# Opening Weekend Bloopers!!!



## OmenHonkey (Sep 15, 2014)

If some of you are like me it takes a few trips back afield to retrain yourself of the necessities and logic to be comfortable and happy in the treestand. Over the past I've forgotten my release, Broadheads, Pull-up ropes, Bow hanger, a Hat, thermocell (major bummer) and lord knows what all i'm forgetting as I type this. LOL. Well this year I couldn't go Saturday morning so my first sit was that afternoon. I'm trying to teach my Stepson about the importance of his harness. He wasn't with me he spent the night off, So my buddy and I are getting ready at the drop off spot and he says something about his harness and Yep, My Jaw dropped!! Here I am 20 minutes from home and I had to go back grab the harness and GET GAS after the extra driving required. Get to the stand no bow holder. LOL lets hear how your weekend went. What did you forget or remember once you were 20ft up.


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## TheBuckMan (Sep 15, 2014)

I did even worse this weekend... I didn't get to go hunting


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## countryboy27012 (Sep 15, 2014)

I relocated my two person stand that has been in the woods in the same spot for 7 or 8 years.  So after climbing up and getting settled 45 minutes before daylight,  I realized something wasnt right.  Finally figured out my seat cushion was lying on the ground about twenty yards away.

Made for a long sit.


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## bukhuntr (Sep 15, 2014)

I hung a stand about a month ago, while I was hanging I got bit by several fire ants and noticed them crawling up and down the tree.  Told myself then I needed to put amdro around the base.  Fast forward to yesterday at around 4pm.  I get settled, perfect wind, had just hung my bow up...ouch, fire ant on my wrist going to town.  Over the course of the next 3.5 hours I suffered about 35 ant bites. I had a tshirt under my leafy pullover, so they could get in anywhere.  In an effort to distract them, I shared part of my brownie.  I let them have the tree and am returning with Amdro this evening. (Not gonna sit there)


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## movesatlanta (Sep 15, 2014)

no cushion in a stand Saturday morning hunt. Forgot thermacell on Saturday afternoon... Hands were on fire.


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 15, 2014)

countryboy27012 said:


> I relocated my two person stand that has been in the woods in the same spot for 7 or 8 years.  So after climbing up and getting settled 45 minutes before daylight,  I realized something wasnt right.  Finally figured out my seat cushion was lying on the ground about twenty yards away.
> 
> Made for a long sit.



I once moved a lock on and when I reset the stand on another tree I could not find my bow holder anywhere. Went for a walk one morning after hunting checking spots for sign. Look up in the old tree. BAM bow holder still screwed in. Had to get the climber out for a 12$ bow holder...


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## deast1988 (Sep 15, 2014)

Well I've never used a bow holder till Saturday morning so I got to fumbling with and flop arrow to the floor. Go to replace arrow with another flop that one beside the first on the ground. 

Saturday evening place bow hanger on another tree forgot it at dark it's still there.

This morning get to stand forget to put new fuel in Thermocell just about got carried off by skeeters. Each sit has been a switch this and the more I spread out the worst it gets. I left my bug out bag at home yesterday and then I was trying to help a buddy track a deer with a very small headlamp that would barely show the ground your walking on all my other lights chilling at the house.


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## Pneumothorax (Sep 15, 2014)

deast1988 said:


> Well I've never used a bow holder till Saturday morning so I got to fumbling with and flop arrow to the floor. Go to replace arrow with another flop that one beside the first on the ground.
> 
> Saturday evening place bow hanger on another tree forgot it at dark it's still there.
> 
> This morning get to stand forget to put new fuel in Thermocell just about got carried off by skeeters. Each sit has been a switch this and the more I spread out the worst it gets. I left my bug out bag at home yesterday and then I was trying to help a buddy track a deer with a very small headlamp that would barely show the ground your walking on all my other lights chilling at the house.



Yours sounded like mine.  Only hunted Sunday AM.  Pulled my bow up in the dark.  Got hung up on something which pulled an arrow out and it dropped to the ground.  Put my bow in its holder at the front left corner of the stand.  Not sure how but as I was getting my camera arm situated, the bow flopped and ended up still barely hanging onto the holder but now pointing straight down!  And that caused my second arrow to drop to the ground.  That one's nockturnal had turned on in the process.  Put my third and last arrow on and kept looking at that nockturnal all lit up.  Sigh.  Decided to sneak down to retrieve my arrows.


