Patent Publication Number: US-2012043357-A1

Title: Device and method for carrying a turkey

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Many people enjoy the sport of hunting with bow and arrow or with rifles and often look to acquire trophy game for show and accolade. Often, hunters must track wildlife into remote areas of wilderness in order to reach state-certified hunting areas or to track the most desired large wildlife suitable for trophy taxidermy and the like. With such hikes into remote areas, retrieving the wildlife becomes a more difficult endeavor. This is especially so since a hunter typically desires to keep the wildlife is presentable condition if the hunter wishes to turn the kill into a trophy later. Thus, transporting the heavy wildlife out of remote wilderness areas without damaging the carcass proves to be a difficult task. 
     One particularly difficult wildlife to transport is a turkey. Typically a turkey trophy will display the entire bird including its full tail plume so it becomes doubly important to keep the carcass from being drug across the ground or to continuously bump against one&#39;s legs or other hunting equipment when trying to carry the game. Furthermore, because the game will likely be presented as the full body (as opposed to just a head when a trophy is made of other wildlife such as an elk or moose), one common way to carry the bird is by the legs so as to not damage the feathers or body. As amateur and connoisseur turkey hunters alike can attest, the most often-employed technique for carrying a turkey carcass is to grab the legs with one of both hands in clenched fists and then sling the bird over one&#39;s shoulder. In this manner, the body of the bird hangs down the backside of the carrier while his or her hands clench the legs to keep the bird&#39;s legs supported over the shoulder. Needless to say, over a lengthy wilderness hike, one&#39;s clenched fists become tired and the narrow profile of the turkey&#39;s legs tend to apply acute pressure to one&#39;s shoulder. To date, these problems have yet to be addressed in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a turkey carrier according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a person who has the turkey carrier of  FIG. 1  engaged according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter disclosed herein. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present detailed description. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed or suggested herein. 
     As discussed briefly above, carrying a turkey carcass can be a difficult endeavor when one considers the length of time that one must maintain clenched fists with a load supported by one&#39;s shoulder. With a turkey carrier formed in accordance with various embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein, the weight of the turkey is transferred to a belt clip and the brunt of the shoulder support weight is dispersed over a wider area because of a shoulder support pad. Thus, according to an embodiment, a turkey carrier includes an elongated body member that is attached to a clip that may engage a belt. Further, the body member may include a shoulder support as well as a plurality of turkey-leg-engagement loops suited to engage and support a pair of turkey legs. In this manner, the turkey carrier may provide the securing force with the engagement loops that were once provided by the person&#39;s clenched fists. Further, the gravitational force of the weight of the turkey is dispersed over wider shoulder support area and is fully transferred to the belt clip coupled to the person&#39;s belt. These and other aspects are discussed in greater detail below with respect to  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a turkey carrier  100  according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. The turkey carrier  100  includes three main components: an elongated strap or main body member  110  that may include a shoulder support  105 , an attachment device  115  (shown as an engagement clip in this embodiment) suited to engage an article of clothing such as a belt and a plurality of engagement mechanisms  130   a - c  disposed on the elongated strap  110 . Together, these components as shown assembled in the apparatus of  FIG. 1  provide a means for carrying a turkey in a more effective manner than conventional devices and methods. Several embodiments and advantages are discussed in the next paragraphs. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the engagement mechanisms  130   a - c  are shown as engagement straps that comprise a pair of elongated strips of material operable to engage each other with a hook and latch system. Thus, as one or both turkey legs (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) of a turkey to be carried are laid upon the elongated strap  110 , the engagement straps  130   a - c  may be looped around the turkey legs so as to hold them in place tightly against the elongated strap. Thus, when the turkey is lifted, the legs are prevented from maneuvering away from the engagement mechanisms. This is shown in greater detail below with respect to  FIG. 2 . 
     The engagement mechanisms  130   a - c  may also be devices other that hook and latch straps. In other embodiments, the engagement mechanisms  130   a - c  may be punch-hole buckle devices, cinching devices for tightening a rope around the legs, zip ties, or other suitable device for securing turkey legs to the elongated strap  110 . Further, the elongated strap  110  may include additional points beyond. the three engagement mechanisms  130   a - c  shown, such as eyeholes  135  for a separate zip tie to be used to more securely hold the turkey legs in place. 
