With the headlines you see today...it's kinda tuff not to be a lil wary.
I've never really had the "fear" in the woods. I don't so much think about it, cause I'm more atuned then, and, I have a habit of lookin in the trees for stands..lol..cause I don't want to ruin another's hunt. Super quiet.
Heck, it just never occured to me.
Now, on rabbit hunts, I get a lil scared sometimes, cause the dogs bring em right in frontt of you, and you are kinda having to count on your buddies to be able to handle shots and be safe (and you to them as well). So, there's been a few times I almost got tagged doin that.
The only time I worry about gettin shot is during red line hunts (WMA hunts). There's actually been times my house has gotten shot, and us folks usually don't get in the yard without orange on. And, with these hollows out here....sometimes I can see why those folks that aren't used to the land can make silly shots. Plus, they aren't exactly aware that there are a few houses out here in the middle of nowhere...lol. But, it's still kinda scary sometimes.
So, do ya'll ever worry about that?
Full Version: Skeered of gettin shot?
Skeered ?? Nah, I figgure I can toss lead right back at em with the ole 99 a lot quicker than they can sling it a me, so they damn well better not miss on the first one !! ... lol 
Actually in all my years of hunting, I only ever had one close call. That was as much my fault as anyone elses. Ever since that day, the old "orange topper" stays on until I'm up outa of a hollow and seated before it comes off to clear-off the rain of sweat !!
99er
Actually in all my years of hunting, I only ever had one close call. That was as much my fault as anyone elses. Ever since that day, the old "orange topper" stays on until I'm up outa of a hollow and seated before it comes off to clear-off the rain of sweat !!
99er
That is exactally the reason I never did much hunting on the public access areas around here....too many people that do good just to figure which end of the tube the round comes out...and they do shoot someone up there occasionally. It is always VERY crowded.... I have gotten "rained on" a number of times, back in the day, when dove hunting... But you just learned to keep your head down... But the vast majority of places I hunted, for anything, were on private land, and I did not really have that worry.
Once when younger I was hunting the flatland forests of eastern Maryland. I heard about 4 shots, each closer than the preceding one and figured a deer had been shot at, missed, and was coming my way. I was now up and ready. As the deer came by I let loose with 2 shots from my Savage 99 .308Win. Missed the deer but noticed there was a hunter about 40 yards directly opposite me. I went over and apologized as best I could. We were both pretty shaken by the experience. He said the hell of it was he saw me step out into an opening, almost directly opposite of him and raise my rifle, but for some reason he was mesmerized and couldn't hit the deck, could only watch. I'm older and wiser now and definitely no longer hunt flatland forests except from a fairly high tree stand.
I should have seen the guy, but didn't. Yet, he was indeed visible. Something happens inside our minds in these situations. It's scarey, or maybe I should say, "we're scarey." Best wishes.
Cal - Montreal
I should have seen the guy, but didn't. Yet, he was indeed visible. Something happens inside our minds in these situations. It's scarey, or maybe I should say, "we're scarey." Best wishes.
Cal - Montreal
Yes, I do agree that "something happens"...not just with hunting, but with anything...when we are in "the zone". It is kinda scary.
I was running my trapline early one morning in December, maybe 15 or so years ago. It was "indian summer" and the days were fairly nice. I was about 6 or 7 miles out of town, on a pasture two track and maybe a couple of hundred yards from the main paved back road. The nearest house was mine, and it was a good 2 miles or more away.... I was comeing back out of a wooded area when I saw a coyote lopeing across the pasture maybe 300 yards out, looking the other way. I slammed my old truck to a stop, grabbed my .22-250 off the rack, worked the bolt and laid the cross-hairs on the coyote. I flicked off the safety and was just starting to squeeze the trigger when I saw movement thru the scope directly past the coyote...... It was Doctor Jordan, takeing an early morning ride on his bicycle. This is why the coyote did not see me, he was watching the good doctor. Dr. Jordan was on the main back road, and comeing up a little rise, and at first all I saw was his head past the coyote as he was comeing up the rise.............. He was/is my wife's doctor, and delivered both of my kids.... Sure is a good thing I held up. If I had shot him my wife would have never let me hear the end of it...LOL.... He never did see me, and I just set there and watched him and the coyote both go out of site... I have seen and talked to him a number of times since then, but have never told him how close he came to getting shot....and I never will.
