Hunting will make you do STUPID things!

[markjm15]

So we all have done stupid things because hunting is better on the other side of the fence. I'd say the dumbest most stupid I will never do again thing that I did was canoe down the allegheny river in the dead of January by myself IN THE DARK! It was a duck hunting trip that my brother and I were going on. My brother got sick so he stayed in but I was bound and determined to work the birds. We scouted the night before and through our binos we could see the birds working an island down river. It would take a lot to get me to do something this stupid but my eyes were glazed over and all I could think about were the white breast, cupping wings, and folding up of those greenheads! I set sail early in the morning on a high icy river. I over shot the tip of the island because it was a heavy snow and I couldn't see in the dark. Once I realized what was happening I quickly scrambled to paddle my way over and land on the side of the island all while dodging ice chunks floating all around me. I made it to the island alive. It was starting to get light at this point and the Ducks were flying. I threw out a bakers dozen of decoys and started hitting the calls. I had birds working all over that island! It was a duck hunters heaven! By 8:30 in the morning I was limited out on greenheads and a few mergs. Long story short to get back to my truck was I had to cross the river, walk a road about a mile up, cross a bridge, walk back down, to my truck only to realize I left my keys in the canoe console, and repeat the whole process again. Never will I do anything that crazy again but it was a blast!

Anybody else have their stupid time story's?

[Bowguy]

I'll tell ya a good duck story a little on the stupid side. We were hunting a reservoir in January as well, last day in fact. It was 1 degree n the wind had a stop sign by reservoir going sideways.
There were two of us, both in otters, which are puddle duck boats n surely not made for big water or big waves. Well big waves it was. Thought we'd get swamped possibly so we motored out near the shoreline so if we sank we could quick swim to shore.
Anyway we made it out to where we wanted but it was exciting In the dark.

Started to set up. Now my buddy jumped into Panama trying to get Noriega, he was an airborne Ranger n pretty fearless. He started to set dekes by getting out of boat. Told him it was bad idea as it was a flooded mountain that made the reservoir n thus sheer cliffs. He didn't worry n soon enough he was gone.
Saw him float up gasp for air n start shivering.
Ok now we had a dilemma, should I waste the last day helping him or kill some ducks? We were putting out I think 7 or 9 dozen dekes n had half out. Couldn't leave our gear so I told him to hang tight Id get gear n we'd go.
He decides to help n gets decoy line in the prop. Ugh.

I tell him hold the boat n I'll untangle lines. He ties a line from his boat to his leg n tries to hurry it along. Well he didn't tie a good knot n now his boat is about 150 yards in reservior.

I put him on shore n head our for his boat. Two boat w catamoran style hulls in heavy wind n waves ain't fun to steer back w a troll motor.

I get back n he's still alive, I tell him he should keep his phone on him n make the truck, if he needs me call. At truck he can dry clothes. I'm stayin it's almost light.

He motors away, ducks fly in, I kill two from the first flight. Watching for more when I hear crunching. It's Joe he saw the Ducks n ain't missing out. He parked boat n figured walking back might warm him some. Ok game on. He's cold but ready. All of a sudden nature calls. Pretty funny listening to him use frozen underwear as toilet paper. Finally he's ready til he drops gun in water. It's 1 degree n now it's a Popsicle.
Told him he should quit for day

[wvmntnhick]

Got myself into a pickle several years ago. My buddy had found a Ruger .270 Winchester that I was dying to have. Sighted it in as soon as he got to my place and we left for the evening deer hunt. The ground was covered with 2 feet of snow in the places it wasn't drifted. The drifts were considerably higher. Wife got me a gps for Christmas so I was ready to play with that as well. Got out of the truck, marked its location and started walking. We paralleled a creek (one of us on either side) and it wasn't long before he shot. I continued walking because we'd passed numerous deer along the way that were bedded in the area I was going to hunt. Never saw a deer after walking for what felt like an eternity. Looked at the gps it said I was just over 2 miles from the truck. Figured I'd gone far enough. Started back to the truck and made it about 100 yards before finally seeing a deer. Shot it and then had to drag it all the way back in that lousy, deep snow. Man was it rough. But, that deer was also earned.

[ilbucksndux]

I cant begin to tell you how many dumb things I have done to kill a duck. There have been numerous times I have taken off in a boat that was way to small,and over loaded. Snowing sideways so hard you literally cant open your eyes. One particularly  dumb event was last year. The river was really high and we were hunting in a place that is usually dry ground,but the river started to fall out some time during the night. The day before we were in knee deep water,and when we got to the hole the next morning it was about calf deep and had some current in it today,a sure sign the water was leaving us. We had a camera crew with us this morning and they wanted their particular "brand" of decoys and had to have all of their camera gear. We had the bright idea to get one of the boats as close to the spot we were hunting as possible. After we had a pretty good morning ,but no where near full limits for all we noticed that we were now standing in ankle deep water. We ended up having to push that boat thru the woods in less than 6" of water,and in some places dry ground. The 3/4 mile boat push took us 3 hours !

