Outdoor lessons learned the hard way

I saw this topic posted elsewhere and thought it would be a good one here. What are some things that you have learned the hard way or just can't believe you did while boating, fishing, hunting, etc. I must admit that I've had quite a few WTF moments in the outdoors. A lot of it is probably due to self-teaching certain things like kayak fishing & bow hunting.

If I had a camera around me during my first couple years of bow hunting, I think I would be too embarrassed to watch the video. I missed a few, spooked a bunch and who knows what else. I'm still no Fred Bear, but I'm at least competent and now I'm hooked forever. No telling how many items I have lost overboard while fishing from a kayak, due to not having them tied down or on a float. Another is freaking out and spending way too much time trying to "fix an outboard" when I really just bumped the kill switch loose. This one is always one of those "doh" moments.

I'm sure there are plenty of boat ramp stories. People tend to lose all intelligence at the ramp at 5:00am.

My biggest wtf is I never put on enough sun screen. I'm good for 1 good roasting a year. First time I kayak fished, I tried to go to the pass key reef on a day I shouldn't have (weather) & knocked a combo out of the rod holder and lost it to the gulf. Now, my combos are strapped in AND in the rod holders.

I shot my best friend in the face with a BB gun.

crankbaits... enough said...

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Originally Posted by Barking 13

crankbaits... enough said...

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Makes you wonder, they get in my hand so good on accident, how the help does fish that bite them not get hooked?

1) Respect the tides, and know when to leave an area. Spent an evening at the end of the MS river stranded between Fresh Water Bayou and Port Eades. Not a fun night.
2) Make sure your waders are up to snuff when duck hunting.
3) Bullheads are not edible, regardless of what Bobby Cleveland says.

always ... and I mean ALWAYS strap your foot platform to your seat on a climbing tree stand

Nothing too major:

(1) Don't go out without either your Towboat US ID or a credit card.
(2) If you see somebody building a finger pier next to your boat, go back after them and see if they messed with your tie lines. (17 those ass holes; cost me $1000 dollars in fiber glass repair; probably the biggest mistake I've made that bit me).
(3) Always have a good knife on a boat. A Swiss army knife is not sufficient. Get something big and with teeth to cut through lines.
(4) Never let anybody else put the plug in, hook up your boat, hook up your trailer, trailer your boat, basically anything that is vital without double checking behind them.
(5) If your cranking off two batteries, periodically check both so you don't end up off shore with one dead battery.
(6) Never let anybody else check to see if your lines are in before cranking up. Twice I've had to cut rope out of the motor because somebody was looking at a line in teh water while they told me all the lines were in. Neither were dubmasses either. Would have included this with (4) except it's so damn unexpected I thought it deserved its own item.
(7) Never pull up anchor until your engine is cranked and in gear.
(8) Never trust a boat gas gauge, even if you are giving it a half a tank margin of error. Ran out of gas once after the gas gauge went from full to 3/4 full.

The biggest dumb thing I've done repeatedly is do things beyond my comfort/skill level. Looking back I did some things that I'm lucky didn't end badly. I'm much more cautious now.

sounds like we both are men of experience .... and never run baitwell pump, deck lights, anchor light, fishfinder, and refrigerator all night without cranking and charging batteries a couple times during the night

Wear some sort of glasses when fishing (Hell, wear eye-protection all the time). The moderately heavy stuff at the end of your line can cause blindness at the least.

All trigger jobs on Remington rifles MUST be done by a gunsmith.

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Originally Posted by SapperDawg

All trigger jobs on Remington rifles MUST be done by a gunsmith.

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ha - that rule also applies to Anshultz 22 caliber rifles

Shot myself in the mouth with a BB gun. Shot point blank at a wooden fence. Wondered why my mouth tasted metallic. Pulled a BB from between my cheek and gum. No blood.

** I was about 9 years old at the time.

Never, let anyone borrow your tractor! If you do it will return F'ed up.

do not drink heavily the night before a ten mile hike into the backcountry that requires topping 3 mountain peaks. you may nearly die.

do not jokingly put your raft sideways into an eight foot drop cat 4 rapid. Your friend may nearly drown.

do not talk your 6 month pregnant wife into going camping. It may be your last family camping trip in 6 years... and counting.

do not think your cool enough to skip the learners class before going snowboarding... and then do not decide that you're "doing ok" right off and on your first trip down the mountain decide to haul ass even though you don't know how to stop. You may wake up stairring at your elbow... and have to put it back in your self... and snap the head of your humerous... which isn't funny... and requires you to wait several months before you can even have surgery to reconnect your now shattered arm.

Has happened more than once on all day bow hunts, standing to piss out of a climber and look down to see deer with your pecker in your hand. I swear deer can laugh

1. Even if you know you packed your gear make sure you put the bag in the truck before driving 200 miles.
2. Just because it's in a yellow can doesn't mean it's diesel.
3. Never use cheap barbed wire if you plan to stretch it with a tractor.

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Originally Posted by 3dawgnight15

Has happened more than once on all day bow hunts, standing to piss out of a climber and look down to see deer with your pecker in your hand. I swear deer can laugh

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I'm still laughing my ass off at this one ^^^^

1. When climbing up a tree (all limbs can be considered rotten).
2. You can not carry enough spare rifle slings.
3. A 240 weatherby does not work well in a 257 Weatherby rifle.
4. Never, Never, Never forget your reading glasses. ^^^^