Stupidest Mistake Hunting

[timberman56]

Bet an epic bull stepped broadside and gave a Farside Larson smirk.


One of too many to count incidents...

Set base camp 5 hrs from home. Next morning, prepped pre dawn, opened rifle case to find my .17 caliber rifle smiling back at me.

similar-I had put 7mmSAUM rifle in case by door night before for early exit to hunt next morning ; only to discover after 12 mile drive and a 45 min walk to hunt area that I had 270 WSM shells in my pack. that wasn't the worst tho- on first trip out west to WY shot a nice buck, watched him fall, walked over and took a picture 10' away, nice hole right behind shoulder, reached down to grab antler and he jumps up, straight away, tried for TX heart shot, 50 yd. drops like rock, walk up to him again, WTH he's missing an antler, shot it off 1'' above skull, must have just knocked him out,, SOB jumps up again, shot him in shoulder 3rd shot and he drops again. sit there and watch him a few minutes just to make sure. took me & buddy forever to find the shot off antler. sure wish I had a video of that Chinese firedrill

 

[Islander]

Besides having all ammo calibers and gauge in the truck, I also keep at least 8 shells of the correct caliber in each rifle case.

 

[Europe]

I have mentioned this before, but the saddest, stupidest, most irritating, and never forgotten was accidentally dropping a 450/400 Double into a river in Africa.

Lost opportunities on animals didnt bother me a much as allowing the wrong people to accompany us. Fellow campmates who are Lazy, ill prepared "equipment wise", constant complainers, and those who said they knew how to hunt and actually knew nothing, and those who are sure a bear, mountain lion, skunk, or a fugitive from justice is behind every tree. And female hunters who are High Maintenance I have hunted with each of these "types"---once!

It always surprised me that some never understood that the mountains and streams talk to you and at those times I didn't need or want to communicate with humans. I was always surprised at how many men did not want to spike camp. The further we went into the wilderness and away from civilization the more relaxed and happier I became. Oh I forgot. I will never understand riding into the mountains on a horse and having headphones on. Everyone here knows I love music, but I love the sound of nature, even when it is quiet.

Last but not least. I have had people say "isn't it a lot of work"----- taking care of a horse, putting out decoys, setting up camp, etc----nope!

I envy you fellows and the hunting trips each of you are going on. I have been reading all your stories and enjoy them. Best of luck to you all, but even if you have tag soup or do something that prompts you to post on this thread------- you were out there !!!!

 

[diamond hitch]

When you are young - you are stupid / inexperienced. Everything seems simple until it isn't. I had a toyota FJ 40 landcruiser. It could go anywhere but was a little short on space. We shot a cow and a calf during an elk attack, drug them down the hill, bobbed the legs off and stuffed them into the back of the rig when they were fresh and limp. An hour later when we hit the barn, we discovered they had stiffened up molded to the small compartment. An hour after that we wedged them out of the rig for skinning. At one point we had considered having to remove the roof assembly to get them out of there.

I bought a pickup after that when I could afford it.

 

[Threedognight]

I have a screw into a tree seat used it a few times. One day after about a hour from the truck, I picled a tree to sit by to observe a large meadow. The tree had thick bark, but it seemed secure. After I sat for awhile to cool down I began to put on my bibs. I put more weight on the seat, and it pulled out of the tree and spun around stabbing me in the back. I stood up, and had a seat dangling from my back. I wasn’t sure if I should pull it out, but I couldn’t walk out with it in my back. I pulled it out, and used my cellphone as a mirror to see the rate of bleeding. It miss my spine by a couple inches and being a puncher rather than a cut it wasn’t bleeding to bad. I stayed and hunted while putting pressure on it until it stopped bleeding and hiked out, but a little closer to my spine, and it my have been my last hunt. Anyone want to buy a screw into tree seat?

