Dumbest thing you ever did afield?

[bwhntr350]

 Edited, to Sitka_Blacktail in the post below, yeah, you are right and I also appreciate the words.

 I guess I don't have much on this topic. I have a funny story to throw in here to replace my long winded not so dumb story.

 My Dad and I were tracking a lone bull on the OP back in the late '80's or 90. The bull had stepped into an underground yellow jacket nest. The bees were mad, lol. The nest was right next to an old windfall.

 After an hour or so just past there we lost the tracks and my Dad felt the need to backtrack. In doing so he headed right for this old log, lol. I kind of started to veer around the log and said "Watch for that bees nest". I guess he did not hear me and walked right into it, for the most part. He took of running and swatting at his head, haha. I was rolling!

 When he got away he started yelling at me for not telling him. I claimed that I did, lol. He is now 71 years old and does not hunt and he still brings that up and acts like he is still mad at me and still to this day, I claim that I warned him but he does not believe me. I am pretty sure that I did warn him

[Sitka_Blacktail]

bwhntr350, I don't think that qualifies as dumb. I admire a guy who sets his limits and sticks to them.

[deerhunter_98520]

I was about 13 and stayin with a buddy at his grandmas farm....we were walking the railroad tracks with our pellet guns shooting everything that we could see as kids do lol well we came up to a yellow jacket nest about 20" tall  and 12" wide....pretty good size...we threw a few rocks at it and nothing came out so we cut it down and took it home to show his grandma and grandpa...well we took it inside to show them and after about 15-20 min inside they started to get warm and wake up.....lets just say we were told to take it outside real fast   

[Angus]

The 1st day of the 1st year I ever carried a rifle during deer season (11 yrs old) I was hunting with my dad, uncles and family friends, maybe a dozen guys all together. Anyways, we were hunting up above Ashford in an area our group had taken alot of deer over the years. Opening morning we organized a drive through a very productive draw, my uncle set me up on a landing where the deer always seemed to escape by when pushed. My dad and a few other guys were the drivers while myself and my favorite uncle would be the shooters if the drive worked. My uncle was set up a couple hundred yards from me and we could see eachother.
 After a couple hours of sitting and not seeing anything I looked his way and he's pointing down the hill below me, he didn't seem to excited about it and I couldn't see anything so I didn't pay much attention. About 30 seconds later out of no where, there in front of me about 10 yds away is a nice 2 point buck standing broadside looking back down the hill where he came from. Had I been paying attention and/or had my gun ready (it was 2 feet behind me leaning against the log I was sitting on) I probably would of had an easy shot, but no, I wasn't prepared and I made a big lunge for the gun and as you would expect, spooked the buck. The buck turned and bolted right back down the draw the way he came, at which point I grabbed my .303 British and headed out in hot pursuit of my deer. According to my uncle the deer was pulling away at first but as I started down hill I picked up alot of speed and he said I was closing fast, I made it about 30-40 yards before tripping over something and going ass over tea-kettle and piling up against a tree, I had some bumps and bruises but was otherwise ok, until I got back up the hill and saw my uncle who had seen the whole thing and was laughing uncontrollably, at which point I knew I would never live it down, and I haven't. My uncle told that story every hunting season until he died.

[bankwalker]

Gave a gamie my rifle

That did end up being pretty dumb 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Edited, to Sitka_Blacktail in the post below, yeah, you are right and I also appreciate the words.

bwhntr350, What you did is one of the hardest lesson for a lot of hunters to learn. If you have an respect for your prey, you'll limit your shots to those that you are confident will give you a clean kill. There are enough natural conditions that can cause a bad shot that taking a questionable shot just because it's a large animal shouldn't be part of the equation.  There might be a branch you didn't see, wind drift, a foggy scope, steep elevation, misjudged distance, the animal might take a step just as you let fly, another animal might step in front of your intended target, I've seen it all in 48 years of hunting. There are worse feelings than letting an animal go to hunt it another day; having it get away with a bad hit for one, or finding it after it's bloated up and starting to stink for another. 

It's been many years since I worried about killing an animal. I worry about making a clean kill.  If you think about it, it can make you a better more patient hunter.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

M first year hunting with my dad and uncles........10 ears old.........I wanted to be one of the guys. I wanted to be just like them. So when they were passing around the can of snoose, I told them I wanted to try it too. I finally made such a fuss that my uncle said, OK have at it. I took a big pinch and stuck it under my tongue. Didn't notice they they were putting it between their teeth and gums. Well my mouth started watering and I swallowed some juice, then started trying to heave, then I gulped most of the snoose down my gullet. Then I lost it. Have never felt so nauseous in my life. That experience cured me on the spot and I never had any desire for tobacco products again in my life.

