Dumbest, Odd or Crazy thing while hunting...

[bisket]

well, just as title say's...I'm sitting here reliving this past season and very happy with the doe I harvested from the ground.  

However a current thread on here about bows and tree stands made me think about something.  Something I had temporarily forgot about.

Made me think of the first time I ever sat on stand with trad gear back in 1998.  And this transpired...

I was up in my treestand I didn't yet have a quiver for my new Bear Super Kodiak so i'm using the quiver from my compound bow.  I hung quiver in tree.  A small buck walks in and I can't believe what is happening.  I am in my first hour of hunting with trad gear and am already thinking about telling my buddy at work that got me into this fun how I got a buck my first time out...WRONG...Like I was saying the buck is coming Right down the run..picture perfect stops and gives me a 12 yard chip shot...I shoot.  

He drops, shoulder hit too far forward and a little high, but the shot only stunned him.  Meanwhile I am reaching frantically for another arrow from the quiver I knock the whole rig loose from the branch and down to the ground 15 feet below me...

Well a few seconds later he gets up and runs away...it was a shoulder stinger shot.  And I go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.  And realize this is not gonna be as easy as I thought.  

Neighbor shot the buck during gun hunt a month later.  The deer fully recovered.  

Still trying to forget about that one.  And still trying to get my first trad buck.
Anyone else want to share something...

[Wannabe1]

Hmmm, me thinks I better rethink my setup?!   :rolleyes:

[ron w]

The list is way to long for me.........

[archer66]

I didn't really do anything wrong here except maybe call a bit too much but this is my most disappointing ending for a bowhunt ever....this happened in October of 2012 on public land.  I had scouted this area and found a lot of sign that looked like a buck was spending a LOT of time in the area.  I hung the stand on shortly before Halloween and went back to hunt it the next morning.

It was a cool, frosty morning and the wind was perfect.  I got to my stand really early and settled in with high hopes of seeing a nice buck.  Right at daybreak I heard a buck thrashing brush to my north. I could hear him thrashing branches and rubbing trees so I decided to grunt and can call at him. He stopped rubbing and I could hear him walking through the tall weeds and brush. He was headed west. After a few minutes and with me still not able to see him I heard him stop and thrash another tree. I grunted again and he stopped thrashing and all was quiet for a few minutes. Then I heard him start walking and he appeared 40 yards north of me heading west. He continued down the hill still heading west but stopping occasionally to look my way. When he was about 60 yards northwest of me I got worried he was going to leave so I grunted again and stopped him. He stared my way and turned left on a trail headed south that would take him past me at 36 yards. I let him walk along that route until he got directly west of me and ranged him 36 yards which is WAY too far. He was now just walking steadily south so I grunted again hoping to get him to turn my way and he stopped. He stood still for a couple minutes then started walking again so I hit him with another grunt. He stopped then turned my way and started thrashing a tree 30 yards to my west. I had my recurve...a 1966 Bear Kodiak Mag in hand at this point. He finishes abusing that tree and comes around it and starts my way coming from behind the tree he just thrashed at 25 yards broadside then turned on a trail and came my way, 20 yards quartering very hard to my left...not a shot I'll ever take, 15 yards still quartering hard toward my left, 10 yards coming straight at me. All I need is for him to turn left or right. He stopped at 10 yards to rub on a big tree a bit...still facing straight at me. Then he steps around the tree and comes to 8 yards where he encountered one of those tall green weeds on a bare stalk. Can't remember what they are but it was taller than him and he stopped to lick it. When he did he tilted his head back which put me in his line of sight and BAM!! He saw me and I could see in his eyes the recognition that I didn't belong there. Just a few seconds of staring and he wheeled around and bounded away. He stopped broadside to look back at 15 but behind a tree....stopped again at 30 to wave bye-bye and calmly walked away.

After he left I saw four does....all of which passed by me at 40 yards.

Here are a few pics from the stand. No pics of the buck....he was a nice ten point with big dark bases, white beams and tall white tines. I'm guessing him 130's or so...his beams aren't that long and he's only about 16 inches wide. I wanted him to be my first recurve kill.....oh so close.

If you look at the first picture there is a white log with no bark in the lower left hand corner of the frame....that's where he was when he saw me.    