 

[gouch]

If I'm not making mistakes I'm not hunting. I can't count the times I have been within bow range and told myself "I can get just a little closer" It almost never works out but I don't ever seem to learn. Then there was the time I thought I could walk a bark free log on a rainy day, on a steep hill. That left a mark. Once spent three hours stalking a spike bull through some really nasty country before remembering that they had just changed that unit to 3 point or better. I kept up with the stalk after I remembered. Best stalk I ever made. got to within 15 yards. I lobbed a small stone at him and hit in in the ribs. He looked at me, took a couple of steps towards me, sniffed the air then turned and walked slowly away. The worst mistake I made was letting my wife talk me into taking her brother elk hunting with me. He wasn't a hunter, didn't like hiking or even being in the woods. Hated blowdowns with a passion. (When I learned that I spent more time hunting for blowdowns than I did for elk) The whining and complaining never stopped until we finally spotted a herd of elk less than 100 yards away where he loudly proclaimed, THERE'S SOME ELK! But, what's four days of archery season forever lost if it makes the wife happy, right?

 

[MTGomer]

I ate a Montana 210 moose tag in 2005. That’s not too bright.

 

[RobertD]

Never had a big mistake hunting out west. But here at home I have passed up deer that I wished I hadn't by the end of the season.

This past season I was hunting over a big hillside and got preoccupied with a little bobcat playing about 200 yards away. I sensed something off while I was distracted watching little Bob play with a grass blade through my binoculars. I had a really nice buck slip in behind me, when I noticed him finally he was about 6 feet from the base of my stand just looking right at me. I couldn't reposition my gun for a shot, tried to but he exited the premises by way of a thicket I couldn't shoot into. Was a real humiliating feeling. About a week later my sister's boyfriend shot the same buck. I was glad for him but boy I felt like a real donkey for that.

 

[LuketheDog]

The worst mistake I made was letting my wife talk me into taking her brother elk hunting with me. He wasn't a hunter, didn't like hiking or even being in the woods. Hated blowdowns with a passion. (When I learned that I spent more time hunting for blowdowns than I did for elk) The whining and complaining never stopped until we finally spotted a herd of elk less than 100 yards away where he loudly proclaimed, THERE'S SOME ELK! But, what's four days of archery season forever lost if it makes the wife happy, right?

Ever read/watch A River Runs Through It?

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve stood over more than one dead elk wondering what the hell I was thinking.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Had a great day jump shooting ducks on a cold December day in 1975. Got home just in time for dinner. Dad wanted to hear all about it. I was telling him what a great retrieve Cocoa made when he asked if I'd fed her yet. "Oh my gosh! I left her at the creek." We jumped in the pickup and drove 25 miles back to the gate where I had been parked. And there she was waiting. We could see from tracks in the snow that a couple of folks had stopped and attempted rescue but she wouldn't leave with them.

Similarly, two years ago after settling into a Havre motel and feeding the dogs, I packed them up and headed to MacDonalds for dinner. Finished eating and returned to the Jimmy to let the dogs out so they could do their business in a small patch of landscaping. Opal finishes and it's Ellie's turn. She's back in and it's Fr Britt "Puppy's" turn. But no Puppy! Must have left her in the motel room. Returned quickly knowing she would raise a fuss if she heard me drive off. But no Puppy in the motel room either! Yikes! Man, I was starting to tear up. Frantically I called out for her, not knowing when or where I lost track of her. The hotel manager came out and asked if I was looking for a black and white dog. Yes! "Well she was just around here. I tried to get her inside but she would have none of it." Now I was worried she took off down the busy street. I was hollering at the top of my lungs. Around the corner she came streaking and literally flew into my arms, simultaneously chewing and kissing my beard. I guess she sneaked off for a pee when I was loading up the other dogs.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Like @LuketheDog, I blew a stalk on the best mule deer I’ve ever seen with a tag in my pocket. I still think about that one.

But the worst was (before I became obsessed with hunting) I forgot my binoculars on a hunt that was three hours away from home and elected to not go back and get them. Same trip, I also thought is was a good idea to hunt in cowboy boots. DUMB.

