When a hunting trip almost becomes a life changing event

[stickbuck]

On the first morning of my daughter Avery’s youth sheep hunt in the Selah Butte North unit, our lives were almost changed in a matter of seconds. It was the scariest moment of my life and it has forever changed me. With sheep on our mind, we quickly ascended up a ridge in the canyon and sat down in a perfect spot where I had been seeing sheep pretty consistently over the past month. This spot would give her a shot of less than a 150 yards. Still a pretty good poke for an 8 year old girl in her first hunting season.

We had been sitting for less than five minutes when we heard rocks rolling further up the draw out of sight. We waited a few minutes to see if the movement came any closer before making our way up the draw. The undeniable sound of rams squaring off instantly had us gathering our packs and attempting to move closer without being detected. We stalked uphill 150 yards and I peered around a ledge and found four rams standing on an open hillside 198 yards away. I glasses them for several minutes and even the smallest ram was not a legal juvenile. She was definitely bummed, but I let her put them in the scope to practice a bit for when a shooting opportunity actually arose. It was only seconds later that they busted us and took off up the ridge and out of sight.

She was motivated at the sighting and badly wanted to get another look at them so we headed in the direction they went. It was good because it gave us an opportunity to glass into a few canyons we couldn’t see from the highway. After an hour of glassing, she was ready to hike back to the truck. We quickly skirted the flat topped ridge and began side hilling back towards where we had bumped the sheep.

As we were traversing down the steep hillside, Avery tripped and lost her balance. I can’t even imagine what was going through her mind. In an effort to regain her balance, she started into a run. I don’t think it was her intention, but it is what happened.

Within one second of tripping and attempting to regain her balance, she went head over heels and began rolling down the steep hillside. I watched as my daughter helplessly cartwheeled like a ragdoll. At the 25 foot mark, she somehow stopped. It was a miracle and I honestly don’t know what stopped her from falling. It was still another 150 feet to the bottom of the draw. She instantly began screaming and I feared the worst as I ran to her. Thankfully she was screaming and alive.

Upon reaching her, I quickly began surveying her body checking for injuries. Somehow she had only struck her arms and lower back on the large rocks and had miraculously avoided hitting her head. I picked her up and held her close as she screamed for several minutes. Once reality set in, I sat there trying to figure out how I was going to get her off the mountain. We still had to drop 900 vertical feet to get back to where the truck was parked along the highway. She stood for several minutes and decided she would attempt to walk on her own.

It seemed like an eternity, but we made it to the bottom of the draw in about 20 minutes. Now we had to climb back up the other side before the final descent. With every few steps, her back became increasingly stiff making it harder and harder to navigate the terrain. As we neared the truck and encountered flat ground, I was beyond excited to have avoided an almost disastrous life changing event. I am the type of hunter and person that rarely takes risks and chances especially when my kids are hunting with me.

Just a few days later, the stiffness and pain has subsided and she is motivated to continue her pursuit of tagging a sheep. I feel incredibly lucky to have avoided something that could have changed our family’s lives forever.

[Karl Blanchard]

Man that's scary stuff. Glad she pulled through with just a few bumps and bruises.

[TheStovePipeKid]

I'm a man of faith myself and would attribute such things to the man up stairs. I'm glad she is ok. I too am not a risk taker, but sometimes as adults we learn by experience that we can tackle activities that are somewhat beyond the skill if our dear children. You might consider having her wear a bike helmet or a rock climbing helmet next time out. Not the coolest look in the world, but no one has ever regretted protecting their brain. Good luck hanging that tag.

[TVHunts]

Geez, scary doesn’t explain that situation. Glad she is OK and not ruined and still wants to pursue her sheep.  Good job Dad 

[vandeman17]

Wow matt that is crazy! Glad she is ok. Sounds like a trooper!

[X-Force]

Scary!

Glad she is doing well and is excited about getting back at it

[coachcw]

wow thats scary for sure ..
I'd love to see her prevail on the hunt and end with a most positive outcome.

