Modern Firearm Close Calls Or Worse

[Pegasus]

The modern firearm seasons are arriving shortly. A lot of hunters are running around with weapons that will travel a mile or more. Who has experienced having a close call with a bullet during the modern seasons? I know I have on numerous occasions and it eventually caused me to abandon hunting with a rifle for many years. Now for health reasons I have returned to hunt with a rifle. Share your stories and maybe someone will think twice before pulling that trigger.

[PastorJoel]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,217041.msg2889427.html#msg2889427

Brush picker in a 'bear costume.'  On the west side, always look out for brush pickers!!

[Scheindogg]

I was thinking of that exact post when I saw this post 

[NRA4LIFE]

First time antelope hunting, opening day in Montana in '89.  I heard this zing right over the top of me.  Then another.  I took cover.  Never knew where it came from.  Had no idea how close they might have been. 

[MrSmallington]

last year was hunting mule deer north of Ellensberg. about 25-30 yards off the road and down a hill watching the water and a clear cut.  had road hunters about once or twice an hour. So there I was back to a tree and  hearing a truck approach when he fires right above me! Hit dirt to the left of me about 10 feet away. No joke about 10 feet! I was wearing my a vest and an orange beanie. I also carry little flags to tack to trees when I set up a little posts like i did. I got up pissed and ran to the road just in time to see the old man pull over rifle hanging out the driver side window and kick the door open. I yelled and asked if he saw anything and if he saw me. Asked me if I was bleeding and told me to "sack up" then proceeded to hike up hill just firing into the trees! I was dumbfounded and beyond angry. took his plate ( wanted to slash his tires ) and waited 45 mins till he returned empty handed. Figure he was trying to push them to someone? Either way I ended up letting him know he came close to hitting me again, and that its people like him that ruin hunting, the good times in the woods and give hunters a bad name. his response was simply "good luck now". Hiked back to camp and next 3 days saw nothing.

[Wetwoodshunter]

I had a buddy in high school that showed up one day with a bullet hole in the windshield of his truck. He was driving down a logging road by west twins near Joyce and as he was going through the forest a bullet went right through his window. He called fish and wildlife and they found the hunter that had shot his truck.

The enforcement officer told my friend that the hunter said, "he thought it was the glint of the sun off the antlers of a buck"

[Fish4Fun]

We hunt the wheat country North of Moses Lake for deer, a couple of years ago while sitting in the wide open on a grass nob I spot a legal buck and some doe’s heading our way across the wheat. There was a guy on the other side of a sage hill across the county road from our spot. Didn’t see him until the deer was almost past him, he stands up shoots and misses 2 times at the buck. I figure at this point he is done shooting, since the buck is going to cross a blacktop county road. Actually the buck was going to run within 50 yards of my truck as he crossed the road. Nope, our ace shooter is now shooting towards our 2 trucks and the deer is in the middle of the road. Now the buck is right below my brother and I, so I figure since it isn’t hit I will knock it down 25 yards away as it goes past. The ace shooter is now shooting past our trucks, across the county blacktop road and almost right in line with us. Good thing we were elevated on the hill as he was blasting away. He finally hits the deer from 300 yards away, and hit hit the dirt 25 yards from the 2 of us. I wanted to go down off the hill and stomp the daylights out of Ace Shooter, but my older brother thought I shouldn’t with guns being involved.  He dressed the deer out with me telling him what a fine hunter and shot he was though. Fastest I have ver seen a mule deer gutted and loaded into a truck.

[Pegasus]

I think the worst time for me was when I was hunting in GMU 336 up above Taneum Creek. I was elk hunting with a buddy who had a cow tag. I lost contact with my buddy and towards evening decided to stake out on the edge of a huge clearing up in there in an area called Skull Springs. I didn't have long to wait before a giant cow elk came out of the woods behind me and walked by me at a range of twenty feet from me to enter the meadow. My buddy was nowhere to be seen and I had seen no other hunters. I watched the cow walk about another twenty feet when I heard a rifle crack and then a second shot. At that point I realized the cow was the target. I dove into a ditch by the logging road. The elk was confused and just froze in place. Suddenly there were shots coming from all around the perimeter of the clearing from four or five hundred yards away. The cow moved forward into the clearing and the volley of shots increased. Over a hundred rounds were fired before the cow went down. I got up out of the ditch and approached the cow after the shooting finally stopped. After all of that shooting I could see only one bullet hole in the elk. A few minutes later hunters started to arrive after a long walk from the perimeter of the clearing. In all there were about ten hunters that came down. One of the first to arrive turned to me and asked "How did you get down here so quickly?" I pointed out the ditch forty feet away and said that I had hid in the ditch while the shooting was happening. The hunter then turned without saying anything more to me and started shouting "Anyone got a cow tag? Someone better get a tag on that cow. Who's got a cow tag?". I never did see anyone tag that cow but I wasn't about to wait around to see.

