Trad archery/hunting injuries

[Robert Armstrong]

On the way to our stands one morning I decided to check my wifes broadheads to be sure they were hunting sharp. Laid my thumb on the edge of the blade while walking. Then watched my thumb drip blood through a rag all the way to her stand.

[hawk22]

When I was 15, I was out bowfishing and the line got caught on something when I shot, pulling the arrow nock end first back into my hand.  The nock buried in between my first two fingers about 1.5" deep and then popped back out.  That was fun...

[JB74nola]

I have shot myself in the hand with the back 3rd of an exploded wooden arrow as well, AND I over shot the first couple days with my 65# longbow and had shoulder issues in my bow arm for a few weeks.

[hitman]

This didn't happen to me but back in the 70's a friend of mine was stringing his bow using the instep and pushing the top limb away from him method and the bow limb slipped out of his hand, hitting him right between the eyes leaving a nasty gash and knocking him out cold. Very scary!!

[kill shot]

When I was a kid I accidently shot my dads garage door. My feelings were hurt badly and have yet to heal.

[Dave Lay]

Originally posted by hitman:
This didn't happen to me but back in the 70's a friend of mine was stringing his bow using the instep and pushing the top limb away from him method and the bow limb slipped out of his hand, hitting him right between the eyes leaving a nasty gash and knocking him out cold. Very scary!!

we had a local gentleman named Jack Whitt, who back in the 70's lost a eye doing the same thing

Several years ago I fumbled an arrow with a newly-sharpened Wensel Woodsman on the end and it dropped right into my thigh, penetrating more than an inch. There was a lot of bleeding, a trip to the ER (whew missed the artery but cut through a major nerve) and now I have a numb spot and a very unique archery scar as a tribute to the penetration power of a sharp broadhead and a heavy (550g) arrow shaft!    :rolleyes:

[centaur]

Back a few years ago, I was deer hunting in the Sweetwater Rocks area of Wyoming. Being invincible, I jumped off a rock, about 6 feet vertically. Rolled my ankle big time, and thought I had broken it at the time (turned out to be a bad sprain). I was about 3 miles from the truck, in rough country. The hobble back to the truck was pretty painful, but I got to use my longbow as a crutch.  Don't try that at home.

[RedStag5728]

I know this isn't particularly as trad related as you guys', but I wanted to try my hand at making my own arrows from straight grained Popular boards I had bought from Lowes. Well instead of splitting them down to 3/8" squares to plane off the edges I decided to use our table saw. It started off well, cut the boards to 36" lengths, set the bridge to 3/8" and started ripping the boards, got about halfway through the board to the point of using the push stick and not thinking I placed my thumb against the board to keep it pressed against the bridge and hit a knot.

Well needless to say, the board kicked and my thumb slipped right into the blade! Luckily it just barely caught the tip of my thumb but it cut a gash the width of the saw blade and tore all the meat and flesh almost down to bone. Didn't hurt until 30 minutes later. Didn't go to the doctor, just peroxided it while it was still numb, and wrapped it up.

Needless to say I gave up on homemade arrows using the table saw and I am going to split them from now on! Got a cool scar out of the deal, and killed the nerve in the tip of my left thumb (no longer have any feeling), but it hurt my pride more than anything!