Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Have you forgotten any thing important on a hunting or fishing trip??

got up one sat. morning put a brisket on the pit, my brother called me around ten wanting to know where I was. had forgotten I was suppose to go hunt that weekend.

Brought the fly, poles, but no tent. Middle of winter in the high desert (Fort Rock Oregon). Right around 0F. Built a huge fire and the three of us wrapped ourselves in tarps and the fly. Turned out to be a great night.

Also had some confusion about who was supposed to bring the coffee on a 7 day float on the Main Salmon. I ended up driving about 80 miles round trip on mostly dirt roads to Salmon ID at 4:00 AM to get a few pounds.

My sleeping bag on a fishing trip to the eastern Sierra.
Luckily I realized it in Bishop and was able to purchase one before getting to camp.

I left a bolt at home once. A rifle is not much use without a bolt.

Underwear! Had to drive 75 miles one way to buy some. No way I could go a week on one pair.

Work

I had to drive an extra 42 miles because I forgot to buy a hunting license one time....never again!

I forgot the keys to my boat, trailered 900 miles, and had my wife send them. My wife's cousin was there, and she was in the process of sending her husband, his boat keys.


I went to Canada where they told me I needed boat trailer registration.

I kept getting boat trailer flat tires until I looked in the rear view mirror while going over a cattle gate. Once I slowed down for cattle gates, the flat tires stopped.

Rifle- 3 mile OW return
Bolt - 2 mile hike, 13 mile one way - partner shot "my" bull from my stand just as I was re-approaching my stand site.
BP for the Seneca -350 miles from home. Fortunately discovered at the truck when starting the 18 mile hike in. Wife was forced to shoot her ram at 35 yards with my .270.

Coffee, had a helluva headache for one day- fortunately a weekend hunt - see "bolt" above.

Outboard fuel hose - 700 miles from home. Was able to borrow one- still owe the guy a favor, but his kids clean up on watermelon every time since when we go to our remote cabin.

Years ago I made a list of everything I might need on a hunt. Laminated it , so I could use dry erase makers on it and reuse it. One color for things as I got them out, another color for things I wasn't taking that trip.

Not foolproof, until I figured out that getting the dog pack out first would keep my Lab from adding and/or subtracting things from my pile until his pack came out ..... .

Such a help, he was!

Friend of mine hunted Webb County and managed to pull a week long drunk in El Papagallos and the Mirabu club across the river in Nueva Laredo. Unfortunately, he had forgotten his rifle when he left his house and had to stop in San Antonio at a sporting goods store and buy another on his way home. Which turned out well as his wife was waiting at the door with his rifle case in her hand when he got home. She never caught on.

Worst for me was pretty simple. I drove from one end of the county to the other for a hunt and found out I had brought the wrong box of ammo. I had both a .30-06 and a .25-06
and wound up with my .25-06 and a box of .30-06 ammo. I got to sit in the truck and listen to the radio while my brother hunted.

Apparently the bung/plug is pretty important, when going on a boat fishing/crabbing trip !

Easily solved, but the boat was in the water, before we discovered, the alleged importance.

My Dad forgot his bull moose tag at home on a fly in moose hunt to a remote lake. Luckily, my brother and I each had a tag and two moose were plenty for the three of us. Got checked by a fly-in C.O. too. 150 miles away from the closest town -- your tax dollars at work, I guess.

I forgot to pull the trigger on a nice U>P> six pointer one time while hunting on my uncles farm. Had the cross hair on his chest, had him skinned, butchered and in the freezer, just forgot to pull the trigger.

Drove 55 miles to call coyotes, once - got there, and found I'd forgotten my calls and ammo.

License, boat plug, boat keys, with monotonous regularity

Back before the days of cell and satellite phones we did a fly in trip to the South end of Montague island for deer. Weather was bad and we did two days of cancelled trips to merrill field loading and then unloading planes. Took everyone duck hunting at portage but the ex had talked me into washing my Chessie as I would be gone and he "stinks". He went hypodermic in the cold water and I dealt with that for a vet bill. By the time we finally flew out I left the two main food boxes in my garage. Didn't go over well with the crew to say the least. I talked up our deer meat meals like a talk show host that week.

Never. I'm so OCD on that chit I pack, add stuff, repack, go look for specific items to make sure. The count off everything as I load it. I've been carrying chit for 10 years I never used, but might need to.