Stuck in the mud on last deer hunt of season

[hobbeeman]

My son (13) and I got to a spot that a friend told us about on the Red river Saturday morning. We drove into the riverbed just like we do on the Canadian River North of Amarillo, but SURPRISE... even though the riverbeds look amazingly similar, we were stuck. Stuck up to our axles. We dug and dug and the 4-runner just kept sinking! (I thought that quick-sand was just in the movies, I haven't really run into it on the Canadian river.) Just as my boy and I were hiking up to the bridge, a group of young hunters walked up and offered us hope. Together, we all worked for about one & one-half hours, and could just almost get it out, when two grandfatherly gents drove up in a Kawasaki Mule. Between us pushing and the mule pulling, we were finally out of that hole! Three hours!

My son and I took the 4runner back to the road and parked it. We hiked around for awhile with some .22 pistols to scare up a few rabbits, but we came home with nothing but a good story, about 50 pounds of mud and sore muscles.

After getting through with all of this we sat on the talegate, ate some of the venison we shot 2 weeks ago, and swapped stories.

My son and I had a GREAT DAY!

We owe a great deal of thanks to the hunters who spent a good part of their morning helping us out of our mess.

 

[lawson]

some of my favorite hunting memories are from days when no hunting was actually done.

one year, we were at deer camp and it was pouring rain. first day of the trip, and it was so miserable that no one except old zeke (the most hard-core deer hunter of the group) stayed out for too long.

after everyone was back, we gathered in the big wool army tent that served as kitchen and chow hall, and we passed around bottles of booze and sang old songs while my brother played his acoustic guitar.

my dad cooked up squirrels n gravy and a mess of biscuits, and we all swapped stories and told dirty jokes late into the night.

 

[Matt G]

Sounds like a 3 hours stuck that Dad and I had in a major bog while elk hunting up in the San Juan Moutains near Pagosa Springs, CO. We got the old '91 Trooper sitting on the frame. About 120' of rope and cable, but nothing but little saplings in front, and the good trees were at a steep angle to the side. The come-along was just taking up the slack. Along came a couple of Texans in 4-wheelers. They doubled up with their winches, and couldn't get us out. A third four-wheeler (big one!) arrived and added to the chain. Finally, with Dad at the wheel and the Trooper in 4-wheel low, I got behind and lifted the rear out of the ruts. I may never before or since have lifted so heavy. The Trooper popped out like a rabbit, and we were saved. Twenty minutes later, another group of Texans helped us up a hill. We were beginning to wonder if anyone from Colorado was in CO that week! But we were thankful for our fellow Texans!

We never fired a shot, and had a blast.

When you see a fellow hunter stuck, LEND A HAND! It comes back ten-fold, someday.

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

One year, my buck was in the bed of my truck. My hunting partner had driven his truck up around a mountain and hike hunted all the way back to camp. I'd just finished some dinner, and out of the woods he popped. After feeding him and hanging my deer, we set out to retrieve his rig. I had to pull out of camp, then as luck would have it, turned left instead of right. No worries, I'll just swing wide in the road and turn around. I dropped the whole right side of the rig in the ditch. Lockers front and rear with good mud tires. Still couldn't climb out. Winch cable attached to a big evergreen! It was weird, the road looked solid, but the previous rains had softened things.

All four wheel drive rigs should have winches. Because all four wheel drive drivers know how to git stuck! (this may not help if there's nothing to attach to, but thats where 4 wheelers need to use the buddy system)

I'm glad you had a good time with your son. I'm looking forward to excursions like that with my boys. Things might not go perfect, but they get to learn from our mistakes. And while it's all unfolding we're that much more closer for it.

Be it with a friend or family. Take someone hunting.

-Steve