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Old November 23, 2012, 01:13 PM   #1
Wild Bill Bucks
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Don't do dumb stuff

http://thefiringline.com/forums/atta...=1&d=135369375

Last Saturday, I shot a deer, on the side of a hill, and instead of dragging it to a flat spot to load it on my 4-wheeler, I elected to drive my 4-wheeler to it and load it where it was lying.

The first thing every instruction manuel tells you about your 4-wheeler, says to NEVER operate your wheeler on a sideways slant. But being quite a bit smarter than every manuel ever written, I parked on the slant, and proceeded to load my deer on the rack. It was at this point, that the weight of the deer, was just enough to bring the wheeler over on top of me, pinning my face and body under it, in a pretty good briar patch.

I spent about 20 minutes getting out from under it, and luckily only suffered a scratched up face, and some bad bruises to my chest and shoulders.
So I have decided that "I am not smarter than a fifth grader"

So if any of you have a thought about riding you 4-wheeler on a slant, remember this picture.
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Old November 23, 2012, 01:21 PM   #2
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"Scratched up face" you say... I'd say that's a bit of understatement.
OUCH!... Sorry 'bout that Bill... Thanks for the tip...
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Old November 23, 2012, 01:48 PM   #3
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I'm glad you weren't hurt worse than you were.
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Old November 23, 2012, 01:49 PM   #4
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I too thought I knew better once upon a time. Rolled the wheeler and took the handle bars square in the face. This was 20 years ago, and I still remember pain lasting for weeks.
Hard to believe, but sometimes the instructions and warnings are worth looking at.
At least you didn't get seriously injured.
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Old November 23, 2012, 01:59 PM   #5
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We get way too many calls for ATV roll overs!
Last one was where wife said no way to the incline her husband had just climbed and he didn't make the climb with her machine. He lost an eye and still needs several "more" facial reconstructive surgurys.
I guess by the looks of your face is why you didn't drag the deer!

Wishing you well with your healing!
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Old November 23, 2012, 03:09 PM   #6
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Ouch! I've never done that but I have rolled a riding mower......backwards. Ain't no fun watching those spinning blades coming for you. You never know how fast you can move until you have to.
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Old November 23, 2012, 03:11 PM   #7
.284
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Dude.........glad you're alright.
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Old November 23, 2012, 04:56 PM   #8
North East Redneck
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Hawg, that wheeler that rolled on me went over backwards. 20 years later I can still picture that thing coming at me. At least it didn't have blades!
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Old November 23, 2012, 05:00 PM   #9
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Ouch.

Glad you're okay -- and thanks for the timely reminder.

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Old November 23, 2012, 08:09 PM   #10
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Gravity never quits.
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Old November 23, 2012, 08:25 PM   #11
North East Redneck
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^^^ true. And it usually isn't on my side....
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Old November 23, 2012, 08:54 PM   #12
Sure Shot Mc Gee
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Chewed pretty good there Wild Bill Bucks. Pretty scary situation to be in all by yourself I'd say. But your here and not There. And that's what counts.
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Old November 23, 2012, 11:57 PM   #13
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Glad you are ok. Dont try it with a jeep either. They dont sidehill very well.
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Old November 24, 2012, 05:24 AM   #14
Mike / Tx
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Sure glad it wasn't any worse than it was. There are too many bad endings very similar to your story every year. Similar to wearing a harness while hunting a tree stand, gravity is there as well, and the sudden stop is not your friend. Unfortunately there are many related stories about that every year as well.

I hunt is some pretty back woods areas where the closest ER is easily over an hour away if your driving over the speed limit. Cell phone service is also VERY spotty as well. When I leave the truck, barn, or house, I keep the thought of my friend or wife finding me in some unfortunate fashion, hours after I should have been home. This keeps me a bit more on my toes with things like this.

So far the worst thing I have had happen was herniating two disc while out hog hunting. I bent over to go under some low limbs, and it felt like I was pole axed right in the hips. It literally took my feet out from under me and my breath away. Luckily my friend and his wife had stopped where I had parked my 4 wheeler, knowing I should have already been there now some time after dark. Since they had no idea where I was they simply waited. When they saw my faint light down the road they came and got me.

