Just returned from eight days of beautiful Alaska and black bear hunting (answer to your immediate question is NO ) - realized that of all items I could forget (yes, I had a list, actually two lists) I forget to bring sufficient sweets; took one box of ginger snap cookies and man, was I aching for those Nutter Butter cookies, chocolate chip anything cookies, Almond Joy or Snickers - what have you left behind on a recent hunt that left an impact on you, either essential hunting gear or a certain piece of clothing or a food item? KMule

I just got back from my first out-of country hunting trip.......it was a great hunt to BC for black bear (and to answer the question.....YES!!! )

I found that I definately over packed by quite a bit. The only thing that I forgot was my spare cartridge carrier that goes on the belt....I had to do all my loading out of my vest pocket which was kind of a pain in the ass because I did alot of it......it seems the Canadians don't like people carrying rifles in vehicles with the mags full and chambers empty ....I guess Texas trusts it's people to act with good judgement.

It wasn't my most recent hunt but during a deer season here in Va., I got about 20 minutes down the road and realized I'd brought no ammo. Fortunately, no one was waiting for me. Unfortunately, as it turned out, it didn't matter.

John

Johns post reminded me of a deer hunt in Alabama one year.......It was my first trip to Alabama to hunt with my uncle. I planned and packed for this trip a couple of weeks prior. After the 9 hr drive we are deciding if we are hunting deer or wood ducks in the morning. We decide deer so I begin to gather my deer hunting gear together. When it got to looking for my handloaded .30-06 ammo I tore my bags apart looking for it.......then a lightening bolt of realization hit me....I remember putting them on the loading bench to pack them but I didn't remember actually packing them .....We hunted wood ducks the next morning

Last trip out I forgory my shooting sticks and felt as if I was stalking one handed. Previously I have forgoten my boots but found an old pair of steel toe capped ribber boots in the cabin that fitted, not stylish, but I was glad to find them. A guy turned up stalking an brought the wrong bolt with him..

I HATE to forget my folding stool. With a comfortable seat, I can stay still. Without one I fidget and move too much for good hunting.

A few years ago my son and I headed to Southern Colorado to meet up with 8 friends from the KC area for a bow hunt for elk and bear. We got to the meeting place before the others and while buying our licences the guy told us that he had a call from one of our buddies wifes that morning. Seems he forgot his arrows and she wanted an address to UPS them......
When they drove in to the parking lot, I was setting in a chair next to my truck holding a sign that said...."ARROWS FOR SALE $100 each".
If it would not have been for an archery shot close by, I think he would have paid that high.
It all turned out great. That week, 10 of us took 2 bull elk and four bears! The elk were taken from the same tree stand over a water hole and the bears were all spot and stalk. There was two misses on bears.

Pete.

I can blackcat that one!

Lovely summer evening and the twitches set in - hopped into the car and drove about twenty minutes to a favourite patch for Roe. All the season I had been playing cat and mouse with a fine old Roe Buck - well past his prime and now 'going back' with a vengance.

Slowly coasted up to the farm gate and snuck out of the car - to see him browsing, head down and quite contented in the evening sun not 60yds away. Damn, but he looked happy, glorious fox red coat and all the graze he could manage!

I had a job to do however, and eased around to the rear of the car and slipped the key into the lock. Slowly and quietly cracked the lock, and, still looking at the Buck for signs of interest, felt around for my rifle case.

Shooting sticks came to hand, jacket, Bino's and cap all easily identified by feel....... but NO BLOODY RIFLE!!! How the HELL can you go hunting and forget the rifle!!??!! I can only plead insanity!

I learned a lesson about rushing out of the house that day - and have felt stupid each time I recall the incident. BUT - it was a lovely evening, and I'll swear I could hear that Buck laughing as he ambled back to cover.

BTW - caught up with him the next week - but by that time, hunting had descended into a grudge match!!

Rgds from the SW

Ian

Pete & Ian, I've done both, but years ago so couldn't blame old age . Last year, hunting waaay back in the Colorado Rockies, realized I'd forgotten my rifle sling...and brought the box of cartridges I'd loaded for antelope rather than the ones for elk. Did get an elk though.
Oh, promise not to tell anyone?

I will not admit to ever forgetting anything.

Something that will help that I have been doing for some years, is make a list on your computer.
I list everything down to the smallest item, and when preparing for a trip, I print out a copy. Nothing gets checked off until it is actually in the truck.

The list has changed slightly over the years, usually something is taken off that is never really needed. Less is better.

Living here in N.W. Montana, one thing that goes along, regardless of time of year, is long johns!
I also have an ALICE pack with all the basic survival gear that always stays in the truck.

What about the wrong load???? My buddy and I were hunting in Texas this past january and we went to check our rifles at the range.His rifle is now shooting a good 3-4in. low at 100.He emailed me prior to the hunt a 3" bullseye with 10 shots in it at 200yds. but now this same rifle and ?same? load was shooting low at 100.
All wasn't lost as he rezeroed and went on to kill a dandy Aoudad Ram.
But puzzled over what went haywire with his loads when we got back to his house he pulled first one then several bullets and weighed the charges.We found the culprit,he loaded his 300Win. with his 7mmRem load by mistake,all 50 rds. were loaded wrong.The load was accurate enough but to get the job done but it could have been worse.