QUOTE(Hands @ Oct 9 2004, 11:51 PM)
With the headlines you see today...it's kinda tuff not to be a lil wary.
I've never really had the "fear" in the woods. I don't so much think about it, cause I'm more atuned then, and, I have a habit of lookin in the trees for stands..lol..cause I don't want to ruin another's hunt. Super quiet.
Heck, it just never occured to me.
.
So, do ya'll ever worry about that?
I've never really had the "fear" in the woods. I don't so much think about it, cause I'm more atuned then, and, I have a habit of lookin in the trees for stands..lol..cause I don't want to ruin another's hunt. Super quiet.
Heck, it just never occured to me.
.
So, do ya'll ever worry about that?
[snapback]3429[/snapback]
Hands:
Many years ago, the Catskill Mountains were great for deer hunting. Unfortunately they were also fairly close to NY City and at opening day of deer season, we had everything from real maniacs to road hunters who would be out. Smart people stayed away. At maybe 17 or 18, I wasn't one of them. While planning to move up to a ridge in maybe midmorning on the opposite side of a pond, a bullet went by my head so close I actually ducked. I hit the dirt. The guy must have had a semi auto because he actually fired again and I heard the bullet hit a dirt bank behind me. I shouted. I fired a shot while on my back into the air. By the time I got around the pond he was gone. So was my day of deer hunting. My father made the most chilling comment of all when I told him later what happened: " Think about what kind of a nut was out there with a rifle who thought you were a deer and fired TWICE".
Mongo....that was one close call.....good story, my friend.
And Gerald...now that is some creepy mess. I'm glad the love of the sport, the nature, and all of Ma Nature's offerings kept ya at it. Cause...dang....lots of folks hang it up after an experience like that.
And Gerald...now that is some creepy mess. I'm glad the love of the sport, the nature, and all of Ma Nature's offerings kept ya at it.
Cause...dang....lots of folks hang it up after an experience like that.
its a state law that we wear hunters orange vests during rifle season in WA. and it sure makes you visible to others. I've never had a close call but when I come across another hunter, still hunting in the brush, I allways stand in one place and give a small wave with my hand to make sure they see me. The only time I'm realy concerned about being mistaken for a game animal is when packing a elk head out of the woods,so I wrap orange tape around the horns.
Jamie
Jamie
Good call Jamie. I do the same now...wrap my deer in orange, cause I tend to tote the smaller ones out.
I had another close call in Northern Ontario some years back on a moose trip. We don't have a lot of rules, but one we insist on is no loaded guns in the cabin. Empty the rifles before you come in. Tony just wasn't thinking I guess. I immediately started putting wood in the stove for a fire when I damn near died, lliterally and figureatively. Tony went to unload his .300Win. Mag. by working the
bolt. He had one of the Remingtons we've all heard about that became famous for misfiring when you worked the bolt and safety. It went off about 4" from me. I was dumbstruct. The bullet went through the cabin wall, through a young maple tree and finally lodged in another tree behind it. Initially I was okay and said something like, "Damnit Tony, be careful," but later it sank in, and I trembled for quite a while. He's a nice guy, if careless at times. I could never bring myself to hunt with him again. It's been years now, but I still think of it at times. You just don't forget something like that. Incidently this was on a fly-in trip. One reason for these trips is it lets you get away from other hunters and their guns. I guess the motto is, "Lord, save me from my friends." Best wishes.
Cal - Montreal
bolt. He had one of the Remingtons we've all heard about that became famous for misfiring when you worked the bolt and safety. It went off about 4" from me. I was dumbstruct. The bullet went through the cabin wall, through a young maple tree and finally lodged in another tree behind it. Initially I was okay and said something like, "Damnit Tony, be careful," but later it sank in, and I trembled for quite a while. He's a nice guy, if careless at times. I could never bring myself to hunt with him again. It's been years now, but I still think of it at times. You just don't forget something like that. Incidently this was on a fly-in trip. One reason for these trips is it lets you get away from other hunters and their guns. I guess the motto is, "Lord, save me from my friends." Best wishes.
