I'm about to share a story that I have never told fully on any forum. It is something I have struggled with for a long time, yet it made me the person I am today. November 4th, 2000. I was up at the family cabin in northwestern WI. I got up to the cabin late the night before with my buddy and brother in law. We decided to wait until it got light out before driving to the area we were going to hunt. We chose an area we called the Peninsula. A large chunk of public land with a river running around 3 sides of it. At the time, it was foot or atv travel only. We unloaded the atv and headed about 1 1/4 miles in. While we were driving in we see a doe standing next to the trail, about 10 yards out. Because we had so many doe tags, we decided to see if we could shoot her. I got off, uncased my bow, strapped my release on, nock an arrow and she still stands there. So, I whacked her. We decided to let her lay, my buddy would go to his stand and I would help my brother in law find the spot I wanted him to set up in. After about 1 hour, I decide to go trail the doe. It took me about 5 minutes to find here piled up. Now, this is a thick ass pine plantation, so I decided to drag her the 25 yards back to the trail before doing anything with her.....this is where it happened.... I'm about 5-8' from the trail and coming through the last pine tree. I look to my right and its almost as if a branch on the pine tree explodes....I got spun around, my ears ringing, I can't see my right arm, my right side burns, I can't hear.......I had been shot. At first I thought a grouse hunter was walking down the trail and shot at a bird as it got up and thought he shot my arm off. I could finally see my arm and the blood running out of it. I had a hell of a time moving it, but managed. When I look down the trail I see 2 Native kids standing there 20 yards away......one with a rifle in his hand. (.30-06) I realised now what had happened. I started freaking out. I thought for sure I was dying. I ripped my shirt off and put pressure right about the bullet hole to try stopping the bleeding. This whole time I'm screaming. After about 15-20 seconds, or however long it was, I can hear my buddy yelling to me from about 150 yards away asking what was wrong. I yelled back that I had just been shot. He came running. When he got to me, he started to freak out. He turned and ran for the atv about 150 yards away. This whole time, I'm telling myself not to go into shock....if I wanted to survive, I had to stay away and keep pressure on the arm. Mike gets the quad, picks me up and drives like hell to truck. From there, we started driving for Spooner, 12 miles away. About 3 miles into the trip we got cell coverage and Mike dialed 911. The operator sent an ambulance to meet us part way. Well, we ran into the ambulance about 1 mile from Spooner and pulled over. Thats when I nearly lost it. They put me on in the ambulance and started cutting my clothes off. Thankfully the bleeding had stopped from my arm, but I had a bad pain in my groin and no pulse in my right wrist. They discovered that I had shrapnel in my groin and stomach, but only skin deep in the stomach. Next stop, the hospital. After about 30 minutes in the hospital, a helicopter picks me up and heads for Duluth, MN. I can tell you, it was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my life.....and I'll never forget it. Once we reached Duluth, they checked me over and rushed me in for surgery. Last I remember was looking at the Dr's as I fell asleep. I woke up about 3 hours later, surgery complete. I find out the extent of the damage. The bullet ended up passing through my right bicep and missed my artery by 2mm. If it would have hit it, I wouldn't be typing this right now. The pain in my groin ended up being a piece of wood from when the bullet hit the tree. I ended up spending 3 days in the hospital. The worst part of the whole ordeal wasn't healing physically, but mentally. For over a year I had nightmares, waking up
Just me giving you an internet Hug, thx for sharing. I am thankful you made it and that I know you. Wyatt is lucky to have you as a Dad
Dan it almost seems you are glad to get this out of your system and have been keeping it in. I cant imagine carrying this with me all the time. Bro you have helped me with some question about swamp hunting via PM and I am for sure glad you are here to share this with us. You have the gift my friend.
Nothing, they were 14 year old Native Americans. The State Patrol and DNR listed it as a hunting accident. It also became a tribal matter, thats why its not in the DNRs listings for accidents. Edited: 13 Days later the kid was back out hunting with the same gun. He was resting the barrel on his foot while loading it and the gun went off.
This was one of the hardest things I have ever typed. I can talk to people about it, but taking the time to type it brought back a lot of memories that I stashed away.
Sorry it had to happen, but glad it turned out like it did. Thanks for sharing. I work with a guy who got shot while turkey hunting. He was sitting next to a bush and his buddy was calling a few yards away. All of a sudden he said it felt like he had been hit in the side of his head with a 2 X 4. His buddy managed to get him out to their trailer and call for help. He ended being flown to St. Louis and had surgery to remove the shot. He lost his left eye and still has dozens of pellets in his neck. It is too risky to remove most of them and they have been healed over. Due to him loosing one eye the woods now looks like a flat curtain of trees to him. It took him a few years but he now hunts those same woods again. He speaks at hunter education classes and really gets the kids attention when he takes out his glass eye and shows them his x-ray with all of the pellets still in his shoulder and neck. He was very lucky too.
