My year hunting in 2017, and getting back in the sadde after a narrow escape!

[koger]

Well here goes folks! I was scheduled for a total hip replacement 26th of September,  our archery season opens 9-1-17, I hunted pretty hard first two weeks and took 2 does on my archery only bonus tags you can buy here in Ky. After having surgery, I was getting along pretty well, 2 weeks in was on a cane and walking around, 3 days later I am in the Hospital, in quarantine, with MRSA staff infection in  my leg, eating up my hip! They put me on 3 different antibiotic IV's for 5 days, then went in and cut out all the layers of muscle, stitches and any tissue that was infected with MRSA, pack me full of time release antibiotics, ad sew me up send me home 4 days later.Four weeks later, still on crutches I get out in my truck, sitting in my back field, when a nice 4pt walks out about 150 yds away and  I neck shoot him with my 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser that I built in 1985, DRT!fI call 2 friends who retrieve the buck, field dress  him and butcher him down into grindable pieces that the wife and I grind up the next day. We also had to grind up her 7 pt that she shot a half hour after I shot my deer, and my 2 friends went ahead and butchered it also, great to have good friends  Five weeks later after doing nothing but going to the bathroom and lying in bed, and doc visits, I am healed up with a 14 inch incision scar ,from the second surgery, 50# lighter, had really wasted away. The doc told me I could start therapy the next day on 11-21-17. That next day I was walking thru my house, and had a stroke,, the doc called it a mini stroke, but I lay paralyzed on the floor for 3 hours, my right side completely numb. I kept rubbing my right arm, and finally got some feeling back in it after another half hour, so that I could crawl to the phone and call my wife or 911, and I realized I could not talk, took another half an hour before I could talk well enough to call anyone. When I did get ahold of my wife, she rushed home with an ambulance, took me to the local hospital, where I had two more mini strokes lasting about 30 minutes each. I was discharged from the Hosptial  3 days late, on Thanksgiving day. On December 19 I had regained the ability to walk around on crutches, so I decided to ML hunt the next day when our late season ML doe season opens for 3 days. That next morning it broke cold and clear, with me sitting in a blind, sa%w nothing. That evening  I hunted the neighbors field, I had rode my 4 wheeler over there, sat  up my chair and shooting sticks and my TC Omega ml rifle. I had about 2 hours of shooting light left, I parked my 4 wheeler about 40 yds away behind some brush, and hoofed it back up to the chair. Now this setup was with woods to my back, and a big hay field in front, 250yds to the woodline on my left half and under, ad 275yds on my right and in front. I felt confident of my shooting sticks, as I had shoot deer out to 200yds the year before, while out hunting with Roger Johnson a member on this board also.  I was shooting 100grs of BH209, a 300gr. , .451 plastic tip copper jacketed slug and sabot, both made by Harvester brand ML components, here in KY. I have a Nikon 3x9x40 InlineXR300 scope, with real world BDC's that are every 50 yds. This load is moving 2180fps average for 3 shots out of my TC Omega and the destruction it does has to bee seen to believe!  Just before last light a huge doe came out, at a lasered 180yds, I put the 200yd BDC on the bottom 3rd of her chest, and touched off the shot, hitting her just above  center of the shoulder, and exiting out the last rbi, she made it 40yds before piling up. I went and got the wife and a trailer, and she gutted my deer and we loaded it up got back to the house and after weighing the huge old barren doe, skinned her and boned her out on ice, and packaged it all up the next day. These lastl 2 deer are nothing to brag about to most folks, but I am very proud of them. Especially since my right leg is numb, with 10% muscle and nerve reaction, and about 50% in my right arm and hand after the strokes. Now some of you might not believe it, but I used deer hunting as one my motivations, to get thru all that I have been thru, and felt like both those deer were, literally, Godsends! I thank God every day, that I was not left in the condition I was while laying on the floor for nearly 4 hours helpless, and though my rehab has not produced much in the way of recovery, I will gladly take what small steps of change I have made. Hope you all enjoy the read, :farao:

 

[strong eagle]

thank you sam for your story. i hope it just gets better and better for you. sam is a friend of mine. he is the best hunter ive ever seen. he can dress a deer out as well as a game bird faster and cleaner than anyone ive ever seen. ive seen him make some really long one shot kills. he is the real deal. he has taught my son some skills my son will never ever forget. its nice to hear from you again sam. sam, you should see our deck, their are so many coons tied to the side rails you can hardly see the deck anywheres. my son is still going at it and trapping like nuts.he has already skinned out several of them and the deck is still full. you would be proud of him. may be you should email him and try and talk him into going to college near you. that way he can hunt and trap with you during college and i would know he was in good hands. i like that idea.

 

[patocazador]

I like to hunt and it got me back in the field 7 weeks after open -heart surgery. However, I'm certainly glad that I didn't have to go through all that you went through, skoger. 

Thanks for telling your story and I wish you the best of luck in your recovery.

 

[Mike in Oz]

Bloody hell Skoger, what does it take to put you on your arse and keep you there?  :shock:

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Quite a story Skoger!! My hats off too you!!  You're one determined man!

 

[Marty1]

Skoger, I know one individual who went through the same MRSA diagnosis and surgical remedies.  It was just as mentally challenging for him as physical.  I've been fairly lucky with my health to date, but gain memorable inspiration from those like yourself who tell of life's challenges and the future unknowns we all may face.  Your hunting season was better than mine this year :Red tup: , and wish you the best in your health and future hunts! 

 

[koger]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I really appreciate them.

 

[RonRC]

WOW! What challenges you have endured!
You must be a man of substance to have had the gumption to get out and hunt after the infection and strokes. And if strong eagle sings your praises, that confirms your character for me.
I hope you come back from these trials strong and quickly.
Ron