Any accidents while hunting or fishing ?

I've heard some good ones over the years just like to hear some from other unlucky outdoorsmen.
Even if they are stupid ...we promise not to laugh too hard!
 
I buried that treble hook lure in my leg this spring landing a frisky small Striper cost my a trip to the emergency room for removal.
 
Guy I met on a job claims he shot himself with a holstered pistol and didn't realize it tell he felt his pants wet from blood. Said he was bent over walking through thick brush while hunting and it must have went off. ...ouch !
 

I have been pretty lucky besides typical falls from slick ground when hunting or fishing,I only had one injury. When I was a teenager, I stepped on a 40 bottle night fishing the Allegheny at lock 4 while wearing flip flops. Was lucky to just get a few stitches.

Have seen a few that were pretty funny in which people didn't get too busted up. Watched a guy walking upstream walk over the ledge at the Manchester hole in the mid 90s. For a second only sign of him was his hat floating.

Had a couple moron buddies who thought it was a good idea to take a blow up raft 1st day of trout to Stevenson dam in Sinnamahoning. It didn't take 15 minutes before they snagged it and it's was deflated, luckly not too far from shore.

And had a friend make a mistake of getting into a tree stand that seen better days on a deer drive. He got the whole way up before it crashed down. Broke his ribs. Was lucky he wasn't alone.

I was wading a small stream for trout on a late spring afternoon. Spotting three trout rising under an overhanging limb, I sat down on the bank to try to detect what they were so steadily feeding on since there was no aquatic insect activity.

It didn’t take long to discover that a colony of ants was ruythe tree limbs and the trout were taking the opportunity to gobble all the unfortunate ones that fell from the tree into the water.

I tied on a #18 fur ant, doused it with floatant, and entered the shallow pool via the riffle at the tail. The water was about knee deep throughout the entire pool.

The trout were in fairly established feeding lanes, so the plan was to take the most downstream one first, which was positioned well below the tree limb, and the progressively move forward to the one right below the rear most limb. Finally, if all went well, I would try to raise the front fish, which was well under the overhang.

A decent cast fooled the downstream fish and I was able to guide it toward me without spooking the others.

Once it was released, I took a few steps upstream to go for the next fish. The cast was a wee bit to long and as the loop opened, the fly caught on a leaf of the limb. I figured I would mess this up now, but gave it the old tighten up and pluck the line trick to free the fly. It worked, sort of — the fly popped free, but in doing so, it shook the limb pretty hard.

I expected this to scatter the trout, but luckily, it did just the opposite. The shaking limb dumped more ants into the water and the remaining fish feed all the harder. In fact, the trout that was next in line actually move down and out from under the limb that I had gotten caught on.

Thinking about the too long cast, I of course threw this one short, landing the any darn near the trout’s tail. But the fish was so worked up over the falling ants that it swirled around and ate the fly without hesitation. Since it was coming my direction anyway, it was easy to keep it from spooking the front fish.

After releasing it and dressing the fly again, I started to wade forward in order to improve my angle for getting the cast under the limb and a foot ahead of the still rising fish.

After about four steps, it happened. The bottom of the stream gave way and instead of being up to my knees, I was in to my waist in an instant. And I was stuck, but slowly sinking.

The pool hadn’t gotten any deeper, the bottom actually caved in and was swallowing me up. I was alone, so there was no one to help pull me out.

When the water started over my wading belt, I knew I needed to do something or I was going to get sucked in and drowned.

I tossed my rod up on the bank, to save it, but probably unconsciously to mark the spot they should search for the body when I didn’t arrive home when expected.

I couldn’t pull my legs out of the hole by lifting them. So, I cinched my wading belt tighter, knowing water was going to enter the top of the waders when I tried what I saw as a last resort effort to free myself.

Taking a deep breath because I didn’t know if my head were going under due to not being able to see the creek bottom from stirring up the mud in my attempts get get free, I plunged my hands into the water in search of hard bottom.

Well, I found the bottom, but it wasn’t exactly hard, but more of what my feet and legs were lodged in. I had to do something, so I pushed down with my arms, using my forearms as leverage, while trying to pull my legs out at the same time.

As my arms sunk into the mud, one foot pulled free and I was able to get a knee up on some solider, but not solid bottom. With my arms now fairly buried, but a free leg, I used my knee to try to straighten up. This popped my other leg loose from the mud and I was able to get that knee up on the spongy bottom where the other one was starting to sink.

I figured I didn’t have long until my knees were in the same predicament as my legs had been and that would be worse because my head was now much closer to the water.

Thrusting up on my knees, I was able to free one arm and in a lunge toward the bank, was able to use it to grab an exposed root. With root as an anchor, I was able to pull the other arm free. Grabbing the root with both hands, and hoping it didn’t rip free from the bank, I was able to crawl my knees out of the muck and get to a rock near the bank.

Sitting there covered in stinking mud, sweat, and with water in the top of my waders down to the wading belt, I rested from what felt like quite the wrestling match, while trying to figure out what in the Sam Hill just happened.

The only thing I could figure was that the stream bottom was undermined by something, perhaps muskrats, and my weight caved it in. Whatever the reason, I was fortunate to get out of it.

