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Oops! Should of but didn't

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Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Elkhunttoo » 07 12, 2017 •  [Post 1]

What is the thing that you "most over look" in preparation that you realize once you are out in the field?
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 12, 2017 •  [Post 2]

Great thread! I would have to say a big one for me is to not have my hunting pack streamlined for the actual hunt. It seems like after the first few days, I'm whittling the pack contents down to "really", what is needed to hunt, kill, and process an elk in the field. I seem to do this every year :roll: .
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby chipick » 07 12, 2017 •  [Post 3]

My biggest is finding time to workout and get my cardio up
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Lonnie » 07 12, 2017 •  [Post 4]

Toothbrush
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby stringunner » 07 12, 2017 •  [Post 5]

chipick wrote:My biggest is finding time to workout and get my cardio up


+1. This seems to always be me too, every October I tell myself never again will I be that out of shape. Every year I say it again. I must be a sucker for pain.
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 12, 2017 •  [Post 6]

I forgot to trim my toenails! It really sucks going downhill when those rascals are a hair too long!

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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby saddlesore » 07 12, 2017 •  [Post 7]

Wasn't me,but I took a younger fellow elk hunting one year and he showed up with a spiffy pair of new boots.Turns out they were both for the right foot.Seems he had another pair just like them at home.So he went down to a restaurant, called Cabelas and had them ship a pair over night to the restaurant.

Had another fellow show up in camp,but he didn't have the bolt for his rifle. It was 200 miles away at home.He said he stores all his rifles without the bolt so if someone steals them,they can't be used.

Worse thing I ever forgot was TP
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Elkhunttoo » 07 12, 2017 •  [Post 8]

I think my main "oops" is neglecting my own shooting. Be it rifle or bow I feel I'm a great hunter but I rush shooting. Age and patience has paid of big time with the rifle. My last 4 elk I have shot with a rifle I have fired 5 bullets. All five placed where I wanted them and it has been the same for several mule deer the last several years but early on when I was a teenager I just rushed everything and it resulted in lots of missed opportunities.

3 seasons ago was my wife and brother in laws first year bow hunting so I spent most of the time helping them shooting and focused very little on my own bow... Opening day comes and i find a young 6 point broad side at 40 yards and let it fly. My arrow went right over his back. I stood there puzzled because I felt really good about everything (I was judging distance and hand no range on him) I got home and before I went to work the next morning I went out and shot my bow! A foot high at 40 yards???? I then realized my peep had caught some bush and had slid and was really loose. If I would of shot more I might have noticed how loose it was and fixed it and that would of hopefully change the outcome of that shot.

I'm going pink this year and shooting with my daughters bow. It is way better then mine (bought it new for the kids last year) and she isn't going to use it this year. In one day of shooting I already have more confidence in that bow then with my old one. Hoping to let a lot of arrows fly between now and August 30th!!!

Another thing I neglected was buying my wife a range finder. I didn't want to spend the money on it and it resulted in here first shot going under a bulls belly. Now she has a range finder ;)
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby BobcatJerry » 07 13, 2017 •  [Post 9]

My son in law, rushed out of the house and grabbed the dog blanket that was rolled up instead of his sleeping bag. It was like a kids slumber bag. Small and thin. It was early September, but due to fires in Salmon the smoke made it extra cold, and our water froze in our bottles over night if we didn't protect them. Upper 20's. He rolled up in my space blanket, of course he didn't have his own, but it really didn't do much for him. He wore every piece of clothing he had to bed, and socks on his hands, which we nicknamed "Hand Jamas". What he didn't forget was his 3 knives. They were in his day pack which we carried on the airline. Didn't even realize he had done it until we were at the trail head. Funny thing was, he was actually pulled aside and had that pack inspected by TSA. We would have had a hard time explaining to them what a gut hook was.
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Elkhunttoo » 07 13, 2017 •  [Post 10]

BobcatJerry wrote:My son in law, rushed out of the house and grabbed the dog blanket that was rolled up instead of his sleeping bag. It was like a kids slumber bag. Small and thin. It was early September, but due to fires in Salmon the smoke made it extra cold, and our water froze in our bottles over night if we didn't protect them. Upper 20's. He rolled up in my space blanket, of course he didn't have his own, but it really didn't do much for him. He wore every piece of clothing he had to bed, and socks on his hands, which we nicknamed "Hand Jamas". What he didn't forget was his 3 knives. They were in his day pack which we carried on the airline. Didn't even realize he had done it until we were at the trail head. Funny thing was, he was actually pulled aside and had that pack inspected by TSA. We would have had a hard time explaining to them what a gut hook was.