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## BlackEagle (Sep 15, 2014)

I got my mistake on video yesterday


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## deast1988 (Sep 15, 2014)

NeverDetectedAlwaysLethal said:


> I got my mistake on video yesterday



Post it up


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## chambers270 (Sep 15, 2014)

This morning was my first trip because of work. Tried to pack everything up last night and forgot my rangefinder. Setup in the ladder this morning and about 5 minutes in I realized how uncomfortable it was, remembered that last year I said I was switching that ladder out for my gunslinger.


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 15, 2014)

NeverDetectedAlwaysLethal said:


> I got my mistake on video yesterday



I agree with the above request. POST IT UP!!! We did vote for you and everything!!!


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## lillampp (Sep 15, 2014)

I missed biggest buck i have ever seen  top that


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## bowhunterdavid (Sep 15, 2014)

OmenHonkey said:


> If some of you are like me it takes a few trips back afield to retrain yourself of the necessities and logic to be comfortable and happy in the treestand. Over the past I've forgotten my release, Broadheads, Pull-up ropes, Bow hanger, a Hat, thermocell (major bummer) and lord knows what all i'm forgetting as I type this. LOL. Well this year I couldn't go Saturday morning so my first sit was that afternoon. I'm trying to teach my Stepson about the importance of his harness. He wasn't with me he spent the night off, So my buddy and I are getting ready at the drop off spot and he says something about his harness and Yep, My Jaw dropped!! Here I am 20 minutes from home and I had to go back grab the harness and GET GAS after the extra driving required. Get to the stand no bow holder. LOL lets hear how your weekend went. What did you forget or remember once you were 20ft up.


 Have you ever been to the woods wearing a long sleeve tee shirt and came back with one long sleeve


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## tyler1 (Sep 15, 2014)

I was about 3-4 pulls up my tree in my climber Saturday morning and something was just not right.  You know that little voice in your head.  I have learned to (most of the time) stop and listen.  Took me about a minuet to figure out that I had my harness on but had forgot to put the rope around the tree.  Funny that back in the day we never wore them but now it scares me to death not to have it on.


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## rjcruiser (Sep 15, 2014)

I got a text from a member who shall remain anonymous that he missed a fat doe chip shot because his bottom cam hit his climber rail when he hit the release.  

Why I hate bowhunting out of a climber with a front rail.


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## Curtis-UGA (Sep 15, 2014)

OmenHonkey said:


> I once moved a lock on and when I reset the stand on another tree I could not find my bow holder anywhere. Went for a walk one morning after hunting checking spots for sign. Look up in the old tree. BAM bow holder still screwed in. Had to get the climber out for a 12$ bow holder...



I've got one still in a tree on a cornfield in Kansas.


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## Jody Hawk (Sep 15, 2014)

This morning was my first hunt. I climbed into my stand and first thing I did was drop my cap to the ground!


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## Kris87 (Sep 15, 2014)

bowhunterdavid said:


> Have you ever been to the woods wearing a long sleeve tee shirt and came back with one long sleeve



Never had that happen but did come back with no boxers once after realizing I didn't have any toilet paper in my pack.  I'm not a leaf using kind of guy. TMI?


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 15, 2014)

Curtis-UGA said:


> I've got one still in a tree on a cornfield in Kansas.



I'm beginning to wonder if that is where some of mine are. I'll be looking come November 1st. If they are there they should be good and tight this year!!!


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 15, 2014)

tyler1 said:


> I was about 3-4 pulls up my tree in my climber Saturday morning and something was just not right.  You know that little voice in your head.  I have learned to (most of the time) stop and listen.  Took me about a minuet to figure out that I had my harness on but had forgot to put the rope around the tree.  Funny that back in the day we never wore them but now it scares me to death not to have it on.



I climbed a tree in Wilcox county once and went to grab my new bow rope I just tied on the stand (or so I thought) it was still on the ground!! Climbed down found my release laying on the dirt cleaned it up climbed back up. Still no rope climbed back down and tied it on. Back up the tree I go, get turned around and a Doe standing 15 yards from me. I swear she was laughing at me!!! I couldn't have shot her I was worn slap out!!


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## yellowhammer73 (Sep 15, 2014)

One thing I wish I had left at home was the flu!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got to camp and was sick as a dog! I didn't make it in the stand all weekend. The only reason I stayed was the wife was hunting. A long miserable weekend in the bed in deer camp. At least the wife had a good time.
Feeling better today I'm hopping all is good for the cold front next weekend.


