Backcountry bad luck

[superjo]

Left home Tuesday morning at 0200. Drove to Sheridan and slept in a rest area. I let my mule out to stretch out and graze,water and feed. Put him back in trailer for the night. Not much sleep as he was banging around in the trailer most of the night. In the morning I got him out again to water and feed.
Arrived at Montana hunting area around 1600 hrs Wednesday evening . Set up a high line and let the mule graze and feed on weed free hay until 2230 hours.
I went over to the neighbor camp and met a husband and wife elk hunters. I had left my elk regulation manual at home and I asked about shooting hours the next morning. After a short visit I went back to my camp.
Later I put him in the trailer and a couple hours later I put him back on the high line as he was banging around again.
I got up early to go hunting nearby. I put plenty of hay out and his water bucket by his high line.
I scout hunted until noon. Returned to camp and ate lunch and brushed my mule.
Around 1600 hours I saddled him up to go scouting and take a easy ride.
I rode him out on trails for 2-3 miles and glasses an area. After a hour or so I mounted up and rode back towards camp. I trotted him for about a half mile then dropped down to walking back towards camp.
As I was riding by the neighbors camp they hollered for me to come over. I rode my mule up to them. They scratched his neck. The lady tells me they had gone into town and while there they picked me up a regulation booklet. The lady handed me the manual and my mule turned around really quick. I stopped him from moving and was rolling the manual up to temporary put it into my binocular carrier.
I was stuffing the manual into the straps when he started bucking. I had the reins around the horn and was as being bucked without the reins. I was thrown off to the left side and landed on my back. The ground was very rocky. I hit so hard I did not know what happened or where I was as at. I kept trying to get up but my left Achilles was wiped out, my hamstrings were pulled and my back was severely injured.
I sat around for about fifteen minutes or so and then as very incoherent. My neighbor loaded me up in my truck as other hunters were pulling the saddle and putting the mule on the high line.
I went to the hospital in Dillon. My head, back and stomach was X-ray’d. My head and intestines were okay. My spine has five fractures. Four of the points were broken off and one of the side points was broken off too.
I’m currently still in the hospital.

So sorry, I hope you recover soon

 

[MesaHorseCo.]

Well that takes the fun right out of it. Glad your somewhat ok. Getting chucked is never fun.

 

[Boiler]

Hope you're healing up well! That's a bad deal!

 

[Maki35]

That is terrible.
I wish you a speedy recovery.

 

[netman]

Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement. I’m starting to move around some. My broken ribs are the hold back. I’m trying to get my wheels moving and get some of the soreness out

 

[DanimalW]

Crazy how stuff happens in the blink of an eye when you least expect it. Hope you have a quick and full recovery.

 

[99sastacoma]

Yikes, thats a rough way to start out a trip. Hope your feeling better.