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Close Calls in the Field - Let’s Hear Those Stories Too!

FrogdogFrogdog Member Posts: 2,761 ✭✭✭✭

A lot of us here hunt, fish, or otherwise spend time in the outdoors. Who has had a “close call” out there?

Here are a couple of my stupid blunders:

  1. Age 18 (1996). Lynchburg, VA. Hunting on a family friend’s farm in December. About a foot of snow on the ground. It was very early in the hunting game for me, so my gear consisted of little more than a single barrel H&R shotgun. When I came across an old tree stand, I thought “why not?” Climbed up and sat for a few hours. When I was ready to go, I slipped on the snowy top step, and fell about 15 ft. Threw the shotgun as I fell, but landed on my face. When I looked up, there was a big piece of angle iron sticking out of the ground about 6 inches from my face. Also, the snow padded the fall and I didn’t have a scratch.
  2. 2002. Fluvanna County, VA. Hunting a large cutover with a high-banked, rocky creek running through the middle. I wanted to walk to the back side of the property, so had to cross the creek. I stopped at the top of the bank, intending to unload my rifle (by this time, I had upgraded from the shotgun to a SMLE Mk3 .303). Too late. Edge of the bank gave way. I fell about 10 or 12 feet into the creek on my back, and the rifle went flying. Luckily, I was hauling in a climbing tree stand, which saved me from injuring my back on the rocks. That tough old Enfield bounced around like it was in a pinball machine. But, that rifle had been through a lot worse that that and, in the end, I couldn’t even find a scratch on her.

Ok, I’m sure y’all have better ones than just falling down every time you step outside 😂. Let’s hear ‘em!

Comments

  • BobJudyBobJudy Member Posts: 6,445 ✭✭✭✭

    My brother and I used to do a lot of fly in fishing trips in N. Ontario. One year we decided to take the wives along for a week at a remote cabin on a beautiful lake. Had a great week and caught a lot of fish but the day the plane was supposed to pick us up the weather started to turn. George flew in and we loaded the plane. He told us he thought he could beat the bad weather, so off we go. Well we didn't beat the weather and I swear that DeHavilland Beaver stopped and flew backwards a couple of times. That tough little plane did get us back to the main lake but as we were coming in for a landing some dummy in a boat swerved right in our path. George cranked up that big radial and we gained some altitude and avoided a crash. Came around again and landed us and pulled up to the dock. We were the only group to be flown out that day. The ones at the other outpost lakes got to spend an extra day waiting for the weather. For some reason after our turbulent flight and almost collision, Judy has never asked to go on one of those trips again. Go figure. Bob

  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭

    I took a younger friend shooting at a large vacant area. As we walked in side by side he caried his 22 at a forty-five degree angle downward but pointing to the left in my direction. What I did not see was that his finger was inside the trigger guard. Sure enough the gun fired and the muzzle was about six inches forward of my legs.

    I took my buddies pheasant hunting. They were not hunters or gun knowledgeable. When crossing a small creek one guy threw his shotgun to the guy on the other side, parallel to the ground. He tried to catch it one-handed and slapped down to the ground and it discharged. Fortunately, no one was in the line of fire.

    Both good learning experiences. Trust no one. Make sure it's safe.

  • Ditch-RunnerDitch-Runner Member Posts: 24,450 ✭✭✭✭

    When I was about 20 or so I made buddies with other car guys I hung around town worked on and raced cars together

    Any way one day one suggested we go to his cousins and shoot our 22's

    Right off they split up in a couple small groups I thought not a good idea

    But ok so the fellow next to says watch this he had the rifle Imed at another fellow

    I yelled put the gun down what are you doing

    He said with I am going to shoot the bark off that thee next to his head and scare him

    I would say about 6 inches away from the fellows haed

    I said are you stupid what if he moves he has no idea your going to shoot and I have no idea if you have the skill to do it even if the fellow knew and was stupid enough to let you


    Two things it was obvious I was the only one in the group who respected firearms and sure glad I just happened be right at the spot to stop it

    I continued to be buddies and kept up the car side of it but never went shooting again with

