Strangest, weirdest, coolest thing seen in the woods?

[Johnpl]

The Bigfoot thread got me to thinking...what's the strangest, weirdest,or coolest thing you've seen in the woods? For me, weird was the 4 goat skulls on sticks surrounding some sort of alter...satanists, maybe? Coolest was seeing a hawk take a grouse about 20 feet in front of me. Still waiting to stumble across the lonely former-swimsuit-model-turned-forest ranger in need of assistance;)

[Cadwallader]

I once saw a Great Horned Owl catch and eat an adult skunk while I was in a treestand. Not very uncommon I suppose, but being only ten yards away the whole time was pretty neat.

[Dr.Rob]

Most dangerous: walking into someone's illegal marijuana patch in a wilderness area.

Most memorable:

Having a coyote walk close enough to me that I could have swatted him on the nose (I didn't).

Seeing a an owl take a ground squirrel. (Heap BIG owl)

Seeing a golden eagle for the first time.

Walking in cougar tracks for the first time. (have yet to see one.. may have caught a glimpse of one once but never ever got a good look)

Seeing an ermine in his winter whites, he was mad that I made him drop the mouse he had killed.

Momma bear and cub eating rasberries (watched from a distance)

Oh and this Elk (which I did not shoot, but almost pulled the trigger on) if you look closely he's frozen in place in the stream bed, as if in suspended animation. Nothing had preyed on him yet. Pretty amazing.

[one-shot-one]

:what: neatest : while riding a mountain bike in southeast texas, had a large bobcat run out in frount of me just as i got back to a paved road. he reached the center of the pavement and spun to face me. he crouched down tring to hide from me and using that slow movment that cats are known for looked to each side realizing he had no cover to hide himself there in the middle of the street he begian a reverse stalk, backing away for me towards the opposite side of the street.when his back feet felt the edge of the pavement in one motion he spun around and disappered into the underbrush.
:D

[Marshall]

Aside from the story I posted the other day:

Wearing Treebark Camo while sitting in a tree, no stand, and watching a squirrel above me make his way down the tree and jump on my leg thinking it was the tree. He was more surprised than I.

Sitting in the woods full camo'd and having a Bobcat come up to my feet and stare at me trying to figure out what in the world I was. Then, letting out a scream that would make the hair on Supermans neck stand up.

Same stand the next day seeing two mature bucks come into my area, one from either direction and locking them up in front of me.

Most uneasy feeling: Myself and three buddies searching for one of our hunters after he didn't show up 3 hours after dark and not getting any return fire reports.

Hunt I wish to forget: While turning my Silverado Ext Cab 4X4 around in a pasture, after pulling my friends little Nissan out of a "stuck", I feel it just suddenly sink up to the axles! After getting out, cussing and smoking a cig, noticing the truck catch on fire. With no way to get the truck unstuck or get under the truck to put the fire out, I was afforded the fine luxury of watching it burn to the ground. Yes, pasture grass and a hot converter do not go together! Pssssst, both trucks today are converterless and wear strait duals and stage 2 Flowmasters. Shhhhh

Most memorable: My first time hunting as a youth with my Dad!

[Art Eatman]

Weirdest? Sitting in a tree stand and hearing a strange, rasping sort of "rawrr" sound. Spooky! I looked and looked and finally saw a bobcat trying to claw dried-out cactus pads away from a woods-rat's nest. Claw, get stuck, yowl. Claw, get stuck, yowl. (She weighed 18 pounds.)

Funniest? Sneaking up on a buck to about ten feet and hitting him on the rump with a rock. He turned inside out, tried to leave in 5th gear, wide-open throttle and couldn't get traction. My laughter provided further incitement to wall-eyed pandemonium.

Next funniest: "Squeaking" a fox up close enough to where I was sitting so I tapped his nose with my boot toe. Think "bottle brush"!

Funniest hunt-camp prank: A rancher's wet came in and told us of "un vena'o muy grande" (very large buck) caught in a fence. Another guy and I drove out and found a little forkhorn, caught in a coyote snare when he'd tried to crawl under a net fence. We freed him, clove-hitched his feet, and tossed him in the back of the pickup. Drove back to camp; several guys came toward the truck.