 

[Vidimus]

Went out quail hunting one weekend and ran into a huge flock of dove on the top of a mountain. Couldn't remember if the season was still open, and no reception to check. Got back to the truck and yep, it was the last open weekend for dove and we could've easily limited out. Now I never go out without a full list of legal game... Been back to that spot a couple times and haven't seen a dove since.

 

[npaden]

Honest question about shooting time here. When I first started hunting I found myself religiously tracking shooting time and making a point to know sunrise and sunset every day I spent afield. I'm a conservative shot and found that legal shooting light is very dark in Montana. For the last 3-4 years I haven't checked shooting light at all except to decide when to set my alarm in the morning. Is anyone else in the same position or should I remedy this behavior?

I hadn’t really thought it through before but rifle hunting in September on my son's recent Utah Youth Elk hunt and the 30 minutes seemed to be too short. He was begging me to let him shoot an elk 5 minutes after legal shooting light. In late October, early November when I would normally be rifle hunting I would agree that the shooting light runs out pretty close to the 30 minutes after sunset. When the days are longer the predawn and twilight hours are a bit longer too.

Reminded me of being in Alaska in May and June when visible light goes WAY longer than 30 minutes after sunset. They don't have a regulated shooting light in the regulations.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Opening morning of 2017 rifle opener in MT I jumped a mulie buck and some does and they headed down a mountainside. They hadn’t winded me so I snuck down to within 120 yards. They were across an old fence line. I hadn’t downloaded the ONX map as I have cell service in that section, but down where I was I didn’t. There were two bucks, one on each side of the fence but the biggest ~145-155” was just on the other side. I presumed the fence line was the property line or close to it. I watched them for probably 30 minutes or longer hoping the bigger buck would come back on this side of the fence. Eventually they all moved out of sight on the other side of a rock ledge. I then walked down to the fence and had cell service there and realized the fence line was WAY off. I had at least another 300 yards of public and could have shot the bigger buck. Realizing I had the found I then tried to sneak over the rock ledge. I saw all the does but the buck somehow snuck by and only caught a glimpse of him running away, now truly on the private land.

Lesson learned - fence lines aren’t always property lines, especially on a steep rocky area where it would have been impossible to run the fence along the property line. Also learned to always download the maps before I go hunting.

 

[Panda Bear]

I have mentioned this before, but the saddest, stupidest, most irritating, and never forgotten was accidentally dropping a 450/400 Double into a river in Africa.

ME in reference to the above

Depending on the time of year, the animal to be hunted and how much time I can allocate to hunting that day requires me to be very organized and I took everything I needed, but

was almost an hour out before I remembered, I forgot my husband. And needless to say I have never heard the end of it

 

[mtmuley]

Stupidest mistake? Posting mistake on the web. mtmuley

 

[rwc101]

Yesterday I hiked 1,000 vertical feet in 700 yards of nonstop dead fall and blow downs before looking at the map closer and seeing a spur road on the other side that would have cut the hike to 250 vertical feet.

 

[kansasdad]

For hunting success purposes, taking my young kids turkey hunting takes the cake. Incapable of quiet or stillness, my hunt was doomed from the get go even though we were along a turkey rich river system and in place well before first light. They had my video camera and were playing with it nearly all morning. I found that tape a couple of years ago and sent a few snippets out in the family group text. They thought they had erased the evidence of their shenanigans.

We still talk and laugh about that morning. Like the VISA commercial, that morning was priceless.

 

[rwc101]

For hunting success purposes, taking my young kids turkey hunting takes the cake. Incapable of quiet or stillness, my hunt was doomed from the get go even though we were along a turkey rich river system and in place well before first light. They had my video camera and were playing with it nearly all morning. I found that tape a couple of years ago and sent a few snippets out in the family group text. They thought they had erased the evidence of their shenanigans.

We still talk and laugh about that morning. Like the VISA commercial, that morning was priceless.

Overall, sounds pretty positive despite the fruitless hunt.