   

   

[Msbow]

Something similar happened to me once. The first year I tried my hand at trad hunting. Except I never got the shot off.
I was in an old ladder stand, you know the kind with metal steps. About an hour before dark a doe ran down the trail I was on and stopped about 10 yards from me.
 At the time I would use my finger to let the arrow slide against to keep it on the shelf. As I began to draw my finger held the arrow too much pulled it off the string and down it went ting!.....ting!.....ting!.. Hitting what felt like ever step on that old ladder stand. She bolted never to be seen again. Needless to say I learned how to can't my bow!

[bisket]

yes, Wannabe1 it was your thread that got me reliving that memory.

[Charlie3]

Well, I've made a few...most recent one was in Sept of '14...I was spot and stalking Muleys in southeast WA on opening day. Really great area, lots of deer and lots of big bucks. I walked carefully across cut wheat headed toward a canyon where I knew there were lots of deer to look over. After a hilly mile walking carefully I got hot. I stopped to shed a layer in some sage, and as I'm stuffing my clothes into my pack I look up to see a nice little buck wondering what the heck I'm doing on his trail. I froze...the wind was good, but after about 10 minutes he figured that whatever I was he should not fool with me. He was about 25 steps away when he saw me, but had me with my pants down so couldn't nock an arrow or draw. I kept hunting. About 2 hours later I missed   a doe due to my lower limb hitting the ground when I shot. I had her dead to rites walking toward me about 15 steps. Sooo...two blunders in one morning. As luck would have it I got a whitetail that evening on a different property. Lucky guy, to get three chances in a day. Took that many before I could manage to not screw it up.

[Lineman72]

0945, Standing since 0445 in my tree stand, thinking, hrm, been 5 hrs, aint no seen no deer, hrm, gotta pee.... Go pee... Water bottle, opening small... Pissed all over darn hands cuz a nice 6 pointer spooked the ever loving crap otta me..no idea where he even came from...

Both of us wide eyed and thinkn...where and what the heck?...

[BWallace10327]

I've called in more bull elk that I care to mention that came in silently, behind me.  When things quieted down, I would stand up real slowly to leave only to hear the sound of a freight train barreling through the woods.  I wouldn't say it was dumb, but alot of fun.  Its pretty exciting.  When that happens, I try to look at it this way; If i would have shot that elk I would have had one huge rush, but there is no bag limit to how many elk I can scare.

[archer66]

Originally posted by BWallace10327:
I've called in more bull elk that I care to mention that came in silently, behind me.  When things quieted down, I would stand up real slowly to leave only to hear the sound of a freight train barreling through the woods.  I wouldn't say it was dumb, but alot of fun.  Its pretty exciting.  When that happens, I try to look at it this way; If i would have shot that elk I would have had one huge rush, but there is no bag limit to how many elk I can scare.

Ditto that for me on turkeys....

[KyStickbow]

Originally posted by Lineman72:
0945, Standing since 0445 in my tree stand, thinking, hrm, been 5 hrs, aint no seen no deer, hrm, gotta pee.... Go pee... Water bottle, opening small... Pissed all over darn hands cuz a nice 6 pointer spooked the ever loving crap otta me..no idea where he even came from...

Both of us wide eyed and thinkn...where and what the heck?...

Lol...now thats funny!!

[dhermon85]

Been there on the pee thing.....
Hadn't seen Jack, had to pee. Unbuckled the belt to go, Buck comes outta nowhere from my right, I draw, he stops and decides to loop around the back of my tree. I let down and turn to get ready for the shot, I draw again. No clear shot and he goes on down the trail. Only then, do I realize my pants are around my ankles!

[dhermon85]

The funny thing is, I remember looking around hoping nobody saw me    

[ChuckC]

I think, an very underused tactic when all else is not working, is to drop trou and start taking a dump.  Something about that calls in all manner of game.  Maybe work as a tag team with one "calling" and one waiting for the shot ?  Just make sure to top of your bibs, or your hood, are well out of the way. . .just saying.

All I can say is. .  keep hunting and you will have PLENTY more stories to tell.  These occurrences don't just happen to you, they happen to everybody, all the time.  Part of what makes life fun !
ChuckC

[centaur]

Originally posted by ChuckC:
I think, an very underused tactic when all else is not working, is to drop trou and start taking a dump.  Something about that calls in all manner of game.  Maybe work as a tag team with one "calling" and one waiting for the shot ?  Just make sure to top of your bibs, or your hood, are well out of the way. . .just saying.

