Hunting injury over the weekend

[liljakec]

This past Sunday I went out pheasant hunting with my 1yo German shorthair pointer and we were having a hell of a time. She was finally pointing birds, tracking them, and retrieving them fir the first time in her life. This hunt was going great! Then it took a nosedive as I turned to check out a flushing bird when I felt a pop in my right knee, followed by intense pain, and me collapsing out in the field. For a minute there I felt completely hopeless. I was 2 miles away from my truck and there was no way I could hobble back that far without doing further damage. My one and only saving grace was that I was hunting an old railroad right of way so I was only 10yds from a county highway. I hobbled my way to the shoulder with my dog and sat for a few minutes until I could wave down another hunter who was gracious enough to give me a ride back to my truck.

After an urgent care visit and a couple days of light activity my knee is starting to feel better. We believe it was an MCL sprain. It was definitely an eye opener for me and it really hits home the fact that you really do need to let someone know where you'll be going. I have areas I hunt that are 3 miles from any road which would've made any sort of rescue difficult.

[Buccaneer]

You’re not getting any younger. 58 here and popped my knee dragging a deer up a ridge side. Crawled to my ATV about a half mile. Getting old sucks.

[cubswin]

Back when I was young, maybe 25, I was out ice fishing alone. Was on about a 20 acre pond, during the week by myself. My foot slid, and my knee popped out of place, and just about fell on the exposed blades of my auger. Got lucky I didn't, but I couldn't stand back up. Crawled across 50 yards of ice until I got to bank, and used my auger as a crutch to get back to the truck. Maybe a 1/4 of a mile or so of painful walking with that damn auger as a crutch. One of the last times I went ice fishing without cleats to help keep me from slipping.

[markheb]

Glad things turned out ok.

[greg88]

Boone Iowa boy that brings back some memories *(Home of the Super Nationals)* dirt racing's best Hope your knee gets better

[m.t.hands]

that could have turned bad quickly, glad you're gonna be Okay

[hatcreek]

Glad you’re okay... Sounds like you’ve got a good partner...

Heal up soon and get back after those roosters.

[TMG]

Glad your ok.
Hope your back at it soon.

[cbburke74]

Glad that everything turned out okay ...

As a deaf hunter (Profoundly deaf since birth), I alwasy inform my wife/friend where I will be at and if I do not text by that time frame. They know that it's time to call out the search/rescue team. That's the time I will be "hunted" :)

[Holden]

Sounds like a sprain. If you tore something, you would have known by now. Got held in a heel hook a tad too long this past summer, and felt a nasty pop. Took a couple weeks of nursing it for me to feel 100% again.

[Borderman]

Sounds like a sprain. If you tore something, you would have known by now. Got held in a heel hook a tad too long this past summer, and felt a nasty pop. Took a couple weeks of nursing it for me to feel 100% again.

Never heard the term heel hook. Guess i know whats happening now when it doesn't pop

[grayline]

Wow that's bad... Lemme tell you my story...
Wife was workin as a rural letter carrier at the time.. I just started my Business and I was asked to go play a round of Golf at a Country Club I had just gotten as a customer..
So I couldn't say no.. on the third hole my wife calls me and says can you pick up Ray from School I have to extend my route... I Told her no I was still working. She had her Mom get our son but she was pissed... So on hole # 6 I step up to the tee Box and tee up.. back swing and crunch!!! My left knee popped apart ( medial patellofemoral ligament) The Guys said I was flailing around like a fish.One of the guys was a Naval male nurse and knew what to do ... He pushed me down and told me to plant my hands on the ground... He then took my foot and stuck it under his arm and put his foot under my Nuts and pulled .All's I remember there was a pop then it felt better but not right... My Knee was swelling at a fast rate... all was good until they loaded me up on a golf cart .. My knee was so swollen it was as big as a softball...Two days later I had Patella dislocation Surgery ..My wife still reminds me of this...

[MYRX]

I unfortunately had almost the same thing happen while surf fishing in the Atlantic in 2012. MCL injury in water with waves knocking me everywhere. I could not get out of the ocean by myself! Almost drowned. No one was around it was 6AM. All I remember was being picked up on the beach and loaded on an electric cart and taken to a nearby hotel by the shore patrol. They called my wife and she came, got me. Carried me straight to the hospital in FL. They thought it was an ACL tear in ER. We elected to return to Athens GA next morning and see a local Dr. Things can happen fast. I still hunt alone, but always have a phone and always let someone know where I am.

[Bob G.]

To the OP, hope you heal up ok.

To everyone else that hunts/hikes alone, you should consider carrying a satellite communicator. I carry the Garmin Inreach as cell coverage is spotty or non-existent. I activate it during hunting season and turn it on everyday I go hunting as I'm 2.5 hours from home when I go hunting at my camp and I usually hunt alone. With tracking turned on, my GF can always see where I'm at with Latitude/Longitude coordinates. I can always use the SOS feature if something serious happens.

[Holden]

Never heard the term heel hook. Guess i know whats happening now when it doesn't pop

Yeah man, heel hook is used synonymously with the term leg lock. Rough submissions but effective. Can really tear up a knee if either fighter is careless.

OP, hope your recovery goes well

Heat, stretch, ice, repeat. You will be back in no time. X2 on the satellite communicator especially if you are alone and anywhere with poor cell coverage. Safety is key as we all know.

[ChrisS22]

I hunt (coonhunt) a minimum of 3 nights a week 99% of the time alone. One time I sprained my knee stepping in a ditch that was hidden by some brush, what should have been a 10min walk to the truck took over an hour. Anymore I use a trekking pole and ALWAYS carry my cell phone.

[ou1dadgumit]

Hope you get better soon.

[psj706]

I did the exact same thing to my right knee, ended up tearing the meniscus.

[bass-o-maticjm]

Glad it was just a sprain and not a tear, even though sprains still hurt like a b*tch!

Let me know if you need someone to hunt with (for safety reasons of course)!

[kneelnreel]

hope you heal up soon you really shouldnt hunt by your self if you ever need someone to go with let me know wow how i miss chasing them birds with a good dog