Post by yetihunter on Dec 20, 2008 20:53:17 GMT -5
First and foremost I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming support my family and I have received. It’s truly amazing to hear from everyone. I am alive and that’s the most important thing, but in this post I want to explain everything that happened on that night to clear the air and to help others not make the same mistakes.
Below is a picture of the set up. John (hunting buddy) had never hunted with me here before. With that said we walked in together and I told him to stand where the arrow shows him standing. I kind of briefed him on where to look for the fox that would probably either come in across the road or up the ATV trail by the radio tower. I never took the time to actually point out where not to shoot. I took it for granted that he knew even though he had never hunted this spot. I then said I am going to hang the caller by the tower and then dip over the hill to the right to cover the down wind side of the caller. I got set up where the arrow shows me being set up. When I first got set up I looked in John’s direction but could not see his head lamp but I knew where he was and was confident he knew where I was. The first call I played on the caller was a recording of a hand call being blown. John immediately thought that I had changed the set up and was standing on top of the hill by the caller because the hand call recording sounded like my hand calls. After about ten minutes of calling I had a fox come in from the back of the property and was about to shoot it when, unbeknownst to me, John had a fox that came in between him and the caller. But since he thought I was on the other side of the caller he waited for another shot. When he finally lined the shot up, I was on the other side of the brush from him in a dip and he never knew it since he didn’t see my headlamp. His first shot peppered the side of my coat and I turned towards him to yell and it was too late. I heard the second shot ring out and could hear the bb’s ripping though the brush towards me. I started turning my face back to the right but it was too late. I took many pellets to the face, neck, arm, leg and my left eye. I hit the ground and screamed that I had been hit. When John came up I went unconscious. Once I came to, I called the land owner for help and we walked out. The ambulance took me from Prattsburgh to Strong hospital, which seemed like forever away. All in all hind sight is always 20/20 but can’t dwell on that. This was an accident and I don’t blame John, my hunting buddy for, or myself. It was a fluke and I just hope everyone can learn from it. All in all I took 15 or so pellets in my body. One is lodged between my jugular and carotid artery, one is on the outside of my voice box, and one grazed a ¾-inch gash across my left eye. The rest of the pellets are in my neck, arms, face, leg, chest, and hand. I truly am lucky to be alive and owe it to the many of you have have kept me in your thoughts and prayers. I don’t want to hear what could have been done different or how things could have gone differently. Hearing that stuff will just slowly kill John and I. Just have to be thankful that I am still here to tell about it so everyone can maybe slow down when making a set and talk a bit more about shot directions and such. The hospital left every BB in me since the risk of removing them was too great. Within my clothing was probably another 20 pellets that welted me but thank god didn’t completely penetrate into my body. The distance of the shot was ~ 65 yards. The whole night was a nightmare and one I don’t want to ever repeat or hear of being repeated by anyone else. It has been very trying on my family and friends. Just have to thank the Lord that I made it. As for my eye, the Dr’s are going to attempt several surgeries to fix it so I just have to remain positive about that. As for this post, please feel free to copy and past it where ever you see fit so both the non-hunting community and hunting community can all learn from it. I have heard many things that have been posted on the web about that night, and until you hear it first-hand you can’t believe any of it for a second. I just can’t believe some of the stuff being posted, makes me sick... Thanks again for everyone’s positive support. Please keep John in your thoughts and prayers as well.
Thanks,
-Nick
Below is a picture of the set up. John (hunting buddy) had never hunted with me here before. With that said we walked in together and I told him to stand where the arrow shows him standing. I kind of briefed him on where to look for the fox that would probably either come in across the road or up the ATV trail by the radio tower. I never took the time to actually point out where not to shoot. I took it for granted that he knew even though he had never hunted this spot. I then said I am going to hang the caller by the tower and then dip over the hill to the right to cover the down wind side of the caller. I got set up where the arrow shows me being set up. When I first got set up I looked in John’s direction but could not see his head lamp but I knew where he was and was confident he knew where I was. The first call I played on the caller was a recording of a hand call being blown. John immediately thought that I had changed the set up and was standing on top of the hill by the caller because the hand call recording sounded like my hand calls. After about ten minutes of calling I had a fox come in from the back of the property and was about to shoot it when, unbeknownst to me, John had a fox that came in between him and the caller. But since he thought I was on the other side of the caller he waited for another shot. When he finally lined the shot up, I was on the other side of the brush from him in a dip and he never knew it since he didn’t see my headlamp. His first shot peppered the side of my coat and I turned towards him to yell and it was too late. I heard the second shot ring out and could hear the bb’s ripping though the brush towards me. I started turning my face back to the right but it was too late. I took many pellets to the face, neck, arm, leg and my left eye. I hit the ground and screamed that I had been hit. When John came up I went unconscious. Once I came to, I called the land owner for help and we walked out. The ambulance took me from Prattsburgh to Strong hospital, which seemed like forever away. All in all hind sight is always 20/20 but can’t dwell on that. This was an accident and I don’t blame John, my hunting buddy for, or myself. It was a fluke and I just hope everyone can learn from it. All in all I took 15 or so pellets in my body. One is lodged between my jugular and carotid artery, one is on the outside of my voice box, and one grazed a ¾-inch gash across my left eye. The rest of the pellets are in my neck, arms, face, leg, chest, and hand. I truly am lucky to be alive and owe it to the many of you have have kept me in your thoughts and prayers. I don’t want to hear what could have been done different or how things could have gone differently. Hearing that stuff will just slowly kill John and I. Just have to be thankful that I am still here to tell about it so everyone can maybe slow down when making a set and talk a bit more about shot directions and such. The hospital left every BB in me since the risk of removing them was too great. Within my clothing was probably another 20 pellets that welted me but thank god didn’t completely penetrate into my body. The distance of the shot was ~ 65 yards. The whole night was a nightmare and one I don’t want to ever repeat or hear of being repeated by anyone else. It has been very trying on my family and friends. Just have to thank the Lord that I made it. As for my eye, the Dr’s are going to attempt several surgeries to fix it so I just have to remain positive about that. As for this post, please feel free to copy and past it where ever you see fit so both the non-hunting community and hunting community can all learn from it. I have heard many things that have been posted on the web about that night, and until you hear it first-hand you can’t believe any of it for a second. I just can’t believe some of the stuff being posted, makes me sick... Thanks again for everyone’s positive support. Please keep John in your thoughts and prayers as well.
Thanks,
-Nick