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## shdw633 (Sep 15, 2014)

I had a doe see me on Saturday morning in my climber so Sunday I decided to climb as high as I could in the tree, which was about 35 feet.  Got up in the stand and pulled up my bow and backpack, unhooked backpack and hung in on holder, grabbed bow and realized the quiver was gone, shined my light on the forest floor and yep, my quiver had fallen off and all my arrows were 35 feet below me.  Spent the next hour with my safety rope caliper tied open and my bow rope trying to "hook" the quiver.  Yes I know I could have climbed back down but after thirty minutes it became "the principle of the whole thing" and by god I was going to hook that thing if it cost me my whole morning hunt.  I finally did, after an hour and a half, got it up to me and then looked to my right to see a spike looking up at me.  I think me hitting the quiver with the caliper sounded like a couple of young bucks sparring a little, I don't really think the noise hurt me, but the head light I had shining all around the woods like a disco ball trying to see enough to hit the quiver with the caliper might have hurt my chances that day a little bit!!!


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## lonedrake (Sep 15, 2014)

Climbed up Sunday afternoon in the climber about 25 ft.........  Didn't tie my pull rope on.


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## BlackEagle (Sep 15, 2014)

OmenHonkey said:


> I agree with the above request. POST IT UP!!! We did vote for you and everything!!!



I send it in a private message


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## Lumpkin Hunter (Sep 15, 2014)

Just as light started to become enough to shoot I dropped my bow to the ground from 25 ft. Climbed down got my bow found the stabilizer bolt had snapped off even with the riser. Checked the bow over good and drew it back. All's good, have new stabilizer on it and ready to shoot it to insure the sights didn't get moved. Bad thing this isn't the first time I've done this.    Reminder to me, Keep bow on hanger not across front bar of stand when you go to stand up. Still was a good morning anyway.


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## riskyb (Sep 15, 2014)

First day forgot screw in step to hang bag ect on secondsY forgot big spray


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## oldfella1962 (Sep 15, 2014)

Kris87 said:


> Never had that happen but did come back with no boxers once after realizing I didn't have any toilet paper in my pack.  I'm not a leaf using kind of guy. TMI?



Define leaf. Depending on what grows near you, turkey oak makes good TP. A lot of surface area, relatively smooth and hypo-allergenic. Don't worry about how I know this. 

BTW Saturday it was hot, humid and I'm hunting near water.
So of course I hit the ignition a few times on my Thermacell
and set it down. It was hissing, so I figured I was goods to go. I'm there a good while but it looks like the pad is still bright blue. Of course I'm thinking "I'm getting a lot of mileage out of this pad".
Turns out I had never hit the ignition hard or often enough to light it. The Thermacell was never on. 
Luckily, no mosquitos were around! 

When it's dark (like morning hunting) I noticed you can see it flash when it ignites, and hear it burning a bit louder. I have hearing loss, so I can barely here them when they are running.


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## catch22 (Sep 15, 2014)

Got my truck stuck on way to stand opening morning.  Decided to worry about it after the hunt. Got in the stand and sat for hour and half sweating when a "rumble in the jungle" began. So I climbed down and made it back to the truck. After some serious mud slinging I was able to free myself. Came blazing into camp and made it to the outhouse. Then only got 45 mins of afternoon hunt before lightening and rain drove me out of the stand. 

Not the best opening  day but better than not being there at all


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## Bama B (Sep 15, 2014)

Drove 45 minutes to hunt. Changing into my hunting clothes and realized I left my wallet at home. Loaded back up drove home and back to the woods. Hour and a half later returned to watch 2 does cross the road heading to were I should have been. Following morning spent 10 min in dark trying to find same stand. Moved stand to new location. Stand just did not feel lucky.


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## Smackem (Sep 15, 2014)

I went in Sunday morning about 545am with my climber, got all the way up (35 feet) and realized I left my release on the ground.  Decided to pull my bow up and shoot with fingers if I needed to. Got lucky and my release was jammed between my cam and the limb. 

Lucky me.


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## brandonsc (Sep 15, 2014)

Had a doe broadside at 40 yards and used my 30 yard pin didn't realize it till after I found my arrow and it was in the middle of a 2" pine tree that bout got cut in half


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 16, 2014)

oldfella1962 said:


> Define leaf. Depending on what grows near you, turkey oak makes good TP. A lot of surface area, relatively smooth and hypo-allergenic. Don't worry about how I know this.
> 
> BTW Saturday it was hot, humid and I'm hunting near water.
> So of course I hit the ignition a few times on my Thermacell
> ...




