DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?? (The bad luck thread)

[Lockdown]

I know I'm not the only one to have something ridiculous like this happen to me, so I want to hear your stories too

In 2009 I was still a SD resident but had moved back to MN. I bought and filled my MN non resident license, and headed back to a public piece near Sioux Falls that I frequented. I had a crazy evening hunt with a couple shooters but couldn't seal the deal. I headed back to the same stand the next morning. It was a GREAT rut stand located at the bottom of an extremely steep hill where an oxbow pushed into it. Perfect rut funnel and one of my all time favorite stands.

It was twilight Saturday morning (early November) and I heard leaves crunching. Unmistakably it was a deer headed my way. Buck. He was borderline but a nice 2.5, so I decided to take him since I wasn't in the area anymore. He came into my lane perfect at 12 yards... "meh... Meh... MEH!!" Even though it was dead calm he didn't stop. He passed right through my lane without even twitching an ear. He came to a small opening at 20+ and I centered my pin in the slightly blurry peep. I wasn't liking the blurriness at that distance but I felt I could make the shot. I squeezed the trigger. SMACK! That didn't sound good.

I thought I could see the arrow high in his shoulder blade as he bolted. I was mad at myself for shooting. I knew better. The frustration of him passing through my lane got the best of me. I gave him 4 hours and took up the track.

Luckily it had rained recently and I could follow his tracks in the hardwoods fairly easy. Every 20 yards or so I'd find blood and verified I was on the right track. Then he got into some low land and canary grass. No more hoof prints to follow. Soon after, no more blood either. I ended up searching for 5 or 6 hours, and told myself "One more big loop... if I don't find him, I'm heading home. I've done all I can do." After all I wasn't even sure the shot was lethal.

Halfway through my loop, I stopped and scanned with my binoculars. "Wait... what's that behind that log?! Looks like an antler!" I adjusted a little bit and looked again. "YEP!! MAIN BEAM, EAR, PART OF A WHITE BELLY AND A HIND LEG!!! THERE HE IS!!!!" I was absolutely ecstatic. To find him blindly well over 1/2 mile from where I shot him was super lucky.

As I approached something didn't look right. He looked all rigid with his legs standing strait out and parallel with the ground. When I was 10 yards away, my extreme adrenaline high came crashing down. It was a decoy. Someone stashed their decoy behind that log way back in the toolies so they didn't have to carry it in and out. Why the good Lord wanted to play that cruel joke on such a desperate hunter is beyond me.

THAT... is my bad luck story. Now lets hear yours!

[PK_]

That is pretty darn funny.

I have a lot but here is a short one.

I am standing in about hip deep water that gets about chest deep just in front of me. I am contemplating if I really want to continue and risk a gator encounter and water over my hip boots. I notice something large about the size of a decent sized gator head on the top of the water about 30 yards away head-waking fast coming right towards me. I am thinking this is the end, I always knew it would happen like this. I turn to 'run' (in hip deep water mind you) to get behind some trees to keep from being eaten to death by this monster gator and I start to trip. I never take my eyes off the gator but now my trip is turning into a fall. I am flailing my arms reaching for anything to help me from falling and becoming this gators lunch but there is nothing to grab onto. Just before gravity gains its victory over my verticality, I realize the gator head is an otter. So now I am full on cracking up as I plunge into the muck and water.

[HoosierG5]

This past weekend, I snuck in to an area I had scouted. Access was perfect-creek then drainage up to my tree. Well, there was a fallen tree crossing the tree...so I got my ninja sneak on. I got the whole way across that log except the two steps. I slipped, and ended up completely upside down in a backwards V in the dirt. My head and feet where touching earth with my but in the air and my bow in hand and lonewolf and sticks on my back. I laid there for a minute thinking I was probably paralyzed or impaled and couldn't feel it. When the blood starting rushing to my head I decided I should see about moving...so I rolled over and laid there for a bit. Thank goodness I stealth strip all of my gear! In the wet damp woods I barely made a peep...half gainer of sorts falling like a large obese acorn! I made my ascent up the tree minutes later. 2 hours later, I arrowed the half gainer buck. Unreal to me that I wasnt hurt horribly or had any success later. I have learned while falling to just lay down for a while and let things calm down...it happens quite a bit!!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[bowmike]

This weekend was the first day of PA archery. I hit the woods early in hopes of putting up my tree umbrella to stay dry. I made way way up to my spot, clipped my bookbag and bow on and made the climb up. I pulled up my bow and book bag and disconnected. I put my bow on my tree hook and went to grab my book bag and whoosh! she takes a header right off the climber. Back down I go. Get everything hooked back up and climb up again. Only this time when I pulled the rope I felt some thing heavy. I look down and my pull rope was wrapped around a big old log. REALLY!!!

I wasn't going to climb down again. I was already heated. SO I just decided I would hoist the big old log up too. I double checked the climber and the white oak held a good tight grip so up I hoisted my bow, my pack and my new friend loggy.