It was the worst two hour drive I have ever made to get home, and I can honestly say, that Dodge puts a VERY stout steering wheel on their trucks, because I tried my best to bend mine into a pretzle during the trip several times. The DR at the ER said he was amazed I was able to still walk, and that I was lucky that neither of them had ruptured, or I would have been right where I went down, and had to have been brought out professionally to keep from being ruined for life. It sure shed a whole new light on getting back in the thick stuff where the big ones hang out for sure.

I think your story is another sound reminder to us all, that we owe it to ourselves, and especially our familes, and hunting friends, to think things through a bit more while out in the woods. Sometimes even the simplest of things can have grave consiquences.
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Old November 24, 2012, 08:28 AM   #15
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Yup, these things happen faster than you can imagine. Glad it wasn't more serious.

Lost my pinky finger to a 4 wheeler accident when I misjudged the center of gravity.
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Old November 25, 2012, 11:59 PM   #16
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Ouch, glad it isn't any worse. I have decided to buy a UTV after my last horrendous ATV crash in the summer of 2011. I still have the fourwheeler but I almost never ride it now. Back flipping off a small mountain is expensive and painful. I hobbled for two months and had to spend an additional $1500 to fix a brand new ATV (it had 25 hours on it). No good.
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Old November 27, 2012, 02:52 PM   #17
Woody55
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Good job hanging in there and getting out.

There are all sorts of things that don't mix well with slopes. I'm real careful around my ATV, riding mower and tractor.

Thanks for the reminder.
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Old November 27, 2012, 03:20 PM   #18
trg42wraglefragle
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A lot of children and adults are killed or seriously hurt every year in my countries on farms riding ATVs.

They can handle the hills pretty well but always go straight up or straight down step hills and never ride along the side.
I know in practise this isn't always possible, but all the safety gear in the world can't protect you from being crushed by 600lbs of metal.
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Old November 27, 2012, 04:20 PM   #19
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Holy cow, Bill! You look terrible! And you got scratched up a bit, too! (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!)

Glad you're not hurt bad, probably mostly your pride.
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Old November 27, 2012, 06:43 PM   #20
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Makes me hurt just to think about it.

I know you're more sore today then when it happened. Hope you heal up well and Thanks for the reminder.
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Old November 27, 2012, 06:50 PM   #21
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Damn. That could have ended badly. Glad you are ok and thanks for a good reminder.
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Old November 27, 2012, 08:07 PM   #22
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"Don't do dumb Stuff". If only I had the ability to follow that advice!!

glad you are OK, lots of folks don't get a second chance.
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Old November 27, 2012, 08:13 PM   #23
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Please be careful on those things people. My brother saw one of his best friends try to climb a very steep hill on his new 4 wheeler, the thing flipped over backwards and the handlebar went through his neck killing him instantly. Just like any tool, you have to be careful.
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Old November 29, 2012, 06:41 AM   #24
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Them four wheelers are dangerous.

That's why the indians invented horses.
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Old November 30, 2012, 09:39 AM   #25
Wild Bill Bucks
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I just got word from the doctor, that it will be another 3 to 4 weeks before my ribs heal up, but outside of soreness, I'm actually feeling pretty good.

I just thought of something, that at the time wasn't very funny, but now seems to be humorous. As I said before, I was trapped under this thing for about 15 or 20 minutes, and while I was there, I had enough sense not to panic. As I lay under it, I stopped to evaluate my condition, and take inventory of my body parts that may, or may not, still be attached.
After a little while I realized that I did not have any broken bones, or that I was disabled in any way, other than just being pinned down from the weight of the 4-wheeler.

It was at this point that I started to smell gasoline, and from the position I was in, I could see that my switch was still in the "on" position. My head was pinned under the handle bars, and I had decided that there was absolutely no way that
I could get it out. I was wrong. After smelling gas with an open switch, my calmness went out the window. Full panic set in, and that's probably why I tore my face as bad as I did.

Gas around an open electric switch is a real motivator
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