Yeti GOBOX Collection

One broken-hearted Nevadan 🤕

Antcap

Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
183
Location
Reno, NV
This year was only the second time that I've ever drawn two tags here in Nevada. Needless to say, I was soo happy and just couldn't wait for archery season to get here. I drew 192 and it was going to be so nice hunting so close to home. All of the scouting, phone calls, hours on google earth and Go Hunt and all of the preparation have been for nothing. Two months ago I found out that I have two abdominal hernias but I was willing to hunt and push through it. Two weeks ago I threw my back out just washing my hands and just found out that I have a herniated disc in my lower back. After a lot of thinking I actually turned in my archery tag and my early rifle cow elk tag in area 6. At least a lucky alternate will get my cow tag with a good amount of notice. I'm just heartbroken but at least I'll get my points back and a refund. Good luck to everyone and keep the good stories coming. Hunt talk is the only way this guy is getting outside this season 😪
 
I know it's depressing, don't give up, don't ever give up you CAN get through this.

2 years ago I had a herniated disk in September and did a on my own solo mule deer rifle hunt the first week of December and scored a nice mule deer buck I packed out alone. In September I was very depressed on how it was going to affect my hunting life, I was back bow hunting the next year.

Be patient, rehab, and get back to where you can get back after it.

You can do this!
 
Sorry to hear this. Hope you fully recover and next year provides more opportunity.
 
Sometimes we just have to accept where we are at. Sorry about the lost hunts. Get well and get back out there.
 
Motivation for the recuperation. Glad you're getting your points and refund.
 
Thanks for the kind words guys. I've been through a lot in my life and I'm only 40, but I know I'll heal up and hopefully be better than I was. My soon to be 12 yr old daughter drew a late rifle muley tag for 015 "first try" and I'm looking forward to that hunt more than anything. That right there is giving me the motivation to pull through this and find her one helluva buck! I did get my points back and I'll have 3 for both deer and cow elk. Maybe I'll draw even better tags next year? Thanks again and good hunting!
 
That sucks, man, but you'll pull through. When I was wounded in Iraq I herniated 4 disks (that are now fusing in place and causing nerve loss in my legs and feet), tore my dominant shoulder apart with nerve damage, and ended up with nerve damage in the other arm and shrapnel in my knee and severe brain injuries. After a few surgeries and a lot of recouperating time, I am back to hunting, even with my bow. It takes a while, but being able to hunt again was serious motivation. It took me 4 years to be able to draw my bow back, but I'm back in action and killing animals. I go a bit slower and can't carry the heavy loads, so I have to make more trips, but it's worth it. Nature is healing and is better nurturing for your wounds than doctors and physical therapy. I had a gun to my head twice and wanted to give up after having to relearn how to do basic stuff, but fly fishing and hunting got me through. You can do it. If I can do it anyone can. Keep your head up, it's not the end of the world.
 
That sucks, man, but you'll pull through. When I was wounded in Iraq I herniated 4 disks (that are now fusing in place and causing nerve loss in my legs and feet), tore my dominant shoulder apart with nerve damage, and ended up with nerve damage in the other arm and shrapnel in my knee and severe brain injuries. After a few surgeries and a lot of recouperating time, I am back to hunting, even with my bow. It takes a while, but being able to hunt again was serious motivation. It took me 4 years to be able to draw my bow back, but I'm back in action and killing animals. I go a bit slower and can't carry the heavy loads, so I have to make more trips, but it's worth it. Nature is healing and is better nurturing for your wounds than doctors and physical therapy. I had a gun to my head twice and wanted to give up after having to relearn how to do basic stuff, but fly fishing and hunting got me through. You can do it. If I can do it anyone can. Keep your head up, it's not the end of the world.

Great story bud. Thanks for all you have done for us. Good luck this fall. :cool:
 
I know how you feel, I turned my Colorado deer tag back in for my broken leg and was pretty down. But there is always other things to do even if they are not what you had planned. You live in the west, look to see if there are some OTC tags later in the year that you can tackle if you are feeling better by then, that's what I am going to do. I just had my leg screwed back together a week ago from today (28 days after it broke) and it now puts my October hunt in a real crappy place but I will hunt places that are usually covered most by road hunters and limit my hikes to less than a couple miles if I can cover that. Point being, see if there is something that you can do if your health allows in November or December.
 
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From one broken hearted Nevadan to another, I feel for you! The good news at least is that you'll heal hope hopefully and have a shot at it again next year. I keep telling myself the some thing. My boy got hurt pretty bad at work back in May. After 6 weeks in the hospitals in Reno, he was finally started to wake up a bit, he has an anoxic brain injury. He's been at Craig Hospital near Denver for 2 months now. It's been a real kick in the teeth for all of us. Kinda made my hunts this year seem not so important. I sent my elk tag back to Idaho already. I may try to swing 2-3 day mule deer hunt in still here in Nevada, but it's looking less likely all the time. Weeks of work missed and travel between Reno and Denver for the wife and I get expensive. Anyway, get healthy and get after 'em. Like Fin says, "you'll run out of health before you run outta money", or in our case time.
 
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I want to say thanks for the people that shared about the hard times they've gone through or are going through, its been great encouragement to me. and a solemn reminder that your not alone in your troubles, health related or otherwise. while my health is good the last 3 years have been the most trying time of my life as i rebuild my life after a divorce, where i basically lost everything and had to start all over again at 44, will turn 47 in 3 and a half weeks. my struggle has been trying to live on 400$ a month after bills are paid for the last 2 years, i have 3 more years till im out from under the financial constraints from my divorce and i will be be totally debt free at 50. after getting to hunt with my father for the first time in 25 years back in 2013. we don't always get a second chance at things in life, but i was getting that opportunity with hunting and knew i wanted to hunt more and never miss another hunting season the rest of my life, . little did i know that after that 2013 hunt i would be going through a divorce less than a month later, now its 2016 , ive had a chance to hunt with my father every year since, and last winter after elk season i learned hey ! i can hunt out of state. ya im a noob, but we all start somewhere , i started to look for knowledge and info and found Randy's videos on youtube which then led me to this forum. thinking about hunting, talking about hunting and watching hunting has kept me going on the days when things get hard. while it will be 2020 before I can really pursue out of state hunting as the end of Oct of 2019 is my last spousal support payment along with the last payment of a loan i took out to help my oldest son son through college, I've planned to use my 50's pursing any and every hunt i can. Idaho, Montana,Wyoming, im coming for ya ! but while im in this financial holding pattern, im using this time to learn and try to get hunting supplies i need. looking forward to getting to know all you hunttalkers out there and build some new relationships, Big Fin thanks for all you've done and are doing and will still do yet, your videos either hunting or informational plus the podcast are GREAT . Be blessed all of you, i wish everyone a full recovery in there health and peace to there family's and loved ones, and have safe and successful hunting this season. my biggest blessing this year has been the birth of my grandson. Thanks again OregonChrisimage.jpg
 
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Wow, I can't believe how many inspirational stories that you guys have shared! John, thank you for your service and all of the heartache and pain you've been through for this wonderful place we call home! This has made me want to share my full story. Starting at the age of 14, I went to the doctor for my first full physical. At the time I was a perfectly normal teenager that had been playing soccer for 9 yrs and had no medical issues. Part of my physical was to have an ekg test and little did I know that this test would change me for the rest of my life. I'll finish this when I get back from my doctors appointment. I should find out at least one surgery that I have to have.
 
That sucks!! I am sorry to hear of the bad luck. Get yourself healthy and go get-em next year.
 

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