Thread: Pre hunt stuff ups

I've had a couple of stuff ups.

Went for a couple of nights up the Ruahine's, was wondering why my feet were so sore after walking into Leon Kinvig, bowling a deer on a slip and hiking it back to the tops. Got back home and was cleaning my boots only to realise I hadn't put the insoles back in from the last trip lol.

Another one, woke up at 2am to drive the 3 hours to a spot. Hiked in for a couple of hours to get there on sun up. Went to put my bolt in the rifle which had been sitting on top of my pack out only to realise I had grabbed the wrong one at home. Sat freezing my arse off and decided to call it a day after a few hours. Luckily no deer were spotted that morning!

I have 2 rugers and have mad that mistake more than once, including a trip to Durville Island haha

Wow some of the stories in this thread are certainly interesting and good to know so I don't make the same mistakes in the future.
The worst that happened to me was forgetting to bring my magazine for rabbit shooting, so I had to feed one round at a time into my firearm making for many missed opportunities. Really not that bad though.

Went fly fishing in one of the little tekapo lakes. Getting set up. No rod in tube. Shit. Had a rummage around had side cutters, tape and a road atlas.
Cut down a willow branch taped on reel. Cut steel ring binder off road atlas. Taped them on and caught 3 salmon. It cast like a dog but got the wind behind me and managed to float it out enough to catch fish

Left the mag for the 243 at home
I used to be quite naughty and leave the mag loaded and stashed in my shooting pouch.
Cant remember what I did but the ammo was in there but not the mag.
Wasnt that far from home but could not be bothered.
The remi semi was a single shot for the hunt.
Pissing down rain and didn't see anything anyway

Where to start.....usually with the old man (who is my preferred hunting partner):

Was looking at heading over the Ruahine tops into some pretty quiet country in terms of visitor numbers....(He was living in Levin at the time, I was in Napier....) all things co-ordinated to have a great Queen's birthday weekend in the hills - I headed into Sunrise Hut on the Saturday morning - getting out the door at 4am and speaking on the phone to the old fulla to let him know I was on the way, he advised that he would meet me there around 10am.... Arriving at Sunrise hut (our agreed meeting point before heading over the tops) around 8:30 and waiting.....and waiting...... A large group of Group of Edenborough students arrived and proceeded to play games and text message their mates via Spark.... (I was on Vodafone....for the last weekend of my life and couldn't get reception).
Around 13:00 I decided: bugger this, something has happened to the old boy - there was no way to confirm as Vodafone was shit, so I headed out to the carpark. Called him when in cellphone coverage only to find..... the old bugger had forgotten his tramping boots....realized in Dannevirke so had headed home to get them.....tried calling me but couldn't get through....

Anyone thinking of using Vodafone....DON'T. They are shit. Lesson learnt - I can now get coverage from the top of the Ruahines - something Vodafone cannot... I'm convinced this will be the case elsewhere.

When my hunting mate remi was a young pup at 6months, We headed to towards the ruahines about a 3 and half hour drive. On the way there I noticed he was so quiet, I was quite chuffed that he being such a good little pup.

We arrive at the carpark and I got to lace up my boots, but alas I had no laces left he had chewed them right off my boots haha. I shimmied my boots up with the broken laces and headed on, within 10 minutes remi was winding in the bush we popped in and a spiker was bedded down smacking him in the neck. Little pup redeemed himself and we turned around and went home haha

Originally Posted by ROKTOY

6 hours of driving for 3 goats. Who would..

Uuuumm , I do , semi regularly .....

up to 4 hrs drive round trip plus 6 hrs walking for a goat maybe , even 2 occasionally .....

but it's not just the hunting , it's the exercise ...... (so I keep telling myself)

Originally Posted by trapperjohn

Sure is uncomfortable when ya forget your sleeping bag.

and been there done that too .... in the middle of winter ......
uncomfortable and effing cold .....

Early on in my reintroduction to hunting @Pommy and I were heading out to look for wobblies - I'm sure I asked him to grab my rifle from inside the door while I grabbed something I had forgotten. The upshot is we got to the road end to find I had no rifle. Bugger. He had his 223 so we went and found out that TTSX projectiles aren't the first or second or third choice for small critters. Just one of many things learned that day.

The other notable achievement was leaving my boots outside the front door on a trip up the Rangitata. I found this out when we pulled up to the river and our driver suggested that it might be wise to have good boots on should things go pear-shaped... As it was my first time doing any sort of big river crossing I was wondering what the hell I had let myself in for. By an unbelievable stroke of good luck our driver had not only thrown in his spare set of boots into the truck, but they were the exact size needed for my odd shaped feet and had the exact same Formthotics fitted that I use!!! So from total catastrophe we had an awesome trip, learned loads and also got to try out some Lowa Tibets in the perfect terrain

Originally Posted by ROKTOY

6 hours of driving for 3 goats. Who would..

Just 6 hours, lucky bugger!

Met a mate after work and transferred everything over to their ute for an evening hunt. Pulled up and start to get ready - asked her where she put my day bag?? She reckons she never touched it. I thought she was taking the piss as I was sure I'd put it on the ground as I unloaded my ute with the rest of the stuff she grabbed for me.
Had no bolt, no jacket (was pissing down when we turned up), no binos, no headlamp, no blood tester, no lollies or food (I'm a diabetic so this was a bit of a major) managed to find enough food to keep me alive if my levels were to go low.
Ended up having an alright hunt and found my bag on my backseat when I got back to my ute.

Can't say I suffered any major hunting stuff ups, but I've forgotten my fishing rods twice (realised as I just set off down the road) and my dive weights once (had to miss the diving part of a day on the water).

CHECKLISTS!

Back from a recent 12 day trip, everything packed, all the important stuff and not so important stuff checked and rechecked.

Fly in set camp, now time for a brew, hmmm...

Don,t recall packing a lighter or matches.

Half day trek over hill to next hut, see what they got, yes box of matches from resident, swapped for home preserved peaches... excellent swap.

Its the little things, that really count.

Mate turned up once from the north island all set for a few weeks hunting over the roar , however he somehow left the bolt for his rifle behind !!