Rough day hunting, but still better than work, maybe

[Thebear_78]

Took the 4 wheeler out yesterday with a few buddies. We didn't make it a mile when the drive axle on my machine snapped making it in essesnce a front wheel drive. I parked my wheeler and rode my buddies. For the sake of this thread we will call it "death trap". It was a honda 400 with no brakes and no electric start. We rode it out to the steep parts of the mountain with me in the rear they went up first I followed. after they went up I went up in 2nd gear about 3/4 of the way up the hill the machine bogged down and died.

"oh, bleep" was the first thing I thought as I started to roll backwards down the hill. I was dragging my feet flintstones style trying to slow my rearword progress until my right boot got sucked under the front tire, spinning the machine sideways and starting it rolling down the hill.

I woke up on the bottom of the hill staring up into the trees. "oh great" wiggle my toes and fingers, slowy test all of my limbs. Seemed to be ok. Got up and went to look for the machine, somehow got it back onto its wheels and tried to kick start it a few times, but it wasn't easy without a right boot. Right about then is when I started to hurt, bad. I went and layed back down until my buddies came to look for me. THe best way I can describe the feeling is if somebody put you in a large dryer on high, with a handful of boulders and a 500lb dryer sheet.

Aside from taking a pretty good beating the damage wasn't as bad as it could be. The machine still runs, and doesnt' really look that much worse for wear. THe two biggest loses were two of my rifles. My loaner 98 mauser stock was broken and the scope on my winchester 70 300 win snapped in half and off of the rifle. THe mauser was in a gun rack and the winchester was slung across my back.

I'm still alive and in one piece but I'm really sore today, going to take a little while to heal up I think. Hopefully I can get leupold to fix that scope for a reasonable amount, it was a brand new vxII 3-9x40.



Here is a picture from the top of that mountain I was climbing that I took three days eariler while using my machine with brakes 

[Dusty Miller]

Life is tough, its tougher when.............

[Daveinthebush]

I thought my day of mountain climbing for goats and having to bust 500 yards of alders and Devils Club was bad.  But to loose a good friend on a hunt, the rifle, is too bad.  I bought a Encore in 7mm/08 for my goat hunts.  Just tuck it in the pack and go hands free.

Hopefully you did not hurt yourself.  Hunting here is tough.  It makes whitetail hunting back east seem like a picnic now.  Any animal up here is a trophy just to harvest the animal and make it out alive.

Best of luck!!!!!!!!!! 

[williamlayton]

Some days are diamonds some days are stone.
Well, nothing can be said that will make the experience any better. I am sorry for the loss and the injury, I hope you recover soon, and while expensive, the other is just stuff and can be replaced.
I enjoyed the pics, if not at your expense.
Blessings