"Where's the deer?" "Right here," I said, releasing the little buck and helping him in his jump--toward the guys. First time I ever saw great big deer hunters run away from a forkhorn! :D

Art

[Keith]

Sitting on the spur of a ridge with a dozen or more deer below me on one side, while just below me on other side two whales cavorted in the shallows. I finally turned my back on the deer and watched the whales till near dark.

Keith

[Ron L]

Coolest would be one of two different instances.

First would be mountain biking once on the Potto Trail in Pinckney, MI. As I was coming around a curve, I startled a deer that was half-in and half-out of the trail. The darned thing spun and starting running along the trail in front of me like he wanted to race. We boggied like that for almost a half minute until he finally found a break in the trees and dove back into the forest.

Second would be also mountain biking, this time in the Shiawasee National Forest in the UP. I was riding alone and had gotten turned around and it was already late afternoon in the fall and my wife was back at the nice warm hotel waiting for me to get back. I wasn't panicked because I had some gear and I figured if I had to spend the night, so be it, but she would have freaked. I tried backtracking a couple of times but hadn't gone back far enough, but didn't know that yet. I took a break and took a look at the map but found it hard to get my bearings. Just as I was asking one of those "Why me Lord?" questions, there was a break in the clouds and I was able to tell which way was west and then make my way back to the main trail.

[PALongbow]

While bowhunting out of a treestand here in PA three years ago, I had a curious black bear climb up in the tree in which I was sitting in. I don't know who had more of a reaction when I got up and yelled.

Ron

[Poodleshooter]

It's not that unusual,but I love it everytime a songbird lands on my shoulder.

[GinSlinger]

Sitting in my cover blind one afternoon and saw a covey of about 20 quail scraping around and strutting proud. Now that is not at all funny or unusual, it gets better. Couple of minutes later I hear a kissing sound behind me. And from the brush behind me out come another 15-20 quail. All the quail in the are now total approx 35. The new comers line up on one side and the original on the other. They all kind of do this wierd line dance thing and one from each side comes out and they spar, then they go back to the line and another two come out. This goes on for a while and I am quite amused by the dancing and the fighting when I realize that I have seen this kind of thing before. The quail were re-inacting "West Side Story". I nearly laughed when I thought of this. I then named one side Tjhe Jets, and the other side the Sharks, and watched them for the next ten minutes before they all lost interest in each other. If I had had a shotgun, I could have goten my bag limit with one shot:p

GinSlinger

[Marshall]

Hahahaha

[keano44]

Two memories that come to mind:
Watching a mink chase a rabbit under my treestand. It was like a beagle/rabbit chase, but in slow motion. Over the course of about an hour, the rabbit passed my stand three times, with the mink trailing far behind, but on the exact path the rabbit had passed.

Another cool thing was watching a woodpecker pecking around the top of a tall, dead tree trunk, and chase a flying squirrel out of a hole. They went round and round the trunk, with the woodpecker pecking at the flying squirrel. Finally, the squirrel leaped off the tree, and glided down past me, just a few yards away, and when it was about five feet from the ground, using its tail like a rudder, made a ninety degree turn, and landed on the trunk of another tree about forty yards from where it started.

[Sisco]

Once saw a unicorn picking apples with its horn.
We were in the woods hunting mushrooms at the time. :scrutiny:

[Zorro]

Jogging on the USAF Academy...

A Road Runner that paced behind me for 3 Miles then did the "BEEP BEEP ZOOM!" thing and took off!

Kind of Cool! ;)



Or the Weasel That raided my Backpack and stole my Bait! while I was testing a New VHS Camcorder!

[redneck]

Sittin on the back porch whittlin. Think it was in july or august, about 3:00 in the afternoon. Hear something funny and look up to see a deer haulin *** across the middle of the backyard, passed within 50 ft of where I was sittin. This was broad daylight an it was runnin to beat hell like somebody had really lit a fire underneath it.
So yeah thats unusual but heres the good part.