I got it all undone and the log dropped from about 20' up and made the nicest rukus you ever heard. I saw two little bucks, and decided I would get down and do a little scouting before going home.

Here is the log.



Not sure how much it weighed but it felt like I was hoisting up a button buck to my climber. LOL

[bowmike]

Here is another one. I wanted to hit up this cliff spot that really narrowed down deer travel. I made my way in super early and found my oak tree I was going to climb. I reached down to set my bow down and heard a rustle. I looked up and there was a porqupine about 8" from my hand. We scared each other and he rumbled along.

I got my climber on and climbed up the tree. I get up to the top and go to pull up my bow rope only to realize that I never connected it to my bow or my pack. Back down I go.

I get down connect my pack and make my way back up. I pull up my back but never clipped my bow on.

OK lets go fishing. I am hanging over my platform with my bow rope trying to hook the clip into the string. I actually managed to wedge it between the string and cam. I bring it up so nice and easy and grab my bow.

I say out loud "THERE IS NO WAY I AM GOING TO SEE A THING TONIGHT"

I look to my left and there is a small 5 point working towards me. LOL

Go figure.

[headgear]

Last season I saw my biggest buck ever on public land, time was not on my side as I needed maybe 2 extra minutes but ended up getting caught with my pants down on the ground. I hunted a bed in the morning and then made a quick move to look for cruisers and catch a moon time. The move took a little longer than I thought as I scouted a big on the way, as I am getting my stand set I look up and see a doe and a fawn, they caught a little movement but no big deal and kept on feeding. I figured I better get ready and slipped down to get my bow, I was a couple steps away when all heck broke loose and there are 4 does and fawns on top of me and I see a large rack behind them, instinct kicks in and I just lunge for my bow, as I clip the release everything stops. I slowly look up and have two fawns to my left at 30 yards, a doe right in front of me at 20, a doe to my right at 10 that I didn't even know was there for the first 5 minutes of the stair down and the buck at 35 but of course in the brush. 15-20 minutes of head bobs, stomping and slowly walking by me at very close range, thankfully the wind was in my favor. The does finally moved off and it was just me and mr buck but of course he hung back in the brush as he moved towards the does and never gave me a clear shot. Had he followed the does I might have at least had a chance at 20 yards. Had I had two extra minutes to grab my bow and get in the tree the does might not have locked up and he might have again followed them right by at 20. It was a crazy encounter, one I will never forget but man oh man I wish I had that extra time to get set.

He is my number one target this year, give him a couple of hunts early season but going to wait until prime time to get back after him.

[bowmike]

I went in on November 6th to set up on a stand I was hoping to harvest a doe in. I get to my parking spot on the powerline and see a turkey hunter getting ready to go into the woods. I ask him where he is going and he told me. I begged him to give me 15 minutes to get to my stand. He told me he would give me 10. I took off pretty much at a run to the ladder stand I had set up. I fly up the tree and get settled in. I was running late and it was shooting light. I go to sit down and hear all heck breaking loose from below me. I knew that a bunch of does were bedding below me. I get turned around just in time to see 6-7 of them go flying by me. I hear leaves crunching lagging behind and thought it was a buck but it was another doe.

MEH! I stop her and put a perfect double lung at 40 yards. I watch her crash. I get down and go to the deer. I walk up to her, say a prayer and start field dressing her. My dad just got me a new Kabar knife and it made gutting her easy. A little to easy as my knive slices really fast and sticks in my wrist. I am in shock and expect when I pull the knife out to see blood go spraying every where. It didn't and it looked like I just went in under the skin, but I cold see my vein pulsating.

I finished the deer got my jeep and drug the deer out by the trailer hitch. Called my dad and said "Well I got a deer, but I had an accident".."What happened now Mike".."Well you know where people slit their wrist, I kinda stabbed my self there with the new knife."

I was white as a ghost when my dad got there. I called my GF at the time, who is now my wife, now that I am calm.

"I got a deer"

"Nice baby, buck or doe?"

"A nice doe."

"That's awesome!"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure whats up?"

"Can you take me to the ER I stabbed my self in the wrist"


I credit all of these crazy bad luck, and trust me I have at least 50 more to the fact I shot an albino doe for my first deer. LOL I mean who else can list at least 5-6 car wrecks, near death treestand accidents, stabbings, countless goofy bad luck things. Oh well either way there still is some good luck mixed in. Just figured I would let you guys know that if you feel you have bad luck, just remember I am out there with the black cloud over my head. LOL

[kripp53]

A couple of years ago I walked to my stand with my jacket and hat off to keep me cool. When I got to the stand I put on my jacket and climbed in my stand. I knocked an arrow and patiently waited. I realized I didn't have my hat or gloves on, thinking I should put them on before I get cold, I set my bow (with a knocked arrow) in my lap. I reached into both jacket pockets to grab my gloves and hat. As I my hands were in my pockets my bow decided to roll off my lap and head for the ground. I quickly pulled my hands out and lunged forward to hug my bow. Luckily, I caught my bow. After a couple of seconds I look at my bow and see that the arrow is still knocked and in my whisker biscuit, but it was broke in half! I looked down to see where the other half of the arrow is (the pointy end!) and I see the arrow shaft sticking out of my left boot!