    The day sticks with me

    I never told the fellow how Close he was to serious injury or death

  • Ditch-RunnerDitch-Runner Member Posts: 24,450 ✭✭✭✭


    Thank you for you service


    I worked with a vet many Years ago just one exaple I knew many more that were injured r shot or both

    he was great guy and showed me his arms and patrs of his legs he had scars ever where like Frankenstein monster

    He was also blown up while walking in a creek bed in Nam

    he said he thought he had died but had just been knoced out lucky some buddies got him out and saved him he came too several weeks later in a hospital patched and piece back together

    I can't say enought how much respect I have for all our people who served

    this country owe them way more than what is given

  • susiesusie Member Posts: 7,304 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2023

    While stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood spouses were given the opportunity to do a one day "basic training" experience. We threw dummy grenades, fired M16's and M60's with live rounds.

    Lady next to me on the M16 range turned toward me with weapon in hand to complain that her rifle wouldn't fire. It seemed as if 50 Drill Instructors stormed her position in about 2 seconds. Not really that many but it was a swarm. Needless to say, she wasn't allowed to finish that leg of the experience.

    ETA photo:


  • OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,519 ✭✭✭✭

    I was quail hunting with my cousin and another friend of mine, a NJSP. I herd my friend Curry shoot, or I thought it was him. I looked over to my right and he was laying on the ground, bleeding from his face and neck. He wasn't seriously hurt, just reacted to the shot and was stunned. Here, some 15 year old kid, snuck onto his property and took a shot at a turkey, out of season, and hit my friend. We chased the kid down. My friend gave the kid a strong talking too, but didn't want to turn him in, as he didn't want the kid to lose his hunting license or get arrested. Three hours later, we find out the kid shot at a rabbit near the road, and hit a car. He was promptly arrested by the game warden, who happened to witness it. When we found out, My friend called the game commission and reported what had happened earlier to him. The kid ended up losing his license for 10 years, got community service and three years probation. My friend went to court and made a deal with the prosecutor, for the kid to work on his farm as compensation. The kid kept his end of the deal, and they became friends. He is lucky to shoot the only NJST with a good personality and compassion. Oakie

  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,184 ******

    1) My first time turkey hunting I went out with a borrowed shotgun. Went to unload it at the end of a long day and had it pointed at the ground near my foot when it slam fired. Man was I pissed.

    2) A few years later in the same field during deer season (posted as no hunting but had permission from the owner) I see a doe go racing full out thru the field in front of me. Seconds later bullets go whizzing over my head from someone shooting from the road. I just about shot back. I had his truck in my sights, I tell ya.

    3) Nearly identical scenario to #2 but this time it was some idiot shooting from the road after getting off his 4 wheeler. This time I shot in the air, and that damn fool shot 3 more times.

    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • FrogdogFrogdog Member Posts: 2,761 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2023

    Mr. P,

    You’re “bullets whizzing” story just reminded me of another one:

    1. 2004. Buckingham County, VA. If you’re not familiar with Buckingham, it is perhaps the (deer) dog-hunting capital of the world. I generally hate, hate, HATE the practice, but somehow a friend convinced me to come along one morning when I had nowhere else to go. We were “on stand” along the ridge of a cutover, with some other guys about 200 yards further down the road. The dogs got to running, and eventually a few does come hauling up from the bottom straight between us and the other guys. I never would have considered a rifle shot as they moved through at Mach 5. The other guys were less inhibited. They started blazing away (REM 7600’s, I think). Suddenly, I heard “tink..tink…tink,” and see red Virginia clay dust kicking up all around my friends truck. They were shooting us!! We both dove behind the engine block and screamed to high Heaven. Luckily, nobody got shot, but the rear sides of that Ford took 5 rounds. Needless to say, tempers got a bit heated shortly thereafter.

    Takeaways: Dog hunting - just say no; Buckingham County - just don’t go; and most importantly, never hunt with strangers.

  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,733 ✭✭✭✭

    "Seconds later bullets go whizzing over my head from someone shooting from the road."

    Years after my military service, a friend and I were leaning over the pickup hood waiting for a coyote to come in sight when I heard the distinct sound of passing bullets. I immediately dropped behind the vehicle while my friend stood there looking at me like I was crazy. After a few seconds, the coyote went racing past and out of sight. I was finally able to tell the other guy what those odd sounds we'd just heard really were--the hiss, pop of bullets. He turned white and stammered a few choice words before grabbing the radio mike and asking who just shot.

