OT - Life threatening deer hunting day

[86er]

This story starts yesterday. I have been bow hunting hard but nothing yet. One deer was a solid hit with a profuse blood trail for over 350 yds and never recovered. One miss. Yesterday I hunted at the beginning of a storm and got caught in it. My cell phone went on the fritz from getting wet. Last night I dried all my clothes. This morning I headed out to hunt. Upon arrival I realized I had forgotten the safety harness carabiner. This large metal clip would have banged up my dryer so I removed it while the clothes and harness dried. I like to be attached to the safety rope the whole climb so I use a prussic knot. Without the clip I had no way of hooking to the knot. Instead, I found a web strap in the truck. I climbed up and put the strap through the loop in the safety harness lead and wrapped it around the tree. After standing in the tree for about 15 minutes the 15 foot ladder stand suddenly crashed down and left me hanging. Luckily I could reach the platform with my toes so I pulled the stand in and was able to get down, re-group and resecure the stand. I went home for some rest and came back for the afternoon hunt. For the afternoon I chose a different stand, one that consists of several screw-in pegs leading to a hanging stand. As luck would have it I bumped a fairly substantial 10 point on the way in. Once I was settled in the stand it started to rain. Then it was really raining hard, I cannot emphasize how much force the rain had. Suddenly it stopped for a few seconds. I seemed peaceful for a few minutes until I heard the train coming in the distance. Wait - there are no trains around here! I looked back and saw a funnel cloud to the north coming at me. The wind picked up instantly and started rocking the tree so that I almost touched the ground. I climbed down and unhooked. I was going to head to the truck but the strong wind kept pushing me down into the slick mud. After a few steps the wind was too strong to stand back up. I crawled to a big tree and wrapped the safety strap around it and cinched it down. Then I grabbed hold of the tree as best as I could. The wind was so strong that at times my legs came off the ground. I started getting pelted pretty good and thought limbs were falling. I looked up and saw hail! First marble sized hail fell but then it increased to golf ball sized. I got a few good welts from getting pounded. This lasted about 15 minutes between the tornado and the hail. When the wind calmed I headed to the truck but was challenged by a lightning storm. It seems whatever direction I wanted to go lightning would zap the trees up ahead. After zig-zagging through the lightning I made it to the truck. It stopped raining and became a beautiful afternoon (about 6:30PM). I was treated to one of the most spectacular full rainbows I've ever seen. I put on dry clothes and went back out, but no deer. On the way home I got my cell phone to work and found that Ricky had sent me a text that said "Tornado heading your way - strong storm". Too bad the phone got wet yesterday or I may have gotten that message. It was the first and only time I've been scared in the woods. Oh well, hopefully the deer will cooperate before bow season ends. Be careful out there!

[AJMD429]

If that would have been me, I'd have been slipping in something slick and brown other than mud on my way out...

Glad you got out ok.

[Blaine]

Mom Nature can be a mean wench at times

[KirkD]

Wow! What an experience. Glad you came out okay!

[Otto]

Wait... after all that, you changed clothes and went back out AGAIN?

[JReed]

Glad you made it out to tell the tale.

[FWiedner]

Now that's a hunting story.

Fell off a tree, passed by a tornado, pelted by hail, chased by lightning...

... so he dried off and continued to hunt.

I like your style, Joe.

[Tycer]

PH aint no sissy title.

Great story man! Glad you are fine.

[Hobie]

I wonder, were you smiling?

[CJM]

Glad you're okay, but a tip for the future. Don't tie yourself to a tree when a tornado's in the area, get in a ditch or even just flat out on the ground instead. Tornado's pick things up because of the air pressure under them lifts, and trees have a lot of air under the branches. Much better to just get flat on the ground than to take a ride through the air because you are tied to a tree that a tornado picked up, and just might dump on you when you land.

[Alan Wood]

Glad to here your'e ok. Closest I have ever been to one that I know of was in the 70's in Oklahome when mother looked out the east window and said she saw 6 tornadoes!