[jackelope]

Wow. The big guy was watching out for your daughter that day. Happy to hear she's OK and ready to roll again. I'm definitely not a risk taker and I'm also not agile. Being on those steep mountainsides is not my favorite place to be.

[KFhunter]

there's no shame in tethering her to you on sketchy terrain glad she came out and just has a story to tell  ok   

[fishngamereaper]

Glad she's ok...you spend enough time on the mountains your going to take a spill or ten.. sounds like she powered through and is coming out stronger on the other side..good luck in her hunt..

[slowhand]

there's no shame in tethering her to you on sketchy terrain glad she came out and just has a story to tell  ok   

I like this idea. 
Thank goodness She is ok.
I had an almost lost a child experience once. My oldest at the age of 5 got a large chunk of Costco hotdog stuck in his throat while driving home from shopping. I pulled over as fast as possible and managed to get it coughed up. I will never forget the look in his eyes while He was running out of air. It took Me days to get over it. It made Me consider what it would be like if I lost one of My boys to an accident.
Super scary stuff!
I hope She is successful and will be rooting along.

[stickbuck]

Wow matt that is crazy! Glad she is ok. Sounds like a trooper!

No doubt Adam! It was beyond crazy and I hope I never have to witness something like that ever again.


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[stickbuck]

wow thats scary for sure ..
I'd love to see her prevail on the hunt and end with a most positive outcome.

Filling the tag will definitely be the icing on the cake after Saturday. Definitely has put things in a different perspective.


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[Pegasus]

Glad there were no serious injuries for Avery and that she is willing to "get back on that horse" and continue the hunt. Hunting has its risks and I think all of us may have a story or two where we may have cheated death. Sometimes it is just the trip to and from home and sometimes its is stupid things that we do....maybe we should start a new topic about "the dumbest things we did"? Sometimes it is not something dumb that we did but just that "sh*t happens" like it did with your daughter and she was lucky to survive it. Good luck with the rest of the hunt.

[Pinetar]

Can't imagine going through that, scary stuff! Glad Avery is doing fine with just some bruises and bumps. Good luck with her hunt. Be safe and have fun!

[stickbuck]

there's no shame in tethering her to you on sketchy terrain glad she came out and just has a story to tell  ok   

I honestly never thought of that and is probably something I should look into. Thanks for the idea.


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[Karl Blanchard]

When are you guys heading back out?

[stickbuck]

When are you guys heading back out?

We will be heading back either Thursday or Friday afternoon and hunting through the weekend. We may add a few after school hunts in as well.


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[Karl Blanchard]

When are you guys heading back out?

We will be heading back either Thursday or Friday afternoon and hunting through the weekend. We may add a few after school hunts in as well.


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if you guys need anything dont be afraid to give me a shout.

[highside74]

When are you guys heading back out?

We will be heading back either Thursday or Friday afternoon and hunting through the weekend. We may add a few after school hunts in as well.


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if you guys need anything dont be afraid to give me a shout.

That's an offer I wouldn't pass up.

[Jackjr]

Scary stuff.  Glad it turned out ok and she still has the interest to get back after that.   She sounds like a trooper.  It was good to meet you up there Friday.  I have no doubt she will seal the deal.  Any 8 yr old that chooses to sleep in a tent instead of a close by hotel deserves a nice sheep.  We all talked about how cool that story was.  Good luck......

[stickbuck]

When are you guys heading back out?

We will be heading back either Thursday or Friday afternoon and hunting through the weekend. We may add a few after school hunts in as well.


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if you guys need anything dont be afraid to give me a shout.

Thanks Karl! I will keep you posted on how things go this weekend.


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[Bushcraft]

Holy smokes!  Scary stuff.

I'm with the other fellow that mentioned tethering her off, with the caveat that you do so only when you are sufficiently anchored

Inadvertently pulling your daughter off a cliff with you is something neither of you want to happen.

Good luck to you.  I'm headed over there in a couple days too.

