Dumbest thing you ever did afield?

[Alpinegus]

5 years ago, i had one of the best and most exciting elk hunts of my life. I was litterally face to face with a 5x5 rosie for 10 min, each of us screaming, racking trees, etc. I was in a vine maple jungle and could not get off a bow shot for the life of me. Finally he presented a shot. I shot true right behind the shoulder and then after the shot......my brain malfunctioned......i for what ever reason threw my bow in the air (about 10 feet straight up) and proceeded to give the touchdown sign with my arms. My bow came down in from of me and broke off my stabolizer and my sight. I got the bull and a broken bow. 

  Broken Arrow ... Maybe your name should be Broken Bow?    
Glad you got your elk.

[pendoreilleadventures]

When I was 19 I went for a morning tree stand hunt during late bow season. I sat for a few hours but was sick and had a cough so i called it quits. Prior to  loading the tree stand into my car, I put My brand new Matthews on top of my car .  Well I can tell you this Matthews survived the 55MPH on the Hwy bound test.   I took it to my local shop to have it looked at and all they had to do was file down the cams and I still hunt with it today 287 FPS.

[Kowsrule30]

I scouted this huge BT buck for 3 years.... A perfect 4x with eyegauds...  I even passed up decent MD and Benchlegs in hope of coming back after him during late season... Finally the arrives where everything came together perfect... I sitting in the pouring rain on an edge of a 5 year cut... Here come the deer.... Raining so hard and gloomy hard to see antlers in binoc's ... Three doe cross 100 yards out... Next my buck!!!! Get the gun ready and am waiting for a clear shot..... About 5 minutes roll by that seemed like 5 hours... Then a doe, and another.... About a minute later my buck a little lower.... Can barely see the antler tips... But a hole in the brush will give me a clear 125 yards shot in the boiler room... I take it he drops and hear him thrashing.... I get up and start to walk down hill toward him and up jumps my buck from 50 yards to the left.... But the BUCK I SHOT is still thrasshing in the brush!!!!!  Turns out somehow this decent 2x3 made it into the herd without me noticing.... The big buck stayed back about 50 yards....         

On a great note.... 2 years later I shot the big guy.... He no longer scored 145-150 but was aged @ 8 1/2 years... A main frame 3 point with eye gards and grew a bunch of trash down low.... Lost his 4ths along with tine lenght and mass...

[Kingpuck]

This was a great thread idea. Seems like everyone is liking it.

Have a strange feeling that after this upcoming season will have a few to add to this list.

Thanks for sharing everyone!

[JimmyHoffa]

Broken Arrow ... Maybe your name should be Broken Bow?    
Glad you got your elk.

Unless it refers to the military code....then maybe he has an even better story we haven't heard.

[Arteman]

Showed a co-worker a good Deer hunny hole, regret it every year since.

[Smithandsonstaxidermy]

I drank out of a mud puddle,there was no other option.

[fishingnut71]

drug a deer the wrong way! AWAY from the truck! The same as elk. TOO far from the truck and listening to so called good friends!

[TWG2A]

Great thread!!!  Many of posts are hilarious! Very entertaining to read.

Thanks for the chuckles!

I can't think of any "dumb" things I've done in the field, but I did have one experience that scared me pretty good....

I was at the top of a hill, awaiting the elk real early one morning.  I laid down on the ground to just rest a little and I fell asleep.

I awoke to the shaking ground and the sound of a herd of elk running very close to me.  As soon as I opened my eyes, all I could see were legs and hooves and. MASSIVE bodies hurling over me. They actually jumped right over the top of me.   Somehow, they managed to avoid trampling me.  Lucky me.

Maybe it was dumb falling asleep on a hunt.........

Either way, it happened over 30 years ago, but I remember it vividly.

[3nails]

In 2009 I was drawn for an any bull Nooksack tag. I went out the first day of the hunt into the high country where I had heard some bugles the day before. My 11 yr old son, my good hunting buddy and another friend from Texas who was also the pastor at our church were with me. It was clear and cold out. Right off the bat we got a response from a bugle. We quickly set up on the edge of a meadow with me out in front of the others about 50yds. My hunting buddy was cow calling when the bull stepped out of the woods about 250 yds out. I was on a knee with my bi-pod extended and ready to shoot. The bull continued towards and the calls. As he made his way across the meadow I could tell he was a mature bull but was only a 6x5. At about 8 yds he finally saw the steam from the cold air comming out of my mouth and jumped out to about 40yds. There, broadside, he stopped and stared at me. I sat motionless until he finally left. The rest of the group joined me and we had a great time discussing what had just happened. My son couldn't stop laughing at my buddy because he got so excited and was shaking so bad he couldn't even blow on the cow call after the bull was within a hundred yds. I passed up many bulls before I had to settle on a very heavy 5x5 several weeks later while I was alone. I consider not shooting that bull with my son and friends there the biggest hunting mistake I've ever made. I regret it very much. The thought of more antler inches got in the way of what I really desire from a hunt.

[bankwalker]

I shot at the biggest muley I've ever had within range (40yds) with my handgun and missed. Not so dumb really......until i tell you i had my 7mm wsm hanging off my shoulder. 

[rtspring]

Gave a gamie my rifle

[Killmore]

Gave a gamie my rifle

this is the best one so far.I"m pissed for you,any updates

[rtspring]

Nothing to update yet.

[buckhorn2]

Tried using my thumb as a sight on a wrist rocket can still feel the pain.