    Some time later that friend asked me how I knew that sound. "just the results of being in the wrong place at the wrong time" was good enough answer and he never asked again. Ain't no need to duck when you hear that sound since that bullet missed.

  • William81William81 Member Posts: 24,585 ✭✭✭✭

    I was rabbit hunting with a friend when we were both 15. He got a little excited when we flushed a rabbit and he shot at it as it ran between the two of us. It was a below freezing day and the shot hit the ground and some of the shot bounced up and hit me in the legs. Luckily it was cold so I had some coverall on over my long johns and jeans. Nothing penetrated my skin but it hurt and left a few marks.

    It was a good thing I had pretty good control of myself as my first response was to shoot back !!!! I never hunted with him again !!!!

  • Floyd621Floyd621 Member Posts: 1,945 ✭✭✭✭

    Mine involve digging ginseng..so probably wouldn't interest you guys much..

  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,183 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2023

    We had to transfer a patient from my hospital to the big hospital in Macon. Pt. was a 72 year old guy, he had been deer hunting with a college boy. The old guy got out of the stand at dark and was walking across the field. College boy thought he was a deer, and from 200 yards shot him in the thigh with a 7mm mag.


    The xray was unreal. The bullet had hit the big thigh bone, the femur, right in the middle. Seven inches of the femur were blown into bits. The exit wound was ten inches wide. Even the Medical Center couldn't help much, and he got his leg amputated.


    While we were rolling lights and sirens towards Macon, he told me he had been Airborne, and had parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, and had never been injured before. College boy got a fine and 5-year suspension of hunting priveledges.

  • pulsarncpulsarnc Member Posts: 6,215 ✭✭✭✭

    Sitting in a ladder stand deer hunting .Wind picked up and the tree began to sway . The Turnbuckle broke and the stand started to the ground . I rode that sucker all the way to the ground in what felt like slow motion . Only injury was to my pride .15 feet is a long way down .

    cry Havoc and let slip  the dogs of war..... 
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,184 ******
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • jimdeerejimdeere Member, Moderator Posts: 25,583 ******

    I was working double shifts when I was first married. My first wife was given a a Derringer by her dad. One evening, we were sent home early. I didn't know that someone had rattled the back door of our rented house. When I came in unexpectedly, she was standing in the kitchen with that Derringer pointed at me!

  • FrogdogFrogdog Member Posts: 2,761 ✭✭✭✭

    Sooo many times I used to worry about this exact scenario. I would have to go out at all hours of the night to do security boardings on ships arriving to port. Never knew exactly when I would get back and (with babies in the house to protect) I had no doubt my wife would respond “decisively” to a perceived intruder. A couple of times when I came home earlier than expected and couldn’t get her on the phone, I just slept on a lawn chair to be safe. 😁

  • wundudneewundudnee Member Posts: 6,099 ✭✭✭

    Another guy and I were rabbit hunting and hadn't seen much. He felt the need to shoot something, so he shot a rock lying between us. It was a .22 revolver and when he shot a piece of lead hit me in the eyelid. I peeled it out with minimum damage. That was the only trip with him.

    A friend and I were out shooting an old .303. We were shooting targets fairly close when we heard a siren. We had time to remark about it when the bullet lit too darn close. We increased our range.

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  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,183 ✭✭✭✭

    My buddy Jerry was quail hunting with his brother in law. They were in a field, 30 yards apart. Brother in law fired at a quail near Jerry. Jerry got a dozen # 6 shot in the neck and cheek. Jerry was faced away so he didn't get hit in the eye. The doc decided not to remove any of the shot. Jerry was lucky. He never went hunting with brother in law again.

  • KenK/84BravoKenK/84Bravo Member Posts: 12,055 ✭✭✭✭

    Dick Cheney, comes to mind.

    "Oops, Sorry - My Bad." 😬

  • Floyd621Floyd621 Member Posts: 1,945 ✭✭✭✭

    Like I said.. been shot at a couple of times.. nearly been bit by rattlesnakes and copperheads a bunch of times but only when ginsenging .. never hunting.. because I would have shot back...

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