All I can say is. .  keep hunting and you will have PLENTY more stories to tell.  These occurrences don't just happen to you, they happen to everybody, all the time.  Part of what makes life fun !
ChuckC

I recall a time when, at first light, a bull elk was screaming his head off, not 100 yards away. As I attempted to put the sneak on him, THAT feeling, a remnant of last evening's chili, became undeniable, and it was time to go, right now. As I squatted down to take care of business, I feel the wind start to move in the direction of the fired up bull, and in mere seconds, I hear the crashing of hooves away from my location. A time to feel both relief and frustration.

[Mint]

I was hunting a surburban area on Long Island over looking a trail and I was most of the way up a little ridge. right at prime evening time I hear a "deer" walking behind me. I slowly turn and there is a hiker there and he tells me that he is lost. I tell him which way to go to hit a close by mountain bike trail to get him out.

About 5 minutes later I hear him again behind me, so I turn around to look and a nice fat 4 pointer is 15 yards from me in no time. I swing around to shoot and unfortunately caught my lower limb in my bibs pocket and didn't know it. The shot flew awful and hit him high and way far back with no penetration and he bolts out of there fast.

 I wait about 15 minutes and then go to go see if I can find any blood where I last saw him go. About 20 yards past that point I see him crumpled up on the mountain bike trail with two mountain bikers looking aghast at the dead deer in the trail. I had hit him in the kidney and he bled out in 50 yards.

[Ray Johnson]

I was hunting with my BW recurve one October evening after work.A big boar hog comes in and I shoot him.I hit kind of high and far back.I get down to look for him and nature called.There was a dry creek bed right under my tree so I began to do my business right there.I have my pants down to my ankles.I feel a sting on my butt,then another,and another.Next thing I know is that I am being swarmed by hundreds of yellowjackets,hornets,or some type of wasp,etc...I tried to pull my pants up and just ran.I was fighting them off and after it was over,had dozens of stings on my butt,legs,face,you name it.Now,the problem is that my gear is still in the creek bed.I ran over to grab it and got hit again but not as bad.I wasn't allergic or would have died.I was in plenty of pain though.I look for the hog half heartily bu never found it.I had a 3/4 mile walk back to my truck.I'm sure that it would have made a hilarious funniest home video and now I can look back on it and laugh but at the time.it was no fun.The wasps were in a hole up under the bank of the creek bed.

[GANDGOLF]

This past fall, I was sitting a little off a well used trail. Good sign, a coupla scrapes. I was sitting in one of Big Jims Gorilla blinds. Ya know the little pop-up kind. I'd bleated about 30 min. before and had waited a while, was reading a good book, looking around , read some more. I heard leaves rustling off to my right, being real still. I look around real careful. Use the Binos.  Nothing !! I turn back to my left and a Large 10pt. , nose on the ground highballs right in Front of me not 4ft. away. Never slowed down . Never looked. Just Gone ! What the Heck??        

[reddogge]

In the early 70s I was hunting on Aberdeen Proving Ground and it started to rain hard. I was hunting next to a WW2 airplane graveyard so I found a dry spot under the wing of a C47 and sat down. Shortly there after I fell asleep. Upon waking I spent some time crawling through the cockpits of some planes. A very unique experience.

[shankspony]

The oddest one thats happened to me was a year or so ago. I found a mob of nice eating size pigs. They were in quite open country but with a few thistles and a small depression I crept up within 20 yards and drew back and released on the best of them. Now i could have absolutely sworn that my arrow passed clean through the pigs chest. it felt good, I saw the arrow disappear at the correct point, and the pig gave a small jump. However after that it trotted over too its mates and continued to feed. I watched for quite a while expecting it to fall, but it never, so I crawled forward and retrieved my arrow. Sure enough a small amount of blood on the shaft and a fletch was missing.
Thinking my shot must have gone awry, and not wanting to leave a wounded pig, even if it looks fine, i creep back up and try again. this time the result is immediate, a big squeal, and a panicked run in a circle before it drops dead about 5 yards from me.
Try as i might I cannot find 2 arrow paths.I think I have lost sight of the correct pig and shot another. I gut it and as i remove the heart I see the arrow has gone clean through it. Sticking out of the heart in the arrow wound, is the missing fletch.