The neighbors who had moved in a few years back had a big mean dog and had put of a woven wire fence between the yards. Bein a city slicker trying to convert, he had no clue as to how you build a fence. Used T posts every 16ft or so an woven wire, and really didn't stretch it any. Just tight enough that it didn't droop unless you were leaning on it or something. So it was pretty springy an flexible....

So anyway said deer is runnin like a striped *** ape across my yard, head down stretched out going for all its worth. Runnin so fast in fact that it don't see the fence.
Head first POW, into the fence. Fence stretches about 6-10 ft, and slingshots the deer a good 15 ft backwards, dang near did a back flip!
I was afraid it had broke its neck but it just stood up, shook its head, jumped the fence an commenced running.

[ReadyontheRight]

Someone just sent me this strange picture.

I guess the deer was hit by a train.

[Keith]

That is by far the strangest thing I've ever seen in a corn field!

Keith

[SteelyDan]

Two things:

First, on a fly-in fishing trip in northern Canada, taking a stroll at almost midnight (it was still light) and ending up 10-feet from a seriously big black bear.

Second, fishing trip in northern Minnesota, on the Canadian border, sitting up with a buddy watching an orange light in the sky perform aerial maneuvers that no plane from this planet could duplicate. We saw occasional jets that took four or five minutes to cross the horizon; this baby did it in about two seconds, then did a few 90-degree cross-horizon turns just to make it interesting. Too weird.

[Art Eatman]

Aw, Keith, that deer just chose a strange spot for a people-stand.

Art

[KMKeller]

Someone just sent me this strange picture. I guess the deer was hit by a train

From the way the animal is laying on the wires, I'd guess that some wise guy took a stuffed dear and staged the photo.

[Ol' Badger]

1. There was an worm eruption and a Red Tailed Hawk landed and started to gobble up worms.
2. Observed Cyotes foricating.
3. Red Fox try'n to get to an Duck that was froozen in a pound.
4. Observed a couple haveing sex in a tree stand on a friends farm.
5. Herd of cows watched me climb up a tree stand and they all(300 of'em) came over and looked up at me. One started to pee and the whole herd then fallowed.

[ahenry]

It's not that unusual,but I love it everytime a songbird lands on my shoulder. “...Its the truth, its actual. Ev’rything is satisfactual..."

:D


That was from a Disney movie for you non kid at heart types.

[Art Eatman]

Well, zippedee my doodah! What would Uncle Remus say?

"Song Of The South"

:D, Art

[ahenry]

:D

I'd give my eye teeth for a copy of that movie.

[mtnbkr]

I've lived a sheltered life. The coolest thing I've ever seen in the woods was a medium-sized black bear I came across while mountain biking in the Pisgah National Forest (it was in the middle of the trail, I stopped about 50yds away from it). It was the first time I'd even seen a black bear, in the wild, so far from civilization (saw a lot in the Smokey Mtns National Park). I watched it for a few seconds, turned around, and did a fast walk with my bike to meet up with my buddies before they all came storming into the area. It was gone when we got back to that spot.

Chris

[5ptdeerhunter]

I have no good stories like everyone else but my second night hunting there was this dern weasel that just wouldn't leave me alone.

[sm]

Walking point, rested left foot on a log to take a compass reading. Stupid me! Big rattler slithered and decided to slither around my ankle...after an eternity, he finally slithered away...about the time I shot him with a 45 ACP, I heard eveyone behind me exhale.

Canada as teen, we had placed a couple of the canoes inverted on some fallen logs. I had slept under oneof these and upon awakening I 'sensed' something. Perched atop the canoe about 4' away an American Bald Eagle. Magnificent! I still can't believe how big those things are.

Flooded timber, duck hunting around Stuggart AR. We had the rain, and temps dropping all through the night and early am. Shooting time and its snowing , I mean its snowing huge flakes and coming down hard. The Greenheads drop in by the droves. I unload my shotgun , my 2 friends unload thiers, the retriever gives us a funny look. We never fired a shot! We just sat there in awe and watched, took pictures, and a video. I huddled with the dog with an old army blanket shared some chicken broth with him. The most spiritual, quietest, beautiful hunt I've ever been on.

