Getting hurt while hunting

[Ikeepitcold]

A friend of mine told me of a hunt he was on in Alaska were he was cutting a rope off of his pack and stuck the knife into his chest! The guide had a sewing kit and was able to stitch up the wound until they could get back to civilization. Lucky for him he didn't puncture a lung or anything real serious.
I have Been fortunate enough not to have had anything happen to me while hunting, I havent broke anything or cut myself. Maybe my friend wouldn't have hurt himself if he was using the knife properly.
Have any of you had a life threatening experience while hunting?

[sjsmallfield]

Great Thread IKIC.
About ten years ago my dad and I where hunting about an hour and a half from home. We had dropped down into a canyon and walked up the other side. We were about 2-1/2 miles from the truck when we decided to head back. I headed down throug the timber while my dad walked straight down through a big clear cut to my left. We hadn't gone 100yds when I could hear him yelling for me. When I made it to him I found out he had completly blown his knee out. It took me several hours to get him and all of our gear out. He had to lean on me the whole way. Not a major incident in the end but it could have been pretty serious if he had been out there alone. (Always let someone know where you are going and when you should be back!!!)

[ffd061]

A couple of incidents come to mind for me.
While hunting deer this year in Wy, we saw a group of mule deer crest a ridgeline and go down into another canyon. We proceeded up the "hill" to get a better look at the herd. About halfway up, it felt like some took a knife and sliced my calf muscle. Down I went, rolling around on the ground, thinking it may have been a charlie horse. After some recovery period, I hobled back to the trail, which luckily wasnt too far. Went back to camp and took it easy the rest of the day. Went out that hunting that evening and was still not able to walk. Managed to hike about a 1/4 mile, and it took about an hour-literally baby steps. We ended up cutting the hunt short and to this day have not fully recovered. Certainly not a life threatening injury, but was enough to cost me a great hunt.
The other incident, I was hunting whitetails from a treestand in South Dakota. We were going to reset the stand in a different location, and stupid me, I didnt have my safety belt attached and down I went, striking the tree and catching several metal tree steps on the way down. Went unconscious after hitting the ground, my bro in law ran over to check on me. As I slowly woke up, felt my abdominal area and noticed lots of blood. Thinking I had eviserated myself, my bro in law opened my clothes, luckily just a deep laceration, scraped and black and blue face, I came out ok. To this day, always wear a safety harness.

[jenbickel]

This is a great thread! I have never had a life threatening injury while I was out hunting but I am a HUGE klutz so I am just waiting for the day.. I go out shed hunting and hunting a lot alone and so I am seriously considering getting a "SPOT." Anyone use one?

[Ikeepitcold]

This is a great thread! I have never had a life threatening injury while I was out hunting but I am a HUGE klutz so I am just waiting for the day.. I go out shed hunting and hunting a lot alone and so I am seriously considering getting a "SPOT." Anyone use one?

I don't have one but have considered it. I also do alot on my own, scouting, hiking,hunting and so on. I know I've been in some places that if I was to get hurt I know I would be in deep shizz. I always tell my wife were I am and usually one of my hunting buddy's. I started to send my location to my wife with my iPhone through GPS just in case. It does seem that cell service is getting better in the hills, but my luck I will be in the bottom of a canyon with no way of contact. I always try to bring someone along so I'm not solo but I seem to be out with just me and my dog.

[Leveller]

Not life threatening but could have been if circumstances had been different. Was hunting a tough canyon in Eastern Oregon last year - big windfalls, wet algae covered rocks, maple vine - I slipped, twisted and fell and blew out my knee. My leg was the size of my upper thigh all way down to my ankle. Had to have major knee surgery and intensive PT, but got it all back together and was back out in the same unit this season and downed a nice 4-point muley. Didn't think I could pull it off, but sheer determination, blood, sweat and tears got me through, and we hiked up in to the wilderness this year!

[Drhorsepower]

While duck hunting a few years back, we drag our layout bouts through knee deep mud 1/4-1/2 mile out in these floods, well we made the half hour drag and the three of us set up our decoys and it wasnt 15 minutes when one of my pals said, hey I'm going to head back to the truck, I think I'm having a heart attack! We stopped him, threw him in his layout boat and drug his heavy butt back to the truck. Of course we didn't have our cell phone so the tall legged one out of his high tailed it to the truck to call 911 then came back out to help us drag him out. Talk about being sore for a week. Didn't compare to what he went through. He ended up have a 3rd degree heart block. And they gave him an expensive helicopter ride back to Reno. That's the one and only medical emergency I have had while hunting. When we went back out later that day to get our boats, the two of us ended up killing 12 ducks with one shotgun. (mine was in the my buddies boat back at truck) oops. Always have your phone and stay in shape.

[sethkuhl]

Not my experience but my wifes grandfather.
My wife and I were out hunting last fall, we got a call that her grandfather (65) had been hospitalized, lined it up and headed down for the ten hour drive. Arrived there and found out that he was bow hunting and had come across a tree stand and decided to get in it. It broke out, and he broke his back in the fall not being able to move. After a while his brother came along and found him, leaving for help, left him with a .40 s and W to protect himself from the bears. Life flight and lots of recovery, he was back out bow hunting this year! tough bird!

[ssliger]

Not life threatening, but was out deer hunting probably 7 years ago. I was walking around camp at night and stepped in a hole and wrenched my ankle real bad, so the first thing i did was change into a taller pair of boots and put them on snug to keep the swelling down. Then i proceeded to sleep with the boot on and went out hunting for the rest of the weekend. Every step hurt like heck, but who really wants to go to the Dr if they can still attempt to hunt. It was not till i got back i went to the Dr and found out that i had actually broke my ankle.

[Drhorsepower]

Not life threatening, but was out deer hunting probably 7 years ago. I was walking around camp at night and stepped in a hole and wrenched my ankle real bad, so the first thing i did was change into a taller pair of boots and put them on snug to keep the swelling down. Then i proceeded to sleep with the boot on and went out hunting for the rest of the weekend. Every step hurt like heck, but who really wants to go to the Dr if they can still attempt to hunt. It was not till i got back i went to the Dr and found out that i had actually broke my ankle.

Did you kill a buck?