I inadvertently impaled my left foot with my arrow when I lunged after my bow. I pulled out the arrow staring at the blood trickling down the broadhead. Now I have a conundrum. Do I stay and hunt the rest of the night (it was during the rut) or head home before anything else happens? I decided to go home and a good thing too, by the time I got to the truck the adrenaline had worn off and I could barley put any weight on my foot.

Luckily there was no permanent damage to my foot besides a cool scar in the shape of a broadhead. From now on I always hang my bow before I do any adjustments or big movements.

[Wlog]

About ten years ago a friend of mine invited me out to his Dads cabin in West Virginia for a turkey hunt. We left on a Friday afternoon with plans on hunting early Saturday morning. It was about a 5-6 hour drive. Now my friend had been there before but his dad had only built this cabin within the last couple years and the area was still new to him also. Of course this was before we had a gps or a smartphone.

So we get about halfway there 3 hours into the trip. The directions written on a piece of scrap paper sitting on the dashboard. I roll down my window to spit and the directions go right out the window on the interstate. Now what! We end up driving around on back roads in West Virginia for half the night until my buddy see's something he recognizes.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Lockdown]

That is pretty darn funny.

PK I can laugh now but the anger sharks were swimming at the time! I felt sooooo cheated.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Lockdown]

When my buddy and I were around 16 or 17 we headed out duck hunting. Nothing was doing at our normal spots, so we went for a cruise to try and find some birds... And did we ever! We found a public slew that was full of ducks, and there were geese out there too.

We noticed a couple hunters on the south field edge, but nobody was out in the middle. We decided we'd get ambitious and drag the duck boat across several hundred yards of CRP the next morning. We got up extra early and broke ice on the slew once we got there.

Ducks and geese were piling out in the pre-dawn darkness. We threw out the decoys and absolutely melted our gun barrels that day. I think it took a box of shells each to get our limit. The ducks decoyed great... It was one of those days you dream about.

We were only a mile from a town of 600 people, and we figured we were the only ones dedicated enough to go through that much work to get these ducks.

We stashed the duck boat in the cattails (which you're not supposed to do) so we could hammer em again the next morning. We loaded up the truck as vehicles slowly rolled by. It was then we noticed a slight oversight that we had made.

Along with the green public signs, there were also some intermixed "state waterfowl refuge" signs! We were so fixed on the ducks that we only noticed the green and white signs, but not the yellow ones.

People saw us out in the middle of the slew in the boat, at the truck with
Ducks on the tailgate, the whole 9 yards. Needless to say I dropped the hammer and we got the heck out of there.

Dad was less than impressed when we told him the news. To make matters worse we still had to go get the duck boat. With Dad spearheading the operation and mom as the get away driver, she dropped us off and left while we drug the boat back at midnight in pitch darkness, then came and picked us up at the predetermined time.

If you're ever looking to slay some mallards, try a refuge in broad daylight. I still have no idea why nobody called the game warden.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Rubline]

On an outstate hunt in Wyoming we made the 30 mile trek from our hotel
to the forest. Perfect conditions in the morning gray light with fresh snow
on the ground and little wind. Upon gearing up my friend says the following:
"Oh crap, I forgot my gun back at the hotel" !

My other friend laughs and says how can you forget your gun when your on
a hunting trip. Anyhow, he (the forgetful one) drives back to town to get his gun.
I will say the fresh biscuits from Hardees hit the spot later on that morning...

[Crazinamatese]

Few seasons back I ended up filling my buck tag the later part of October. It was my first buck with a bow and nothing to write home about other than it was my first bow buck. I Decided I wanted to check out some public ground to fill my doe tag a week later. Kinda turned into a kick in the nuts when I had to pass up two shooter bucks that were cruising through. A hot doe was in the area for sure. One buck would have probably scored in the 130's. It was fun seeing them, but sucked I couldn't take a shot at any of them. Never did fill my doe tag that season.

[jarang1128]

So, i was just a few hours ago sitting at my desk, and i thought to myself, wait a second, my bow was not in my backseat this morning. I ran out to my truck, and sure enough, its not there. several vehicles were broken into in my neighborhood sunday night. I am normally very good about locking my truck, but i also have twin three year olds that will play with my fob on my keys given any chance.

Bowtech Guardian. RIP. its october 6 and i have no bow.

I am frozen shocked, i don't even know what to do. I haven't bought a bow in probably 7 years. had no reason to ever want to replace this bow. I've made police report and thats as far as i can even get.


this seems like as good a place to put that out there as any.

[headgear]

Yikes jar better get a replacement and start shooting asap. I got a pretty good deal on a bow in 2013 and got it Oct 10th, had buck down by the 25th that year.