Post Surgery Rifle

[101guns]

Well...it looks like a cervical disk surgery will have me down and out for September. Surgery is first week of the month. My wife gave me that look only wives can give when I mentioned to her that I wondered how much of the hunting season I would miss. In La, our rifle season runs from the end of October to the end of January.

Have any of you had back or neck surgery near or during deer season and been able to hunt? What caliber did you use if you did? Thanks...

Depressed in La.

[Jason_G]

Never had my back or neck worked on, but do you think you could handle a 6mm Rem or a .243 Win? Either of those will kill the deer we have here in LA without problems. Recoil is pretty mild.

You might also be able to get a crossbow given your medical condition if you want to catch bow season. It's coming up quickly, and I'm not sure what is involved with it (or even if they still do it), but it might be worth looking into.

Hope you heal up quickly.

Jason

[DnPRK]

How about a Marlin 1894 in 357Mag/38Spl? It has relatively light recoil yet can still kill deer sized game at 100 yds. You can scope it too.
Marlin 1894

[jhgreasemonkey]

Never had back or neck surgery. But was thinking the lower recoiling .243 in a semi auto platform should give you a comfortable shooter that is adaquite for deer hunting. The remington model 750 or browning bar stalker shortrac in .243 would be good choices.

[LateNightFlight]

Make your surgical outcome your priority; let your comfort level be your guide. More important than this season are all the seasons ahead, so don't get in a hurry and risk hampering your recovery if you're not up to it. I live with a chronic thoracic strain, but have actually hunted while wearing a cervical collar for associated neck pain. From my experience, it's not the size of the gun that might bother your neck, but all the looking around while sitting in the cold. I didn't want to give up any season either, so I took a dose of Aleve (sodium naproxen) and stuck a hot pack under a muffler. It is discouraging at the least, depressing at the worst, but most importantly, it gets better! Shooting a 7mm Rem mag didn't bother me - bending over to gut, then dragging him to the edge of the woods and loading was the hard part. Get help for that. In the meantime, try not to let it get you down. These things will not keep a shooter away for long.

[BusGunner007]

Take the season OFF.
I waited a long while after having a heart surgery to repair a mitral valve.
I got cracked open and kept all of MY parts.
Still 'pops' the sternum once in a while...
If it were MY neck, I'd wait. More sensitive, I'd think. Shoot from a 4x4 wheelchair? I don't think so.
Stick with the .22 for a season, then go back.
Of course, if your DOCTOR says to shoot and hunt post cervical spine surgery, then, HELL, DO IT!

[handlerer]

Sorry to hear of your neck trouble. I had a cervical disk go as bad as they can get get and still recover. I was in agony for a week and then chocked on some root beer and coughed, 12 hours later I was a quadriplegic. I was lucky and an excellent sergeon got to me in time and I'm about 95%. I didn't shoot for quite awhile, but after relocating to Montana I took up shooting again. I regularly shoot about 20 rounds through my 300 WBY Vanguard. I have noticed no ill effects so far. I know my neurologist in MS, would tell me I'm insane, but I love to shoot and to hunt. I bought the Vanguard because it was on sale and I figured I could not get more rifle for the money. I handload and last weekend chrono'd Hornady 190 gr jspbts at 3100 fps. I would suggest you give yourself a season off from heavy recoil, just to be safe. Go along on the hunt if want. The exercise could never hurt IMO, but unless you feel you are 100% recovered, I'd play it safe. I was very lucky, and I must tell I was as scared as I have ever been in my life when I couldn't move my arms or legs. If you feel like your as good as new, I'd say start with as light a caliber as you feel up to the game your after. Louisiana white tails don't take as much killing as a Montana mule deer, so 260 Rem might be suitable, or even 243 or 257 Roberts, could serve you well. Good luck, but don't too fast too soon.

[Perajio]

I'd just take the season off unless cleared by the doctor. Good luck.

[jason hammac]

Get your friends to post a sign at your deer blind
"GO GROW ANOTHER YEAR"
My best friend almost died in his attempt to go deer hunting after back surgery. Almost same situation, did surgery, wanted to get out banging bucks and fell off of the step of the RV. Son said if he fell at the deer blind (big ladder to climb) he would of been buried at the deer stand. As it was my friend got carried to the truck, son put all stuff away and closed up deer camp for the season.

