am I the only one to have hunting disasters? - The Firearms Forum

Rneck · 10-12-2010, 02:30 PM

This past Saturday, while muzzle loader hunting, a 130 class buck stepped out of a thicket about 75 yards away. I was sitting on the ground and was watching through the scope( yes, mine has a scope). after about 10 minutes he had closed to within 50 yards.He moved very slowly to 30 yards and by that time my arms had started to get weak from holding the rifle up for so long. The buck was behind some trees and I decided to rest my arms for a few seconds. I got a cramp in my leg right about then and tried to suck it up until after the shot. That's not possible,for me anyway. I then decided while he couldn't see me I would move a bit. With my arms still burning and heart pounding and leg cramping all at the same time, I forgot the hammer was cocked and as soon as I moved I pulled the trigger. After checking to see if I had shot myself I looked toward the deer and could not see out of the cloud of smoke until it lifted. buck was gone.Oh well, this is another on my list of unfortunate events

old semperfi · 10-12-2010, 04:43 PM

i hunt hoosier national forrest and i hunt on the ground from the same spot every year.three years ago i was leaned against my favorite tree setting down with my legs crossed.i heard a noise behind me and when i peeked around the tree i saw a very nice 8 point buck,in order to shoot it i had to shoot left handed and stand up to do it.i practice both right and left handed shooting so it was not a impossible shot.i stood up and promptly fell down and almost rolled down the hill.i didnt realize it but my left leg had went to sleep and it refused to support me.oh well just another day in deer hunting. old semperfi

jack404 · 10-12-2010, 04:46 PM

i was stalking some deer one day and so moved into some waist high scrub to get closer when a thunder clap happened , behind me and to the right was maybe 2000 roo's feeding on the first green grass of the season and they all took off straight at me

ever been tromped by maybe 20 roo's and dodged a couple thousand others?

yeah you hunt things happen , aint it great ? hahahahaha

zkovach · 10-12-2010, 08:25 PM

Rneck that stuff happens but just learn from your mistakes... One thing i do that helps me is when i first get in my stand i imagine deer coming from different areas and pull my gun up and visualize the shot. When you do this go through all the steps except pulling the trigger. Trust me on this it sounds crazy but it definatley works for me. Better luck on the next hunt.

jack404 · 10-12-2010, 08:41 PM

zkovach , nothing crazy about that at all, we teach it in our long rifle course here in OZ

things are always easier second or third time , even if the first time is only in your head

shooting is no different

hawkshaw · 10-12-2010, 09:09 PM

Rneck, I have made every mistake possible. Drawn bow too soon, too late, fell from stand, led too much, too little. Shot turkey, rolled it up, looked at shell that failed to eject while the turkey flew off. Ran to turkey, called it in to a perfect shot opportunity, click? I forgot to chamber a shell. You name it and its a mistake I have made. Keep pluggin, it works out.

jacksonco · 10-12-2010, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rneck

This past Saturday, while muzzle loader hunting, a 130 class buck stepped out of a thicket about 75 yards away. I was sitting on the ground and was watching through the scope( yes, mine has a scope). after about 10 minutes he had closed to within 50 yards.He moved very slowly to 30 yards and by that time my arms had started to get weak from holding the rifle up for so long. The buck was behind some trees and I decided to rest my arms for a few seconds. I got a cramp in my leg right about then and tried to suck it up until after the shot. That's not possible,for me anyway. I then decided while he couldn't see me I would move a bit. With my arms still burning and heart pounding and leg cramping all at the same time, I forgot the hammer was cocked and as soon as I moved I pulled the trigger. After checking to see if I had shot myself I looked toward the deer and could not see out of the cloud of smoke until it lifted. buck was gone.Oh well, this is another on my list of unfortunate events

I don't know how in the world you refrained from dropping that buck once he got to with in 30 yards of you. I would have nailed him at 30 yards.

