What's the dumbest or...?

[Zradix]

nuts..

[paoliguy]

I was about 14 on my very first hunting outing by myself. I had built a platform tree stand out of whatever scrap lumber I could find. And my Darton Ranger and I were off to be the next great bow hunter! Someone told me that you could smash up some persimmons to be a cover scent so I grabbed a pocketful from the yard on my way out. I get to my stand and proceed to smash my persimmons and wait. Too bad nobody told me that you were supposed to smash the persimmons on the GROUND! It is amazing how slick perssimons are between rubber boots and wet plywood! It was like a 2 foot square ice rink!

[KentuckyTJ]

No doubt the time I tried to crawl under an electric fence with a stand on my back ZAP!!! Glad no one was around to hear the very girlish high pitched yell that was shocked out of me.

[Zradix]

[ronp]

I stepped OVER an electric fence that was supposed to be off.  It was on and I, too let out a girlish scream!  You can guess where it shocked me LOL!  I had some heavy wool pants on so it could have been much worse.

[paoliguy]

Woulda been a bad day to wear your kilt!!!

[Danny Rowan]

In 1989 on my very first outing in the jungles of Guam I was quietly walking looking for some pigs, stumbled upon a very big sow, must have almost stepped on her and she put me up a tree, bow on the ground and it was a palm tree, I hugged that tree for about 30 minutes when she finally left, slid down grabbed the bow just in time as she came running back in popping her jaws, she got a Hunters Head through the heart from the front and dropped at my feet. Only time I have ever been charged by a wild pig.

[Danny Rowan]

On a hunt in Texas several years ago I was stalking a couple of nice corsacan rams, ran out of cover about 30 yards from them, crouched down behind a cedar tree trying to plan the rest of my stalk. A Sika doe jumped up from under the cedar and barked in my face,guess I woke her from her nap, fell over backwards and probably screamed like a girl, needless to say after I gathered my wits the rams and the doe were long gone.

[hitman]

A few years ago I had a long walk into a great spot and the only way to it was through a lot of brush. By the time I got there with my climbing stand I was soaking wet. Got up in the tree and pulled my bow up and guess what? I forgot my arrows. I carry them in a quiver not attached to my bow. Down I came and hoofed it back to car and hurried back to stand. By the time I got settled in it was like I had been caught in a downpour with sweat.
  Lo and behold in 1/2 hour here came a doe with a really nice 10 pt. in tow. I made a great shot and he only went about 75 yards. Hunting is always an adventure.

[T-Bowhunter]

A few years ago my son and i where hunting one morning, we decided to check out a new location, my son stayed in the truck.  I walked out into a hammock, I saw this doe first and the huge buck that was chasing her came next, guess where my Bow was, it was  with my son in the truck.    

[ronp]

Good stories!  Keep them coming.

[fmscan]

Could not find my tree stand one dark morning, could hear deer chasing each other but could not see them due to darkness. Waited til light and found that I was at the right tree, but someone had taken my stand. Well after some real disappointment in my fellow man, I decided to not let him ruin my morning. My stand was near a scrape, so I watched the scrape and was enjoying the hunt. In walks a buck and he's pawing the dirt. There was so much brush I could only see his shoulder. That helped pick the spot. My arrow was true and I had my first trad. Buck and from ground. Felt real happy I didn't go home that morning and pout about the stolen stand. The breaks good and bad even out if you stay in the game.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I was 13 and hunting by myself for the first time.

My Mom dropped me off in the woods well before light. I strapped a seat to a small aspen tree out in the open.  My father was scheduled to pick me up at 11:00.  It was late october and kind of cold.  

At 10:00 I decided I was bored and made every noise imaginable in the grunt tube.  I sounded like a bugling elk, dying cow and a choking pig.  I grunted jingle bells and every song I could think of.  

This went on for who knows how long, must have been minutes. Until the grunt tube stoppd working.

I looked up and saw the largest set of antlers crashing toward me.  

The buck stopped broadside at 10 yards looking the other way.  I tried 3 times to pull back my bow but I was shaking so violently it was useless.

Here is a 200+ lb Wisconsin Brute standing as tall as I was at eye level looking for a fight merely 10 yards away and I couldnt pull back my bow.

eventually he looked at me and the jig was up as quickly as it started.  I was still shaking when I went to bed that night.  

That is one experience burned in my memory forever.


FYI. Jingle bells through the grunt tube has not worked since.

[RANGER94]

Great Thread!