[deanadell]

101guns

C1/C2 cervical fusion surgery in November 2004 ended my season early.......trust me, you're not going to feel like getting back in the woods real quick. Takes a while to get back up to even 3/4 speed. I couldn;t draw my bow, or shoot a rifle or shotgun for a good while.

Do you handgun hunt? If you feel up to it before the season is out in December, you might try it.......

[4V50 Gary]

What does your doctor say? Give his advice priority. If he says it's OK with mild recoiling guns, then I'd go with a big bore AR type rifle because of its gas action (softer recoil). Maybe not quite a .50 beowulf, but something .45 or .480 in AR.

[Stephanie B]

101guns,

My dad had heart surgery a long while back. The doc told him "no lifting of anything over 10lbs." A few days after he got home, he went out to the barn and picked up a 50lb hay bale to feed the livestock. That nearly got him back in the hospital; he was in bed for a few more days, with my mom royally ****** off at him.

Talk to your doctor, OK? You may miss the 2008 hunting season, but if you do something stupid, you're going to miss all of them and possibly a hell of a lot more than just hunting.

[Jimro]

If you can't hunt with a rifle, do some shooting with a camera. Time spent scouting is time well spent.

Jimro

[guntotin_fool]

Make sure the Doc clears you first, its better to miss one season of pulling the trigger than to miss all the rest because you tried to be macho man.

Even if you can't climb a stand, you can still take pics, cook in the hunt shack, or just sit out and spend the time in the woods anyway, and if you buy a tag, your buddies can get you some venison for the Ice box.


I missed a year because of health problems but I still was able to get out and be with everybody. That I found was even more important to me than the carrying the of the rifle.

[rantingredneck]

Follow your doctor's advice first and foremost.

I will tell you of my experience last year though.

I fell Sept 22nd, 18 ft from my tree stand, and burst fractured my L-1 vertebra. I had surgery to fuse T-11 through L-2. 6 weeks later I was cleared to shoot whatever I felt up to shooting. I hit the range that afternoon with a .243, .45ACP, and 12 ga loaded with Brenneke's. 5 weeks after that I took a deer with a 12 ga.

It may not be the end of the season for you, but again, follow your doctor's advice.

I should also add that I'm 34 and in relatively good health so that may have had some influence on my experience. YMMV.

[TheManHimself]

I'd think a pistol caliber rifle would be the right tool for the job, given the circumstances.

[T. O'Heir]

Listen to handlerer. Nothing recoils less than a cough.

[101guns]

Thanks for all the advise...I was amazed at how many people have had or know someone with the same problem. I thought about the handgun and then a buddy of mine says he can set up a ground blind with a caldwell gun sled so that i get no recoil....good friends are the best medicine. I am thinking about a .243 or my .223 wssm. Thanks again all...surgery is 9/4.

[T. O'Heir]

"...so that I get no recoil..." It doesn't eliminate recoil. It just reduces it. Handlerer just coughed.
Forget the .223WSSM. Not enough energy for deer.

[guntotin_fool]

T ohair, the 223 wssm has plenty of energy for deer with the right bullet, and he's in louisiana, them deer look more like a small german shepard dog than what whitetails in the land of the canuck looks like....

[zoomie]

If you're good to go for mild recoiling guns, 6.5 or 6.8 AR. With the lead sled, I think you could shoot it off your chin. Go ahead and get bit by the EBR bug if you aren't already.

[MeekAndMild]

Looking to going hunting? Really? I doubt the surgeon will let you drive for a couple of months, much less hunt. As if you're going to want to do anything except sit and watch Oprah.

I am thinking about a .243 or my .223 wssm.

A .243 is a fine deer rifle.

[rantingredneck]

As if you're going to want to do anything except sit and watch Oprah.

By 3 weeks post surgery I was sick and tired of Oprah.....

[101guns]

Do know that I cant get in a car for two weeks....but watching Ofa Winbag? No way. Our deer season runs thru most of January....havent missed a season since 1976.....not planning on breaking the streak, unless the Doc says no. Winchester is loading and marketing a deer load for the 223 wssm and I have a 7.62 mini mauser....neither have much recoil and will work if I put it in the right place.

[ziggy222]

forget the gun.how are you going to drag it home?if you have someone to take care of the kill,then just use a varmint gun.i have a friend that uses a .223 rem successfully.