Author Topic: flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand  (Read 929 times)

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Offline Gemsbok

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flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand
« on: December 19, 2011, 10:14:36 AM »
Some buddies and I decided we would do a public land deer hunt last fall.  A general location was agreed upon and we would go there for a wknd of camping and scouting to narrow down a few spots to hang stands a couple months before opening day.
 
The guy who was doing the driving had bought a new club cab truck that wk and volunteered the transportation and would pick each hunter up along the route as we headed for our destination. He was an hr late meeting the first guy, so that put us behind schedule right off the bat.
 
An hr or so after we were all finally loaded into the truck with camping and fishing gear as well as our bows and a couple practice targets,  we were runnin down the highway and the right rear tire on the truck blew out, sending pieces of rubber up through the fender well, shredding metal, which then got lodged under the left side fender of the trailer we were pulling, that belonged to another friend, and we now had a flat tire on the trailer. My first thought was that we were the target of some lunatic shooting at us from the nearby woods, though once the reality had been discovered, it was time to pull over and evaluate the damage. By now it had begun to rain very hard with a little hail mixed in.
 
The driver of the truck decided we could simply make a u-turn right then and there and get onto the other lane, and make it to a gas station we'd just recently passed. Instead of accomplishing a proper u-turn, he dropped the right front wheel off the edge of the pavement, which then caused him to lose control of the truck, and we went straight down an embankment of large boulders, poking a hole in the sidewall of the right-front tire and denting in the right side front fender on a tree, which then sent us in a spin into the creek and back up onto the pavement, heading in the same direction as we'd been going before he decided to attempt the u-turn.
 
Now we've finally come to a complete stop and my buddy in the front passenger seat decided to get out of the truck and when he tried to open the door, it got kinked and jammed because of the dented fender and would only open up about a quarter of the way.
 
As I crawled out the rear sliding window, hands and arms first, I put my hand down in the bed of the truck to help myself get out and inadvertently put my left hand on someone's arrow quiver, ramming a broadhead and shaft through my palm, just left of my thumb.
 
In reacting to what I'd just done, I swung my other arm around to take some weight off of my hand that had the arrow sticking thru it, and when I swung, I broke the back glass of the truck. Hearing me scream in pain, my other buddy who was riding in the back seat with me startled, and during his reaction, jumped out of the truck in a hurry in order to help me, but slid down the wet grassy road ditch, coming to a stop in 2 ft. of mud.
 
Finally, after everyone else was assured they were ok, and I was the only one hurt during all of the commotion, a couple of the guys used a folding saw to cut the arrow in-two and pulled it out of my hand. The rough, serrated teeth of the saw really vibrated though my hand, adding to the pain, but at least we got the arrow out easily enough without having to pull the fletchings through.
 
Once I was bandaged up with some old rags we found under the seat, we got the truck going with a spare and plugged the other tire and loaded our gear from the trailer onto the truck. I think this part of the episode last around 2 hrs. We had to leave the trailer at the side of the road. I don't think anyone ever went back to get it.
 
After finally getting back down the road several miles, the truck ran out of gas. Yep, stranded again. No one thought of bringing along a can of gas, so one of the guys was able to wave down another vehicle after what seemed like an hr and a half, pouring down rain and all. He hitched a ride to the nearest town, which was 30 miles one way, got some gas and a box of a dozen Casey's day-old doughnuts, and thankfully returned to us, lookin like a drowned rat.
 
Anyways, they got me to a hospital and I was back out of there in no time after a few stitches and iodine. We said the heck with scouting that wknd and just turned around and headed back for home. We got to the first guys house to drop him off and when he went to let the tailgate down to get his belongings out of the bed, the tailgate slipped from his hands, crashing down on my other buddy's hand, breaking several bones in his fingers and crushing his wrist watch.
 
When the tailgate dropped on his hand, he jumped back and knocked over my other friend, the driver, onto his backside, landing on top of my other buddy's turkey fryer, which he'd recently taken off of the truck. Thankfully the grease wasn't hot, of course, but he sprained his back and dislocated a couple vertabrae.
 
I don't think I will be hunting with these guys from now on. Anyone got room for a new hunting partner?
 
