Your Close Calls

sclancy27 said:
As an FYI, I've used ALOT of fire starters in my day. These are by far the best thing I have ever used. I have never not been able to start a fire (at least above water) with these. Many times in absolutely awful conditions. Enjoy

Click to expand...
Just used ZIP in Canada for the first time, pretty good stuff as well.

Amazon.com : Zip Original FIRESTARTERS 32 PCS : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Zip Original FIRESTARTERS 32 PCS : Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.com
 
Lots of stories of being cold and wet. Understandably, it’s probably the greatest risk for people that do what we do.

I’ll switch things up a bit. A friend and I were hunting one of the most densely grizzly populated areas in Southwest Montana. We were archery hunting for elk and we had one bugling below us. It was thick, nasty country, full of blowdown and super steep. We tried for quite some time, but we could not call the bull out of that hole.

My friend said why don’t you try to sneak in there on him. He’s not moving. I’ll stay up here and keep him bugling, so that you know where he is.

I sneak down the hillside probably a couple hundred yards. The bull is still bugling so I feel like I know exactly where he is. As I’m getting close, I hear what I think is the bull raking a tree. I knock an arrow and start easing in. I’m confident that I’m going to be able to sneak up on him.

I see movement at about 40 yards and initially think that it is the elk, but something is not right. The movement is actually up in a tree. Things happened really fast. As soon as I figured out that I was looking at two bear cubs in a tree, the Mama grizzly comes charging at me from downhill and behind the tree. Luckily for me, she stops her charge once she gets between me and the cubs. I draw my 44 mag revolver and pointed it at her. I then proceeded to back up the hillside that I had just come down, all the while, keeping the gun pointed in her direction. I get back to the top of the hill and tell my buddy what happened. I’m surprised that I stayed as calm as I did. I wasn’t really scared, but it could have turned out really bad for me. I did have trouble sleeping in the tent for the rest of the hunt.
 
sclancy27 said:
As an FYI, I've used ALOT of fire starters in my day. These are by far the best thing I have ever used. I have never not been able to start a fire (at least above water) with these. Many times in absolutely awful conditions. Enjoy

Click to expand...
I’ve used these ones for years to great effect so long as you’ve done the prep work with the kindling. They’re great because you don’t need an additional method to light them. https://a.co/d/5sHScFD
 
The last close call I had was while elk hunting on horseback. My horse and I were climbing a steep mountain on an informal trail.

There was maybe six inches of snow on the ground. The trail petered out, but the mountains slope was no steeper than before. So I kept riding. Unbeknownst to me the terrain had switched from soil to broken rock. My horse slipped on the rocky icy mountainside. He was scrambling mightily with me on his back, trying to regain his footing. Somehow, he did regain his footing. Had he fallen, him and I were in for a long slide down the mountain.

I carefully dismounted and led him back to safer ground. I was pretty puckered up for a while.

This is Buster, he saved my bacon that day. He's a good boy.
P1000529.jpeg
 
schmalts said:
Almost drowned in the Ugashik river in Alaska and then Hypothermia followed. I listened to bad advice from the older outfitter as a young stupid man and it almost cost me my life.
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Wading across at the narrows?
 
schmalts said:
Almost drowned in the Ugashik river in Alaska and then Hypothermia followed. I listened to bad advice from the older outfitter as a young stupid man and it almost cost me my life.
Click to expand...
Care to share the bad advice? Might be helpful to all of us.
 