Big ugly · 10-13-2010, 01:10 AM

Man if it wasnt for bad luck I'd have no luck at all. I got a bad back, not to mention I am a touch over weight now and even though I am willin to be Billy Goating my way around these mountins it dont mean I am able. A coupple of years ago I decided to go out deer hunting and I kinda hiked a little further than I should have. I got mabbe a mile and a half away from my Suburban and twisted my back. Now I was 1 full ridge and on top of another whan I done it. I was in pretty bad shape there for a while. It was cold, I was n the gorund, I didnt have my Cell Phone on me, nuttin in the way of survival gear.

That was the worst. Just like another feller here mentioned, I have fell out of a tree stand. I sneezed just when I was getting ready to aim on a once in a life time Buck up in Ohio. Man that one made me mad beyond all else. I was even hunting and got chased up a tree in GA by a pissed off feral pig that I didnt even make mad. I was gonna let him be all by hisself and some other jack@$$ I was hunting with took a poke at em with a .22. Almost was a good shot except he missed the sweet spot and the bullet bounced off his skull. I just happend to be closer to Mr Pig that the shoter was. I could go on all day about stories, dont get me started LOL

Rneck · 10-13-2010, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacksonco

I don't know how in the world you refrained from dropping that buck once he got to with in 30 yards of you. I would have nailed him at 30 yards.

I didn't have a clear shot, he was walking straight towards me and it was pretty thick,so his vitals were hard to get a clean shot on. I've shot over 100 bucks in the past 40 years and have at least one disaster for each season. And the fishing disasters that have happened to me are plentiful too

Bubblehead · 10-13-2010, 10:11 AM

"Disasters" make for good stories. Yours was much better than if you would have said, "the deer was 30 yards away and I nailed it".

Old Grump · 10-13-2010, 03:35 PM

Had a German rifle in .308 with a double set trigger. Hand load ammo, consistent 3/4" groups with it, first time I ever get to go deer hunting with it and I trip over some barbed wire under tall grass at the top of the hill. I don't hit dirt till I get to the bottom of the hill. Hit one side of the ditch with the stock, the other side of the ditch with the barrel, cracked the stock and broke a big chunk of it at the point just before the grip, bent the barrel, and the radius in my left forearm, the one I was holding onto the rifle with snaps 3" above my wrist and moves 1" past the break.

Took 3 surgeries to get my arm back to normal, sort of, scar is still there, still hurts occasionally and the rifle was totaled. What hurts the most is the loss of the rifle, that and the fact that I missed the rest of hunting season because cold air on my cast made me scream and cry like a little girl. That was 1975, I still miss the gun.

Reason I miss the gun is because I stuck it in a cheap leather case and forgot about it for about 7 years. Went to take it out to see what I could do for repairs and discovered a solid block of rust, The stock I could have carved new, the barrel I could have replaced but I really messed up that receiver. Arm still hurts on bad days but not as much as the loss of that gun does.

Jeff Midguard · 11-12-2010, 10:46 AM

Had the opportunity to go along on a moose hunt in AK. Borrowed rifle that I
had never shot. Woke up that morning with a stomach virus and no energy.
One of the partners placed some really short 2x6's behind the truck as a ramp and siad,"I think you should load the ATV Jeff". Needless to say it tossed me off backwards
leaving some pretty large bruises. ATV parked itself at the fromt of the bed. We piled in the truck and headed out. Left on foot from parking spot along RR tracks. About 10 min. in heard one shot, than another. A couple of our friends headed out shortly before
us. We assumed they had their moose and rushed up to see. Sure enough, there they were standing over a freshly killed moose scratching their heads as to what to do next.
Turns out the moose was a female(not permitted). The shooter said"it was standing in front of those trees, and the branches looked like antlers." To which my partner said "not again!". After about another 5 min. of head scratching, the concensus was that we would bury the head and take the animal out like nothing was wrong. So, quartered the moose, carried quarters out through the swamp on a pole carried by two.
the ATV was of course out of gas by then. Can'r remember how we got the ATV back into the truck, but nobody thought to tie it down. On the way home, hit a large bump
and the ATV crashed through the back window. That was my first and last invitation with them. Don't think I was missing much after that.

