What was your "close call"

IndianaBowman · February 06, 2013, 12:37:00 PM

Unfortunately, I have a bunch of them.
Everything from being attacked by wild dogs three times (20 stitches), charged by bears (3 times), gored by a wild boar (11 stitches), shot while rabbit hunting (just had to pluck out a few pellets, one in the lip), falling through the ice, and many more. The worst was getting run over by a truck (twice) after frog gigging. That one knocked out my front teeth and caused me to get 350 stitches. Did you ever squeeze a grape and have the skin pull away? That's what happened to my face when the truck tire went over mine. Long story but after the truck backed over me the first time it hit a tree and went back over me. I can still vividly remember the spinning tire coming up my leg, across my chest (tearing my clothes off as it came), and right before it hit my head I remember very clearly thinking "dang this is gonna hurt"! It did!

Ibow · February 06, 2013, 02:04:00 PM

Nothing got my attention like a bull moose encounter I had back in the 80's. I had just put an arrow in him at about 10 yards and afterwards he circled around in front of me and started waving his antlers and grunting at 6 yards. I thought at that point I was done for.

Being hunkered down in that swampy, mucky stuff I had no place to go and all I can remember is thinking, "This is NOT a good situation," and I started mouthing, "Please Lord, Please Lord."
:p

:p

I've been lost, cold, had very ornery bears at very close ranges, had a tree step break on me at stand level that had me swinging like a monkey but the deal with that moose was far and away the worst spot I've ever been in while hunting.

Ibow · February 06, 2013, 02:07:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by joe skipp:
1985 Grizzly attack in Montana. My buddy arrowed the charging Grizzly at 12 feet...my arrow entered from 4 ft as the bear charged in. One photo here was never seen by the public, 2 others posted across the country. The Trial was scarier than the actual attack.

Good grief... That had to be something else!

BowHunterGA · February 06, 2013, 02:37:00 PM

Like a few others mine was in the 80s. Back then I was in much better shape and generally a lot bolder than I am now. I was hunting in a baker style stand but I never did trust them enough to climb with them. I would use screw in steps and then use the platform as a stationary platform. Who needs to sit anyway right? So on this one day I am in the stand. I do have on a safety belt but one of those first ones that just went around your waist and strapped to the tree. A doe came in from behind me and stopped to my left side and due to the branches on the tree I had to lean out to get the shot angle I wanted. As I came to full draw I remember thinking I could lean against the safety belt and it would keep me from falling. As I put more pressure on the belt I picked a spot and released. I guess that little bit of shock was all it took. The stand platform spun out from under me. The arrow was way off the mark, the bow hit the ground just shortly after the arrow and I was pinned to a pine tree about 25 feet off the ground.

The belt felt like it was going to cut me in half, so once I regained some composure I managed to get one had behind myself enough to turn and somewhat face the tree. I pulled my knife and while hugging the tree with one arm I cut the safety belt and began sliding down the tree.

Needless to say I had a bad case of road rash on my arms, my abdomen turned a nice shade of purple over the next few days but all superficial wounds. Last I knew about it the remains of that old baker stand were still in that tree 15 or so years ago. I never went back to collect it and never hunted from one again.

Hoyt · February 06, 2013, 02:40:00 PM

As much as I hunt and am in the woods, I've been very fortunate over the years to have had many "close" calls. Two that still make my skin crawl were with snakes.

The first was a big timber rattler. I was blood trailing a doe I'd shot with my recurve in Camp Stewart in the early 60's..was on my hands and knees with my face about 18" off the ground looking for specs when the big rattle snake shied backwards out of it's coil. Could have just as easy struck me right in the face. Guess it was the near freezing weather an it was sluggish.

The other was this big diamondback. I was sitting down with my legs stretched out in front of me turkey hunting when I looked to my right and it's big ole head was about 3 or 4" from my right knee. It had crawled up from behind me and was stretched out along my right side with it's head up and tongue flicking.

I have no idea how it was humanly possible, with my legs stretched out in front and back leaning against a tree, but I managed to somehow spring up and around to my left behind the tree I was leaning against and do it quicker than a rattle snake can strike.

Steiger3208 · February 06, 2013, 03:17:00 PM

It's amazing to read all the different stories that hunters go through and continue on with a deep down passion for the sport we love. It's to bad we all couldn't be around the camp fire with a few beers telling these stories. I can visualize some of the stories as I read them.
The one that really stands out is the scrotum story, almost made me pass out just reading about it. I think I would have rather delt with the charging bear. lol. Wes

Steve in Canton · February 06, 2013, 04:16:00 PM

I have hunted a property here in Canton for the last 8 years. Last year the landowners wife pulled a gun on me at 5 in the morning, thought I was breaking into her house. She had no idea who I was and called the cops. This was a turning point in the lives of the landowner, his wife had early signs of altzimers and when she pulled the gun and did not recognize me after knowing her for years the family was able to get her medication.

hawkeye n pa · February 06, 2013, 04:29:00 PM

For me number one(while bowhunting) would be during a spring gobler hunt with my Dad. We had located a gobbler before daylight. At daybreak we called and a hawk flew over with that fisew noise, the bird shut up. It happened a couple of more times during the morning. Well any how heading out of the woods we discovered this gigantic nest in a beech tree. So I climb up and Dad was standing guard with a shotgun. The nest had three goshlings in it and I was taking pictures.

