This really happened to me!

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Crawl for Survival

Scarred for life.

Meltdown on opening morning.

Meltdown on Opening Morning

It was a brutally cold couple of days before the opener in 1981 with temperatures expected to dip to -15 by the opening morning of deer season in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A few of us wondered how we would stay warm on our stands when my younger brother Dave offered a possible solution. I decided to take his advice and fill a coffee can with pre-soaked charcoal briquettes. In the wee hours before light at camp, I made sure to soak my briquettes with enough lighter fluid so it wouldn't evaporate by the time I needed to stay warm and light that can of coal. I figured more lighter fluid would be better. About 6:30AM I couldn't take the cold anymore and decided to light my homemade heater. At first, everything went well; the coals started to flame slowly. Minutes later the flames were getting a little high out of the rim of the can I had placed on a log in my ground stand. I became concerned the flames may cause the log to start on fire. So with my heavy gloves I lowered the inferno to the ground. That was enough to really get things going and the flames shot out like a blow torch three feet into the air with sparks flying everywhere! I was now worried. I quickly got out of the stand in search of some snow but I could only find a handful or two. Each handful caused a steam cloud to belch into the air with a loud hissing sound. The flames kept growing ...I needed some water but none around. I was desperate to find a way to dowse the flames when I realized the only way out was to use my own biological fire hose. With a full load of back pressure, I positioned the hose with tender care; not to get too close to start a wiener roast but close enough to do the job. Acres away the steam could be seen rising in a mushroom cloud formation. Fire under control. I heard the hooves of frightened deer bound out of the swamp from the down-wind side of the meltdown. It took years before another deer came close to that spot. My friends at camp saw the mushroom cloud 40 acres away. Needless to say, I didn't see any deer that morning and have never used the homemade warmer again. It wasn't a good idea after all. This really happened to me! (Name withheld for obvious reasons.) TOP

Crawl for Survival By Fred Wahls

It was the week before opening weekend, 1996. I was out in the swamp setting up a deer stand for my son. It consisted of a 12 foot ladder with a platform on top, leaned against a tree. I was out there alone (first mistake) and told nobody where I was going (second mistake).

Anyway, I leaned the ladder/platform against a likely looking tree and tested it. There was a branch in the way which needed trimming, so I grabbed my machete and climbed the ladder. When my head was just above the platform (12' off the ground) the whole thing shifted and began to fall. I tried to jump clear but my boot got caught in one of the ladder rungs. When I hit the ground I felt a dull sensation in my right ankle. I looked down to see my foot bent at a perfect 90 degree angle to the right. yep, a real bad break.

I was a mile from my truck, no cell phone, no one knew I was there and it was cold and a freezing rain was just beginning. I had no choice so I began to crawl out on my hands and knees keeping my right leg bent with the foot suspended. Every time I moved the leg forward, the boot bobbed up and down and the pain seared through me.

The crawl took 4 1/2 hours to get back to the truck, another 20 minutes drive out of the swamp on an old logging road and then about 30 minutes back to town (all driving with the left foot)

Needless to say by the time I got to the hospital I was hypothermic and shocky. I also had a foot-long cut on my back from the machete from when I fell.

I was in surgery around midnight that night to rebuild the shattered bones. To this day I have 5 pins in my ankle and I can feel the weather change about a day ahead of time.

I truly am lucky and I believe me, I NEVER go into the woods alone without telling someone where I'm going and when I'll be back!!!!!

Scarred for Life
This is a the story that happened to my husband. I personally thought it was extremely funny.
My macho bow and gun hunting tsar goes gun hunting one year; the year he bought his new and improved, ultimate deer-slaying scope. One morning very early, a nice 6 pointer comes strolling by the tree stand some extended yards away (somewhat startling the deer-slayer out a morning/post Bud slumber I am sure). Shoots, misses..

Well.. when he came home that weekend he was having a hard time looking me in the face. I thought it was just because he came home empty handed. Until..... I see his face. He had a very red, bloody half-moon gash right between his eyes! When I asked him what happened, he replied he had a problem with his NEW scope! LOL

Ahhh a lesson learned, but that poor gun wielding deer slayer now must be reminded of this most embarrassing incident every morning when he looks at himself in the mirror. The poor thing is scarred for life.

Colleen A. Sedlacek TOP