10-12-2010, 02:30 PM	#1
Rneck V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 109	am I the only one to have hunting disasters? This past Saturday, while muzzle loader hunting, a 130 class buck stepped out of a thicket about 75 yards away. I was sitting on the ground and was watching through the scope( yes, mine has a scope). after about 10 minutes he had closed to within 50 yards.He moved very slowly to 30 yards and by that time my arms had started to get weak from holding the rifle up for so long. The buck was behind some trees and I decided to rest my arms for a few seconds. I got a cramp in my leg right about then and tried to suck it up until after the shot. That's not possible,for me anyway. I then decided while he couldn't see me I would move a bit. With my arms still burning and heart pounding and leg cramping all at the same time, I forgot the hammer was cocked and as soon as I moved I pulled the trigger. After checking to see if I had shot myself I looked toward the deer and could not see out of the cloud of smoke until it lifted. buck was gone.Oh well, this is another on my list of unfortunate events -->

10-12-2010, 04:43 PM	#2
old semperfi Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: i live in southern indiana,old country boy at heart Posts: 1,506	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? i hunt hoosier national forrest and i hunt on the ground from the same spot every year.three years ago i was leaned against my favorite tree setting down with my legs crossed.i heard a noise behind me and when i peeked around the tree i saw a very nice 8 point buck,in order to shoot it i had to shoot left handed and stand up to do it.i practice both right and left handed shooting so it was not a impossible shot.i stood up and promptly fell down and almost rolled down the hill.i didnt realize it but my left leg had went to sleep and it refused to support me.oh well just another day in deer hunting. old semperfi

10-12-2010, 04:46 PM	#3
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? i was stalking some deer one day and so moved into some waist high scrub to get closer when a thunder clap happened , behind me and to the right was maybe 2000 roo's feeding on the first green grass of the season and they all took off straight at me ever been tromped by maybe 20 roo's and dodged a couple thousand others? yeah you hunt things happen , aint it great ? hahahahaha

10-12-2010, 08:25 PM	#4
zkovach Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,005	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? Rneck that stuff happens but just learn from your mistakes... One thing i do that helps me is when i first get in my stand i imagine deer coming from different areas and pull my gun up and visualize the shot. When you do this go through all the steps except pulling the trigger. Trust me on this it sounds crazy but it definatley works for me. Better luck on the next hunt. __________________ Liberalism: Poverty for ALL!!

10-12-2010, 08:41 PM	#5
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? zkovach , nothing crazy about that at all, we teach it in our long rifle course here in OZ things are always easier second or third time , even if the first time is only in your head shooting is no different

10-12-2010, 09:09 PM	#6
hawkshaw Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 17	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? Rneck, I have made every mistake possible. Drawn bow too soon, too late, fell from stand, led too much, too little. Shot turkey, rolled it up, looked at shell that failed to eject while the turkey flew off. Ran to turkey, called it in to a perfect shot opportunity, click? I forgot to chamber a shell. You name it and its a mistake I have made. Keep pluggin, it works out.