Early September, about 10 years ago, very early morning.  I was climbing up a wooden ladder treestand with a head lamp on, I noticed alot of what I thought were dead bees on the rungs.  I get to the second top rung and noticed a picture perfect basked ball hanging from the bottom of the stand. For a split second I thought, "What the Hellll is this???"  That is when it me, literally hit me - a massive bee hive.  I must have got stung no less than 15 times...

[Yellow Dog]

Fired off three arrows at a turkey that was hypnotized by my Jake decoy. He had no idea what was happening, that is until the third one. Then things started going "black" for him.

[goingoldskool]

I was hunting bear in Ontario in 2007. After driving as far as I could in the truck, I jumped on the back of the owner/guide's 4 wheeler for the last 1/4 mile+ trek to the stand.

In Ontario, you have to keep your bow in a case on the way in and out from the stand.  So, with all my gear in hand or so I thought, I started to situate everything while he baited the crib.

I climbed down just as he was finishing up... he asked if everything was alright and I replied that I would be riding with him back to the truck.

He looked at me and said "you forgot your arrows, didn't you".

 He was right!

[-snypershot317-]

i was hunting a couple years ago out at my grandmas farm on small river bottom that i know very well and took my first buck there even. well i was sitting at the base of a locust tree watching the trail that eased it way along the creek that i knew deer used every morning. about 2 hours after sitting down i heard something making its way down the creek. for about 30 min i listened and watched but saw nothing on the trail but heard it getting closer and closer. after a few minutes i decided to turn around...lo and behold i was staring eye to eye at beautiful 6 point buck and two does...turns out that scent killer works and bucks like to sniff the unsuspecting hunter...  

[Huh]

Two years ago, first morning of an elk hunt, we worked a couple of bulls first thing in the morning and sat down to eat a little breakfast mid-morning.  My partner was 10 yards in front of me chomping on jerky when a small bull materialized 10 yards in front of him.  I would freak out waving my arms every time the bull dropped his head (ever seen 3 amigos, up here, up here, same deal).  I finally got my friends attention and he got busted trying to draw.  A few days later on the same hunt, stopped for breakfast again.  When I finished eating I let out a small bugle.  Shortly afterwards I heard footsteps and a bull came trotting down the mountain behind me.  He stopped, relieved himself at very close range and started to continue on by.  I spun 180 degrees crunching wrappers as I pivoted and shot him with a sucker hanging out of my mouth.  I don't usually eat breakfast, but thank god for hunting buddies that are obsessive about it....after these experiences I am now reconsidering my stance on eating breakfast.

[Mudd]

Last year I set a goal for myself to take my deer with nothing between me and the deer, but air.

Lofty goal for sure but very tough to accomplish I can assure you.

I got to the woods for an evening hunt. I was backed up to a large head high dead stump totally ready for whatever was to come.

I couldn't have been there more than 30 minutes when I had 3 does in front of me at under 15 steps.

Once I had finally gotten my heart rate under some kind of control, now I needed to just wait for the "perfect timing" to make the shot.

The "perfect time" comes when it comes, you can't push it. I had that refrain running through my mind as I continue to watch.

Finally, everyone is in position and all with their heads down sucking up acorns and slightly quartering away. I slowly raise my bow and just as I start to put pressure on my string... my bow arm gets hit with hot wet deer breath.

The doe I never saw that was standing at my left shoulder had just blown the alarm "on me"(literally) along with her spit and snot...lol

I'm not sure who jumped higher, the does in front of me.... or me...lol

I started to laugh out loud almost immediately at the thought that I had just had a deer count coupe on me.

Man!...What a rush!

I had a few more close calls last season but tags for tag soup and a lot of wonderful memories is all I took home with me.

I really look forward to getting back on track for attempting to complete my goal this coming season which is just a little over a month away from being here.

God bless,Mudd

[buckeye_hunter]

Mudd,

Were you in a ghillie?


Huh,
I thought everyone knew that the best way to see what you are hunting is to be eating or going to the bathroom!

One morning I was headed out to the woods and realized mother nature was calling. It was somewhat dark still when I leaned my zebrawood longbow against a bush. I proceeded to do what was necessary and then headed toward my stand. When I got there, I realized I may as well been out for a hike because I didn't have my bow in hand. Even after looking for 30 minutes I couldn't find it! Slightly panicked, I retraced most of my walk-in trail and eventually came across it. I never did see a deer that morning, but some of these stories reminded me of it.

-Charlie