Thread: Have you ever made a mistake like this

I am sure there must be others on this forum that have been guilty of a stuff up while hunting. I recall on one occassion in dense bush in the Uruwera when I stopped for a bite to eat beside a small embankment at a bend in a stream. I took my day pack off, rested my rifle across it and sat down a couple of metres away on the edge of the stream to eat. "Nek Minit" a bloody hind splashed her way around the bend and came to a halt a metre in front of me. All I could do was point my finger at her and say bang before she disappeared up the side of the bank.

I can almost hear all you old grunts out there saying "don't you know not to ever get separated from your rifle?" but surely I'm not the only one to have done something dumb like this.

Yup had a hind walk out while I was taking a piss. Rifle leaning against a tree about a foot out of reach. When I moved to grab it she bolted.

Just a deer bro. There will be another round the next corner.
To consider it a mistake is making too much of a big deal about it IMO. Shooting them is only half (if that) the fun of it for me.
I bet you never forget the look on that hinds swede when she saw you, and its a good story you can tell your mates long after the taste of vension has disappeared from your lips.

I'd say that's pretty low on the list of "mistakes that you can make with a firearm/when hunting"

Yeah that's hardly a mistake mate, it's just hunting. Luck of the draw so to speak

My brother has had a bit of a whoopsie when he first started out shooting. I took him out with his new JW15. At one stage he goes "Not sure if this is loaded" so he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit about a foot in front of my foot.

After a slap around the head and a good telling off he has excellent firearm safety now. I almost reckon there needs to be a practical aspect to the firearms license test. When I first got my license all I'd been shooting with was a ruger 10/22 as a kid. It takes a while to get settled with the idea of carrying a gun safely and how to operate it.

Yeah, I went bunny shooting once with a guy who jumped off a rock with his finger on the trigger of his loaded rifle. He's damn lucky he was pointing it in a safe direction. Suffice to say, I don't go hunting with him any more.

Mind you, I've made my own share of silly mistakes.

Been there, done that. More a lesson than a mistake as I always keep the rifle handy when stopping for a break

I havent learnt my lesson so to speak... As others have said, just a deer.
Had a mate try to shoot one while halfway through taking a shit and stood in it. Was fucken funny!

I'm sure some of you remember from your basic too, but we always had to lepard crawl back to any weapon not within arms reach! I never had to crawl of course

Awesome about that guy standing in his own number two, haha classic!!

My nearest would be rabbit shooting with the 22lr on a place we are encouraged to take pigs. Saw some very freshly turned earth and thought to myself there's been one here recently. Five paces further and I'm looking at a pig from nose to tail wider than the Safari about 15m away from me. I'm still holding the 22lr with my center fire rifle is still slung across my back, magazine full with the bolt closed on an empty chamber and the safety on to make sure everything stays there. Not a chance of swapping over as it meanders into the undergrowth. Could have been my first bigger game.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

My nearest would be rabbit shooting with the 22lr on a place we are encouraged to take pigs. Saw some very freshly turned earth and thought to myself there's been one here recently. Five paces further and I'm looking at a pig from nose to tail wider than the Safari about 15m away from me. I'm still holding the 22lr with my center fire rifle is still slung across my back, magazine full with the bolt closed on an empty chamber and the safety on to make sure everything stays there. Not a chance of swapping over as it meanders into the undergrowth. Could have been my first bigger game.

Bugger!

Originally Posted by RimfireNZ

My brother has had a bit of a whoopsie when he first started out shooting. I took him out with his new JW15. At one stage he goes "Not sure if this is loaded" so he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit about a foot in front of my foot.

After a slap around the head and a good telling off he has excellent firearm safety now. I almost reckon there needs to be a practical aspect to the firearms license test. When I first got my license all I'd been shooting with was a ruger 10/22 as a kid. It takes a while to get settled with the idea of carrying a gun safely and how to operate it.

couldnt agree more it would help weed out the not so safe, the cops are pretty good at vetting but for sure we are all aware of the ranges a rifle can fling lead a bit of thought is needed when pulling the trigger and a practical coarse would be welcomed.

As my opps was a month or so a go up the hill behind the farm had been looking at sign had'nt seen an animal all morning had a glass around no still nothing proceed to blow nose. buy buy 8 pointer bugger.

the worst i had was a stirling model 20 used to fire the round before the bolt would shut i got it chopped up in the end. i was not prepared to get it fixed and sell it on.

Originally Posted by Rushy

Bugger!

And I'm still on learner plates. Mind you I did get to knock over a couple of wallabies with cambo, muzr257, keen fella, 270moss and others.

My mistake recently...

Got lost on a block and climbed over a fence which turned out to be our boundary - in order to walk up a nearby farm track we saw. Thought it would take us to the top of the hill and see which way to the truck - instead of bush bashing backwards and uphill the way we came.

Then all of a sudden the cocky comes bouncing up the track in his ute with dogs, mates and guns. Pulls up swearing his head off about how he was going to call the cops and take our rifles. There was no way he was getting the guns and I would have been quite happy for him to call the cops, given we weren't hiding when he came along or shooting on his land. We actually saw him before he saw us and stood waiting for him to come along so we could ask for direction.

After a bit of apologising from us and explaining the situation, he pointed us in the right direction.