10-13-2010, 01:10 AM	#8
Big ugly Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Knoxville Tennessee Contributor Posts: 2,603	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? Man if it wasnt for bad luck I'd have no luck at all. I got a bad back, not to mention I am a touch over weight now and even though I am willin to be Billy Goating my way around these mountins it dont mean I am able. A coupple of years ago I decided to go out deer hunting and I kinda hiked a little further than I should have. I got mabbe a mile and a half away from my Suburban and twisted my back. Now I was 1 full ridge and on top of another whan I done it. I was in pretty bad shape there for a while. It was cold, I was n the gorund, I didnt have my Cell Phone on me, nuttin in the way of survival gear. That was the worst. Just like another feller here mentioned, I have fell out of a tree stand. I sneezed just when I was getting ready to aim on a once in a life time Buck up in Ohio. Man that one made me mad beyond all else. I was even hunting and got chased up a tree in GA by a pissed off feral pig that I didnt even make mad. I was gonna let him be all by hisself and some other jack@$$ I was hunting with took a poke at em with a .22. Almost was a good shot except he missed the sweet spot and the bullet bounced off his skull. I just happend to be closer to Mr Pig that the shoter was. I could go on all day about stories, dont get me started LOL __________________ "You say the Devil made do it with a smile. Raisin' hell and howlin at the moon. Well I'm gonna put your @$$ back in line. I'm gonna scare the Devil out of you." BlackBerry Smoke Song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R513dA4peMg Nothing is "proof" against a truly talented fool. Swanshot

10-13-2010, 10:11 AM	#10
Bubblehead V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pioneer, CA Posts: 480	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? "Disasters" make for good stories. Yours was much better than if you would have said, "the deer was 30 yards away and I nailed it". __________________ There are only two types of ships: Submarines and Targets.

10-13-2010, 03:35 PM	#11
Old Grump Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Little hut in the woods near Blue River Wisconsin Posts: 2,289	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? Had a German rifle in .308 with a double set trigger. Hand load ammo, consistent 3/4" groups with it, first time I ever get to go deer hunting with it and I trip over some barbed wire under tall grass at the top of the hill. I don't hit dirt till I get to the bottom of the hill. Hit one side of the ditch with the stock, the other side of the ditch with the barrel, cracked the stock and broke a big chunk of it at the point just before the grip, bent the barrel, and the radius in my left forearm, the one I was holding onto the rifle with snaps 3" above my wrist and moves 1" past the break. Took 3 surgeries to get my arm back to normal, sort of, scar is still there, still hurts occasionally and the rifle was totaled. What hurts the most is the loss of the rifle, that and the fact that I missed the rest of hunting season because cold air on my cast made me scream and cry like a little girl. That was 1975, I still miss the gun. Reason I miss the gun is because I stuck it in a cheap leather case and forgot about it for about 7 years. Went to take it out to see what I could do for repairs and discovered a solid block of rust, The stock I could have carved new, the barrel I could have replaced but I really messed up that receiver. Arm still hurts on bad days but not as much as the loss of that gun does. __________________ "When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil."~~- Thomas Jefferson Roman Catholic, Life Member of American Legion, VFW, Wisconsin Libertarian party, Wi-FORCE, WGO, NRA, JPFO, GOA, SAFand CCRKBA Last edited by Old Grump; 10-13-2010 at 03:37 PM..

11-12-2010, 10:46 AM	#12
Jeff Midguard V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Baja Arizona Posts: 233	Re: am I the only one to have hunting disasters? Had the opportunity to go along on a moose hunt in AK. Borrowed rifle that I had never shot. Woke up that morning with a stomach virus and no energy. One of the partners placed some really short 2x6's behind the truck as a ramp and siad,"I think you should load the ATV Jeff". Needless to say it tossed me off backwards leaving some pretty large bruises. ATV parked itself at the fromt of the bed. We piled in the truck and headed out. Left on foot from parking spot along RR tracks. About 10 min. in heard one shot, than another. A couple of our friends headed out shortly before us. We assumed they had their moose and rushed up to see. Sure enough, there they were standing over a freshly killed moose scratching their heads as to what to do next. Turns out the moose was a female(not permitted). The shooter said"it was standing in front of those trees, and the branches looked like antlers." To which my partner said "not again!". After about another 5 min. of head scratching, the concensus was that we would bury the head and take the animal out like nothing was wrong. So, quartered the moose, carried quarters out through the swamp on a pole carried by two. the ATV was of course out of gas by then. Can'r remember how we got the ATV back into the truck, but nobody thought to tie it down. On the way home, hit a large bump and the ATV crashed through the back window. That was my first and last invitation with them. Don't think I was missing much after that.