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Thread: Duck hunters story......

  1. #1
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Default Duck hunters story......

    Story of survival in the real world.

    Was at a Ducks Unlimited meeting last night, planning our Christmas party......and finally got around to this seasons stories and hunting lies.

    Our vice president, retired deputy sheriff, long time outdoors man, was relating a story of hunting on the Mississippi River this year, had a good day, duck flying right up to closing time.

    Picked up decoys and started back as the suns was going down......followed the wrong channel, and ended up at a dead end.
    Started back and was getting darker, but he could see the boat launch as from the truck lights as the guys were pulling out their boats.

    As the water was high, lots of the back waters were flooded, so was hard to see the channels for the mud bogs and sand bars.....
    Kept getting the boat hung up, and had to push, all the while he could see the launch, but just could get there.......Till everyone left the launch....and everything went dark.

    Turned on the battery powered spot light, lasted a few minutes and went out.....In total darkness.

    Now it's call his buddies on the cell, to drive to the launch form the hotel, no one answered, looked in his wader pocket for the card from the hotel....was wet and number destroyed.

    Called home to DW to get the number of the hotel, got it and called the hotel to ring up room 206 and tell his buddies to meet him at the launch.

    All the while, struggling thru the mud pushing the boat, in the dark, till they got to a channel, finding out by falling in to deep water.

    Buddies got to the launch and turned on trucks lights, seems they were only 30 yards away......Loaded the boat, and noticed a sticker on the stern of their rented boat......"Support SAR....Get lost!"

    Headed to the saloon....forgot to call DW back and say all is well.....and showed up at the meeting as proof of survival.

    In your opinion..........What are the main points of survial here......?





    My pick "Didn't call DW and say all is well"....That will get you killed......
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
    Evoking the 50 year old rule...
    First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
    Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27


  2. #2
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Default

    A few come to mind, but when out hunting with buddies like that I'm sure that many become complacent.
    1. Did not end his hunting and retrieval early enough. (kind of a duh here)
    2. No plan with buddies to wait on the last man out
    3. Insufficient equipment/insufficient prep of equipment.
    4. Bottom line is sounds like there was no plan at all.

    It wouldn't have taken very much to avoid all of that - even a cheap gps with a track back feature.
    Can't Means Won't

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  3. #3
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Default

    Yeah, It was like:

    We don't need no GPS, we can see the boat launch for here...
    Won't need another spotlight, this old one works fine......
    We don't carry flashlights, we got a spot light......
    We have hunted in this spot for years......so what if there is high water this year, so we can't find the right channel.....or our way around.....
    We will meet you guys at the saloon...last one there buys.....
    Turn off cell phones, no place for them in the duck blind.....

    Complacency?....Yeah, definitely in play here.

    Brings to mind the great duck hunt tragedy of 1940.....in about the same place.

    http://www.wingsoveralma.org/bylanderaccount.html

    All is well, but can happen to anyone......I don't care how many times you are out there......
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
    Evoking the 50 year old rule...
    First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
    Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27

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