[Bob33]

It sounds like it did become a life changing event in a positive way in that that it reminds us how fragile life can be. Thankfully all turned out OK.

I've been considering the purchase of an inReach satellite communicator recently, going back and forth thinking nothing bad could happen to me...I think I just decided to do it.

[Gamblin Guy]

Just a thought as I didn't see you mention it, would be a good idea to get her in and have a good thorough exam done, especially with the back.  I rolled my truck with my entire family in it in Dec 2015, we were all buckled up and made it through with no noticeable injuries outside of being stiff and sore, a little whiplash etc.  However, my daughter's back has given her problems ever since, made it tough to play volleyball in high school and still gives her fits.  Better safe than sorry.

Good luck to your daughter with that tag, it will be a memorable season for sure.

[wheels]

wow scary

[Widgeondeke]

Those life changing moments can come outta nowhere. 

I had one 8 days ago 

Glad to hear your lil girl is on the mend and ready to go hunting again 

[pianoman9701]

I'm glad it didn't go further south on you both. Good luck in filling that awesome tag. 

[Karl Blanchard]

When are you guys heading back out?

We will be heading back either Thursday or Friday afternoon and hunting through the weekend. We may add a few after school hunts in as well.


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if you guys need anything dont be afraid to give me a shout.

Thanks Karl! I will keep you posted on how things go this weekend.


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roger that! I glass decent, skin good, and pack even better. I can provide enough ice to chill a boned out elephant too

[HikerHunter]

Sounds like she has the hunting bug if she wants to go back out after that! Glad to hear everyone's okay

[boneaddict]

Thankfully kids bounce better than we do.   SCARY stuff.   A few of my gray hairs have been earned from such experiences.   I am so thankful and glad she is ok.   That country is no joke. Looks flat right?  yeah.......      I'm glad she is getting back on the horse.  Good luck this weekend.   

[TC_outdoorsman]

I am glad she is ok and nothing life changing happened.

[Machias]

Holy crap, I so glad she was not seriously injured.  Wow, just wow what a sight that must have been.

[stickbuck]

Thankfully kids bounce better than we do.   SCARY stuff.   A few of my gray hairs have been earned from such experiences.   I am so thankful and glad she is ok.   That country is no joke. Looks flat right?  yeah.......      I'm glad she is getting back on the horse.  Good luck this weekend.

It definitely doesn’t seem that steep until you are start climbing for about five minutes and then realize it’s way steeper than it looks from the highway. Sometimes it doesn’t take more than a minute. Lol. We went out for a quick two hour hunt after school yesterday with no pain and stiffness so things are looking up. Now we just need the sheep to cooperate!


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[boneaddict]

You'll appreciate that she didn't connect the first day or two out.  I almost feel sorry for these guys that notch the first few hours of day one.   What a great experience for the both of you.  Have a great weekend.  Not sure what the weather is going to bring.  If it rains, bare in mind that clay or caliche can be slicker than.....

[Fl0und3rz]

Never wanted to read such a happy ending.  Thanks for the reminder that things can change in an instant.  I am glad to hear that nobody is worse for wear.

[Elkpiss]

Glad your daughter is OK, that had to be the worse feeling ever seeing your baby girl cart wheeling down the mt.  Im glad she is going back out and excited to keep on hunting.. I hope you guys Notch your tag and have a amazing hunt..     

[Rob]

Scary!  So glad she is OK.

One lesson learned for me in my experiences:
-if you experience a medical issue in the "back country", be ready to wait for assistance.  The wait could be hours or even a full day or more.  I needed SAR assistance on a hunt and it took 5 hours for them to get to us (and we could hear I5 traffic from where we were.

I carry an InReach now.  Even if I am working on a ladder while home alone!

[cedarriver]

 So thankful she's ok! Scary to say the least! A good reminder that we have to think and remind our young people to always be careful and think about how to handle a trip or stumble in steep terrain, and each part of they're young journeys. Hope she's still doing well, and has a successful hunt.

