As luck would have it...

[Pulleye16]

The creepy thread had me thinking about other crazy stories you've encountered over the years.

So what's your "luck was on your side" story?

I was out in remote northern MN at our cabin, in early Jan, with a few friends, 60 miles from the nearest civilization. We had a fun filled week of fishing, shooting, cards and or course, drinking. On day two of the 5 day trip, I quickly jumped on a snowmobile to check on my buddies fishing far out on the lake. After I got back, I needed to move my truck for someone reason and couldn't find my keys. I searched high and low that day with no luck. Panic really settled in on day three and I became a mess on day four. And put in perspective, I'm the only one with a vehicle. I also have two friends that need to be at the airport later on day five. Day four, everyone is getting nervous and we tear up the cabin, the yard (which is covered in feet of snow, the truck, bags...EVERYTHING!

I get mild reception and get a hold of a Ford dealership some 2+ hours away to see what I can do. They said they could make a key (chip) but I'd need the title to show ownership. That ain't gonna happen. We decide our only option is to push the truck down the long minimum maintenance road, get a tow to the dealership, and plead like he!! to make a key.

This of course is all happening in sub zero temps and a good 2' of snow. The road was plowed as best it could for a minimally used route to the cabin. I remember getting to the bottom of the hill, all taking a break from pushing the truck around, and looking out towards the lake and seeing a glare on the snow. I say "what the heck, lets go check it out." As luck would have it, my key chain caught the sun just right and low and behold, my keys were right there, half sunken in the snow on the lake.

After some deep thought, I figured when I jumped on the sled to go check on my buddies out fishing, my keys fell out of my coat. I have no idea how I found them as just a small portion of a key was sticking out of the snow...absolute crazy luck!

I know keep a spare key hidden in or around my vehicle.

 

[MuleyFever]

I had a key scare on a hunt in ND one year. I parked my truck and went for a walk to see if I could get in on a deer I saw bedded. After hiking over to where the deer was I couldnt find him. I could see his bed but he was gone. I walked a bit looking for other deer then went back to the truck. Reached in my pocket and no keys. I was out there alone and of course some panik stared to set in. I figured I must have dropped them when I crossed one of the fences. I tried to retrace my steps but the tall grass made it hard. I ended up walking up and down the fence lines in the general areas I knew I was and got lucky and found them. Now my keys go in a zippered pocket either in my pant or my pack.

 

[grfox92]

My keys dont leave the truck when I'm out in the field or in the middle of no where. I hide them in the frame rail, gas door or under a rock

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[Wheels]

My key story happened several years ago. Was out bird hunting and got back to the truck and no keys, started re-tracing my route thinking it was a needle in a haystack. Noticed one of the dogs just standing by a fence crossing and wouldn’t move, walk over and she’s standing on my keys. She even pawed at them when I got by her. Amazing.

 

[grfox92]

My key story happened several years ago. Was out bird hunting and got back to the truck and no keys, started re-tracing my route thinking it was a needle in a haystack. Noticed one of the dogs just standing by a fence crossing and wouldn’t move, walk over and she’s standing on my keys. She even pawed at them when I got by her. Amazing.

Hope you gave that dog a steak.

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[Slickhill]

If I park on the road I’ll usually lock the truck and hide the key somewhere on the truck so I don’t lose it out of my pocket down on the creek or out in the pasture.

I set the key down right inside the lip of my front bumper one time and promptly heard it fall and rattle all the way down into the abyss behind the bumper. I figured I better retrieve it then instead of after dark when I got back so I started feeling around for it blindly inside the bumper. After rolling all over in the gravel under the truck for half an hour and cutting my arm a couple times while reaching into the grill and bumper I finally located the key, of course I could only barely touch it with a fingertip and not grab it. I ended up cutting a hole in a splash guard or something and getting it out the bottom.

Now I always have any empty shotgun shell box or coffee can or something in the bed that I can stash the keys in.

 

[H2PVon]

Keys make me paranoid. I'm hopefully always going to have a vehicle with a key code or fingerprint or something so I can leave the keys inside while I hunt.

 

[LongWayAround]

On keys... I just keep one zip-tied to my frame. It's never not been there. People have said that the zip-tie will fail, but I've never had that happen and replace it periodically.

I don't have any near miss stories at the moment.

 

[Jimmy]

When I was just getting into hunting I stayed in a campground below the dam and spillway of a lake. Didn't think much of it. Later I heard that the following weekend the water came over the spillway and the guy in charge was asleep at the wheel, so to speak. In the middle of the night. No warning. So that campground was under 1-2 feet of moving water. People staying there had their belongings pushed down stream for miles. that would have sucked

 

[Justin (Raz) Rasmussen]

Hiked up to the rim of a bowl after some deer in Southeast AK, after all day of glorious sunshine (rare in those parts) I realized I was way farther than I'd made time for and was late meeting back up with my buddy for the hike down before dark. Decided to head down the face of the bowl instead of hoofing all the way back around to the saddle I'd come up. Promptly got cliffed out and attempted to shimmy down a waterfall... made it about three steps and head over heels I went crashing and tumbling down said waterfall. After a few summersaults and bouncing off rocks I landed on my feet at the bottom just like a dang cat. Few scratches and bruises but nothing major bleeding or broken. Good Lord was sure looking after me that day.

 

[bucksnbirds]

Not keys, but my buddies wallet.

Me and my buddy were elk hunting in colorado 3 years ago, about a week into the hunt, he can't find his wallet with his tag and all accessibility to his money, etc. After 3 days of looking for it, tearing up the country side, him driving back 2 hours to town to get a replacement tag, he's freaking out at this point. He is from Chicago and has no identification, money, tags. I look in my pack to get my water filtration out and see a brown wallet, which looks exactly like mine which is funny because I left my wallet in the truck. Turns out it was his and it was attached to me the whole time. I saw it sitting on a cooler, thought it was mine at first glance so I throw it in my bag. Needless to say he was a little pissed but reluctant

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Circa 1980 or 1981, up at our deer camp in Northern WI and one of our Patriarchs had passed away the day before the season started. His funeral was the day before Thanksgiving and all the older fellas left the night before, leaving 5 or 6 of us youngins alone (bad idea) at least one of them removed the beer tap from the keg and took it with them (not trusting us, heathen). We proceeded to shoot 4 bucks the next day. Later that night, I had the brilliant idea to knock the bung out of a half full keg. Bad, Bad idea. When that thing broke loose, it shot out of there, whizzed past my ear, millimeters from my skull and dented the metal roof on the porch. Beer everywhere. That thing may have killed me.

Lessoned learned: Don't try and knock the bung out of a pressurized keg of beer. I got lucky that night.

 

[Hoosker Doo]

When we were kids we were playing in some very old abandoned sheds alongside my friends farm. After an hour two of playing, we all got an eerie feeling and decided it was time to get out of there and go eat lunch. We ate lunch at the house and forgot all about it. We went back to the shed we'd been playing in and it was collapsed. We had some guardian angels for sure.