 

Offline smokehouserex

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Re: flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2011, 10:49:55 AM »
  Hello Gemsbok:
  Well I am certainly in good company with you and your excurision of disaster. My older brother, his son and another nephew and I  decided to go to Santee Cooper on a fishing trip one summer and had the same kind of luck as you did.
  We set out with a 25' camper and a 20' inboard boat. About 15 miles the truck pulling the boat went around a curve and started to fishtail all over the road, fortunately no one was coming in the oncoming lane. I finally got it straight and pulled off on the shoulder. I told my nephew that I would not drive it any further because the steering was too tight. He drove it and it happened to him also down around Columbia, but not quite as bad.
  At Santee we got into a storm and the foot would not come up, hyd. problem, so we had to ride it out on the waves. Afterward we went in to tie off the boat and my other nephew cut his knee pretty badly while we were tying the boat, on the prop. After tying the boat he sewed his knee with a needle and thread, 8-10 sutures.
  On the trip home the wheel ran off of the boat trailer and I stopped and got the drum and wheel, we repaired it enough to get home.
  We only got about 65lbs. of fillets out of that trip and that was my last big fishing trip.
  When it rains, it pours, doesn't it.
  I enjoyed your story, you are a good storyteller,
  safety first
  HM

Offline Lon371

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Re: flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2011, 01:49:38 PM »
Gemsbok
 I hope you all are ok. Sounds like this was a sign to go back home.
 
 On the other hand, what a story for deer camp next year ;)  Stories like this one make me really glad I hunt with in couple miles of the house.
 
Lonny

Offline BBF

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Re: flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2011, 07:35:50 AM »
D U D E   !!!
Somebody put a hex on you big time :o :o
What is the point of Life if you can't have fun.

Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2011, 07:58:35 AM »
I never thought I would suggest this to anyone , BUT ya'll might consider golf  ;D
Just kidding hope all gets well that got hurt.
If ya can see it ya can hit it !

Offline briarpatch

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Re: flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2011, 10:11:42 AM »
I bet everyone here can think of times they have loaded up, left early and got back late that night with grease, mud, blood and slime all over them from trying to fix something to get home. Never unload to hunt, camp or fish.
It always rains, sleets and snows in proportion to your problems. 

Offline eye shot

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Re: flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2011, 01:20:25 PM »
About 10yr ago a bud and I where heading to deer camp in my new truck at 10 at night. All loaded up and doing 60 on cruse 50 miles from home boom hit a nice big 8pt. Well lights out and had a deer and wan't even to camp yet. Being hunters we had rope and 2 hundred mph tape to try and get it drivable. Out in the middle of noware we called 911-big mistake. I told them we had hit a deer and needed a sheriff or state patrol and all they could take about was they were going to send a EMS. I kept telling that my bud and I were ok, the deer was dead and didn't need help. A half hour later the sheriff shows up and the first thing out of his mouth- you guys been drinking- ah no. He was nice and kept his spotlight on the deer while I gutted it and give me a paper to show my insurance and proof how I got the deer. My new truck looked like it belonged in the junk yard. The one headlight left and hanging by it's wire still worked ah ha red green duct tape. Tied the radiator to the bumper to get it off the fan and tied the hood down. Then tied the drivers door shut the best we could. The sheriff looked it over and said don't drive over 50. It was tao warm to take the deer with us so we headed home to get the local butcher out of bed at midnight. So what to do 3 hours and we are right back where we started. Well we'll take the tanue cover off my truck and put it on my buds- the box on a Ford is wider than a Chevy, but we finally got it to fit. Loaded up and 4 hrs. after we first left are ready to leave home again. It was breaking daylight when we finally got to the cabin. My bud and I did get a deer opening day. It cost close to $4000 to get my truck fixed.
RIP Mike. Died on July 14th, around 2am, with his family at his side, he went peacefully to be with god.

http://www.sent-trib.com/obituaries/michael-l-schulte

Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: flat tires, bent up truck and an arrow thru the hand
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2011, 01:20:07 AM »
I do remember lashing a metal dog feed bowl between the boat trl. frame and axle when a boat trl spring broke on the 495 loop around Washington DC on a trip back from Manitoba once.
If ya can see it ya can hit it !