Near Misses - Sharing Invaluable Life Experiences

[dragginwood]

I was just listening to Rinella's recent podcast with John Nores and he was talking about using their misfortune / near death experiences while combating the cartel as teachable moments for new recruits in attempt to help prevent future re-occurrence with other teams.

At the risk of seeming morbid; Curious what short stories of near death experiences or otherwise can be shared and maybe help someone else prevent the same misfortune? Or perhaps provide some insight into how you addressed your situation to prevent it from escalating beyond recovery.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

First night of a five night trip, basically shook hands with a grizz. I walked up on him to fill up water and mindlessly left my spray at my tent. He was close enough that I could smell him and hear his clicking teeth. I kept talking to him and stood as tall as I could. He eventually wandered off. Still to this day rattles me.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I've had a couple of times crossing streams with heavy packs that were two swift and deep that could have gone sideways in a hurry. Similarly crossing snow fields without crampons, and steep exposed talus. Had a couple close calls with avalanches.

I'm a lot more cautious about routing choosing now especially when taking others with less experience, proper equipment is important and knowing that the hardest/bravest thing is sometimes convincing the group to bail on a plan.

From the ski world rather than hunting, but I think the ideas are applicable to anything we do in the backcountry winter or summer.
https://freeskier.com/stories/will-say-no-seth-morrison-manages-risk-backcountry

 

[rwc101]

Went pheasant hunting with some knuckleheads who just needed one last bird as we were headed in for the day. They scrambled for their guns (which they apparently left loaded) while we were riding back in the bed of the truck and fired 4 shots past my head trying to hit a rooster running along the road.

Leaving guys like that at home goes a long way to returning in one piece.

 

[Oak]

The following excerpt is from a longer post of mine from years ago. This occurred 10 miles into the day one hike of what turned out to be a 14-day backpack dall sheep hunt in the Chugach Mountains.

We had to make a river crossing before our ascent up to our destination valley. There was a ford about a mile upstream of where we wanted to cross, but we decided to forgo the extra hiking and make a ford of our own. In hindsight, this was a mistake. We had Wiggy's waders, which I've come to decide are crap unless you're crossing a 10-foot wide creek. Doug started across the river while I put my waders on. When I was cinching the waders to my belt with the straps on the waders tops, I pulled one of the straps off. So I had to hold one wader up while I crossed. The river was deeper and more swift than we anticipated, and once we got out into it, we had to angle upstream to keep the water below the wader tops. Doug is 9" taller than me, which made it a little easier for him. Somewhere in the middle of the river, I cut a hole in the toe of my good wader. The water was so swift it was piling up on my upstream leg and began flowing over the top of the other wader. I ended up having to wade about 40 yards upstream to get across. Halfway there my legs began cramping up (it was work to fight against that current!). I finally made it, but was exhausted and had two soggy boots.

It doesn't look so bad, does it?

 

[RockinU]

I've had a couple of sketchy water crossings with too much weight on my back as well, one already this year. I've also made some unprotected climbs that were pretty stupid. I'm trying to do better.

 

[----]

I have not had any significant close calls, but as I age I realize how lucky I am to avoid those precarious spots, and that chances are at some point something bad will happen while I'm in the woods. I spend a lot of time in the cold each year by myself, and I've taken to reading "To Build a Fire" by Jack London every year or so. It's a good reminder to have the mindset of what you need to do to survive in winter if needed.

As outlined above, creek/log crossings are a huge risk that I think often gets overlooked. In June I was with a group of hunttalkers five miles back in a wilderness area. One of us slipped on a sketchy log bridge and almost ate it in a big way. Luckily he's one stone-colded mother effer and we were able to get a good laugh and some incriminating photos out of the ordeal, but in hindsight it could have turned bad quickly.

 

[ignorethefringes]

Man, mine is significantly less interesting that some of these. I was about to go on a leisurely hike with some friends when stepped off to the side to pee in a river. I got too close and went to turn around after finishing my business the steep bank gave out. I barely saved myself from falling in and getting swept away by grabbing a low overhanging branch. My back was inches above the water with my feet barely on the bank. I had swing/hand over hand my way back to bank and all the while my friends were oblivious.