[ 06-10-2003, 19:00: Message edited by: rws2 ]

The key to my freaking trigger lock.

kk

KK - had to happen to someone sometime!!

My wife

Last week, Benadryl. It's now been added to my all inclusive super list that indeed serves me extreemly well. Forgot my gun once when I went pheasant hunting, but there were others to borrow, so no big deal. Forgot my shells (to test) once when I went to the range, which was the whole reason for going; 45 minutes of wasted time going back home for them. Of course I didn't realize the absence until I had everything unloaded and set up.

Since we are all looking foolish and being proud of it let me tell you a little tale. A few years back my significant other asks me if we have everything before we leave on our annual moose hunt. She starts running off the list of important things item by item and I'm telling her that of course we have everything since I'm such an organized and truly savvy hunter/camper/packer.

We got to our campsite and started to unload all the gear from the boat and everything seems to be in order with the exception NO TENT! Mr. perfect hadn't packed it. After eating crow for about an hour I managed to rig a canopy of sorts on our boat and it kept us dry for the night. Fortunately we got our moose the next day and made it home that afternoon but that could have been a truly miserable situation.

I guess the moral of the story is to not let your macho get in the way of checking the list twice.

Let my dog out to empty before setting off and got the other end to realise I had left her behind.

Upon my return I have found out that my tent poles and my shooting glasses are still 4000 km's from home

TXPO
Now you know why clip guns are preferred up here!
Actually they found most hunting accidents happened in the vehicle.
I only brought 13 bullets last year cause hey I never use more than 3 or 4 max anyway. . ..
I blame the number 13 cause I ended up having to hunt with the FIL's rifle

IanF,

I know somebody whp left his shotgun case on the side of the road after he load his car...and he kept his ticket too when he told the Police!

Another one against myself...Have you ever stalked or come across the old BDS stalking ground at Ramygrain near Harwick on the Borders? I cut my teeth stalking there and one weekend I was climbing up into a large tower highseat when half way up the ladder the extra height enabled me to see a lovely buck not 50 yards away in a bit of dead ground...Ever so carefuly i continued the climb in full view just knowing it would look up at any moment. After what seemed like an eternity I slithered into the box at the top and inch my way up so i could see over the side and the buck was still there! I leveled the rifle, took aim and gently squeezed the trigger only hear the aweful "click" of a firing pin falling on an empty chamber! I had forgoten to reload after climbing the ladder! the buck bound off of course but the doe that was with him was quite happy to remain hwere she was! 15 minutues later, my muffled cursing subsided, i saw a little yearing buck and decided he was going to get it....Again i leveled the rifle, took carefully aim, and again the aweful click when i squeezed the trigger! In my earlier distress, it seems I had short stroked the damn bolt..The cursing the second time was not so muffled!

Regards,

Pete

A couple years ago I left my rifle behind the back door. Realized my mistake about 1/2 way across the state. My hunting partner's wife picked it up and met us at about the 1/2 way point.

Saw no elk - - should have walked the hills unencumbered and scared to death in bear country.

I took a friend (well actually it was a friends son but he was still older than me) deer hunting and he hunted all day with an empty gun, didn't find it out until he tried to unload that evening.

KK:

What's a trigger lock?

I agree with the poster above re Benadryl, just got back from an African trip where I would have killed for some anti-histamines after exposure to some noxious weed in a sunflower field dove hunting and I am not normally subject to allergy/hay fever attacks. Luckily we were relatively close to a major city and I bought both kinds of allergy pills the pharmacy had for about a DOLLAR. Best dollar I've spent in a long time. I'll ALWAYS carry some anti-histamines from now on.

BTW, I have a mantra which has served me well over the years for hunting travel which I always repeat before leaving the house or anywhere else I'm staying in transit.....subject to what you are doing of course....but, Money, Airline Tickets, Passport, Guns, Ammo, if you've got enough of all of the above, most of the rest can be fixed.

When I took my son on his first father/son moose hunt/camping trip when he was 4, I made the mistake of leaving his teddy bear in the truck, and had to canoe back a few lakes from camp to pick it up. I also relized we left mom's home made chocolate chip cookies as well.

No, we didn't get, or even see a moose, but the trip was all he could talk about for 6 months afterwords.

I left a shotgun on top of my truck and drove off once. I had been grouse hunting and was sweating pretty good so I put the gun up top while I stripped some clothes off. I got about 2 miles down the road when it dawned on me. The shotgun was however nowhere to be found. Some kind soul must have come along and given it a new home Not one of my prouder moments.

Jeff

The most miserable I've been hunting is when I forgot matches. I don't smoke any more, but just sitting there, I kept bargaining with myself to take two hours off hunting, hike back to the truck, and go get some matches. Almost considered rubbing sticks together, but I figured that would be too much noise.

H. C.

Not a Passport!!!