marksman1941
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- May 20, 2013
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In the book "the grasshopper trap", the story is called "mean tents".
What’s your spookiest hunting experience?
- Thread starter marksman1941
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Two years ago I got run over by another boat after dark while duck hunting. I had my lights on and did all I could to get out of his way. Turned out he had a fellow sitting in the front seat but turned around backward. So no one could see straight ahead. The front of his boat hit my motor, jumped up and hit me in the side of the head. It knocked me out of the boat and into the water. Probably a good thing because my motor, seat, and left gunnel had prop marks on them where their boat had gone over mine. It was 28 degrees, the water was over 10ft deep with swift current. Thank goodness I had my wader belt pulled tight and had my jacket tight over my waders. Even so the waders were still filling up with water. But they did have some air pockets trapped that helped me keep my head above the surface. When I popped up I was looking for a log or limb downstream that I could grab because I knew I was at the mercy of the current. As luck would have it, my motor had stayed in gear and at idle. It circled 3 times before it got close enough for me to grab the side and hang on. Finally the guys that ran me over drove back around and used their boat to push me and my boat to the bank where I crawled out. My lab was licking me in the face when I came out of the water. Fortunately all I had was a mild concussion. I'll have to say it spooked me pretty good. Thankfully I seem to have the ability to stay calm in situations like this and not panic.
In another duck hunting story. I was sitting in my boat before daylight after I put my decoys out. A seriously overloaded boat came into the straightaway I was on. 3 adults, 1 dog, and a bunch of gear in a tiny johnboat. All of a sudden it disappeared as the boat hit a small stump and tipped. I ran my boat to them immediately. They all had waders full of water and could barely stay up. To say I loaded them like dogs would be an understatement. I just reached down and grabbed them by the jacket collar and seats of their waders and hauled them over the side. They were extremely lucky. They lost a lot of gear but nobody got hurt.
I will say that after all of this I generally wear a float coat when I'm in the boat duck hunting. Especially when running to and from the blind.
In another duck hunting story. I was sitting in my boat before daylight after I put my decoys out. A seriously overloaded boat came into the straightaway I was on. 3 adults, 1 dog, and a bunch of gear in a tiny johnboat. All of a sudden it disappeared as the boat hit a small stump and tipped. I ran my boat to them immediately. They all had waders full of water and could barely stay up. To say I loaded them like dogs would be an understatement. I just reached down and grabbed them by the jacket collar and seats of their waders and hauled them over the side. They were extremely lucky. They lost a lot of gear but nobody got hurt.
I will say that after all of this I generally wear a float coat when I'm in the boat duck hunting. Especially when running to and from the blind.
There is always a reason to be uncomfortable, yes even scared of the dark. Lights illuminate what is in front of you but danger lurks in what is following you unknown and unseen. Humans are not naturally creatures of the night. Even with night vision we are looking forward, not behind. Ambush from behind is a reality. If you have ever been in combat you know what I mean.
The number of jet skiers I've almost run over in a bass boat because they were not paying attention (and I was) is the reason I won't go fishing on a major weekend anymore. If it's a weekend, I'm usually off the water before they get to the lake too. Having that happen can turn a good day fishing into a nightmare real quick.
The most scared I ever was deployed was going back on patrol after a month of fixed site security. Took me an hour that night to get my nerves back in check.
It didn't help that the IEDs were taking out Bradleys. Commands grand idea was to send us out in gun trucks running white lights to draw fire (we were successful) and the Bradleys would come to support us (they never made it in time). No idea if it had a name but we called it Operation Slow Moving Target. On the positive side, manning the M-2 with a thermal came in handy!
I personally am of the opinion that jet skis need to be outlawed or limited to certain areas. Training, certification, and an age limit should apply as well. I know I'll take a big hit for this statement but it's my opinion anyway. Too many parents just turn their kids loose on them. Even when the actual parent doesn't have experience and would be just as lost as the kids most times. They go way to fast and are very dangerous.
We had one growing up, but I'd been bass fishing for years before that. I still had fun, but made sure I thought about everything else on the water besides me.