I probably would have been able swim to the side, but it would have been unpleasant to say the least. Especially since I hadn't fully finished doing up my pants.

 

[Rzrbck918]

I have had a couple experiences duck hunting that were foolish. I have stepped in beaver runs tipping my waders on two occasions and I went through the ice in waders once after a dog. Its nauseating to think what might have been. I got wet in NM two years ago in 10 degree weather that would have truly been dangerous without a dry warm place to return.

Hopefully age is bringing some wisdom and perspective.

 

[kansasdad]

We were at a backyard swimming pool/barbeque lazy Saturday afternoon with friends, with multiple kids playing in the pool. My friend Tim looks over to see kansasson (age 4) at the bottom of the pool reaching up towards the surface, but unable to propel himself up to air/safety. Tim reached down, grabbing his arms and yanked him to safety. Spluttering and coughing a little bit, he turned around and jumped back into the pool, unaware of how close we came to a tragedy. He had been in the shallow end, but hit the sloped bottom of the pool and slid down the incline.

Later on, when we moved into a home with a backyard pool, you can bet your bottom dollar that extreme vigilance was paid by adults watching their kids. Drowning is a SILENT EVENT, nearly every time with little kids. Under they go, and no screams or splashing noises reach out of the water.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I have had a couple experiences duck hunting that were foolish. I have stepped in beaver runs tipping my waders on two occasions and I went through the ice in waders once after a dog. Its nauseating to think what might have been. I got wet in NM two years ago in 10 degree weather that would have truly been dangerous without a dry warm place to return.

Hopefully age is bringing some wisdom and perspective.

Feel you there, I dumped a canoe in -20. Luckily my buddy and I were wearing chest waders and were able to bail and grab the gunnels and neither of us got water in our waders. We were a good 90min/ 3-4 miles from a car.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Lots of dumb creek crossings, a few approaches haven't worked out to well in the unlimited areas. Probably the dumbest ones though I think about are some of the waterfowl hunts we've done over the years. We've hunted the river in temps all the way down to -25 plus. One wrong move or one hiccup and a guy would really be up shit creek with no paddle. I can't imagine how my friends dogs felt. Another time I took a lion when it was -28 once with my bow. That was a long day, again one wrong move and it could've gone south but worked out ok. Good thread, sure makes a guy think.

 

[npaden]

My closest calls have both had something to do with snow/ice, steep slopes and cliffs or drop offs. One of those scenarios in the dark on foot and one in a pickup pulling a trailer.

I used to do a pretty good job writing up my hunts, the description of the near miss starts toward the bottom of this post - https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/2014-wyoming-elk-hunt.261204/page-2#post-2404839

I thought I had written up my fun experience in the Gravellies coming close to sliding off a forest service road in my truck as well but wasn't able to find it.

 

[VikingsGuy]

2 close calls:

Snowshoeing into a ravine packed with snow. Must have been 15 feet deep. 10 miles from anywhere or anybody and no way to make contact. The snow had been really firm, but all of a sudden it broke away and I plunged 12 feet deep into pure powder below. I was wedged sideways and when ever I tried to move snow fell down on me from above. I was able to carefully take off both snowshoes and then push them into the walls of the hole and push may way up, and then take one out and push in a little higher, after a few cycles got back to the surface. Being smothered alive is not a good feeling. I am much more thoughtful about deep snow conditions now.

Racing across the middle of a large northern Ontario lake full throttle miles from anybody with a full boat 2 days after ice out. I was in a rental boat with tiller motor. I took my hand off the tiller handle for 1 second and the motor snapped around 90 degrees and swung the boat into a spiral and causing one side to dig into the water. I was able to grab the tiller and cut the throttle and the boat righted itself. I would guess I was inches away from flipping and in the 37 degree water my life expectancy would be measured in minutes. I am much more cautious with rental watercraft now.

 

[NEWHunter]

I set up in a relatively sparse fence line one time. Made the guys a couple hundred yards away on the other side aware of my presence. I turned my back and settled in. I was in head to toe blaze orange too.