Had to break ice to motor out, drove through 4 + " of snow to get home, but worth it.

[Mossy Bloke]

Probably the coolest thing I've ever seen while hunting...

Bowhunting in a swamp, I was sitting in a ladder stand with my bow propped on my knee, nocked arrow about 4 inches from my face, a hummingbird flew right up to my face a tried to suck from the fletchings on my arrow. They were purple and pink. He wasn't 5 inches from my eyeballs. Flew away and then came back to try the fletchings on the arrows in the side mounted quiver. It was incredible.

[Watchman]

We had some really funky weather one fall and the tempature dropped 35 degrees in 15 minutes. News that night said it was the biggest tempature drop in the least amount of time ever recorded in the state.

Went squirrle hunting the next morning bright and early. Walking along a trail I came up on a box turtle. No big deal, as I see them quite a bit. What made this one different was the fact that he was dead. But he didnt look dead. He actually looked like he was froze solid. His legs were extended, his shell was up off of the ground and his head was extended like he was just walking and looking around. He was in perfect form, other than the fac that he was dead. I figured being a cold blooded animal, that maybe he couldnt adjust quick enough to the tempature drop and just froze to death...even though the tempature went from the low 80's to the mid 40's.

[ENC]

Didn't happen to me.

A teacher in high school told the story. He was sitting in a tree stand all camo-ed up deer hunting. All of a sudden he hears a whoosh and some flapping wings and there is an owl perched on his head. He was wearing a hat, but feared that if he startled the bird it would did its talons into his noggin. So after a few minutes he simply began to lean to one side...slowly. The owl kept scooting its footing at first but eventually flew away without injury.

He said he didn't know what he was going to do if it just kept scooting.

[Lennyjoe]

Stupidest thing:
Was meeting my hunting buddy out at our favorite WMA for some next day turkey hunting. I didnt have the truck so I took the Thunderbird. He has a truck so I wasnt concerned using the T-bird. Besides, the dirt road from the highway to the camp ground is in great shape, that is as long as it didnt rain. Well, I thought that since it rained about 3 days ago I would be alright. I got to the hunting area just before dark and at the pull off from the highway it drops down a bit. There was water built up there but its not usually that deep. I remember this from deer season when we hunted there. SO I figure that I would be ok in the T-bird. Little did I know that there was alot of activity during the wet season between deer hunting and turkey season. So as I proceed cautiously in the T-bird thru the water I feel the vehicle slip and bamn, right down into a rut. Bottomed out and the eng quits. Great, now Im here alone stuck in a damn water hole in the wifes T-bird, water coming in and no one to pull me out. So I climb out the window, onto the roof, slide down the trunk and open it without getting wet. Pull out my hip waders (always a part of hunting gear in the lowlands of South Georgia), slide them on and wade into the water to assess the situation.

Thank God my buddy was already at the campground. I fired off around 3 shots with my 12 guage and he came to see who was shooting after dark. Found me, pulled me out and the rest was history. Funny thing was, bout the same time he came to pull me out a highway patrol noticed me there and asked what the hell happened. His comment, "shoulda went to Winn Dixie and bought a damn turkey instead of going thru all this trouble to hunt for one"

[Lennyjoe]

Funniest thing:

As a kid I remember going duck hunting with my step father and his friend. It was my job to stay in the blind and cook breakfast while they were out setting the decoys. I remember later in the day as they were out retrieving them my step pops reaching out to try to retrieve a decoy and over he went. Water was cold and it was around 15 degrees (Winter in Ohio). Laughed my butt off at him.

Another time, we had just taken three greenhead mallards and step pops just got back from retieving them. Bout 5 minutes later pops friend (Mike) gets up and opens the door of the blind to take a leak. One of the mallards decides to make a break for it and runs out the blind. Mike grabs his shotgun and rolls him. Never took the time to put away his member the whole time.