[olyinaz]

Good Lord what a tale!! Sheesh....

Well I'm glad you're fine and lived to tell us about it. Outstanding!

Cheers,
Oly

[AJMD429]

Glad you're okay, but a tip for the future. Don't tie yourself to a tree when a tornado's in the area, get in a ditch or even just flat out on the ground instead. Tornado's pick things up because of the air pressure under them lifts, and trees have a lot of air under the branches. Much better to just get flat on the ground than to take a ride through the air because you are tied to a tree that a tornado picked up, and just might dump on you when you land.

I would also fear the tree twist and/or snap off near where I was, and those big splinters don't look fun...

[gamekeeper]

Now that's a hunting story.

Fell off a tree, passed by a tornado, pelted by hail, chased by lightning...

... so he dried off and continued to hunt.

I like your style, Joe.

+1

[firefuzz]

Wow!

[Old Ironsights]

The Capitan's tied himself to the Mast! There be a big blow comin! Batten the hatches!

[RKrodle]

Glad you're okay, but a tip for the future. Don't tie yourself to a tree when a tornado's in the area, get in a ditch or even just flat out on the ground instead. Tornado's pick things up because of the air pressure under them lifts, and trees have a lot of air under the branches. Much better to just get flat on the ground than to take a ride through the air because you are tied to a tree that a tornado picked up, and just might dump on you when you land.

I would also fear the tree twist and/or snap off near where I was, and those big splinters don't look fun...

Y'all don't understand, Joe wasn't holding onto the tree to keep himself from blowing away.......he was holding onto the tree to keep the tree from blowing away .

Glad you made it out ok buddy! Get your phone fixed today.

[adirondakjack]

A little wind, a little wet, and no whale. Ah Captain Ahab, try, try again.

[mklwhite]

Hey, you just received on the the greatest memories of your life there. Glad you pulled through it with a minimum of bumps and bruises. (a nice scar would have been a good conversation starter though... )

[Ysabel Kid]

Holy Excement!

Really glad you are safe and sound Joe. Sounds to me that someone upstairs was looking out for you - and maybe telling you that this was not the day to be out hunting!

[crystal river charli]

You Sir are a MAN amongst men

Charlie

[C. Cash]

Sure glad you came through OK Joe!

[RIHMFIRE]

geeezze...glad you came out of that okay...
I have never been hunting near a funnel cloud...
but I know what your mean about the lightining...and heavy rain....
absolutly no fun....we get a lot of that down here in central florida....
be safe...and good luck next time...

[madman4570]

Joe,
Wow, Thank God your ok!
What says it all about you friend is (YOU WENT RIGHT BACK OUT THERE MOMENTS LATER) I would venture to say that 90% of us Levergunners after THAT deal you went through for that day would have probably said---(Yep, that's enough for today)
The fact you thought ----Boy, that sky is beautiful,where's the dry clothes,time to get back to it.says it all Joe.
Joe, just be thankful it was not one of the days you had Brandon out there in the woods with you!

[mod71alaska]

That's one you'll remember! Glad you're OK.

[dr walker]

Holy Excement!
is right

[2ndovc]

The Capitan's tied himself to the Mast! There be a big blow comin! Batten the hatches!

!!!!!!

There's a chapter for your next book!!

Glad your still with us Joe!

jb

[mikld]

Wow! Sounds like Texas! I once had a near miss outside Ennis, Texas, but nuttin' like that...

[rangerider7]

My jeans would have been stained for life!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I probably would have found a nice place to sit, look at the rainbow, and drank some "Jack" after I cleaned up! I can hunt another day.

[papabear]

Wow i am Glad that your OK
next time put your phone in a zip lock bag to keep it dry so you can get that Tex's message

[.45colt]

Well at least You weren't bored. . Glad you made it.better buy some lottery tickets.

[Nath]

Well done Joe, how'ed the bow take it?

nath.

[336A]

Glad to hear that you are ok. I'd have invested in some new jeans and under shorts after a fun filled day such as that