My worst was back in the days of perm. stands and spike nails for steps. I was still a newlywed. Been married about 3wks. I was climbing down from my stand and decided to forgo the last few steps and jump the rest of the way. My shiny new wedding band caught on the head of a nail and I hung for a few secs. that seemed like hours. Suddenly, I felt a great relief of pressure and went tumbling to the ground. I grabbed my hand and blood was spurting from between my fingers. I was afraid to look! Finally, after I got up the nerve to take inventory, I could see that my finger was intact but my ring had stretched and actually twisted inside out where the nail was caught. IT had cut off the circulation at that point, severed the arteries and skinned my finger to the bone for about an inch. I drove the hosp. and they cut off the ring, cleaned the wound and the surgeon asked if I wanted him to amputate my finger or try to repair it. I told him to cut it off, then I looked at my new bride...who was working there at the hosp. and could see she didn't like that option. SO, we decided to attempt the repair and if that didn't work then the amp. I am happy to report I still have all 10 digits and that finger is just fine. I did get a replacement ring but I don't wear it. Its a mental thing, I know, but I don't need any distractions while hunting......LOL
My scariest episode was when an owl took the hat right off my head one morning in the predawn greyness. I was sitting in my stand awaiting shooting light. I could hear deer milling around in the acorns nearby but the ground was still "faith" by definition. Suddenly I could hear this wishing sound growing rapidly louder. Suddenly this larger than a bread basket object appeared out of the darkness about 10ft away.....talons first and wings flairing wildly. Before I could react my boonie style hat was gone with the ghost that appeared and disappeared in a flash. When light improved I saw the owl some 30ft or so away perched on a limb with the hat in his talon and pecking away at it with his "hawkbill" nose. I was so tempted to exercise some revenge on him but game laws are not taken lightly in my family so I just threw an old snack cake from my pack that had dried up last yr at him. He flew off with the shredded hat still in grasp. I found that old hat some weeks later while squirrel hunting. Using binocs I studied what I thought was a squirrel when I realized I was looking at my hat hanging from a large hole in a beech tree. My guess is the owl was using it for nesting material or still thought it was edible and took it back to the young'ns.

No, I take that all back, my worst and best and scariest was being knocked off my feet by a momma bear in Maryland during an early August scouting session. She charged from barely 20ft away and I immediately went for the dirt. I made it to my knee when she hit my left shoulder with her left front paw, finishing my trip to the ground in short order. I hit the fetal position, covered my head/face and prepared to be lunch. After a short wait, I looked between my elbows and saw her moving her curious cub along the trail with her paw. Correcting it when it wanted to come back either to see what I was and play w/me or to get some more apples. It was an awesome sight. I will never forget that day. She did scratch my chest and brought blood pretty good on my neck, and left an awesome muddy print on my old T-shirt. I kept it for a few years but getting it in and out to show folks got all the mud off.

Sorry to bore you folks so much.....I will let someone else tell thier experiences.

Dave in WV