Opening Day Deer hunting D-19

[mattp113]

###Opening day, I dreamed months of this day. It starts off by my jeep blowing a water pump, So I am still going with my new truck. ###We get to "The Spot" where i scouted numerous times and there must have been 15 people there! ###One camping group spent the night partying with music louder than a concert. ###I should have left, But we hike on into this canyon andsetup.wesat all day waiting but no signs. ###We decide to hump back up the hill, half way up my cousin slips and his Gun fires. It was a brand new gun he bought 1 week before, comes to find out his safety does not work. We finally make it back to the truck and where going to another spot for the late hunt. ###My truck got stuck, tried everything to get out, finally letting almost the air out of the tires we manage to get out. ###Half way down the road all the lights in the truck go out. ###i get to paved road and decide to put the spares on so i dont ruin the tire. ###I find out the jack will only lift the truck a 1/2, So i back up to dirt and lift the truck and dig a hole to get the spares on. i make it to a gas station to check the lights...the fuses poped out of the fuse box so i put them back in and they worked again. ###We called it a day and were going home on 74 and almost get into a accident with a doe by hurkey creek. ###That was my first day hunting deer this year, hope the opener went better for everybody else.


p.s. ###watch where you put your scent cover, i had some that smelled like a skunk, ###broke in the bed of the truck and now it smells worse than 10 skunks....

[Hogskin]

Look at it this way, it'll only get better next week.

Regards,
Paul

[prohunter]

the worst day of hunting is still better than the best day of work!
good luck to you next time.

[Hogskin]

Prohunter, you must have a pretty crappy job! ###

Regards,
Paul

[overdrawn]

Matt, where is this "area 51" within d-19, I will be sure to ster clear of it. Looks like Murphy's law got to ya. better luck next outing.
Sincerely, or I am sincere, or for sure.
Good luck anyway

[horseshoer]

Matt
### Hang in there we have all had days similar to that. Good Luck with your next trip.

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[Shep]

Bummer Matt.Sounds like the trip could have been a lot worse........."my cousin slipped and his gun fired" sounds like he was humping the hill with a round in the chamber?If so,this is a serious safety mistake.If he was behind you with his rifle slung over his shoulder,barrel up,and he fell forward........well,you get the picture.Best of luck to you in the rest of the season.

[MQ]

Matt, your cousin doesn't have a Remington 700, does he? There have been many documented misfires with these rifles.....

[sportyg]

Matt, better days to come I'm sure.. Teach that boy gun safty and or how to walk... I'm sure glad I'm hunting the mid week Starting the 17th.. To many locos on the weekends out there...

[Megadeth]

Matt, Dont despair. We've all had our ups and downs, yours just happened on openers. Now your carmas gone , go kill a deer.

[mattp113]

the gun he had was a savage 300 mag.

[Bill in SD]

Man, that sent chills down my spine. ###What are people thinking hiking around with a round in the chamber??? ###How many bucks have you guys out there lost because you had to chamber a round from the magazine? ###

One of the reasons I bowhunt, where by the way some guys walk around with nocked arrows as well. ###However, an idiot with a nocked arrow is only going to impale himself.

Sounds scary.

Anyway, I'm glad no one was hurt. ###

Everyone else out there use this as a stupid example of what not to do!!!!!

Be safe
Bill

[sportyg]

Posted a report on what I saw on the 17th & 18th. But it is posted as D- 16 by mistake...

[MQ]

Bill in SD - do you pheasant hunt with an empty chamber, or jump shoot ducks with an empty chamber. Muzzle control is imperative, as well as proper use of the safety. For treacherous climbing situations, climbing over fences, etc., always unload...

[Bill in SD]

MQ, the few times I have hunted pheasants and jump shot ducks it has been with an empty chamber. ###There were shells in the magazine and sure I have missed some opportunities. ###

Years ago when I used to shoot a lot of jack rabbits, I did not have a shell in the chamber either. ###

I can see your point though if you are out in a field or area where there are lots of game and the walking is easy and you can control your muzzle, you are all spread out and shooting shotguns, I could see having a round in the muzzle. ###Climbing up and down hills, cross country, with a rifle I would say no.

Now, if I see an animal and am sneaking up on it, I put a shell into the chamber.

You are right though, that muzzle control is very important, loaded, or unloaded if the muzzle is never pointed at anyone then no one would ever get shot accidentally.

I did have my rifle discharge on accident a few years ago while elk hunting. ###After the first shot I slammed another round into the chamber and the rifle went off. ###Luckily, I was pointing the rifle towards the elk while I was loading it and my buddy and I were standing next to each other. ###That was Muzzle control.

Sorry to sound so harsh. ###I would rather go home empty handed than have an accident. ### ###

Happy hunting
Bill

[MQ]

Bill in SD - I certainly wont argue over the fact that it is much safer to keep the chamber unchambered. Your post got me thinking, because the way I was brought up by my father, there was almost always a round in the chamber when not in camp or on the road while hunting. However safety was continually hammered into us in regards to pointing in a safe direction, unloading at the appropriate times, etc.

I wonder what percentage of people hike the mountains with shells in the chamber. I'll bet its fairly high. Anybody else care to comment?

[MNHNTR]

MQ, when I hunt there is always a round in the chamber. ###I too was taught at an early age, gun safety and the importance of muzzle direction. ###If I am hunting with my brother or father and we are climbing something or over something we always hand the rifle off ###or unload it. ###Fingers out of the triggers and safety on. ###

[Speckmisser]

I'll take the shot on this one. ###

When I leave deer camp, I chamber a round. ###Unless I have some tough stuff to get over or around, it stays chambered. ###I usually hunt alone, but I have the same practice when I'm with someone. ###Like a couple of other folks on here have mentioned, this is the way I was taught. ###I was taught (forcefully) that the muzzle doesn't point at anything I wouldn't be willing to shoot, and safety (or half-cock) is on until my finger is headed for the trigger. ###I generally remove the round and open the action when I come up on strangers. ###

Taking all the other precautions leaves a pretty tiny margin of error, and that's a margin I'm comfortable with. ###Not perfect safety, I know. ###I've seen guns go off unexpectedly and accidentally. ###But perfect safety means melting the guns down and staying in the house. ###Of course, then I could slip and break my neck in the shower.

[MQ]

Yeah, the way I see it, I'm much more likely to die driving to and from the hunt area (or driving to and from work for that matter). However I would have to say it would be safer hunting with Bill from SD than most others.....