruce tree.Shot him with my Shafer Silvertip,that Paul had made for me the year before, and cedar arrow I made, and a 2 blade Zwickey Delta.Later on that same season I shot my first trad buck. A 2yr. old 7 pt. at 6yds. Those were the only 2 arrows I shot at game that season. Fond memories.....
(TG)- Can you tell us a bit about your preferred hunting combo?
(Guru)- I've always been a "one bow guy". It was my Silver tip for about 8 yrs,then a longbow for 3yrs, since then ('97)it has been my Kempf Kwyk Styk.It's 56" long, 62@28. Red Elm limbs, and a Shedua riser. I've always hunted with wood arrows I make myself. Though I have come to like the toughness of carbons at the few shoots I've made it too the last couple years. I shot 2 bl. Zwickeys for years until the Wensel Woodsman came out. I love um! For turkeys I think you can't do any better than a big 160 Snuffer.
(TG)- What is the one piece of advice you would give a new hunter to aid him on his hunting ventures?
(Guru)- Just stick with it and become a "sponge". Soak up any knowledge you can. I've always considered myself a "sponge". Always been more of a listener, than a talker. Ask question,and take it all in. Try it, learn from it, whatever it is.Read, watch videos, but there is nothing that I've found that is better than Trad Gang for learning. The knowledge here blows me away! But the most important thing is to just have fun with it, enjoy the privledge.
(TG)- What is your favorite animal to hunt?
(Guru)- Well, I get to hunt deer and turkeys every year so they are my 2 favorite. If I had to pick one........Whitetails, no doubt!! But, I suspect if I lived in Elk country, it might be the mighty "Wapiti". That's a special creature! But then there's those danged hogs??
(TG)- Do you have or prefer a certain method of hunting?
(Guru)- If you're talking about deer...95% of my hunting is done from treestands. But I like to hunt aggressive.By that I mean a lot of calling and rattling. Two of the most deadly calls for me are 2 that I make with my "voice/mouth", no call. First is a soft doe grunt. A soft clicky grunt thats easy to do,deadly at close range! The other is the "snort weeze", a lot of guys are leary to use this call. But I've used it successfully even on young bucks. Don't be afraid to try it!!
(TG)- Does any of your family hunt or fish?
(Guru)- Yes Dad, but not much of either anymore. He's a golf nut!
(TG)- What or who first got you involved in traditional bow hunting?
(Guru)- That's a tough one to pinpoint. But I know it had alot to do with dad hunting with a recurve, me starting out with a recurve(a right handed bow I shot left handed!) I also remember reading G. Freds articles in Bowhunter magazine back when I was getting started with trad.
(TG)- Do you have any bowhunting goals or plans for the immediate future?
(Guru)- Well I've drawn an Iowa tag this year. My friend and I are going to hunt public land for a week. A do it yourself, blue collar bowhunt! I'm really looking forward to that. The Conn. bow season opens Sept. 15th.Fall turkey in NY Oct. 1st,and then bow season Oct. 15th.
I've kinda set a goal to kill a deer in the 3 diff. states I'll hunt this year. I'd really like to kill a few more does this year too.
(TG)- Do you make any of your own gear?
(Guru)- Just my arrows I guess.I would like to make a selfbow or 2 someday though. I am always "tweeking" my stuff though.
(TG)- Where is the one place you would really just love to hunt?
(Guru)- Africa comes to mind first,but there are so many! I have a pretty special hunt, with some real special people, in the works for next year out west. But I don't want to "jinx" myself by talking about it too early!
(TG)- Do you primarily hunt private or public ground?
(Guru)- I'd say both, but certainly prefer private land around here. It's a rare thing around these parts though!
(TG)- Do you prefer evening, mid day or morning hunts?
(Guru)- Morning hands down! I love to be a part of the outdoors at daybreak. It's good for my soul.
(TG)- Do you normally use anything like scent covers or attractants, camo, or calls?
(Guru)- If we're talking deer....Cover scents -No Attractants,rarely. I do all I can to "minimize" my scent though. I'm kind of a "camo junkie",but I'm picky about the texture,pattern and the fit. Calls?...as mentioned earlier...definatly yes!!