Luckily I had on chest waders (in knee deep water) and a wading belt. If I had on hip waders, waist-high waders, or no belt, the story would have ended very differently.

After I gathered myself up and went to leave, the upstream trout was still sipping ants, completely unaware of what happened 30 feet downstream.

That was almost 35 years ago and I have never been back.

Shenango...About 12 years ago...16' shallow draft - flat bottom Mirrocraft...Inexperienced captain.
 
My buddy and I out in his first "new" boat early season crappie fishing.  Mid April. After launching the boat at the campground area launch we tooled around between the Rt. 18 bridge and the train tressle.  All good. caught a few by the train tressle.  Sunny day - a little wind - nothing too gnarly. Waved at Chauncy who probably had a half limit. Went under the train tressle and stayed on the south side of the lake.  Not having much luck, I suggested we scoot on up back under Rt. 18 and head towards "the island".  We'll hit some of the sunken trees in that area.
 
By this time the wind had picked up quite a bit.  We were tooling along at a good clip heading west to east with the wind.  No big deal - boat is working out fine in the waves - with the wind.  We make it to the island and we are sheltered from the wind for the most part. Between the island and shore.  But not having much luck. And by now its getting late in the day.
 
Being sheltered from the wind on the south side of the island we had no idea - (and weren't paying enough attention) the lake was about to whitecap.
 
He guns it around the east side of the island to head back west - Dude - now we're in it. Capping over the side - and front. I'm yelling "keep it on half plane"! Which he did - until we took a 3 footer over the side. Then immediately backs off of the throttle. By this time we're in the middle of the lake.  And its all 3-4 footers. I'm like "gun it"!
 
Well, we had so much water in the boat that "gunning it" wasn't going to get us on half plane to keep the nose up. Panic sets in. Riding the trough to the best of our ability...motor starts cutting out.  And we make it to about 50 yards from the north side of the shore with a foot of water in the boat - she is sinking.  30 yards to go - We're both soaked to the bone.  Engine dies.  I "abandon ship".  Much to my surprise - I'm in about 3 feet of water.  I grab the front of the boat and start pulling us to a small cove around the small point that is there.  Pooped...I get us around and out of the wind.  He's just sitting there - wet - at the controls - full panic mode - white faced - shivering - in shock - this is for real.  Boat is completely swamped now.  I'm like "get your **** up and in the water so the whole boat doesn't sink"!  We're both soaked anyway get your arse out and help me pull her to shore.
 
Now - instinct kicked in - being in the water was actually warmer than being up and on the bank.  Both phones - dead. Luckily he had rain gear in one of his front hatches - which I told him to put on immediately.  Grabbed his keys to the truck & trailer and said "Stay out of the wind".  Now I'm headed to E Lake Road - fast as I can.  (You all know where the old "hippy" campground used to be).  I make it to the road - and luckily an old couple was headed my direction and picked me up.  I told them what had happened and how my buddy was still down by the lake.  Bless their hearts - they had a blanket that I wrapped around myself - I remember I was apologizing for getting their back seat wet.
 
We make it to the ranger station at the campground - and luckily - someone was there - Who in turn called a Corps of Engineers guy down at the dam to come and help us out.  By this time - I was warmed up a bit - but I was worried about my buddy.
 
Luckily - he listened - and stayed out of the wind.  By the time we (me and the COE guy) got back to him - he still had his rain gear on and was shivering - but warm enough as not to be past the point of hypothermia that we needed an ambulance.  He checked us out and we all determined that we would be ok.  He did a thorough check of the boat to look for alcohol.  And he should have.  Of witch we had none.  But he said "I'm still going to have to file a report".  We were both Ok with that.  Even though we didn't sink it.
 
We ended up - thanks to the COE guy - unlocking the gate and we were able to get the truck and trailer down to the water and winch the boat out.  Without getting stuck.
 
I still wish to this day I would have got his (COE guy) name.  Good guy - wasn't ****ed at us - and glad we were ok.  I would like to thank him one day.
 
Things could have ended A LOT worse.  I have never written this story until now.  The "un-edited" version will be in my book.  My life story.  Which I have started - and hopefully will finish - if that's possible.  For my family and friends to read at my "life celebration" party.  Which will include some "other" Shenango stories...haha...Love that lake...
 
BZ

How about some stupid things we all have seen or done outdoors. (bloopers )
 
We drove about 50 miles up to Sugar Creek one Trout opener , opened the trunk up and everything but my rod and reel was there ! Laid it up against the house before we left and forgot it....SOAB ! Did have a short kids rod in the truck with about 10 ft. of line on ...it half worked....I caught 2 fish......LOL
 
A lucky fisherman walked down the river to talk and show off a real nice Palomino Trout he had caught earlier upstream. He had it on a chain snap style stringer attached to his belt swimming in the water. As we are talking I notice the fish is detached and swimming away slowly. I yell there goes your fish ! He almost dove into the water trying his best to regrab that beauty ...I mean he was soaked !...lol  I said that was a nice trout, he said yep ...was ! 
 
Those old chain stringers were noted for unsnapping !