What were some the biggest Hunting "boners" (mistakes) you have ever made ??
Some of ya'll can go first, since I have quite a few to sort thru in my own mind !!
99er
Full Version: Biggest Hunting "boners" ??
To go along with the recently "resurected" Hunting Tip thread ...
What were some the biggest Hunting "boners" (mistakes) you have ever made ??
Some of ya'll can go first, since I have quite a few to sort thru in my own mind !!
99er
What were some the biggest Hunting "boners" (mistakes) you have ever made ??
Some of ya'll can go first, since I have quite a few to sort thru in my own mind !!
99er
Heheheheee..... he said "boners" (my impression of Beavis and Butthead).
Anyway, let's see. Do you want to hear the biggest most disasterous mistake? I mean a mistake that almost made me quit hunting
I was just starting out hunting and got into waterfowling for some reason. I had no place to hunt and was very very frustrated. I met up with an older guy who's also a retired military veteran (like myself), and he was moving to Oregon. He had written permission to hunt a farmer's field up in northern Virginia and rid the farm field of geese. He also could bowhunt in the backwoods of the farm as a bonus too, as long as he was careful with a treestand.
Anyway, he met up with me and arranged a meeting with the farmers and myself too. We all talked and went over all the farm rules and what to do/what not to do/etc... and we each signed a written permission hunting form. Voila! I had my own special place to hunt and thought I had it made.
But, let's examine the differences here. The older guy was retired and living in Manassas. I still work M-F and live down here in Richmond. He could hunt virtually any day, every day, and kept the geese to a minimum on the farm. I couldn't always get off work as much as I could or as much as they wanted me to. He could be on that farm in 30 minutes. It took me 2 - 2 1/2 hours to get there.
I soon discovered that the farmers were getting a little upset, because I wasn't always there to get rid of the geese, and their fields were getting bombarded by geese and goose poop. But yet on Saturday morning at sunrise, there was not a goose to be found. They got smart and realized that they weren't hunted during the week.
Long story short, the farmers ended up getting frustrated with me, and instead of calling me or emailing me, they decided to cut me off. I drove up for the last time real early in the morning, only to find two other pickup trucks there and two new hunters/friends of the farmers, who politely told me to shove off - and they showed me a copy of their handwritten permission slips.
Maybe it was my fault because I couldn't get up to the farm to hunt as often as I could, but it still was a huge mistake on both our parts. It burned me up so bad inside, I was 3 seconds from quitting and selling off all my stuff. On a positive note, 99er learned of my troubles, and stepped in and helped me out.
Another mistake I have made (my own, nobody else involved).... Loose lips sink ships as the saying goes.... I missed a beautiful 8 point buck in Cumberland State Forest in Virginia. I was sick over it too. But I became a brain damaged fool. I blabbed about missing the 8 pointer and told everybody about it. I even told of the exact location where he was spotted and even the sweetgum tree that I was in with my treestand, up on the ridge!
Next thing I knew, the whole area was torn up, trashed up, and reeked of other hunters and deer running hound dogs. DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
(my impression of Beavis and Butthead).Anyway, let's see. Do you want to hear the biggest most disasterous mistake? I mean a mistake that almost made me quit hunting
I was just starting out hunting and got into waterfowling for some reason. I had no place to hunt and was very very frustrated. I met up with an older guy who's also a retired military veteran (like myself), and he was moving to Oregon. He had written permission to hunt a farmer's field up in northern Virginia and rid the farm field of geese. He also could bowhunt in the backwoods of the farm as a bonus too, as long as he was careful with a treestand.
Anyway, he met up with me and arranged a meeting with the farmers and myself too. We all talked and went over all the farm rules and what to do/what not to do/etc... and we each signed a written permission hunting form. Voila! I had my own special place to hunt and thought I had it made.