mdhunter61 said:
Care to share the bad advice? Might be helpful to all of us.
Click to expand...
I guess. Embarrassing as it is. Was a caribou hunt out of a small lodge on a river. The guy running the place (maybe mid to late 50's) took me at around 24 years old (first ever hunt outside of Wisconsin and knew jack shit) and a 72 year old guy down the river in a boat 5 or so miles to look for a herd. He stopped and pulled the boat up on gravel and we walked to a little rise to get a place to glass. The tide came up, even upstream miles it effect the river level and the boat got loose and went to the other side and got stuck. I could tell he did not want to spend the night out there as there was nothing much to make a fire in the wet tundra and he said he was going to wade across to get the boat. I think he was not crazy about the grizz either. This isn't a small river.. but he said it would be waist deep only at the middle. He starts peeling off clothes and I said hold on. Why not wait someone would come right?? No talking him out of it. So me thinking i was a invincible young buck I should do it because he was the only one that knew CPR and better stay with the old guy "just in case" Well I took off just my shoes and socks and jacket, and started across this very cold river to get the boat. By the time I was half way it was over my waist and current was a problem so I knew at that point if I turned around I was not only without a boat, but no fire or dry clothes so I dove in and started swimming. The heavy sweater I had on turned into a mass of drag and it was like swimming in pudding. I really was thinking while swimming this is not good and the thought of my wife kept me going as I was giving out. I could hear the guide yelling Go Pat! and his voice getting more and more worried sounding. I stopped a couple times and tried to touch bottom and could not. By the time I got to the side enough to stand I stood up and collapsed back and had to crawl as my legs were already giving out and I was going hypothermic. I crawled into the boat, got it going and ran that thing into the other side like a madman. He took his outer clothes off and replaced my wet stuff. He tried to make a little fire with no luck. (i think his lighter was in the boat) He called on the CB to the lodge and told them to get a boat headed our way if anyone was there. I remember starting to puke, and it took everything in my power to keep from shitting myself as my core was losing function I guess. I really was thinking while swimming this is not good and the thought of my wife kept me going as I was giving out. The craziest thing of all..... It's all on video as the guide or old guy had a camera and I said before hand well, this should be interesting to talk about. I have only showed it to a couple people ever. I did not tell my wife for a few years either. Don't think a guide knows best for you, doubt them all you want when it comes to safety. I was young and dumb but that outitter/guide was probably worst.
 
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I was snowmobiling in Adirondacks with 5 other friends. I was last in line going across this "meadow". Nope beaver pond. My sled broke thru and slid back into water. Hung up on back of skis. I realized I could touch bottom and somehow pushed back of sled forward so onto ice. Impossible to do. It was an old Mercury snowmobile that weighed far too much which prob why I went thru. Plus I am bigger than other riders at 6'4" 245# back then. Engine never went under but started really hard from wet wires. Finally running. Boggies iced up badly but after tilting sled on each side it freed up ok. I now had about 10mi run back to cabin soaking wet to now frozen solid. Friend gave me his backup mittens and it helped. Horrible ride bouncing off trees cause my reaction time was nonexistent. Finally got to cabin, friends mom took me into bathroom placed into shower fully clothed. Stripped down as I stopped shaking and got warmer. All my wet clothes into a plastic trash barrel. Robe in front of woodstove and 8oz glass of bourbon! Buddy went out to move my snowmobile and would not start. I bet it was 3 weeks sitting outside in sun with cowling off before it finally started. If I was alone, doubt if I could have made it. The guys broke trail in deep powder straighter line back to cabin. Plus kept pushing me mentally which helped a lot. I sold that machine ASAP and bought SkiDoo.
 
Was mule deer hunting. Was hiking up the upper third of a ridge with several rim rocks. There was one area, a shelf, in the middle of two rim rocks about six feet wide. Instead of going straight up and around, I figured it would be easier to cut accross the shelf. Bad move. I didnt realize the small rounder rocks were on large flat rocks. About like trying to walk on marbles on concrete. I was three or four strides in when I realized it was bad. I managed to back peddle out as i was sliding to the edge of a drop of maybe 50 feet. I don't know if the initial fall would have killed me, but i would have been severly injured and unable to get to help. I was in a wilderness and several miles from a road. It was over 15 years ago.
 