That same week-end,  I also learned some new colorful words and sayings. I had no idea what they meant, but I was anxious to show them off. Unfortunately for me and then my dad, I chose to show them off to my mom when we got home. Mom asked me how the day went and I proceeded to tell her using every term I'd learned that day. Those blankety blank blankers snuck away up the blankety blank canyon and blanked us. Never saw my mom move so fast as she smacked me upside the head and then went totally bonkers as she ran out to find my dad, who got it worse than I did. He didn't know what hit him.  Later when we had some time alone he gave me what is basically the Vegas advice. "Son, what happens in hunting camp, stays in hunting camp."

[bwhntr350]

Edited, to Sitka_Blacktail in the post below, yeah, you are right and I also appreciate the words.

bwhntr350, What you did is one of the hardest lesson for a lot of hunters to learn. If you have an respect for your prey, you'll limit your shots to those that you are confident will give you a clean kill. There are enough natural conditions that can cause a bad shot that taking a questionable shot just because it's a large animal shouldn't be part of the equation.  There might be a branch you didn't see, wind drift, a foggy scope, steep elevation, misjudged distance, the animal might take a step just as you let fly, another animal might step in front of your intended target, I've seen it all in 48 years of hunting. There are worse feelings than letting an animal go to hunt it another day; having it get away with a bad hit for one, or finding it after it's bloated up and starting to stink for another. 

It's been many years since I worried about killing an animal. I worry about making a clean kill.  If you think about it, it can make you a better more patient hunter.

@ Sitka_Blacktail,

 I agree 100% with all that you said

[autodink13]

Last year i was helping my brother on a cow elk tag during the rut. I almost always carry my point and shoot cam on my waist belt for easy access. This particular day i had it in my toppouch. Anyways, we stalked up on a heard of elk trying to get within shooting range and busted them. The cows ended up separating from the bull and the bull wasnt happy! He was screaming and popped into view about 50 yards away. We froze and this huge bull(7 by 8 he had about a 20 inch drop tine on one side and the other side had a 20 inch dropper which slit into 2) walked to about 12 yards from us and stopped. He was spraying his special perfume all over  and glunking.  This entire time im just beating myself up for not having my cam where i normally pack it.

After the bull started walking away i took my pack off and dug my cam out but couldnt get good footage of the bull. This situation probably wasnt the dumbest thing ive done infield but it sure sticks out in my mind.

[CplRaines]

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

Did kinda the same thing.
Had an apprentice that was a few years older than me, wanted to learn to hunt.
Took him out for a few years, got him his first deer, etc. Showed him one of my favorite honey holes.
I can no longer hunt there. He took his kids and coworkers after he moved on. They in turn take their friends. The place is a frickin zoo now during the season. 

[MikeWalking]

Does simply coming back home count??

[Kingpuck]

Sadly I got a couple of good ones from last Friday. This isn't hunting related but is about the opening day of lowland lakes fishing season.

Got the boat into the water, got everyone else setup and fishing, and then put my stuff in the water, went to crank the reel and there was no crank on the reel! Of course a fish hit and I had to reel in by flicking the reel with my hand.

Shortly after this we went to pickup my brother in law and nephew. Sheriff was giving away tickets for not enough lifejackets. Luckily we were good there.

We got back to fishing and nearly had a full stringer. Then we hear a "whoops", brother dropped about 13 trout into the lake on the stringer. We thought this was a good point for breakfast, pull into have a bite, and after we go to push off, ripped my jeans right up the butt.

Cruising around the lake all the sudden we come to an immediate stop and we lurch to one side. WE RAN AGROUND ON ON A LOG STICKING UP OUT OF THE WATER! Had to be pulled off only after snapping a rope.

Craziest day of fishing in my life!

[MikeWalking]

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

Dad made me a great one from the perfect branch when I was little.

I don't know if I did the same, can't say I didn't...

[Kowsrule30]

Was glassing a herd of 8 elk.... Knew there was a spike in the herd but they were moving around too much to tell at 200 + yards.... Saw a "bigger bull" in the herd so I didn't pay much attention to it.... Tried to spy the spike we glassed in the spotting scope @ 1000 yards away..... They all crossed single file 60-75 yards away..... No spike..... Until the "bigger bull" comes out last and walks dead away..... Yep.... 3 1/2' spikes with coke can bases..... Plain as day..... Walked right by me because I thought he was a branched bull in the beginning.....     My Dad was @ 1/4 mile down ridge and did almost the same exact thing..... Never got a shot as well...    

[turbo]

Pulled the trigger on a very nice spike Elk from 75 yards and forgot to load the chamber. Click = gone... F!!