[trapp01]

I was in the big bend area hunting private property. I was working up the opposing side of a ridge line trying to head off a buck when I thought my rifle went off. I checked my safety and pulled a live round out of the chamber. Then the buck I was working rolled down the hill about 20' up from me and stood up and that's when I heard "hit him again". I'll never forget the sound of a bullet smacking that buck 20' away. They shot 200yrds over a canyon and over my head.

[Fish4Fun]

We hunt the Bethel unit for elk, in 46 seasons you see some crazy stuff. I have an elk stand that I like to sit on and then we trade it around the camp as the season goes on. So one opening morning I am on the stand and my brother is up the ridge out of sight from me. I hear elk coming in the timber and then rocks rolling as they hit the opening. That is when the shooting starts from the ridge high above us. 19 shots later, and a couple of pauses to reload the shooters pause again I am guessing to reload again. Then I hear the sound of my brothers .300 Win Mag bark. He yells to me to come up, so I start up to him and we walk over to the spike bull. That is about the time we hear a bang from above and the sound of the bullet whistle past. Then I hear the words “Get the F&*K Away From Our Elk”.  I tell my brother stay at the elk I am going to call camp from the truck radio. Camp arrives at the elk, as one of the 2 shooters get to the elk, it has been at least 40 minutes now. We have the elk dressed out as they guy walks up and see’s one hole in it from the opposite side they were shooting at. We actually had to pull the elk away as others watched our backs from this guy. His last remark was “The next SOB that takes an elk I am shooting at, will be found next Spring after the snow melts”.  I truly think he would have shot one of in the back as we left had we not had elk camp helping us.

[Band]

This is a good place to implore people to never, NEVER use your rifle scope to get a closer look at other hunters.  This is obvious to established hunters but newbies sometimes don't "get" the danger in doing that.  And all of us have had that happen to us a number of times so the problem is real and ongoing.

Please don't be part of the problem, and take it from me, simply flipping off a "scoper" doesn't work, it simply makes them extend the time they scope you while trying to figure out why they are being flipped off.  A better tactic is to yell at the person to quit pointing their gun at you, even if it scares off all the game in the area.

[ctwiggs1]

This is a good place to implore people to never, NEVER use your rifle scope to get a closer look at other hunters. 

  

[MrSmallington]

I find the combination of comment and profile pic of the guy above me hilarious.   

[Stein]

I was in a very small public spot in MT, only one section with a road through the middle.  I bachelor group of bulls were pushed into our section but up toward the north end where another group of hunters was.  I was about 30 yards on the west side if the road down on the south side.

They opened up and sent the elk running south toward me at full speed.  Two rather portly guys ran out of the truck and joined the two already shooting.  By this time, they are taking Texas heart shots at elk at a full sprint about 450 yards away.  One guy had a semi auto and let go with 8, along with at least two of the others - all standing on the road shooting offhand.  By the time the semi opened up, they were a good 800 yards away and I started to see rounds hitting the dirt about 50 yards from me directly across the road.  They were ricocheting all over the place and there was absolutely nothing to hide behind so I ate dirt.  The last shot rang out just as they left state land.  Since they were 10 yards south of the northern edge, that means they shot offhand past me at a running elk that was 1 mile-10 yards away.

I packed up and let them know my thoughts, we'll leave it at that.  Never saw them again in the following three years I hunted that spot.  Super dangerous and totally stupid as we could have easily tagged all 4 bulls if he had a bit of patience and intelligence.

I talk to guys in there now and tell them where the elk will come from if they come, where they will go, what I'm going to do and what they should do.  Cooperate and we'll all be safe and get our elk.  90% thank me, 10% blow it off because they obviously know better.