Things can go south real quick sometimes. A guy I worked with, I won't call him a friend, the only thing he liked more than hunting was poaching. Anyway, he killed an elk and went to field dress it. Somehow, he slipped with the knife and stabbed himself in the forearm, cutting an artery. He called his buddies on his walky-talky and one of them who was a paramedic instructed him on making a torniquet out of paracord. They got to him and got him to a hospital without him bleeding out or losing the arm but two of his fingers don't work properly anymore.

Could have been a lot worse.
 
schmalts said:
I guess. Embarrassing as it is. Was a caribou hunt out of a small lodge on a river. The guy running the place (maybe mid to late 50's) took me at around 24 years old (first ever hunt outside of Wisconsin and knew jack shit) and a 72 year old guy down the river in a boat 5 or so miles to look for a herd. He stopped and pulled the boat up on gravel and we walked to a little rise to get a place to glass. The tide came up, even upstream miles it effect the river level and the boat got loose and went to the other side and got stuck. I could tell he did not want to spend the night out there as there was nothing much to make a fire in the wet tundra and he said he was going to wade across to get the boat. I think he was not crazy about the grizz either. This isn't a small river.. but he said it would be waist deep only at the middle. He starts peeling off clothes and I said hold on. Why not wait someone would come right?? No talking him out of it. So me thinking i was a invincible young buck I should do it because he was the only one that knew CPR and better stay with the old guy "just in case" Well I took off just my shoes and socks and jacket, and started across this very cold river to get the boat. By the time I was half way it was over my waist and current was a problem so I knew at that point if I turned around I was not only without a boat, but no fire or dry clothes so I dove in and started swimming. The heavy sweater I had on turned into a mass of drag and it was like swimming in pudding. I really was thinking while swimming this is not good and the thought of my wife kept me going as I was giving out. I could hear the guide yelling Go Pat! and his voice getting more and more worried sounding. I stopped a couple times and tried to touch bottom and could not. By the time I got to the side enough to stand I stood up and collapsed back and had to crawl as my legs were already giving out and I was going hypothermic. I crawled into the boat, got it going and ran that thing into the other side like a madman. He took his outer clothes off and replaced my wet stuff. He tried to make a little fire with no luck. (i think his lighter was in the boat) He called on the CB to the lodge and told them to get a boat headed our way if anyone was there. I remember starting to puke, and it took everything in my power to keep from shitting myself as my core was losing function I guess. I really was thinking while swimming this is not good and the thought of my wife kept me going as I was giving out. The craziest thing of all..... It's all on video as the guide or old guy had a camera and I said before hand well, this should be interesting to talk about. I have only showed it to a couple people ever. I did not tell my wife for a few years either. Don't think a guide knows best for you, doubt them all you want when it comes to safety. I was young and dumb but that outitter/guide was probably worst.
Click to expand...
Schmalts, did you tell this story to the meateater crew? I swear I heard a story extremely similar to this in one of their "close calls" books. Scary moment for sure!
 
I've had several close calls, most involving boats and water while duck hunting. But in top 2 is the time my body just ran out of gas while elk hunting. Nothern NM at ~10,000 ft, spot a herd of elk 3/4 mile away with maybe 30 minutes of shooting light left. Problem was a foot of snow on the ground and some 2-3 ft drifts, otherwise the terrain was not that tough. But I had spent most of the day post-holing through snow, and I really hadn't eaten enough calories. I also think I was suffering from possible carbon monoxide poisoning from the night before (in friends' camper). I made it over to the elk but screwed up my chance. It was a muzzleloader hunt, and I could barely hold up my gun. I had a little more than a mile back to camp, and for a while I didn't think I was going to make it. The TC Renegade felt like a boat anchor, I came close dropping it in the snow. I was totally exhausted, take 2 or 3 steps and have to wait a minute before taking another 2 or 3. It started snowing heavily and it was pitch black. I was scared. I had visions of them finding me like Hatchet Jack in Jerimiah Johnson. I don't recall being that cold, just no gas in the tank. This was back in the 90's so no gps, but I had a compass and my flashlight was still working. I finally started slowly climbing out of a draw and I knew the road was just up the hill a few hundred yards, I thought I would make it. My buddy was driving up and down the road, so that helped. I'm sure I've had various stages of hypothermia before, but this was something different. It snowed several more feet that night and the next day, we were lucky to get out when the hunt was over. Several hunters lost their lives in that storm in Southern CO, and much gear and horses were left stranded in the high country.
 