But, let's examine the differences here. The older guy was retired and living in Manassas. I still work M-F and live down here in Richmond. He could hunt virtually any day, every day, and kept the geese to a minimum on the farm. I couldn't always get off work as much as I could or as much as they wanted me to. He could be on that farm in 30 minutes. It took me 2 - 2 1/2 hours to get there.
I soon discovered that the farmers were getting a little upset, because I wasn't always there to get rid of the geese, and their fields were getting bombarded by geese and goose poop. But yet on Saturday morning at sunrise, there was not a goose to be found. They got smart and realized that they weren't hunted during the week.
Long story short, the farmers ended up getting frustrated with me, and instead of calling me or emailing me, they decided to cut me off. I drove up for the last time real early in the morning, only to find two other pickup trucks there and two new hunters/friends of the farmers, who politely told me to shove off - and they showed me a copy of their handwritten permission slips.
Maybe it was my fault because I couldn't get up to the farm to hunt as often as I could, but it still was a huge mistake on both our parts. It burned me up so bad inside, I was 3 seconds from quitting and selling off all my stuff. On a positive note, 99er learned of my troubles, and stepped in and helped me out.
Another mistake I have made (my own, nobody else involved).... Loose lips sink ships as the saying goes.... I missed a beautiful 8 point buck in Cumberland State Forest in Virginia. I was sick over it too. But I became a brain damaged fool. I blabbed about missing the 8 pointer and told everybody about it. I even told of the exact location where he was spotted and even the sweetgum tree that I was in with my treestand, up on the ridge!
Next thing I knew, the whole area was torn up, trashed up, and reeked of other hunters and deer running hound dogs. DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sat facing the wrong direction on a deer hunt. I went in to the area I was to hunt. Sat up my sent canisters and got my stool set against a tree and sat down for a day of calling and rattl'n. I was uncomfortable sitting the direction I was sitting,so I moved to the opposite side of this big tree I was against. Long story short, a huge buck came into my calling and it was from the direction I was supposed to be facing. I tried to get around to get a shot but all I got was a good look at his antlers bounding thru the brush from whence he came.
I'v got so many "boners" that I gotta divide mine into categories.
Stupid opening day moves ... hunting opening day with one hell of a vodka hangover, a plastic quart bottle of 3/4 frozen water (left too long in the Fridge, and had left my cantine at home) in the back of my hunting coat, and with a 30 carbine that I really wasn't used to shooting. I got the nickname of machine-gun kelly from bout 9am onward that morning that lasted for bout two years.
Hunting Safety ... worst boner was coming up out of a really steep ravine (sweating like a stuck pig) and of course stuck my blaze orange toboggan in my pocket and had a bullet go zinnging just over my head when I creasted the top of the ravine !!
Really dumbass moves ... shooting a right good sized buck a hollow over from the steep ravine mentioned above and I had to drag the damn thing close to 2 miles .. up outta the 2nd hollow, across the flat, down into the steep ravine and back up out the other side. Of course, my dragging rope was perfectly positioned back at camp, so I had to use my belt and my damn pants kept falling down the whole way out. To make matters worse, I forgot and left my knife when I had gutted the Deer, so the following day I had to make the long round-trip treck again to retrieve my hunting knife.
Non-hunting Safety ... riding with damn gravel-voice George during the "re-enactment of the GREAT RACE" ... thought the car I was riding in was so damn overcrowded (7 not so sober people) and no one would tell me why in the hell ol George was riding alone. Yea, we won the race, but if it weren't for the huge woodpile out back, ol George would have put the car right thru the roof of Camp during his" victory lap" celebration. As it was, we ended up on the very top of the wood pile with bent up steering and water gushng outta the radiator. At least I learned my lesson that night, but others at camp apparently forgot how bad of a driver George was, bout 3 years later he took about 5 of em down off the side of a mountain and landed upside down in a creek (I stayed at camp sleeping, cause I pretty much new a wreck was bout to happen again) !!
Those are the prolly the worst ones, but there are a lotta of others along the same lines ... we sorta used to raise a lotta hell at Camp !!