A short time later a doe comes trotting by me on my side of the fence at about ten yards. She ducked into the woods at the end of the line and the guys next door decided they’d try and push her out. I watched my side as I thought they might push a buck over. Well the doe ran out on their side. I realized she ran out after I heard the bullet go “zip”.

I turned around to see that doe just out of a straight line between me and the shooter. Does a zip mean 10 inches or 10 yards - I don’t know. All I know is that it was way too close. Never heard that sound before and hope to never hear it again.

I screamed at them from my side of the fence - doubt they heard it. They understood it as they got in their red Chevy blazer and left. Can’t help stupid.

Got another I’ll post later involving a bear hunter even dumber than the last guy. I know, not quite backpack hunting, but stories that might have turned out ugly.

 

[NoWiser]

January, middle of the night, on a frozen lake in northern Minnesota 2 miles from shore I went down on an ATV. I was able to get back up on the ice but went down 2 more times. The last time I was so exhausted and waterlogged I could not get back up on the ice. Luckily it was very cold and my gloves froze to the ice as I was clinging to the edge trying to stay above water. It gave me just enough traction to pull myself up one last time. Hypothermia set in on the walk to the nearest occupied home on the lake and I could no longer walk without assistance and talking became very difficult. I never felt cold, though. I never went to the hospital but probably should have. I am much more diligent about wearing a floating suit with ice picks on me now, especially when I'm fishing in more remote areas. Had I had either one of them my situation would have been much less precarious.

 

[rtraverdavis]

I nearly ran myself, my wife, and our two close friends off a steep ravine while trying to scope out a trout stream while driving along the Caratera Austral in Chilean Patagonia at cruising speed in our rented truck. This was coming back after a few days of backpacking. If my wife hadn’t have screamed that would have been it. That sort of thing happened more than I care to admit in my younger years, but that one was by far the scariest.

 

[jake23]

I nearly ran myself, my wife, and our two close friends off a steep ravine while trying to scope out a trout stream while driving along the Caratera Austral in Chilean Patagonia at cruising speed in our rented truck. This was coming back after a few days of backpacking. If my wife hadn’t have screamed that would have been it. That sort of thing happened more than I care to admit in my younger years, but that one was by far the scariest.

Been in multiple cars with people who have come close to doing the same thing as you. Or who fell asleep while driving. I can’t get back in the car with them afterwards.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Been in multiple cars with people who have come close to doing the same thing as you. Or who fell asleep while driving. I can’t get back in the car with them afterwards.

Yeah man. Now I pull over to look at trout streams.

 

[NEWHunter]

Was with a group of guys training bear dogs. Our dogs got mixed up with another group’s dogs. Our group of three or four trucks were parked on one side of the gravel road and the other group and their four trucks were parked on the other side.

The other group radioed to one of their buddy’s to come get one of his dogs. In the mean time, a dozen guys or so and near a dozen dogs are milling around in the road. Some guys are exchanging dogs, others are trying to catch up a straggler or two, and others are standing around BSing. I was in a truck with my brother. My Dad and 12 year old brother were talking to a guy in front of our truck. About that time everybody looks up cause of a noise. That noise was the the roar of a pickup truck engine just over the crest of a rise about 60 yards up the road.

The pick up was driven by the guy coming to get his dog. Per the sheriff, he was doing at least 90 mph. Well, he locks up his brakes on a slight downhill on a gravel road - you can guess how well that went. Rather than do the right thing and catch a tree, this @sshole decides to try and keep it down the middle. I yelled at my dad and brother, grabbed my other brother, and braced for impact. The guy hits the first truck, then ours, and then two more after that. I look up can’t see my dad and brother and nearly puke.

I jumped out of the truck and my dad and brother are down in the ditch - they waited till the last second and jumped and were OK. At that point, I look at the truck and the guy they were talking to is laying in front of the truck with his lower leg shattered and flipped around so his toes are pointing at his rear end.

He end up surviving, but his leg was seriously messed up on a permanent basis. Only injury out of the whole thing. The @sshole’s pick up ended up in the ditch 50 yards down the road - about 100 yards too late. His front wheel was in the middle of the road. One of the trucks that got hit drove off and when they got on the highway a wheel fell off. They got pretty lucky. The whole thing should have been substantially worse.

Again, can’t help stupid.