[Bushcraft]

Are you headed back over this weekend?

[stickbuck]

Are you headed back over this weekend?

Yes. We are hoping to leave home today no later than 1pm and be in the canyon glassing by 3pm.


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[buglebuster]

Wow that is scary! Thank god shes ok

[jagermiester]

So glad that this turned out good!

I tell my kids all the time that we are most alive when we are on the edge of the mountain.

[Bushcraft]

Are you headed back over this weekend?

Yes. We are hoping to leave home today no later than 1pm and be in the canyon glassing by 3pm.

I'm on the fence about going over since my buddies can't break free this weekend. I might just go to see what's left on the mountain and lend a helping hand. Did you connect with Joe?

[stickbuck]

Are you headed back over this weekend?

Yes. We are hoping to leave home today no later than 1pm and be in the canyon glassing by 3pm.

I'm on the fence about going over since my buddies can't break free this weekend. I might just go to see what's left on the mountain and lend a helping hand. Did you connect with Joe?

Sounds good! Really interested to see what the big change in weather does to the sheep activity and movement. Talked to Joe on Tuesday and he is planning on coming down to help on Saturday. With his knowledge and experience, we can’t turn down that kind of offer that’s for sure.


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[Bushcraft]

Are you headed back over this weekend?

Yes. We are hoping to leave home today no later than 1pm and be in the canyon glassing by 3pm.

I'm on the fence about going over since my buddies can't break free this weekend. I might just go to see what's left on the mountain and lend a helping hand. Did you connect with Joe?

Sounds good! Really interested to see what the big change in weather does to the sheep activity and movement. Talked to Joe on Tuesday and he is planning on coming down to help on Saturday. With his knowledge and experience, we can’t turn down that kind of offer that’s for sure.


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Awesome! Maybe I'll see you over there and help get that kiddo her ram. 

[clayslayer85]

very scary glad she's ok!  my son drew the selah butte south tag this year, he's almost 13 and has been hunting with me all over sense he was old enough to walk but ,up on those cliff and bluffs that was all that was going through my mind.one wrong step and it can go bad real quick. good luck out there !! hopefully the adult tag holders in that area are tagged out by now.i know in our area 5 were taken on opening day than one on Wednesday of that week so we had the whole thing to our self he was able to get it done that friday and it was a great experience we will never forget!

[Bushcraft]

very scary glad she's ok!  my son drew the selah butte south tag this year, he's almost 13 and has been hunting with me all over sense he was old enough to walk but ,up on those cliff and bluffs that was all that was going through my mind.one wrong step and it can go bad real quick. good luck out there !! hopefully the adult tag holders in that area are tagged out by now.i know in our area 5 were taken on opening day than one on Wednesday of that week so we had the whole thing to our self he was able to get it done that friday and it was a great experience we will never forget!

I think it's down to just me and the OP's kiddo in the North unit.  I opted to do High Buck and avoid the 1st Annual Yakima Canyon Footrace.   

Hopefully that young lady will take a good one tomorrow and won't have a scary experience the second time around.  You go girl!

[Karl Blanchard]

very scary glad she's ok!  my son drew the selah butte south tag this year, he's almost 13 and has been hunting with me all over sense he was old enough to walk but ,up on those cliff and bluffs that was all that was going through my mind.one wrong step and it can go bad real quick. good luck out there !! hopefully the adult tag holders in that area are tagged out by now.i know in our area 5 were taken on opening day than one on Wednesday of that week so we had the whole thing to our self he was able to get it done that friday and it was a great experience we will never forget!

congrats to you and your son. That feeling will never go away. My little brother is 30. He is one of the fittest Army Rangers in Ranger Regiment and hands down the most capable and confident, most highly and technically trained woodsman I've ever known and I still find myself saying things like "dont get too close to that ledge", or "be careful those rocks are loose.".......as I slip, slide and hobble behind him with a broken foot and bad knee   concern for those we love will never go away or lighten.