When you get herds of 4-150 animals in a small space with multiple groups of road hunters things can get interesting.

[JeffRaines]

Reading some of this stuff, man. This is the kind of stuff people should lose their hunting licenses over.

[boneaddict]

I was painted in blood from a guy shooting a two point in a three point or better area.  The funny thing was, he shot the smaller two point.  The deer literally died at my feet, as in touched me.  I was so mad I had to walk away or risk killing the man.  Two other guys who witnessed it turned him in for the two point violation, and the warden nailed him.

[h20hunter]

Standby....

15 minute cool off in place. Bickering about terms and derailing threads is exactly what we are doing our best to get away from. Thread cleaned up and I'll unlock in a bit.

Annnnnnnd go. Please stay on topic as well as civil.

[JimmyHoffa]

Reading some of this stuff, man. This is the kind of stuff people should lose their hunting licenses over.

Lots of those older guys never took hunter's ed.  And seems lots of the kids with them would rather hunt like uncle and pops and disregard everything from hunter's ed.

[Pegasus]

I don't think hunter's ed has much to do with the problem. You either can respect the rules, laws and common sense or you should never be within a thousand feet of a firearm. I call them "Slob Hunters". No respect for gun safety and no respect for the hunting laws and you certainly don't want to camp next to them. I am no youngster and have seen this "genre of so-called hunters" throughout my lifetime.

[npaull]

 

Nothing could be worse for the future of hunting than some of its slob representatives.

[Turner89]

I don't think hunter's ed has much to do with the problem. You either can respect the rules, laws and common sense or you should never be within a thousand feet of a firearm. I call them "Slob Hunters". No respect for gun safety and no respect for the hunting laws and you certainly don't want to camp next to them. I am no youngster and have seen this "genre of so-called hunters" throughout my lifetime.

If your an idiot, your an idiot. Don't think a class will change there morals, or level of common sense.

[Sliverslinger]

I gave up rifle hunting years ago after constant issues and people being upset about "their spot." I've been archery deer since then until this year.
Mostly on a whim I felt like rifle deer hunting in a new area so headed to Rimrock/ Bethel tomorrow with the dualsport. Not sure what to expect, but this thread does not give me great hopes.

[The scout]

I don't think hunter's ed has much to do with the problem. You either can respect the rules, laws and common sense or you should never be within a thousand feet of a firearm. I call them "Slob Hunters". No respect for gun safety and no respect for the hunting laws and you certainly don't want to camp next to them. I am no youngster and have seen this "genre of so-called hunters" throughout my lifetime.

If your an idiot, your an idiot. Don't think a class will change there morals, or level of common sense.

  I took hunter safety about 20 years ago. I don't remember one single thing taught there. people are just stupid. I find myself going to not the best hunting areas just to escape the crowds.

[pashok23]

I don't think hunter's ed has much to do with the problem. You either can respect the rules, laws and common sense or you should never be within a thousand feet of a firearm. I call them "Slob Hunters". No respect for gun safety and no respect for the hunting laws and you certainly don't want to camp next to them. I am no youngster and have seen this "genre of so-called hunters" throughout my lifetime.

If your an idiot, your an idiot. Don't think a class will change there morals, or level of common sense.

[ctwiggs1]

It really is a respect issue. 

These are the same people not spending time at the range to make sure they are making good shots on animals. 

People who zero to 50 yards, but take a 400 yard shot "just to see if I could kill a deer from 400 yards" not even considering that they may just wound the animal.

People who take shots in the general direction of others, of vehicles, of residences, etc.

People whose actions are generally referenced by the anti-hunters because nobody, not even the real hunters appreciate what they do.

There is no age limit for these folks; they exist in every generation in every demographic.

[runamuk]

I have been scoped a bunch always makes me mad.  Worst was I came around a bend and there was a herd of deer with a small spike (3 point area) and all of a,sudden a guy comes from the other direction he instantly raises his rifle I actually hollered hey its a spike dude. I will say my life flashed he totally did not see me there at all all he saw was deer.

All the orange in the world can't save you when people refuse to identify things before putting their gun up.

And not hunting related I grew up surrounded by guns and was terrified by what I saw.  I was very anti gun when I joined here in 2008. Saw no reason for anyone to own semi auto pistols or little black guns. I have owned and enjoyed building both since then.