Cal - Montreal
Man, that was a close call. Thank heavens someone was watching out for ya.
QUOTE(Jamie @ Oct 13 2004, 10:41 PM)
its a state law that we wear hunters orange vests during rifle season in WA. and it sure makes you visible to others. I've never had a close call but when I come across another hunter, still hunting in the brush, I allways stand in one place and give a small wave with my hand to make sure they see me. The only time I'm realy concerned about being mistaken for a game animal is when packing a elk head out of the woods,so I wrap orange tape around the horns.
Jamie
Jamie
[snapback]3642[/snapback]
Jamie:
We have the same rule now in NY ( not when I was a teenager). I do have to tell a story I remembered on reading your post. I was still hunting in very early morning for deer. It happened that our black bear season coincided with our deer season. (Frankly, most bears had already denned up but there was always a chance of a shot at a late denning bear) As I was moving slowly up a slope, I spotted a dark spot at the base of a tree. I brought up the rifle and put the scope on it. It was a man sitting at the base of the tree with a rifle across his knees. I kept the cross hairs on him a little longer than I should have. He looked directly at the scope and, of course, recognized that a rifle was looking right at him. He jumped up and was waving his arms in panic. I worked my way over to him and apologized. He seemed to accept my apology. However, after dark that day, I was walking along a log road back to my own camp when I passed a camp of guys, maybe 20 feet off the log road. I saw the same guy and he also saw me. I saw him pointing me out and I literally slunk off. I could imagine him saying: " That's the nut who almost shot me this morning!"
QUOTE(Hands @ Oct 9 2004, 11:51 PM)
With the headlines you see today...it's kinda tuff not to be a lil wary.
I've never really had the "fear" in the woods. I don't so much think about it, cause I'm more atuned then, and, I have a habit of lookin in the trees for stands..lol..cause I don't want to ruin another's hunt. Super quiet.
Heck, it just never occured to me.
Now, on rabbit hunts, I get a lil scared sometimes, cause the dogs bring em right in frontt of you, and you are kinda having to count on your buddies to be able to handle shots and be safe (and you to them as well). So, there's been a few times I almost got tagged doin that.
The only time I worry about gettin shot is during red line hunts (WMA hunts). There's actually been times my house has gotten shot, and us folks usually don't get in the yard without orange on. And, with these hollows out here....sometimes I can see why those folks that aren't used to the land can make silly shots. Plus, they aren't exactly aware that there are a few houses out here in the middle of nowhere...lol. But, it's still kinda scary sometimes.
So, do ya'll ever worry about that?
Hands:
I never did any but here in our state of NY I heard of any number of incidents where TURKEY HUNTERS were shooting each other. I always wondered why. (I mean, carrying a shotgun, for god sakes, you have to be practically on top of the guy so why did he look like a turkey? Yeah, I know about sitting in the brush and wearing camo but what ever happened to such ideas like "be sure you know what you're aiming at" or "Never fire if you don't know your target"? (To this day I remember my shame when I was hunting ruffed grouse in deep snow and stepped into a small ravine -and a snowshoe rabbit exploded out of the snow at almost my shoulder level. He sprayed snow in my face and on my shoulder. I whirled and fired without really knowing what he was. (He was about 100 miles south of his usual range and I had never even seen one before.{the size of a large jack rabbit} )
I've never really had the "fear" in the woods. I don't so much think about it, cause I'm more atuned then, and, I have a habit of lookin in the trees for stands..lol..cause I don't want to ruin another's hunt. Super quiet.
Heck, it just never occured to me.
Now, on rabbit hunts, I get a lil scared sometimes, cause the dogs bring em right in frontt of you, and you are kinda having to count on your buddies to be able to handle shots and be safe (and you to them as well). So, there's been a few times I almost got tagged doin that.