We grew up a bit faster back then than kids do today. Courtesy on the water was more common back then also. I was driving tractors as soon as I could stand up and mash the clutch. Was driving boats and stick shift vehicles at 6. I see so many kids hurt or killed on jet skis, go karts, motorcycles, atv's and utv's. We lost two girls in my community two weeks ago when they lost control of their atv and hit a tree. Both killed instantly. Sad
jamie eaton
Well-Known Member
We are getting side tracked . But you are all correct , sometimes people are so stupid its spooky !
memtb
Well-Known Member
I know that my decision of "near dark" travel may not be welcomed by most…..but here it is.
Unless it's very dark, I prefer to "NOT" use a light. I like my eyes to adjust to the darkness, which in my mind, allows me to see objects better if they are not illuminated by the headlamp. That said, I've always been blessed with pretty good night vision .
If for whatever reason the headlamp quits, or taken off of your head…..you are momentarily totally blind! I prefer to "not" be totally blind…..if even for a few moments while my eyes adjust! Those moments of "totally blind" can be a very uncomfortable few moments!
Your mileage may vary!
memtb
memtb
Well-Known Member
I failed to add, without the light and your eyes being adjusted to lowlight conditions …..your peripheral vision is much better.
You can't have the light pointed in every direction at one time! memtb
You can't have the light pointed in every direction at one time!
memtb
Welcome friends. Come on in and we'll discuss dinner!The closest I've been to a bear was about 8 to 10 feet. Close enough that I could hear her breathing!
I was armed…..in fact, I was handgun hunting. I never felt fear…..only pure unmitigated disappointment. It may have been a lot different though, had it been a large grizzly instead of a young Black Bear!
I had a small conifer between us, and I could only see her through small openings between the limbs…..I couldn't get a shot off through that d@^d tree. She smelled me and took off.
I went into the timber after her, doing my best "ninja" impersonation, I was able to get within about 20 yards from her as she had her back to me while tearing into a rotted log!
Pretty easy shot from my S&W 629…..using my cast bullets.
Well there is some truth in that theory. If you only use ambient light at night you will see everything in shades of black and white. There are two instances where this will not work. A dark, cloudy moonless night where there essentially is no ambient light, especially if you are in the woods where tree cover blocks what little light there may be. It can get like being deep in a cave without any light. You can't see your hand in front of your face, much less anything else. The second incident is where you have acclimated to minimum lighting and are able to make your way along without any artificial light. Then someone hears you coming and turns a flashlight in your direction. Not only does it ruin your night vision, but it momentarily blinds you. The same thing happens when out in the woods, or anywhere else for that matter while wearing night vision goggles. All someone has to do to temporarily blind you is shine a flashlight in your direction. I will however freely admit that I am not all that familiar with the latest and greatest night vision goggles and i have heard that they handle light flares much quicker, but there is still that fraction of a second where you might not be able to see clearly. Anyone out there with experience with modern night vision equipment care to comment. No before you ask, we are not talking about night vision rifle scopes.I know that my decision of "near dark" travel may not be welcomed by most…..but here it is.
Unless it's very dark, I prefer to "NOT" use a light. I like my eyes to adjust to the darkness, which in my mind, allows me to see objects better if they are not illuminated by the headlamp. That said, I've always been blessed with pretty good night vision .
If for whatever reason the headlamp quits, or taken off of your head…..you are momentarily totally blind! I prefer to "not" be totally blind…..if even for a few moments while my eyes adjust! Those moments of "totally blind" can be a very uncomfortable few moments!
Your mileage may vary!
memtb
Well-Known Member
Teri Anne, I guess that I was thinking of lights when traveling while hunting.
But, you are absolutely correct about temporary blindness from someone shining light in your eyes.
If the bears or cats start using lights……I'll be in "deep doo doo"!
Maybe literally! 
memtb
But, you are absolutely correct about temporary blindness from someone shining light in your eyes.
If the bears or cats start using lights……I'll be in "deep doo doo"!
Maybe literally! memtb