Thanks huntwa guys alive and no longer with us for not scaring me and berating me for my fears.

[Idabooner]

I was painted in blood from a guy shooting a two point in a three point or better area.  The funny thing was, he shot the smaller two point.  The deer literally died at my feet, as in touched me.  I was so mad I had to walk away or risk killing the man.  Two other guys who witnessed it turned him in for the two point violation, and the warden nailed him.

I was a couple hundred feet from you when this happened, I remember it well.

[ctwiggs1]

Thanks huntwa guys alive and no longer with us for not scaring me and berating me for my fears.

   A good reminder of what this site is all about.

[andr3wxmma]

During a youth day hunt, my cousin negligently shot off her gun  loading it (lever action 30-30) into the side of my uncles jeep(noone was hurt). They should have gave her more classes on gun safety and watched her more closely like my dad did with me. (we were like 10). I'm glad I haven't experienced anything like the other hunters on here, I don't think id be able to walk away with just words exchanged.

[WAnoob]

Today I went to check out a clear cut looking for blacktail and on my way in I heard shots ring off about 200 yards away. The person was using a rock face for a backstop and I heard a few ricochets and one bullet zipped by me about 75 yards away and smacked a tree. I may be done with modern from now on and just go strictly archery next season.

[steeleywhopper]

Today I went to check out a clear cut looking for blacktail and on my way in I heard shots ring off about 200 yards away. The person was using a rock face for a backstop and I heard a few ricochets and one bullet zipped by me about 75 yards away and smacked a tree. I may be done with modern from now on and just go strictly archery next season.

Hunting season doesn’t bring out jack ass target shooters, they are out there all the time!

[Igottanewknee]

Many years ago back in Wisconsin, I was party hunting with some high school friends and had one doe tag to fill. You're able to do that back then. Anyway, a doe walks out of the woods toward me, so I shoot it and yell to the guys that I have a doe down. Well, two more does walk out and two of the idiots start shooting at them as they run past me and the tree I was happy to be leaning against.
But that's not the worst experience I've had. I was with different friends and they were getting out my car so they could make a drive. The guys started loading up their guns safely, but one of the guys turns around to ask a question while jacking in a round, and the gun goes off. Neither the car nor me were hit, but left a big hole in the asphalt.
Never hunted with any of them again.....

[WAnoob]

Today I went to check out a clear cut looking for blacktail and on my way in I heard shots ring off about 200 yards away. The person was using a rock face for a backstop and I heard a few ricochets and one bullet zipped by me about 75 yards away and smacked a tree. I may be done with modern from now on and just go strictly archery next season.

Hunting season doesn’t bring out jack ass target shooters, they are out there all the time!

I agree, I was just out looking for a new area that's close by. It was just another reason to push me over the edge to archery.

[MAVsled]

We hunt the Bethel unit for elk, in 46 seasons you see some crazy stuff. I have an elk stand that I like to sit on and then we trade it around the camp as the season goes on. So one opening morning I am on the stand and my brother is up the ridge out of sight from me. I hear elk coming in the timber and then rocks rolling as they hit the opening. That is when the shooting starts from the ridge high above us. 19 shots later, and a couple of pauses to reload the shooters pause again I am guessing to reload again. Then I hear the sound of my brothers .300 Win Mag bark. He yells to me to come up, so I start up to him and we walk over to the spike bull. That is about the time we hear a bang from above and the sound of the bullet whistle past. Then I hear the words “Get the F&*K Away From Our Elk”.  I tell my brother stay at the elk I am going to call camp from the truck radio. Camp arrives at the elk, as one of the 2 shooters get to the elk, it has been at least 40 minutes now. We have the elk dressed out as they guy walks up and see’s one hole in it from the opposite side they were shooting at. We actually had to pull the elk away as others watched our backs from this guy. His last remark was “The next SOB that takes an elk I am shooting at, will be found next Spring after the snow melts”.  I truly think he would have shot one of in the back as we left had we not had elk camp helping us.

that is why I don't hunt below that Ridge you are referring too. Happened to me, my dad and 2 partners back in the late 1980's.
11 shots from 700+yards above. Bull came into my view at 90 yards, one shot from me and bull down, my shot just behind shoulder breaking opposite shoulder blade. Partner Steve and I had it gutted, head off when 4 guys showed up, giving me all what not verbally. I was surprised they got off their positioned lawn chairs around their warm up fire, to actually hike down.
At that point, My dad (and other partner) were back in the trees, covering us. When the bigger fella pointed his rifle my way, telling me to remove my tag, that's when My father yelled, "back off or your down!!"
those guys just about shiat their pants....me too.
that partner Steve never came back to that area with me.
My departed father used to warn me every year about hunting that bench below the "campfire ridge".