The only time I worry about gettin shot is during red line hunts (WMA hunts). There's actually been times my house has gotten shot, and us folks usually don't get in the yard without orange on. And, with these hollows out here....sometimes I can see why those folks that aren't used to the land can make silly shots. Plus, they aren't exactly aware that there are a few houses out here in the middle of nowhere...lol. But, it's still kinda scary sometimes.
So, do ya'll ever worry about that?
[snapback]3429[/snapback]
Hands:
I never did any but here in our state of NY I heard of any number of incidents where TURKEY HUNTERS were shooting each other. I always wondered why. (I mean, carrying a shotgun, for god sakes, you have to be practically on top of the guy so why did he look like a turkey? Yeah, I know about sitting in the brush and wearing camo but what ever happened to such ideas like "be sure you know what you're aiming at" or "Never fire if you don't know your target"? (To this day I remember my shame when I was hunting ruffed grouse in deep snow and stepped into a small ravine -and a snowshoe rabbit exploded out of the snow at almost my shoulder level. He sprayed snow in my face and on my shoulder. I whirled and fired without really knowing what he was. (He was about 100 miles south of his usual range and I had never even seen one before.{the size of a large jack rabbit} )
QUOTE(cal @ Nov 2 2004, 05:49 PM)
I had another close call in Northern Ontario some years back on a moose trip. We don't have a lot of rules, but one we insist on is no loaded guns in the cabin. Empty the rifles before you come in. Tony just wasn't thinking I guess. I immediately started putting wood in the stove for a fire when I damn near died, lliterally and figureatively. Tony went to unload his .300Win. Mag. by working the
bolt. He had one of the Remingtons we've all heard about that became famous for misfiring when you worked the bolt and safety. It went off about 4" from me. I was dumbstruct. The bullet went through the cabin wall, through a young maple tree and finally lodged in another tree behind it. Initially I was okay and said something like, "Damnit Tony, be careful," but later it sank in, and I trembled for quite a while. He's a nice guy, if careless at times. I could never bring myself to hunt with him again. It's been years now, but I still think of it at times. You just don't forget something like that. Incidently this was on a fly-in trip. One reason for these trips is it lets you get away from other hunters and their guns. I guess the motto is, "Lord, save me from my friends." Best wishes.
Cal - Montreal
bolt. He had one of the Remingtons we've all heard about that became famous for misfiring when you worked the bolt and safety. It went off about 4" from me. I was dumbstruct. The bullet went through the cabin wall, through a young maple tree and finally lodged in another tree behind it. Initially I was okay and said something like, "Damnit Tony, be careful," but later it sank in, and I trembled for quite a while. He's a nice guy, if careless at times. I could never bring myself to hunt with him again. It's been years now, but I still think of it at times. You just don't forget something like that. Incidently this was on a fly-in trip. One reason for these trips is it lets you get away from other hunters and their guns. I guess the motto is, "Lord, save me from my friends." Best wishes.
Cal - Montreal
[snapback]4293[/snapback]
Cal:
I know what you mean about that delayed reaction to how close that bullet came in the cabin... In the RA (Regular Army) in 1950, I used to instruct recruits on a firing range. Supposedly they had been drilled closely about handling the piece. A recruit stepped up to the range. (We had a rule about loading the Garand {M-1}at the range itself. Nonetheless, this recruit put the clip in as he was approaching me.(It was partially my fault. I looked at a couple of companies (maybe 250 men) sitting behind the range. You see one guy after another coming up so you get a little bored. You get the idea. Anyway, he put his thumb down on the clip (to trip the bolt and close it) Almost immediately afterwards, the rifle went off. The bullet tore through my fatigues, maybe about a half inch below my balls. I felt the slight tug but it only pissed the hell out of me because he had his finger on the trigger. It was several hours later that I began to shake. I was 20. (at that age, you kinda like the idea of women!)
(My father taught me to stick my finger at the chamber even if I could see that the firearm was empty. He said it was so that I would do some things automatically, like a reflex action. (One of those was unloading the firearm before I ever entered the house. I still have and can see it as I type these words, a blue china dish, that stood on a small table just inside where I stood on the porch emptying my first firearm, a single shot 22. It also served when I carried shotguns as well for years.Best wishes (I like your sign off)
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