LOL. Last night i'm watching TV and the 15 y/o son that went hunting this weekend with his friends Saturday comes by me. He was scratching the crack of his (YOU KNOW WHAT) and I kept quiet until he just kept doing it. So I asked him why are scratching there so much. He said I dunno I got red spots and they itch bad. Come to find out he dropped a load in the woods and wiped with grass and leaves!!!! RED BUGS IN YOUR CRACK CAN'T BE FUN!!!!!


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Sep 16, 2014)

ARCHERY HUNTING FOR DUMMIES !!!


I just read every comment posted in this thread and I am sitting here with my seatbelt fastened so that I don't fall out of my chair laughing.  Your posts are hilarious BUT I know that they are also so true as I have been there and done that a few times over my hunting career.  It is very interesting that these types of "things" happen to even the most seasoned experienced hunters amongst us as well.

Yep, the above slogan is the title name of my latest book that I am possibly publishing.  The good news is that I have included the comments that every one of you have written above because this information could be an invaluable source of knowledge for all archery hunters in the future.

Guys, please keep these comments coming.  Of course, I mean all of my above comments in a respectful way to all of you as I too have encountered some of these same type situations as mentioned above.  Yes, I also belong to this "not so elite" club of weekly bloopers.  As I look back over my brothers hunting career, I would swear that he has to be the very first founding member of this club!!!   Maybe this information will be helpful to him as he reads GON everyday too.  



PS:  I don't think for one second that you are Dummies either BUT that may be the only catchy title that if I was to publish a book then it might make my book sell.  All of the above was truly meant more for the entertainment value only.  Best of luck and happy hunting to all of you archery hunters this season.


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## drfletcherdc (Sep 16, 2014)

I learned somethings going on my first hunt with my son.  
1.  Its better to be too early than too late.
2.  Thermacell is a necessity.  Haven't been able to sleep well the last two nights thanks to the mosquito bites.
3.  Its called hunting and not shooting.


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 16, 2014)

I was laughing at my self Saturday afternoon. I recall shrugging my shoulders and saying "Well your no Fred Bear I bet he didn't do crap like this".


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## HawgWild23 (Sep 16, 2014)

My daughter had a softball tournament Saturday I got home got my stuff ready for Sunday got in the bed by 1am got up at 4:30. I was waiting outside for my buddy and something was not right I could not see I forgot my eye glass had go back in and get them off the night stand. He get there We get to the end of my road I told him I can not see good out my right eye took my glasses off and the right lenses was missing had to turn around and go back find it put lenses in now I can see.


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## DOD (Sep 16, 2014)

Oh yeah, seems like I live in a blooper reel sometimes...  I put a video up in this forum that has all too many.  Broken string, lost release, failed equipment, ran out of gas and picked up by the police...   the things we do to try to kill a deer


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## edsebring (Sep 17, 2014)

After reading some of these stories, I had a very good laugh. Then I got to thinking about Saturday morning in the tree and just after being up in the tree for ten minutes I moved wrong and heard something hit the ground, took my flashlight back out of my pack and started looking at the ground to see what fell. after about 5 minutes of looking, I noticed the mosquitoes were starting to bite really good then i spotted my therma cell on the ground. Hunting over a pond there was no way I was going to sit there without it. So i climbed back down and picked it up. It was laying right next to the water moccasin that I killed at the base of my stand.


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 17, 2014)

edsebring said:


> After reading some of these stories, I had a very good laugh. Then I got to thinking about Saturday morning in the tree and just after being up in the tree for ten minutes I moved wrong and heard something hit the ground, took my flashlight back out of my pack and started looking at the ground to see what fell. after about 5 minutes of looking, I noticed the mosquitoes were starting to bite really good then i spotted my therma cell on the ground. Hunting over a pond there was no way I was going to sit there without it. So i climbed back down and picked it up. It was laying right next to the water moccasin that I killed at the base of my stand.




That just gave me chills... I got a rattlesnake in the freezer i'm going to Tan for my bro in law. Every time I open the freezer he gets me, and I handle snakes fairly often. lol


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## edsebring (Sep 17, 2014)

OmenHonkey said:


> That just gave me chills... I got a rattlesnake in the freezer i'm going to Tan for my bro in law. Every time I open the freezer he gets me, and I handle snakes fairly often. lol



I ended up killing 4 of them this weekend. That first one was the biggest at 3.5 feet, and when I was walking up to the stand I saw it at about 10 yards in front of me at the base of the ladder. The first thought when I saw it was, "I don't remember leaving any straps on the ground when i set that stand." then it dawned on me that it was a snake coiled up at the base of my ladder. So I nocked an arrow and did a blind shot by looking down the arrow as I could not get my head light lined up with him and the sights. One shot right through his body and he crawled about a foot and died.


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