[John B]

Not a rifle but thought I'd share. Last year while chukar hunting I had followed my dog into a small valley up on a ridge, all of a sudden two shotgun blasts go off about a second apart. The shot goes 10 feet over my head (I saw the wadding) and hits the dirt wall 20 yards past me. I holler up, climb out and had a fairly pleasant talk with the man. He apologized, I told him there were no hard feelings and we agreed to work opposite sides of the ridge. I got four chukar when I moved to the other side, so worked out alright.

[saylean]

I had a hunter shoot a 5 pt that I had been watching waiting for it to stand up for 5 hours. I was 200 yards down hill from it, the hunter shot the buck 4 times from above the buck directly in my line where I was standing. However, to his credit, I don't think he could have seen me because of the rock lip the buck was bedded on and angle he was at.
Oh the agony! I didn't go up to check it out (I did make sure he found it though), just felt like the wind was taken out of my sails. It was a great buck and I was happy for him, but disappointed for me.

[mitch184]

I had a hunter shoot a 5 pt that I had been watching waiting for it to stand up for 5 hours. I was 200 yards down hill from it, the hunter shot the buck 4 times from above the buck directly in my line where I was standing. However, to his credit, I don't think he could have seen me because of the rock lip the buck was bedded on and angle he was at.
Oh the agony! I didn't go up to check it out (I did make sure he found it though), just felt like the wind was taken out of my sails. It was a great buck and I was happy for him, but disappointed for me.

Boy this sounds familiar....  I had this happen both days last weekend.  Apparently they thought it was better to fire off 10 shots from 500 yards at a bedded buck OVER me.  You gotta love when they're talking so loud you can hear them say... "That guy is going after something, there must be a shooter somewhere over there"

[fishnfur]

Similar story.  I was working the top of a hill in 530 and inside a brush line.  It was the last day of ML elk, and a second hunter was well down the hill/clearcut from me cow calling occasionally over the course of a couple hours - he did not know I was above him.  As it started to get dark, I heard him call from a bit closer, but still a couple hundred yards away, but did not think much of the fact that he'd moved. 

Within the last few minutes of light and unbeknownst to me, that hunter had worked his way back up the hill to leave for the evening when a small bear came out of the woods and passed in between him and me.  He killed the bear between us, and about 50 yards away from me.  He was surprised as hell when he saw I was right there.  You might say, I was a little "surprised" myself.   I cleaned my shorts out and helped him load up the bear.

[tgomez]

My Jr year of high school I invited a friend deer hunting from school.  At the time I owned a Savage model 110 270 and a 30-30 Bolt action with a side mount scope.  I let him use my better 270 Bolt action because he didn't own a rifle.  We no more than left the truck to hunt whitetail in a any buck area and loaded up the rifles. We started down a logging road towards a bedding area I knew of walking side by side.  I was on his right shoulder side and we both had the rifles slung over our right shoulders.  A few more steps and BANG I couldn't hear out of my left ear.  This fool had put his finger inside the trigger guard and pulled the trigger.  I asked him, "How the hell did that just happen?" He said he forgot to put it on safe and accidently bumped the trigger.  I said, "Give me that damn rifle!" I unloaded the 270 and looked at him and said, "This hunt is over!" I drove him home and haven't spoken another word to him in my life.  BE CAREFUL AND SURE THAT WHOMEVER YOU INVITE HUNTING IS SAFE WITH A FIREARM! I LEARNED A VALUBLE LESSON THAT DAY.

[Pegasus]

That story sounds like what happened to me. My dad took my older brother and me hunting. He also invited our cousin along who we had never hunted with. We hunted the day and went back to the car. As my cousin unloaded his 30-30 lever action rifle back at the car I heard a BANG next to me. My cousin had somehow discharged his gun unloading it. The round luckily hit only next to my foot. That was the last invite my cousin ever got to go hunting with us.