[Coltdriver]

A month or so ago I was trying to call in a crow.

I look to my left, and about 30 feet from me in a bare tree it a pygmy owl. Bout the size of a softball. Looking at me like I'm nuts.

The attached picture was taken less than thirty feet from my back door. How many Elk can you count in the picture??

[Art Eatman]

Cheaper by the dozen?

The owl story reminds me of another hooty-bird tale.

The wife and I came home one night and just before entering the back door heard a great horned owl overhead. I told my wife to wait, and got a flashlight. There he wuz, atop the TV antenna, looking down at the light.

We took turns, one with the light on the owl, one operating the antenna rotator. Do you have any idea how many degrees of rotation an owl can do, and not lose sight of his object?

He finally got fed up and left, but not before ten minutes or so of this nonsense!

:), Art

[JShirley]

re1973:
Thanks. Sweet story.

Weirdest thing I think I've seen was back when I was sixteen or so. Saw a worm that was about 20" long (measured against my Topper, Jr. bl).

[Dannyboy]

The coolest thing for me was when I was stationed at Ft. Sill, OK. My buddy and I were out for a run in the woods of one of the training areas and we turned a corner and almost ran right into a herd of elk crossing the road. Two bulls on the side stopped in their tracks and looked at us making us stop in our tracks, before they took off. Kinda scary at the time but a cool experience.

[pax]

Coolest: Floating down the Deschutes River one hot summer afternoon, my family and I spotted a Bald Eagle grab a large trout out of the river less than 50 feet in front of us.

pax

[Johnpl]

A mental image I carry around, from a scene witnessed on the Penobscot River in Maine: A bald eagle soaring across the backdrop of a huge grey thunderhead.

[Atticus]

I've seen a lot of animals up close when bow hunting. Watched flying squirrels one day (didn't even know they were around here), had an owl land about 6" from my head and sit till sunrise. The funniest thing was when a pair of chipmunks ran up my legs, screamed horrible little screams, and jumped about 3' in the air when they realized what I was.

[Ted Bell]

As a younster I had three separate close encounters with bears -- twice with black bears near Lake Louise in Alberta and once with a grizzly in Waterton Park in Alberta. This past hunting season I had a ruffed grouse walk to within ten feet of me. Went out an bought a .22 pistol after that one.

[FPrice]

was not in the woods really, but while running along a road one day saw a hawk with a 2' wingspread try to get a squirrel out of a tree. The tree was about 15' tall and had a roughly circular grouping of branches maybe 8-10' in diameter with very few leaves. The hawk landed in the top branches and tried to walk down to where the squirrel was, but was not very manuevrable in that mode. The squirrel could easily avoid him but when it tried to leave the tree the hawk took to flight and forced Mr. Squirrel back into the tree. Watched this drama for about 15 minutes until the hawk got the message and left for easier prey.

[joebogey]

I used to haul food products out of Stuttgart. I considered it the mosquito capitol of the world.
We soon learned to never roll the truck windows down or open the doors before daylight. No matter how loud Mother Natuer called. LOL

[DadOfThree]

I was out walking in the jungle in Panama. Just following a creek to see where it would lead me. I heard some noise up ahead like leaves rustling so I froze in my tracks to see what it was. The noise got closer and quite a bit louder. There are not many large animals in the woods in Panama except for the Giant Anteater and the Jaguar but there are very few of these. I was beginning to wonder whether it was a good idea to let whatever it was walk up on me. The vegetation was pretty thick so I couldn't see far. Soon though a troop of coati mundis came into view. There were about 10 or 12 of them foraging for food. It was very cool. They turned over every rock and stick they passed and stuck their paws in every nook and cranny that might be hiding something good to eat. They evidently don't see very well. The troop kind of split in the middle and they passed within a couple of feet on both sides of me. There was even a female with a baby riding on her back.

Also in Panama, I was snorkeling and a little fish swam up to my mask and started pecking at them. I was later told that this fish actually cleans the teeth of larger fish such as sharks. I swatted at it to chase it away but it wouldn't leave. It was determined to "clean" my mask. I tried to swim away from it but it was too fast. I finally had to get out of the water and go 50 yds down the beach to get away from it.

