"Accident" The word spooks me everytime I hear it, much less the event that actually causes it!
They happen so fast and out of nowhere with little or no warning. One minute your sitting happy and content and the next all hell breaks loose and you are in the middle of a trauma. Whether it be driving on the way to a hunt, falling in the woods, a steep side hill, or out of a boat, through the ice, or maybe out of a tree stand. Could be while you're cutting food for dinner, or with a chain saw for firewood, or lord help us if it was to involve a gun!
No matter how careful you are sometimes things are gonna happen. Imagine how the odds would change with reckless behaviour. I am writing this today because of an Accident I recently had. I was skinning the paws of a couger we shot. Not the big one, another smaller one we recently shot right at the end of the season. The hide was frozen with paws intact. I thawed it to complete the job. I have skinned hundreds of paws in my life. A tedious job but not really hard. I always turn the toes inside out to the last joint. I never split the toes. As usual by the time the lips, ears, nose and eyes are complete and perfect, the tail gets some attention and then the paws. By the time you have done all but the last paw your mind will begin wandering and your stomach growls. Hurry and anxiety to finish is an understatement even for a guy like me who has done this countless times.
Well, guess what, that razor sharp caping knife will slide easily into human flesh. When it does this nasty deed and there is plenty of salt and raw meat invloved it can be an infectious nightmare of a problem, not to mention that salt really gets your attention! There is a bigger problem when you sever the pulse in your thumb. Did you know you have a major blood transfer tube in your thumb? I do now! Did you ever see how far blood shoot's when you slice a big vein or artery?
Amazing stuff, but difficult to apprecieate at the moment. When you cover the slice into your shirt and slowly clear your mind and then take the dripping blood soaked shirt off the wound and it's still pumping full bore,......... things start to get fuzzy, vision starts to shrink a bit and thoughts about what to do next are clouded with shock and horror.
Hmmm Long drive to the hospital, I wonder how long I can go with this thing spewing blood like this? Wish my wife was home! Wish I had a neighbor close by, Wish I was more careful!!! Holy cow, one minute life is good, the next you're in trouble and without any help. Fortunately I am still here typing this, my first aid training was good and sound information. I do realize now, it's much easier to believe that stuff when your helping somebody else then when you're selling it to yourself!
Be careful guys, when you're tired, stressed, fatigued, take a few minutes rest, get a coffee or a soda. Relax take a breath and go back to work in a few minutes. The hurry is not worth the accidents.
You don't know they are waiting for you to have that one small lapse of concentration. It's much easier to take that 10 minute break then it is to be on antibiotics and have your thumb stitched and sore for a week or more. While waiting at the Emergency room I wondered what would have happend had the knife slipped and sliced my wrist open!
There are so many things, bizzare or not that have your worst nightmare in mind. Seems like there is some sick twisted bit of fate that lurks over everyones shoulder pushing you to do things you know are wrong, or making you hurry. The trick is having strong enough will power to overcome the push that evil fate is wispering in your ear. Just tell that devil your taking a break, that will get him to leave! The word Accident spooks me everytime I hear it. I don't know if I'm getting older now or what but I'm awefully careful about everything and I still have them occur to me. My will power gets stronger each time I have an unfortunate accident. I'm working on getting that devil to visit somebody else for a while, no more rush and hurry for this guy. The time I thought I had saved while in a hurry has long since been lost and will not be recovered....... Ever!
Think about your safety especially when in the bush. Take 5 and clear your mind once in a while. The time you save when you hurry is never enough to compensate for the down time you will have when your hurt. Remember too, help is never EVER as close as you need it.