     The turkey carrier of  FIG. 1 , may further include a shoulder pad  105  attached to an end of the elongated strap  110 . Specifically, the shoulder pad  105  is intended to provide a means for distributing the gravitational force of the weight of a carried turkey about a larger surface area. In this manner, a person carrying the turkey with the apparatus of  FIG. 1  will not having a narrow portion of the elongated strap  110  digging into the person&#39;s shoulder. This is illustrated more clearly in  FIG. 2  as described below. The shoulder pad  105  may further include a first side  107  comprising a neoprene rubber material and a second side  106  comprising a canvas material. The neoprene rubber side  107 , or other suitable material, provides enough friction so as to prevent this portion of the apparatus  100  from sliding around on one&#39;s shoulder when the apparatus  100  is engaged with a carried turkey. The canvas side  106 , or other suitable material, provides a robust surface that is resistant to wear-and-tear from the engaged turkey legs. Finally, the elongated strap  110  may also be made from burlap, leather, canvas, woven rope, woven linen or any other suitable material to provide the necessary robust and lightweight features. Further, the elongated strap may also include an elastic member coupled between the strap and the anchor device to provide a bit of play as the turkey may be jostled around when the person is walking. 
     The elongated strap  110  may also include an adjustable portion suited to be adjusted to the size of a human torso. Thus, a looping adjustment point  111  may be adjusted depending on the size of a person using the apparatus  100  to carry a turkey. Further, the shoulder pad may also be adjustable from the other end of the elongated strap  110 . Typically, when a person engages the apparatus to carry a turkey, one may first fasten the engagement device with one&#39;s belt, and then adjust the elongated strap  110  until the shoulder pad  105  is positioned on the person&#39;s shoulder and the turkey is hanging in a comfortable manner from behind. Other devices for providing adjustments to the overall length of the elongated strap  110  are contemplated but not discussed herein for brevity. 
     Additionally, the elongated strap  110  may also include a quick-release device  150  that allows a person to depress a button or sides of a clasp to release the majority of the apparatus  100  from the engagement device  115 . In this manner, the apparatus  100  as well as an engaged turkey may be quickly disengaged from the anchor point at the engagement clip  115 . Such a device  150  may even be configured to release if a force beyond a certain threshold acts upon the apparatus  100 . Thus, if the apparatus becomes caught in machinery or around rocks or trees during a fall, the device releases before the person, who otherwise could not get free of the engagement clip  115  securely fastened to his or her belt, is cleared from this danger. 
     The entire apparatus  100 , as mentioned previously, may engage with a person&#39;s equipment or clothing such that the person may have both hands free and still securely carry a turkey. The engagement device  115  may be a clip that includes a U-shaped section  116  that is suited to fit around a belt (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). The clip  115  of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  may be made of aluminum, extruded plastic, steel, and alloys thereof. In other embodiments not shown the engagement device  115  may be more intricate and involve a looping mechanism to be secured all the way around one&#39;s belt or may even be an entire utility vest suited to engage a quick-release device  150  as discussed above. These features and advantages are further described with respect to  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of a person who has the turkey carrier  100  of  FIG. 1  engaged according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. As can be seen, the turkey carrier  100  is engaged with the person and the carried turkey is shown hanging behind the person such that both hands are free. The turkey carrier  100 , as before, includes a strap  110  having a first end near the person&#39;s belt  210 , and a second end draped over the person&#39;s shoulder. The turkey carrier includes an engagement device or an anchor device  115  attached to the first end of the strap  110  and engaged at an anchor point on the person&#39;s belt  210 . Additionally, a plurality of engagement mechanisms  130   a - c  are disposed on the strap  110  and suited to engage an object, such as a turkey  205  at its turkey legs  206 . In essence, the apparatus  100  is suited to carry any object having a narrow portion and a bulky portion, the narrow portion being engaged at the engagement mechanisms  130   a - c  such that the bulky portion is suspended from the second end of the strap  110  behind the person. 
     The turkey carrier  100  may also include additional lateral straps  230  suited to engage a human chest when the turkey carrier is engaged with the human such the body member is impeded from moving laterally. Further, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the shoulder pad  105  includes a surface on its bottom side facing the person&#39;s shoulder for preventing the strap from laterally moving when draped over the shoulder. 
     While the subject matter discussed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the claims to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the claims.