(TG)- Do you do any small game hunting?
(Guru)- Yes I do some small game hunting with my bow.I've killed woodchucks, squirrels, chipmonks, rabbits, doves, pidgons, armadillos, a couple snakes, and I'm sure some things I've forgotten. For the last 2 yrs, the TG Bunny hunts have really given a bunch of us something to look forward to in the winter. One hunt I'm dying to try some day is geese over decoys with my bow. I think that would be a great hunt!
(TG)- Tell us what your dream hunt would be.
(Guru)- My dream hunt,..... that would be to have my Dad around and healthy enough(lord willing),to be able to share a hunt with my son and I,when he's old enough to hunt. Just something as simple as a turkey hunt or deer hunt. It would be an awesome thing to have Dad there watching as I call in my sons first turkey. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it.........
(TG)- Long time members of Tradgang remember you getting shot. For the new guys, tell us the story and how are you dong these days.
(Guru)- Well,for the full story,you guys can go to the "classics forum", look for "Guru's Story",and "Exit wounds,then and now". Long story short....while bowhunting during guns season.I was shot by a 17yr old hunter who was standing right next to his father when he shot. The 170gr 30-30 bullet traveled less than 25yds,yes..25yds, and just about blew my hamstring in half.I was airlifted out of the woods by helicopter,flown to Westchester Medical Center. It was there that I found out I was the luckiest guy in the world that day. No bone damage,minimal vascular damage,and minimal nerve damage.Three days in the hospital,a couple months of physical therapy, and a Trad Gang bunny hunt, and I was officially "Back"!!! There's a lot more to it,check out the "classics" threads.
The outpouring of help, hope, prayers, well wishes, offers for this and that, from my Trad Gang family was very humbling. It made my rehab very easy knowing my "family" was behind me. I made a lot of good friends because this incident, and have had some incredible hunts since then too. I thank you all again!!
(TG)- How has being shot changed they way you hunt?
(Guru)- Hasn't really changed the way I hunt at all.Well, I shouldn't say that, cause "The boss" won't let me hunt during rifle season anymore!! Besides that, not really.
(TG)- What do you look for when you are setting up for turkeys?
(Guru)- Setting up on turkeys,hmmm. I do a lot of preseason scouting, way more than actual hunting. The biggest thing I guess is to try to be where a gobbler wants to go anyway. Study his tendencies, where he likes to meet up with the ladies, where he likes to go strut when there's no ladies around. Stuff like that.If you can be between where he is and where he wants to go, the games a little easier. Never easy, but easier! I also like to set up in open areas where recovering a bird will be easier. Rolling terrain that allows you to get as close as possible to a gobbling bird is a big help too. Man,now I can't wait for next spring!!!
(TG)- What two items, besides your bow and arrow, do you feel like are necessary to be successful on turkeys? and why?
(Guru)- Besides my bow and arrows..I'd say me binoculars, which are priceless to me for observing birds at a distance, and just the enjoyment I get using them to watch stuff while hunting. How people can hunt without binoculars is beyond me. I'm not in the woods without them.
The other would be my Double Bull blind, it allows me to set up in the open areas I like to hunt,and makes a relaxed(somewhat) accurate shot possible. If you really want to kill some turkeys with a bow,get a quality blind!!
(TG)- You talk about hunting with your son, What do you think we as hunters should do to ensure our lifestyle gets passed down to the next generation?
(Guru)- I'm really looking forward to hunting with my boy Cade(and now daughter Emmie Mae). And the best thing is,he's really looking forward to it too!! Just get involved and help as many youngsters enjoy our sport as you can. They're the future,plant the seed!! Teach them right, keep them close,and keep them smiling!!! The rest will fall in to place.
Interviewers notes: When Curt replied to his interview request you would have thought he had received a gift. He seemed to feel honored by being asked to fill out the form. He is another humble guy that the members of TradGang requested me to interview. I always assumed he got his nickname from his deer and turkey hunting prowess, not playing softball. Curt is definitely one of the good guys in my book. I hope you get your dream hunt buddy, I really do.
Topic: Curt Cabrera (Read 3436 times)