Last year I could not find a small trail I had cut (the year before) to get my 4 wheeler around a bluff.We had a spring storm several years back that had blown down several big trees and now the under growth is like a jungle. My middle son and I parked the wheeler on top of a ridge right were the bluff started and walked down for an evening bow hunt. I ended up killing a decent buck and after dragging him straight up out of a deep holler we had to get the wheeler to him. I bailed off down the hill and made it about 100 yards before I realized this was a very bad idea,but I pressed on and finally got the deer and our gear except for our bows on the 4 wheeler. Now we could not find a place we could get up that bluff in the dark ! We were in a jungle of thick undergrowth and literally every thing looked the same. We eventually made it over to the bluff and I found a spot I could climb up. We ended up winching the 4 wheeler,deer, and stands up the side.

[markjm15]

Great stories fellas! Keep em coming! 

[SteelerFan]

Must be some sort of rule for stupid... "One time, when I was going on a duck hunt..." seems to be a common theme! 

I'll add mine: One time, when I was going on a duck hunt - the creek that flowed into the river had frozen over, but the river still had open water - and ducks! No worries... "we'll just load our gear in the canoe and push it like a sled to the open water". After all, if the ice would suddenly give-way beneath our 200+ lb bodies, I'm sure we could defy gravity, leap into the canoe without tipping, and somehow paddle through the remaining solid ice IN THE DARK, right??  NEVER AGAIN!

#2 - "It's 22 degrees, with a windchill in the sub-zero range"... "Sure, let's float down the river between the ice flows and set up on the point of the island." Geese come in, shots fired, birds down... crippled swimming out. Chest waders on, I promptly stroll into the river to collect the bird. 2/3 across, slimy rock bottom and a boulder catches my foot - "SPLASH". Down I go...

Gather myself up - make it back to the bank. Remember the windchill I mentioned? Yep... HYPOTHERMIA kicks in. Lucky to make it back to the truck on that one. NEVER AGAIN!

[derek]

Turkey hunting seems so much safer in comparison.  I don't think I've once been concerned for my life while turkey hunting, yet there has been a time or two chasing ducks that had me a tad worried. 

"One time, when I was going on a duck hunt..."  14' boat with a 9.9hp.. body booting at the head of the Chesapeake Bay.. by myself... in January.  Nice and calm, when out of nowhere comes the wind.. every bit of 20+ with gusts.. from the south which is the worst.  They were calling for <10 when it "picked up" which I would have been fine in.   Of course I had out 100 decoys that I couldn't leave behind.  The wind had my decoys bouncing and tide had come up to where I had to pick them up from the boat.  Everytime I turned around in the wind I took water over the stern.  I believe I called my father and told him to call my phone periodically until I made it back to the ramp - if it went to voicemail it means it's underwater and to call for help!  No time to wrap a decoy - that was a mess.  I was scared shitless. 


"One time, when I was going on a duck hunt..." Again by myself - this time in a 16' boat with mud buddy.  I get out to where I'm hunting what we call "stupid early".  I set out 100+ dekes, pull the boat up into the grass and begin to set up my brand new, first time hunted Mud buddy shaggy pro blind, which is really just a conduit scissor blind.  The hot wire to the starter came in contact with the blind frame and began sparking while I was facing the other way.. next thing I know I can feel the heat from the flames behind me!  I jump out of the boat (luckily I was in shallow water) and begin pushing arm fulls of water into the stern/battery area that was on fire.  That glowing red wire was setting on the plastic gas tank and melted a hole in it so I could see gas pouring out into the water - I got the can lifted so it wouldn't dump gas and the wire burnt in two.  I was able to put the fire out quickly.  But man, that could have been so much worse in a matter of seconds!   Good morning to duck hunt too.  Killed 5 wigeon and a gadwall before sunrise!

I have more, not as life threatening.  But more than a few blowout tide stories, ice, fall ins, small boat/big water, stuck in mud, hitting submerged log motor popping off boat, prop falling off, etc.  Some I won't even tell my wife or mother about - it is better they don't know!

[Marc]

I have done some almighty stupid things to kill a duck or pheasant...  To avoid self-incrimination I will not discuss most of them (even though statute of limitations the has run out on almost all of them)

But, in college, after pulling two straight all-nighters, I decided to go duck hunting on a large public refuge for the first time (i.e. never been to that refuge before).