99er
Stupid opening day moves ... hunting opening day with one hell of a vodka hangover, a plastic quart bottle of 3/4 frozen water (left too long in the Fridge, and had left my cantine at home) in the back of my hunting coat, and with a 30 carbine that I really wasn't used to shooting. I got the nickname of machine-gun kelly from bout 9am onward that morning that lasted for bout two years.
Hunting Safety ... worst boner was coming up out of a really steep ravine (sweating like a stuck pig) and of course stuck my blaze orange toboggan in my pocket and had a bullet go zinnging just over my head when I creasted the top of the ravine !!
Really dumbass moves ... shooting a right good sized buck a hollow over from the steep ravine mentioned above and I had to drag the damn thing close to 2 miles .. up outta the 2nd hollow, across the flat, down into the steep ravine and back up out the other side. Of course, my dragging rope was perfectly positioned back at camp, so I had to use my belt and my damn pants kept falling down the whole way out. To make matters worse, I forgot and left my knife when I had gutted the Deer, so the following day I had to make the long round-trip treck again to retrieve my hunting knife.
Non-hunting Safety ... riding with damn gravel-voice George during the "re-enactment of the GREAT RACE" ... thought the car I was riding in was so damn overcrowded (7 not so sober people) and no one would tell me why in the hell ol George was riding alone. Yea, we won the race, but if it weren't for the huge woodpile out back, ol George would have put the car right thru the roof of Camp during his" victory lap" celebration. As it was, we ended up on the very top of the wood pile with bent up steering and water gushng outta the radiator. At least I learned my lesson that night, but others at camp apparently forgot how bad of a driver George was, bout 3 years later he took about 5 of em down off the side of a mountain and landed upside down in a creek (I stayed at camp sleeping, cause I pretty much new a wreck was bout to happen again) !!
Those are the prolly the worst ones, but there are a lotta of others along the same lines ... we sorta used to raise a lotta hell at Camp !!
99er
Gee while hunting I never popped a ........ah never mind.
One time in rifle a doe came running down past me with a big ten point on her tail.They stopped behind a big y tree and he started riding her.The only shot I really had was his butt.I sat there ready watching through the scope ready to shoot when he came from behind the tree.Out she came but no buck.I put the gun down and he was nowhere.By watching through the scope I limited my field of view and left him slip away.dumb
One time in rifle a doe came running down past me with a big ten point on her tail.They stopped behind a big y tree and he started riding her.The only shot I really had was his butt.I sat there ready watching through the scope ready to shoot when he came from behind the tree.Out she came but no buck.I put the gun down and he was nowhere.By watching through the scope I limited my field of view and left him slip away.dumb
I can think of two off the top of my head....
I was a teen on one, and in a "big" club or about 12 or so members (who each were allowed 2 guests) on a huge tract of land. There was one moment when I had a chance at a nice buck, but, I didn't try a shot at it because I don't see so well because of the astigmatism at the end of the hunting hours...and so I passed on it, thinking "oh well, there's always next time".
Well, my dad is like, "Don;t tell anyone", but it didn't register with me that it meant there would be competition , with the way me and my dad are at times..I just thought it meant he was ashamed a little cause I couldn't see it to shoot it, and that;s what he meant.
So, at the fires at night, we're all talking, and I tell a few of them about the buck that came out on me.
It was months before I could hunt that spot again!! LoL...they all made sure they were there well before daybreak to book the spot ahead of me.
Mistake #2 was a couple seasons ago, it was my first miss. I am really anal about marksmanship, and I;d pass on a majestic buck if I was sure I couldn;t dump him, right? Well, I hadn't tasted blood in a while, and we finally got the newest club up where deer started becoming plentiful on it. A doe came out on me....and , I got the shakes. first time at the shakes and I don't quite know why I got them, especially over a doe. And worse thing I could do was pull up scope on the doe, but I did it. I shot completely under it, didn't even graze it. I was sooooo ashamed..lol (but later I was glad it was a clean miss). I even remembner that I closed my eyes as I pulled the trigger, it was the first time I ever did anything like that, and it bothered me so bad for quite a while. I ended up 3-1 that year, but, that was my first miss, so it will haunt me forever, I think...lol.
