What reasons have made you come off the mountain...

[hodgeman]

Had a bad storm roll in on my sheep hunt last year. We were weathering out just fine but the visibility was 0' and expected to be for 10 days...impossible to hunt in so we bagged it. We watched the weather for a week and got an unexpected break so we made a mad one day dash for the ram we'd been tailing...he was gone. We watched the storm system moving back in from the top of the mountain.

 

[dcestnik]

Dead batteries in a headlamp. During lunch break after the hike in had discovered that I'd forgotten spares while in a rush to get out of town for the bonzai trip.

 

[kaboku68]

I had a partner give up 12 miles from the road about 5 miles from hunting area. I kept thinking that I would just keep going but the thought of his wife being a widow cut it short.

I had another trip cut short when I took a 15 foot header on an avalanche slide in goat country straight down and landed face first with 65lbs of gear on my back.

 

[RUTTIN]

Had three days left to hunt elk, had a bad feeling that I needed to head home, told my partner we had to leave(thank god he is understanding) We pulled tree stands over some waterholes at 10:30pm in the dark (I don't recommend taking tree stands down in the dark) when I got cell service, I had a message from my wife she was in the hospital having our second child (she wasn't due for another month) I walked in the hospital in my camo just in time to see my first daughter born.
Had another trip cut short when my father had a heart attack while we were setting up tree stands, he never made it out of the mountains that night, and the rest of the season I had a hard time even going out hunting, even though I know that's what my dad would have wanted.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Had three days left to hunt elk, had a bad feeling that I needed to head home, told my partner we had to leave(thank god he is understanding) We pulled tree stands over some waterholes at 10:30pm in the dark (I don't recommend taking tree stands down in the dark) when I got cell service, I had a message from my wife she was in the hospital having our second child (she wasn't due for another month) I walked in the hospital in my camo just in time to see my first daughter born.
Had another trip cut short when my father had a heart attack while we were setting up tree stands, he never made it out of the mountains that night, and the rest of the season I had a hard time even going out hunting, even though I know that's what my dad would have wanted.

Man that would be tough... Talk about being helpless. Sorry man thats too bad about your father passing.

Mike

 

[bobhunts]

Only time was being left alone when my hunting partner left to take his brother from out of state deer hunting. I realized I probably would not get an elk out by myself before the meat spoiled! So I moved closer to a road and we all knows what happens there.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

If I had to guess, this would be the one for me... http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?2672-Got-one-en-route

 

[Elkmasterwyo]

Solo high country mule deer hunt this year, hiked in 6 miles, did some glassing then set up camp and had dinner. Spot messenger stopped working after 4pm. Broke camp and headed for the truck at dark! I knew if the wife suddenly stopped receiving messages, she'd fear the worst and search & rescue would be deployed by daylight!

 

[AndyB]

After 5 nights livin out of our back packs we found ourselves in a high Bowl at tree line. Took us longer than we expected to get there so was around 4pm when we arrived, anyway storm came from now where, no time to get tents up without getting everything soaked, lightning too close and thunder deafening, rain and hail was coming down in Buckets. We decided to get a little lower and get tents up but rain just kept on coming. Ended up a 6 mile route march in the dark back to the Yurt which we had as base camp. Hips were killing by the time i got back, buddy had to hang his down bag over a bucket to drain the water from it ( still wasnt dry 24 hrs later) as he didn't have his in a dry bag. All my gear was protected but every pocket in my pack had water in it. Lucky we had the yurt. If we had got the tents up when it first smelled like rain would have been a different story.

 

[Sunspot]

2001 - Got a little dehydrated and I think elevation got me a little at 11700' due to being under-prepared. Made the two hour hike back to camp and called it.

2012 - Received one of those calls you never wanted to hear. Mom was killed riding her bike by a man that fell asleep driving. That was only 2 months after her and dad peddled 4000 miles from VA to the coast of Oregon. Here was her blog - http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=10329&v=SO

 

[Muledeernv]

This year had my deer hunt cut short got a message from my wife that my dad was in the hospital for a heart attack. He had 2 arteries 95% blocked so pack up and head the 8 Miles out. He had 5 stints and is doing ok now

 

[IrishnId]

This year a partner and I went in about 4 1/2 miles, for a week long stay. I ended up getting an elk the first day, and packed it out the second day. The third morning I was woken up by my friend saying he could barely move. Come to find out he'd been puking and had diarea since about two in the morning. I started a fire for him to lay down by, and broke down both our camps. I loaded my bag to the guts strapped his camp and bag to my pack along with my bow. I carried his bow in my hand in case something stepped out. We get half way out and have thirty head of elk off the trail at twenty yards and he couldn't even pick up his bow! We were both pretty bummed. Never did find out what was wrong with him, but when he got home he ended up in the hospital for two days.