A precautionary tale: be careful out there.

[Thar]

Hi Gent

I had a bit of an accident this weekend while stalking; guess I was quite lucky in the end.

I went to one of my blocks with my brother, it holds some good roe bucks, and we stalked Friday without luck we only found does. We turned in at about 11:00pm as it does not get dark until after 10 pm. We were camping in the forest on our block that night it turn a good bit colder than I had expected, in fact I couldn’t sleep because of the cold and at about 2:00am I got up and put some extra layers on before getting off to sleep. Two hours latter the alarm was going off I dragged myself out of my sleeping bag and got a brew on looking on top of the tent it had a layer of frost on it no wonder I was cold.

Camp, my brother and my dog.

For the first couple of hours I could only find more does and one red hind, I was stalking back to camp when my GWP went on point hummm I couldn’t see anything I glassed and glassed, maybe it was in the trees, she does not know how to tell lies (false point). My usual technique in these cases is to stop and wait and watch for about 20 minutes and see what happens. Sure enough after a few minutes out of a fold in the ground appeared a young roe buck. I checked the range 243 yards, the ground between us was open with no cover, I could of moved when his head was down but thought no he is in range for a shot off the bipod. I checked the wind almost bang on 12 o’clock and no need to compensate for drop with my 243 magnum it would only have drop a 1” at that range. Cross hairs just behind the front leg, bang!! the buck jumped up in the air like a shot rabbit did about 5 yards then dropped. I watched and waited a few minutes before I when to the animal.

Once there I went to I rolled him on his back and knelt beside him, I then went to stick him so he would bleed out, the knife seemed reluctant to penetrate his skin at first, I just gave it a big stab but the knife hit his breast bone and stuck in my left knee, Oh ****!!! I pulled it out. OK now what, I did not feel in much pain but could feel the wetness running down my leg. I though right get this deer done and sort myself out after. I quickly field dressed the deer, when I stood up the pain in my knee hit me. I dropped my trousers to look at the damage; I could see a puncher wound about ½” long. My knife is quite thin at the point as I have ground the back down to make it easier for when I dress out roe anuses. The blood was running down my leg quite freely, I got a field dressing that I carry in my pack, it has been in there for years and I guess I thought I would never need it I used it to dressed the wound. I tried to ring my brother on my mobile he answered his phone, I was grateful it was him as I have a bit of a standing joke with him about his phone being on while we are stalking. I asked him to meet me on the forest track in his 4X4 after explaining to him what had happened. I managed to drag the roe and myself to the track my bro’ turn up just as I made the track. He had a first aid kit in his motor, I cleaned the wound with antiseptic wipes and put a new dressing on. He wanted to take me to the hospital but I refused as the bleeding had about stopped. After going back to camp we had a drink and some thing to eat I spent the rest of the day on my camp bed as walking was difficult. That night I made it out for a evening stalk/high seat sit by now the pain had eased a bit and I managed another buck.

We got home early hours this morning I am off to the doctors in the morning to get it checked out and a tetanus jab, it has got better as the day has gone on so hopefully it will all be OK.

In reflection, I guess I was very tied and a momentary loss of concentration bit of frustration was all it took, I could of so easily put it though my femoral artery and were we were nobody would of got to me in time.

Be care full out there guys, hunting roe bucks can be very exhausting with the early get ups and late to beds, it is easy to make a simple mistake while tried.

ATB

Tahr

 

[243varmint]

Glad it turned out ok in the end mate. It could of b een a lot worse as you said.

A first aid kit on my shopping list now, my stalking partner has some of that clotting powder he carries as well as feild dressings


Jonathon

 

[Brithunter]

Keep an eye on it and watch for reddness and swelling as infection is very likely. That's what happened with my left hand. At least I was at home when the knife slipped skinning my Roe Buck instead of my knee I stuck the knife into the back of my left hand. Four days later, on a Saturday of course, I was down the hospital with quite bit of pain and it starting to swell. Yep the blood on the knife had caused an infection. One course of antiflobitics and it's sorted except for a nice little scar now .

It's easily done and that's the first time I have ever done anything like that.

Take care and look after it and get fit and healed soon!

 

[Dan Gliballs]

Ouch!

Mistakes happen all too easily.

I as good as chopped off the tip of my trigger finger when my blunt tipped Opinel SHUT on my finger whilst sticking a Buck to bleed it.

The hospital did a great job!

