What are the two most dangerous things that has happened to you while hunting ?

larryours · #1 04-05-2006, 10:03 AM

(1) An irritated black bear sow coming up the tree my treestand was in, while I was in the treestand!

(2) A hunter shooting pass the tree I was stitting with my back to, shooting my decoy, shot knocking leaves off of bush at arms length from me .

Talk about pucker time, both these incidents were 100 % pucker power time !
Larry

fabsroman · #2 04-05-2006, 10:50 AM

I have never had anything remotely close to that happen to me in the field.

What were you hunting when your decoy was shot? I would assume deer, but it could have also been turkey.

larryours · #3 04-05-2006, 11:46 AM

I was spring gobbler hunting here in West Virginia, let me say I could have bought the other hunter for a nickel, when he walked up to my shot-up decoy

fabsroman · #4 04-05-2006, 12:11 PM

I just don't understand how somebody could possibly think he is getting the drop on a turkey by staulking up to it. And to not see the bird move at all while trying to get close to it should have been a clue. Truthfully, that is pretty scary and I would have probably been pretty pissed off if it had happened to me. Lucky you weren't clucking too loudly, or he might have shot you, thinking that the tree was a turkey.

Next question, wasn't the decoy a hen, or did you have a jake bird in your decoys? Regardless, it still amazes me.

Skyline · #5 04-05-2006, 12:46 PM

fabs................there are lots of dolts out there. I have had guys sneak crawl up to my set of mallard decoys sit up and shoot a couple of them on the water. Then they sat there for about 5 seconds in disbelief, wondering what was wrong...............until they heard me pissing myself laughing of course. Then they knew.

A game warden I know told me about a guy that shot their stuffed deer three times before they could stop him from reloading and shooting some more.

There are idiots everywhere and in all walks of life.

larryours · #6 04-05-2006, 03:16 PM

The decoy was a hen, I saw him aiming before he shot and when he shot. it was one *@^*#@ feeling.
Give you the story, I had went out turkey hunting on property I had permission to hunt on, I was there before daylight, first morning of Spring gobbler season. I've always try to find a tree to sheld my back and to break up any outline of my camo figure from the approaching turkey, I set up my decoy approx. 20 yards in front of me off to the right slightly. I had made a few calls and a gobbler was coming in, just below the ridge. When the gobbler spooked and flew, I knew I hadn't spooked him.That when I heard someone calling behind me. I set still, I figure he would leave(about 20 yards behind me) 20 yards to my decoy, total 40 yard shot. After about 5 minutes didn't hear anymore calling, I thought maybe he had gone (other hunter) I sit up and looked behind me over my right shoulder, and saw the gun up and pointed in my direction, it didn't take me long to sit back against the tree and melt into it. I thought "He's going to shoot!He's going to shoot! And BOOM, he shot. I sat still, he walked by me, I could have reached out with my gun barrel and touched him, but
I figured ( right now I don't want to make any moves or startle him, because he still has a gun in his hands, I figured, when he got to the decoy he would know SOMEONE had put it there and was close, when he got to the decoy, I pulled my face mask off and then I yelled DID YOU HIT HIM ? That's only thing I could think of saying. As I said before I could have bought him for a nickel.
Excuse, he saw it was a hen but he thouht it was sick, and he was going to put it out of it's misery. ( I've been hunting 46,47, some odd years, and I've never seen a sick turkey in the woods.
He was an elderly gentleman and is now deceased, but I know he made me age a few years that spring morning !

fabsroman · #7 04-05-2006, 03:48 PM

As soon as I knew that guy was behind me, I would have done something to get his attention. I don't care how many turkeys were around, no turkey is worth being shot over. If I were in your place, the guy would have been able to smell me as he walked by.

One of my scariest episodes, and nowwhere near as scary as yours, was opening day of firearms season for whitetails. I had been hunting a property for several years, probably 10+ at that point, and I still hunt the property now for almost everything but firearms deer season. I set up a permanent stand in the woods with the farm owner's permission and killed a couple of deer out of it during prior years. Well, as the sun came up that morning, I found orange all around me, and it wasn't sunshine orange, but blaze orange. There were several guys within 50 yards of my stand. That was a great morning. I would have felt sorry for any deer that came through there, along with the neighbors for having to put up with an amount of noise akin to a war. Luckily, nothing came through.

FIJI · #8 04-05-2006, 04:38 PM

1) had a guy use the scope on his rifle to "check me out" sitting at the base of a tree on a hill. Didnt matter that I was yelling and waving an orange hat. He kept squinting and looking. He didnt stop util I returned the favor and looked back at him through MY scope ! Should seen his head pop up with a startled look then.,

2) (actually #1) A 14 foot fall from a broken tree stand ladder that left me partially paralyzed - 6 mos in a body cast - lifelong chronic back pain. Took me over three hours to crawl the 300 yrds to where I could get help

Tater · #9 04-05-2006, 08:52 PM

#2-I thought I'd found a short-cut down a mountain by sliding down on the scree. The scree funneled through a couple big rocks and I realized, too late, that my 'short-cut' culminated in a 30 foot drop. I caught myself a few feet shy of the drop and tried pulling myself up but the more I moved the further down I slid. I ended up having to tie off on one of the rocks and lower myself down my rope. Oh, did I mention I'm scared to death of heights?

#1-Going hunting for 6 days and coming home with nothing and trying to convince my wife that I really was hunting

fabsroman · #10 04-05-2006, 11:51 PM

Tater,

The #1 was hilarious. Next time, stop and buy something so you don't have to convince her otherwise. Of course, if she eats the stuff and knows the difference between venison and beef, you might be in even more trouble.

Tater · #11 04-06-2006, 03:11 AM

Unfortunately, Fabs, she does know the difference. Fortunately, my hunting buddy backs my story up

Nulle · #12 04-06-2006, 08:44 AM

Years agoe I was shot with a 22cal from a "buddy".

M.T. Pockets · #13 04-06-2006, 08:49 AM

One involved a horse, the other an airplane.

No close calls otherwise, that I know of.

L. Cooper · #14 04-06-2006, 08:53 AM

The only genuine danger I have been in when hunting all involved the drive to the hunt.

If you check the stats. hunting is a very safe activity.

Jabba · #15 04-06-2006, 09:59 AM

One time I had a squirrell run up my pant leg while I was asleep on the ground. I sure am glad he didn't find any nuts in there.

Once we were driving a very thick 10' tall pine thicket. I had a bud 40 yards from me and had a deer run back between us. We both followed it in the sights... to realize that our counterpoint was going to be on the other end of the shot. We both pulled off... but as we could not see each other... we were not sure about the other.

Glad I trust the guys I hunt with!

Jabba