I was a teen on one, and in a "big" club or about 12 or so members (who each were allowed 2 guests) on a huge tract of land. There was one moment when I had a chance at a nice buck, but, I didn't try a shot at it because I don't see so well because of the astigmatism at the end of the hunting hours...and so I passed on it, thinking "oh well, there's always next time".
Well, my dad is like, "Don;t tell anyone", but it didn't register with me that it meant there would be competition , with the way me and my dad are at times..I just thought it meant he was ashamed a little cause I couldn't see it to shoot it, and that;s what he meant.
So, at the fires at night, we're all talking, and I tell a few of them about the buck that came out on me.
It was months before I could hunt that spot again!! LoL...they all made sure they were there well before daybreak to book the spot ahead of me.
Mistake #2 was a couple seasons ago, it was my first miss. I am really anal about marksmanship, and I;d pass on a majestic buck if I was sure I couldn;t dump him, right? Well, I hadn't tasted blood in a while, and we finally got the newest club up where deer started becoming plentiful on it. A doe came out on me....and , I got the shakes. first time at the shakes and I don't quite know why I got them, especially over a doe. And worse thing I could do was pull up scope on the doe, but I did it. I shot completely under it, didn't even graze it. I was sooooo ashamed..lol (but later I was glad it was a clean miss). I even remembner that I closed my eyes as I pulled the trigger, it was the first time I ever did anything like that, and it bothered me so bad for quite a while. I ended up 3-1 that year, but, that was my first miss, so it will haunt me forever, I think...lol.
oh, i thought of another! I also watched a buck , a small spike, pass beside me, and waited til he came below me cause I "knew" he would cross. I finally saw, what I thought was "him", and blew "his" shoulder out pert near. When I walked to the deer, it was a doe. i figured after, that she was bedded down and the spike spooked her away. Still,,,does are legal, so ...oh well, but, it was first time I shot at a deer before noticing what sex I was shooting at. I only had a few seconds to line a shot at a window, I was so sure it was the buck..lol.
I've probably got several "Hunting Boners"...but off-hand the only one I can think of was when I took a fella named Mike, to my "secret spot"... I had known Mike for a long time, and we had even gone to school together...but had never been hunting together............ Well, originally my friend Psycho and I had found a place out along the far end of the new city lake, on city property. It was real tough to get to unless you knew how, and I don't believe anyone else ever went there... Psycho and I always brought in rabbits, or quail, or squirrel, or occasionally a prairie chicken, and often combinations of these game animals when we went out there...and, thru the years, we took a few nice bucks out of there as well... There was also a nice area down along the edge of a little cove on the lake, where we sometimes camped and fished all night............................ Then Psycho got married to his first in a long line of wives, got a better job in Tulsa, and moved there...... So, not having a hunting partner since Psycho moved, I asked Mike to go with me, and I took him out there...and we bagged, if I recall several quail and bunnies...... Well, that was a BIG MISTAKE... By next fall he was hunting out there, his brothers were hunting out there, his friends were hunting out there, his brother's friends were hunting out there, and God knows who all else they took out there. There were empty shot-shell boxes laying around, beer bottles, soda cans, and other assorted trash.... The last few times I was out there I didn't see anything at all...and the last time I was there, there were some guys out there that I didn't even know................................ I noticed here about 20 or so years back, that the city had put up a fence across the only road into the area, with a big "KEEP OUT" sign on it.
Had one last week. Was setting up on a hill for Coyotes. My Father turned on the call to check what it was set on. We were still setting up. Looked up on the other ridge and a Coyote was looking right at us. Busted.
lol..dang,that stinks.
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