Something that I've got away with before. Well one of the parents did a dive bomb hitting me in the head. Had four puncture wounds to the head and required five sticthes in my eyelid from the talon. The slice never went completely through
the eyelid. Good Lord was on my side that day.
We could have shot the goshhawk the following weekend, but she was just protecting her turf.
And I've stop taking tree nest pictures. Thats how I got my nick name 28 years ago.

Roger Norris · February 06, 2013, 05:35:00 PM

Regarding those pics I posted...yesterday I foolishly put that knife on top of the fridge as I was puting away a bunch of hunting stuff. I forgot it was there, opened the freezer, and it fell on my hand. blood everywhere, my kitchen looked like a crime scene...

Mike Vines · February 06, 2013, 06:14:00 PM

WOW Roger. It is usually the simplest things that are the worst. First thing the boys said when I showed them the pictures was "When will Mr. Roger be able to go hunting with us again". Honestly, I couldn't make that up. We are hoping for a quick safe recovery for you.

Roger Norris · February 06, 2013, 06:30:00 PM

Tell the boys we can go anytime!We both know I can't shoot anyway!!Just bring more muffins

gringol · February 06, 2013, 06:43:00 PM

I once entered the woods in winter without any toilet paper. :eek:

ya'll are some very lucky folks! try to stay safe out there!

RC · February 06, 2013, 06:46:00 PM

I once was stalking a group of pigs beside a slew. The leaves were crunchy and I was walking in the edge of the water where it was not as noisy. the pigs were about 40 yards in front of me on a small rise. after a moment or two totally focused on pigs I realized there were baby gators yelping about 10 feet away in the slew. about the time I realized they were there Momma was on the way. I scrambled up the steep slew and on the backside of a big oak . When we both stopped running the gator and I her nose was about 3 feet from my foot.If not for the steep bank she had to scramble up I would have surely been caught.A solid mile from the truck. The Good Lord has kept me out of a whole bunch of trouble through the years. Thank You Lord.RC

Ibow · February 06, 2013, 07:07:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Roger Norris:
Regarding those pics I posted...yesterday I foolishly put that knife on top of the fridge as I was puting away a bunch of hunting stuff. I forgot it was there, opened the freezer, and it fell on my hand. blood everywhere, my kitchen looked like a crime scene...

Wow Roger, that looked awful - the kind that's not just inconvenient but also painful after a while. Hope it heals up soon and it wasn't deep enough to damage anything long term. Nasty one there buddy! :(

akbowbender · February 06, 2013, 07:16:00 PM

I wrote my story here: http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=112476

akbowbender · February 06, 2013, 07:20:00 PM

Quick feet there, RC!

For some reason, 'Gators make my skin crawl more than bears!

Bowwild · February 06, 2013, 07:27:00 PM

Holy smoke. No way I could listen to some of these gruesome stories live. Shoot, I had to cover my face with my hands and peek through the fingers on a couple of them as it was!

Indianabowhunter, Oh my!

Mike Vines · February 06, 2013, 07:29:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Roger Norris:
Tell the boys we can go anytime!We both know I can't shoot anyway!!Just bring more muffins

I heard the last one calling me about 2:30 this morning. Man, they were good, weren't they?

Craig Schoneberg · February 06, 2013, 07:45:00 PM

I lost my right eye in a shooting accident in 1963. On November 1, 1970 I shot a deer early in the morning, went to a creek to wash up - my glasses had fogged up so I left them on the dash in the pickup. There were trout in the stream and my friend and I grabbed our bows and the chase was on. I was on a steep bank and took a shot at a passing trout. The aluminum arrow struck a rock - the nock flew off - and the arrow bounced straight back at me. The fletching brushed my LEFT temple. Sure took all the fun out of the rest of that hunt. Vowed at that time never to shoot without glasses for protection . . . and for the most part I've done just that. Still have the arrow as a reminder.

Roger Norris · February 07, 2013, 07:38:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Vines:

QuoteOriginally posted by Roger Norris:
Tell the boys we can go anytime!We both know I can't shoot anyway!!Just bring more muffins
I heard the last one calling me about 2:30 this morning. Man, they were good, weren't they? [/b]

Possibly the best muffin ever. Here to for known as Wyoming breakfast muffins....