rjthehunter said:
Schmalts, did you tell this story to the meateater crew? I swear I heard a story extremely similar to this in one of their "close calls" books. Scary moment for sure!
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Never met any of those guys. I don't tell it too often as it's still embarrassing even though it's over 35 years ago
 
Whoo, these stories are really make me appreciate how close my calls don't get.

The closest I've come to a close call is when I tried to hide from some elk while I was out mule deer hunting. They were upwind from me and I tried to hide in the edge of a spruce tree on the other side from where they were approaching. I was crouched down when the "lead" cow came sniffing around. She knew I was close but couldn't see me. She literally walked right to where I was crouched and looking over my head - I was looking straight up at her brisket. When she looked down and noticed me she completely flipped out and reared up like a spooked horse. If she had decided to clobber me on the head, I'd have been out cold in a half foot of snow. Luckily she decided to turn and run and they all ran off together. I would have been in a news article that people laugh at rather than feel sad about - which is worse, I feel.
 
texwest44 said:
Whoo, these stories are really make me appreciate how close my calls don't get.

The closest I've come to a close call is when I tried to hide from some elk while I was out mule deer hunting. They were upwind from me and I tried to hide in the edge of a spruce tree on the other side from where they were approaching. I was crouched down when the "lead" cow came sniffing around. She knew I was close but couldn't see me. She literally walked right to where I was crouched and looking over my head - I was looking straight up at her brisket. When she looked down and noticed me she completely flipped out and reared up like a spooked horse. If she had decided to clobber me on the head, I'd have been out cold in a half foot of snow. Luckily she decided to turn and run and they all ran off together. I would have been in a news article that people laugh at rather than feel sad about - which is worse, I feel.
Click to expand...
Getting trampled by elk, now I have something else to worry about.
 
Getting trampled by elk, now I have something else to worry about.
[/QUOTE]
Late season in the Pecos I was hunting up a canyon and heard a bull bugling. Everything was icy that morning and the winds started up. I creeped along and saw the bull ahead 300 yards above me. 20+ cows with him behind a clump of firs. Piles of blowdowns and dozed snags from a fire.
Winds were sideways and blowing 40 and getting bad. I crawled up below them through currants and dead branches to a pile of logs below the firs.

Needed a rest and cover so I crawled into the pile between the tangle. I was 100 yards now below the elk and the wind was still in my favor. Sideways.
The big 5x5 walked out and let rip as I slid to a slot between the logs and a solid rest. Almost straight uphill and I just got him lined up. Safety off.

Just then I saw a cow face 20 feet away looking at me in the logs and it let out a bark. The whole herd came straight down and over the log pile I was in.
Logs shifted and I got out of the slot quick. Stood and the whole herd was in the bottom below me and I was left untouched. They trotted off and I headed down to my camp, shaking. Too close.
No one will ever believe this one...

...then the winds got bad, 60+ and a storm moved in. I could see my truck and the cabin across the meadow. Lightning hitting all around me. I laid down between aspen logs and waited it out. 4 hrs of hell.
Just before it got dark I made a dash to camp between lightning strikes.
The worst storm I have ever been IN, hunting.
The cabin rocked on the rocks it was laid on. Lightning hitting trees and explosions of trees falling. I slept in my truck shell in the bed or laid there all night.
Next morning trees laid down to the east everywhere. One day left on the tag. I stayed close to camp as I would have to saw my way out of there.
Up on the cabin deck just before sunset a herd of cows came into the meadow, and that 5x5 stood in the trees and bugled til dark, and I never got a shot off.
 
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