 

[Muntiacus]

We should run a pole "how many of you have cut yourself open with an Opinel"
I've done my self twice with one, refuse to use them now

 

[mudman]

I did very similiar last year, except I was back at the larder. Route cause was I was rushing so I could get away for the pigeon roost shooting (1st Friday in Feb), instead of using the saw to split the sternum I used a boning knife. Somehow managed to plunge the knife into my right thigh about six inches above the knee. Luckliy it was just a deep flesh wound, it was lunch time so nobody else was around in the estate yard so I had to drive myself to hospital with my trousers around my ankles and holding a big wad of blue paper towel against the cut to stem the bleeding. They fixed me up with half a dozen stitches and it was only then I realised what could have happened if I had been a couple of inches to the left and got the femoral artery.

 

[csl]

Did you sterilize the blade before continuing the gralloch to minimise cross contamination to the carcass?

Seriously though, a sage warning indeed. Just goes to show a moments lapse in concentration is all it takes and in some of the places we take ourselves what would normally be a minor hiccup can turn into a major problem!

Glad you are ok though, and a decent result in the end too, so fair play!

Alex

 

[DL]

my stalking partner has some of that clotting powder he carries

This is the stuff :

If it were me, I would consider using a tourniquet, however, do not follow my example, as I wont be liable.

 

[Muir]

A tourniquet can be really dangerous if not loosened periodically. If not gushing a good pressure dressing would be in order. ~Muir

 

[Brithunter]

Ahhh Gentlemen,

I can attest that the "Tubigrip" bandage used to support strains makes an excellent pressure dressing with a suitable pad a couple of lengths of suitable size to go over leg and hand/arm would not take up much room in a pack either.

 

[6pointer]

Cuts from stalking knifes will no doubt be one of the top risks please dont tell the DCS or there will be a futher 10 pages of best practice on knife use. Glad it turned out ok and next time go slowly its a marthon not a sprint

 

[scottybhoy88]

This is the stuff :

If it were me, I would consider using a tourniquet, however, do not follow my example, as I wont be liable.

I would strongly advise you to only consider a touriquet as a last resort. They can do more harm than good if you have other options.

 

[Si]

Only a real stalker would see to the dead beast first... and drag it to the track too

There's no hat's off smilie so a flag waving will have to do.

 

[Patrick A]

I am surprised not to have seen a post like this before.

Last November when stalking Chamois in Austria my guide cut his leg badly while butchering the animal we had shot (they take the head and flesh off and leave the rest on the hill as it is lighter to carry home). He was very lucky to get home at all, we were 1.5 hours from a vehicle and mobile reception and the only way out was to walk. Every step he took left blood on the ground as it was dripping off his boot - he had no first aid kit. When we did get off the hill we were met by an ambulance who called for a helicopter. He had 3 litres off blood transfused over the next few hours and spent a week in hospital, apparently the only concern is not just Tetanus.

Si will be pleased to hear the he had dealt with the carcase before we headed off the hill!

 

[flytie]

I am impressed you dealt with the deer Some people flap, you don't, well done :!:

Was your knife razor sharp? There is a common myth that you only cut yourself on a blunt knife, but since I bought a scary sharp knife i have cut myself twice. Nothing like as well as you did though

ft

 

[Thar]

Wife went a bit ballistic when she found that I galloched the deer and dragged it out, if it had of been worse I might of made a different call. I think complacency played apart in my accident.

Every time I do a first aid course the advice seems to change on the use of a tourniquet, last time as pointed out, use one as last resort and slacken it off every 10 to 15 minutes other wise you could loss a limb, on the other hand it could save a life.

ATB

Tahr

 

[limulus]

Ive been on the receiving end of an opinel..only a cut finger so lucky really.

 

[Tom270]

Hi guys I wrote quite a bit about emergency wound care etc a bit go, a post something like "emergency that can kill, femoral artery" I think. There is plenty of detail there. Basicaly encourage a bit of bleeding, does not sound like Thar's needed any encouragement but it washes the bugs out a bit and apply pressure, good man for having a dressing along. All the best Tom

 

[Sam]

Well thats a lovely way to end a stalk isnt it. For taking your beasty though, now thats a hunter gatherer

I have lost count of the number of pointy object incidents over the years. Worst is taking out a very sharp cross draw knife to cut some bale twine, holding the sheath I slit from my thumb nail to my watch strap. You could see bone! It made an impressive war wound to show to my freinds (I was about ten at the time). What did I do? I wrapped my hankercheif round it, and ran home quickly! Why you should always take a hankie when you take a knife


Sam

 

[Pippa]

My ex was a tree fella, working with other tree fella's and tree surgeons. All of them take dogs with them to work.

I follow their example and just have 'stop bleeding powder', field dressing pads, and EquiWrap/Vetwrap in my first aid kit. Works for humans and dogs...