Hunting bloopers 😁

[Alan]

Hope everyone's having a good time here!

I'd love to know, what’s one hunting mistake you’ll always remember? Maybe it was that moment your scope went busted, or you realized the boots you wore were totally wrong, or perhaps you spooked the game way too soon. I’d love to hear your stories. Let’s swap some lessons and have a good laugh along the way!

 

[dasharpShooter]

I've got a story that still makes me laugh and cringe at the same time. This was probably my third season of hunting, and I thought I was finally getting the hang of it. Famous last words?

So, I’m nestled in my climber on this ridge, looking over a quiet creek bottom. I’ve been perched there since before the sun even thought about rising, but all I’ve seen so far is a few squirrels and the occasional bird. Around 9:00, I figured I’d give rattling a shot, hoping to lure something in. I grabbed my rattling antlers and really got into it, making a ruckus like a couple of deer were having a fight.

After about 30 secs of this chaotic serenade, I glanced up, and low and behold, there’s a nice buck just standing there, about 40 yards away, and he's just staring at me! I wasn’t even rattling in his direction. I still have no clue how long he’d been watching me, but it definitely felt like he was judging my skills

We locked eyes for what felt like an eternity, and then, without a care in the world, he simply turned and sauntered off. He didn’t even bolt or get spooked; he practically exited stage left as if he was embarrassed for me.

That day taught me a valuable lesson: always check your surroundings before you decide to make a scene. Now, I make it a point to glance at everything around me before I rattle. That buck? He definitely brought me back down to reality.

 

[Adies Gunny]

My primary hunting ground is in the lower Pascagoula River swamp and my favorite time to hunt is during flood conditions. After a few days of hunting I left my boat at the landing and took my gas can out to refill. The next morning I stopped for gas for my truck and boat. after filling both I went inside to get coffee and then on to the club. I got in the boat and headed out to my hunting area for that day and after a five minute run the outboard started sputtering. I looked down and NO GAS CAN! I turned and started back but did run completely out well before getting back to the landing. I paddled as far as I could against a flood current before making it to a place I could get out and wade.

After twenty minutes in the cold water I was back at the landing only to find the gas can was not in my truck. I looked all around hoping someone else in the club was pranking me by hiding it but it wasn't to be found. Thinking someone might have stolen it I headed back home to get my boat trailer. On the way I passed the gas station and there it was still sitting beside the as pump where I sat it to be filled.

 

[Gumby]

Was taught a very important lesson one day deer hunting.
Shot a buck at very close range, it had been raining and my old hound Dan jumped this deer just a few yards off the dirt road. Deer had all of his jets on when he crossed the road just feet from me and the battered old Remington 742 boomed 1 time.
Did not see him flinch or stagger, no blood , no hair so I quit right there did not go into the woods in pursuit, it was another hunting club on that side of the old road.
That old 742 was still true and the bullet took his heart out , the other club put a trail dog on him and found him about 50 yards away. They called the club president and told him to come get the deer and he hauled that deer around for hours making me look at it and telling me how another guy had shot it. Finally he told me the truth about even scolded me for not looking.
Yes, I was the butt end of the joke that day but I’ve never just gave up on another one where there was a possibility that I connected.