I drove out the night before, and figured that being so tired, I would sleep fine in the truck.  It was much colder than I thought, and I could not sleep...  Ended up staying up most of the night BS'ing around the facility camp stove...

Checked in at the station in the morning, and found a nice little spot all to myself; killed a couple ducks and decided to take a nap on the island and try to finish my limit in the afternoon...  When I woke up from my nap it was pitch dark (I over-slept a bit).

Not to worry though, cause I could here people blowing whistles, and I could see flash-lights in the distance... 

When I did not check out they sent a search party for me...  They were not as pleased to find me as you might think...  I received the worst verbal beating I have ever taken, and repeatedly made the statement of "I am so sorry..."

[markjm15]

And despite all of the mishaps we still stay out there to duck hunt LOL!

[Marc]

And despite all of the mishaps we still stay out there to duck hunt LOL!

Duck hunting is one of the activities of my life I am most passionate about, yet I find it difficult to articulate the aspects of enjoyment...

We seek the most miserable weather conditions to hunt in, walk into and sit out in the cold wet marsh (getting up at UnGodly hours to do so), packing in little plastic ducks and blowing on duck "horns," in hopes that a duck will fly by so we can shoot it....  And when we consider the cost for guns, ammo, gas, etc., I hate to think of the price per pound of duck meat.

When I describe it out loud, it really does not in any way sound appealing...  Yet...  I would not give it up for anything.

[BoWhoop]

I'm sitting here by a cozy campfire bemoaning the end of gobbler season reading these stories.  I could fill a book with poor decision hunts, but won't.  Don't want the young'uns to get any dumb ideas from me!  I will say I was on one of Derek's blowout tide hunts on the Upper Chesapeake Bay.  I thought it was amusing and memorable.  Still got limits, just had to wait for the water to come back.

I have pushed my luck way too often duck hunting, and probably will again...but I don't recommend it.

I damn near got hypothermia (yeah, I almost died from it due to a duck hunt, so I know the symptoms) on a Vermont spring Gobbler hunt.  That bird put me through the wringer, had me spinning around that tree on the COLD, WET ground for hours. I was shaking so hard I knew I'd miss if I got a shot.   FINALLY got the shot...Jake!  Would have bet money that bird would have hooked spurs...but still was never so happy to shoot a Jake in my life.  Payback is a $%&£!  ;-)

[ilbucksndux]

Here is another poor decision story. We were hunting on a fairly big but shallow public lake. Somewhere around 10 it started to rain and the wind picked up. We only needed a couple more for the limit so we stuck it out. We had the decoys picked up and then the north wind really started to blow. My vote was that we just wait out the storm right where we were,and we did wait for 2 hours with no sign of it slowing,some of the others in the group were worried about the off the water time. I was sure the GW would be understanding due to the weather,but I was out voted and we took off heading south with the wind. There were 3' white caps some of them pushing the boat but most coming in the boat. All 4 of us put on life jackets and they were bailing water while I drove the boat. We lost 3 bags of decoys and had about 6" of freeboard when we hit the boat ramp. While they were getting the trailer in the water the back end of the boat finally sunk. It was 40* when we left that morning and now it was 28* and the rain was turning to snow. With the 20+ mph wind I have no ide what the wind chill was but by the time we got to the truck our hands didnt work and we were all soaked to the bone.

[markjm15]

That reminds me of an early season hunt, ilducknbucks. We had our canoe out on a small lake and were caught in the middle of a storm. Our canoe was rocking up and down with white caps crashing over the front of the boat. I never feared for our lives being as it was a small lake and we were close to shore. It was more fun than anything!

[Va3toes]

Some great stories here. Makes me glad I don't duck hunt because I can be pretty stupid sometimes.

[Gentry]

Got myself into a pickle several years ago. My buddy had found a Ruger .270 Winchester that I was dying to have. Sighted it in as soon as he got to my place and we left for the evening deer hunt. The ground was covered with 2 feet of snow in the places it wasn't drifted. The drifts were considerably higher. Wife got me a gps for Christmas so I was ready to play with that as well. Got out of the truck, marked its location and started walking. We paralleled a creek (one of us on either side) and it wasn't long before he shot. I continued walking because we'd passed numerous deer along the way that were bedded in the area I was going to hunt. Never saw a deer after walking for what felt like an eternity. Looked at the gps it said I was just over 2 miles from the truck. Figured I'd gone far enough. Started back to the truck and made it about 100 yards before finally seeing a deer. Shot it and then had to drag it all the way back in that lousy, deep snow. Man was it rough. But, that deer was also earned.

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