Dan- I can only imagine what you went through and thank god you are ok. One of the things that makes bowhunting so appealing to me is the close proximity of the game. I have only Gun hunted for deer two days in my life and the first day I took a buck, but also had the hell scared out of me with all the careless gunfire around me. One thing I'd like share is that I was shot growing up by a friend who was being an idiot. We were shooting at a wind vain on the top of a barn with a .22 and he got pissed because I was shooting his gun better than him. The moron took the gun and started shooting at my feet and saying to "Dance". I ran over to the telephone pole and stood sideways and he took a shot at the pole and hit it, then another shot and I felt something hit me. I am lucky because it grazed the telephone poll and ended up missing my spine by two inches and lodged about eight inches back under the muscle of my shoulder blade. I do remember it hurt like hell a short time later but there is no way I can imagine what a damn .30-06 felt like. I guess in the end Karma got the guy who shot you.
Dan, First off, thanks for taking the time to share this story with us. I can only imagine what it took to recall the event as you typed it out. I have enjoyed getting to know you through this forum, and especially through our team, "The Spammers" Hopefully sharing this will help heal over some old wounds and I value the fact you trust this forum enough to share such a remarkable story. I fully understand now why anytime you make it into the woods you can really appreciate it. Whether you have the bow, gun, pole and hook, atv, whatever it may be. Thanks again for sharing this bro.
Wow! i cant imagine that happening, lucky for you dan ,you had some quick thinking friends or this story could have turned bad quick. While overseas all I wanted was to be home and in the woods, and when I got home I did just that and went out for the shotgun season, after hearing osme shots in the distance my mind wandered and I found myself sweating and beginning to panic,, I left the woods , and tried to take my mind off things, I too had nightmares for a few weeks,the gun fire had triggered some memories I care to forget. So I can relate with you on that one. My dad is a gun nut and I dodged going shooting with him for a while. I was afraid that it would trigger the nightmares again, well I finally went and it seems to have faded as time has gone by. I can gun hunt now and target shoot. But it took time. Glad your ok dan.And seems like you needed to get that off your chest.
Wow...thats a seriously moving story. But I cant say im sorry for the kid who im sure doesnt have much of a foot now.
That was a very moving story. Glad to see that you came out alright. Even more glad you shared that with us & got it off your chest. That would be terrifying. Did you ever find out why they shot at you in the first place. Am I wrong, but aren't kids of that age supposed to be escorted by an adult? You were being watched over my friend.
Dan, thanks for that. It puts a lot of things in perspective. I remember you refereing to it, a (long) while back, I now know why it took so long. And I'm very glad you shared it with us. Take care bud.
Dan, as someone who follows and looks forward to your posts, I've seen you hint about this before, never telling the story, only saying one day you would. I'm glad you did, it is scary how quickly things can be taken from us. Those 3,4,5, major events that mold who we are, and what we become, are sometimes great moments and sometimes moments of sheer terror. They all play a part though. Thanks for sharing and we are all thankful for the outcome. Peace Brother!
That is an amazing story. I don't think that I can even begin to think that I know how you feel. Clarely goes to show you how you can never take anything for granted. A nice day out in the woods can change so quickly without even knowing what is going on. I am so glad that you are able to share this story with us and I am just glad that you are ok.
It's remarkable that you're still alive. Simply amazing! Thanks for sharing and I'm sure it's nice to get that off your chest.
Thanks for sharing, Dan... I know how cathartic putting the words to "paper" can be... It's almost hard to comprehend what you've endured.
WOW! Just WOW! I can't even imagine how hard it was reliving that here by typing it out Dan. I thank you for it, and your story should be a poster banner for hunter safety and firearm safety. I don't care what race the kids were that had done it, but in that situation, I would have found it hard not to walk over and take the weapon, unload it,and smash it against a northern pine! I would have also found it hard not to smack them both up side their heads. I only say that because sometimes even in an extremely intense situation, anger is hard to control. I had to be restrained 17 years ago when a woman ran a stop sign and hit me while I was riding my bike through a crosswalk. The mere thought of striking a woman makes me sick, but I wanted to crack her one for that mess. I hope that telling your story gives you some closure and puts an end to the occassional nightmare.
Dan Wow!! What a horrible ordeal!! I am glad you survived it. I really have enjoyed your posts over the years and getting to know you. Thanks for sharing. Tim
Geez Dan.. Good to see you made it out okay. I hope to never get shot.. and I've had a few close calls over the years. Kudos to to your buddy to get you out so quickly.