:lol: :lol:
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Fridaythe13th » 07 14, 2017 •  [Post 11]

The bigest oops that cost me a shot at a bull was forgeting my release in the truck.
We walk a mile and half on a trail just cutting down the hill to cross a creek and we heard a bugle up the hill 200 yards away. This is way to easy, it's was the last day and haven't heard that many bugles all week now there a bull 200 yards from the trail. We looked at each other and said no way must be another hunter. He bugled again, nope that's real let's go, as we started up the hill Iooked down and noticed my release was gone, I must have left it in the truck, now what. To far to walk back but a easy fix I'll be the caller. We got close to the elk maybe 100 yards and we heard elk running, the wind was prefect not sure what happend. We stopped and desided to move up a little further and set up and see what happens. I sent out the other 2 guys, 1 left of me and 1 on my right side maybe 50 -60 yards and 50 yards from each other, the wind was still prefect. A few cow calls and I rakes a tree not long after that I heard foot steps and rocks turning over with my ears being bad I thought the noise was coming from the right of me so I was tunnel vision down the hill in that direction and it was getting close when in the corner of my eye I seen a nice bull standing there, now I was pissed off the bull walk right between my shooters and no shot for either of them and me staring at him not more than 30 yards. what to do? About this time I see the bull jump as a arrow slams into him. He takes off and runs I get him to stop broad side with a nerves grunt 25 yard away long enough to get another arrow in him if I had my release. As we waited to do find him we talk and I asked why it took so long to shoot, well one of them said it was 10 yards away but he didn't know where the other guy was and didn't want to shoot. Shooter 2 moved down the hill farther and could only see the top half of the bull until he cleared the hill and that's when he fired.
Lots of things went OOPS, Left my release in the truck, tunnel vision, not knowing where everyone is, must have been making too much noise walking up the hill, not loading another arrow after the 1st shot, and the biggest one not finding the elk, hit him to high in the rib cage look for hours and hours.
I do carry a spare release in my bag now
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby bracer40 » 07 21, 2017 •  [Post 12]

I have buddies who've left their release behind. That's why mine is always strapped to my wrist or wrist strap (not the string) when not in use.
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Lefty » 07 21, 2017 •  [Post 13]

I grabbed the wrong arrows once, Not enough water another time, no warm sleeping bag on a scouting trip.
elk hunitng I have it down
Now waterfowling Ive forgotten my gun, shells, calls over the years, pad or heating pad for my pup.
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Roosiebull » 07 21, 2017 •  [Post 14]

i'm always a tad under prepared when I kill an elk, always something. pack board at home, game bags in pickup, no tarp in a dirty spot where the hide cannot be kept clean enough.....

I am going to focus on that this year, it's always a rush, but a preventable rush....cheap space blankets for meat, game bags in pack, pack easy to haul meat with...sounds like an easy fix for a mistake I have made 14 years in a row :?
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Swede » 07 21, 2017 •  [Post 15]

I occasionally go out without something important. I have a list that I check off before each big hunt. Still I forget things related to my tree stand setup like a bow hanger. These items can be compensated for. but more often I lose stuff.
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Indian Summer » 07 22, 2017 •  [Post 16]

Ine time I showed up in Wyoming and realized I forgot the angle kit to my tent pole frame. Fortunately I was guiding for a week before I needed it so I had it shipped to me before I needed it. Pretty important! Other than that I have a list to make up for my memory loss.
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby bald9eagle » 07 23, 2017 •  [Post 17]

Showed up at the trail head last year without my release. I had checked and double checked my pack for everything. I had shot the day before leaving home and forgotten to put it in my pack. I had already told myself that I was putting it in my pack so that I wouldn't leave it in my bow case in the truck. My release ended up 20 hrs away at the house along with my backup release.
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby Grousewit » 07 23, 2017 •  [Post 18]

ALWAYS,ALWAYS, ALWAYS, get in the habit of attaching release to bow after shooting. Next emergency option is shooting 3 fingers under nock sighting down arrowshaft. Should work on an elk size target without practice to about 15 yds.
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby bracer40 » 07 23, 2017 •  [Post 19]

Just remembered this. A few years back I was about 20 minutes (60 minutes total)into my climb up to my tree stand location. It's 0 dark thirty. I was carrying a pole saw I had borrowed to take out a pesky branch I wanted removed. It was about 8-9' long and I remember thinking, hmmm....my load doesn't feel too bad.

That's the moment I realized my bow was NOT in my hand! Back to camp and start again! :lol:
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby saddlesore » 07 23, 2017 •  [Post 20]

Indian Summer wrote:Ine time I showed up in Wyoming and realized I forgot the angle kit to my tent pole frame. Fortunately I was guiding for a week before I needed it so I had it shipped to me before I needed it. Pretty important! Other than that I have a list to make up for my memory loss.

Forgetting the entire tent when the wife is along way out shadows that. BTDT. I had to go into Steamboat Springs and buy one the 2nd time I did it and had to spring for a motel that night too boot
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Re: Oops! Should of but didn't

Postby LostonPurpose » 07 29, 2017 •  [Post 21]

Years ago I was hunting with my then new Brother in Law. He's a good guy but a bit of a goof. One day he comes back to camp with the bottom 2 or 3 inches of his jeans cut off on one side. Apparently, he'd forgotten TP when he left camp that morning and decided part of his pants was the next best option.
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