[labgrade]

Had a critter or two perch on my leg, touched a doe deer, & have caught a few rabbits by hand here 'n there ...

Seen a few critters do things I'd never thought they would. Funny enough sometimes.

The really best thing I ever saw though was coming around the bend, trout fishing, & the two young thangs sun-batheing, sans-a-cloth on a big rock.

A friendly "howdy-do," & subsequent smiles & conversation made my day. Catching a nice trout under their rock just put a cherry on top. ;)

We're friendly, out west.

[Ted Bell]

:what:

[Sisco]

Labgrade, I always wanted to try trout fishing. Next time get pictures! Of your catch, of course. :D

[W.Va.Glassman]

Anybody want to remember their first night patrol? Strange things the eyes and ears will do.

[Marshall]

What was that about a cherry, Labgrade? :D

[Cosmoline]

Deep off trail in the Chugach range, during the fall when the vegetation is impossibly thick, I pushed my way through a mass of devil's club into a clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a heap of sticks. On top of this pile stood a child's toy truck. Keep in mind this is not a frequented area. No trails, no way to get in unless you push your way through.

On that same trip, I found a few big steel cooking pots that had been perforated by the teeth of a bear, like some sort of industrial metal punch. It's possible the truck had come from a roadside dump miles away. I don't know. It appeared to be undamaged. If a bear brought it, the bear must have been pretty gentle with it.

Maybe it was some bruin's toy. If so, I'm glad I didn't touch it ;-)

[Cosmoline]

"The funniest thing was when a pair of chipmunks ran up my legs, screamed horrible little screams, and jumped about 3' in the air when they realized what I was."

Don't you know this sort of thing is ILLEGAL?

"Well shut my mouth! It's also
illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling! ..." Chief Wiggum

[444]

Nothing real dramatic.
I was sitting about five feet away from a chipmunk when I noticed a house cat stalking it. Neither animal knew I was there. The cat made a perfect stalk and grabbed the chipmunk. I jumped up and let out a whoop and they both took off at high speed in opposite directions.
I had a ruffed grouse land on a branch about three feet away from me when I was bowhunting from a treestand.
I don't know if this is unusal, but I had never seen it before. Twice while elk hunting in Colorado I saw two doe mule deer walking along with a fawn. A coyote began stalking them. One of the does turned and chased the coyote clear out of sight. The second time this happened I got it on video tape.
The funniest thing I ever saw was on a fishing trip in the Quietico Provincial Park in Ontario. Two bald eagles were sitting on a branch. One eagle was reading the other eagle the riot act for about ten minutes barely pausing to take a breath. Finally the second eagle flew to another tree and turned it's back on the other one while the first eagle continued to bitch him out. It looked for all the world like a guy who came home from the bar after spending too much time there and his wife laying into him for it. He listened for awhile, then just ignored her.
Most exciting. Same hunt in Colorado, I was sitting in kind of a depression. I heard a noise in the woods that sounded like someone tearing down everything in his path. The most beautiful cinimon bear (I don't know bears, it was a cinimon color) came out of the woods. It moseyed around for awhile and then began walking right towards me. He got about 20 yards away and I decided I better do something so I stood up and waved my arms. He stopped and looked at me, then turned around and walked the other way like he couldn't care less.

[plainsman66]

the coolest was while I was living in wyoming,out hiking and caught a pair of mountian lions watchin me from a ridge,so I stopped and watched them!they got bored and walked off after about forty -five minutes---------wish I'd had a camera instead of the .22

[labgrade]

Nothing further to report, folks.

Two young - very much so - uhuh - coupla ladies laying upon the rocks, sans clothes - they were friendly. I am (very much so) married & merely just observant (although not immune) ;) = a pretty treat.

I was fishing & this is Colorado & one must expect things like this.

I caught a trout & moved on.

They didn't expect any "extra fun," nor did I.

We merely passed - "ships in the night" ya know?

Certainly worth the visit though.

[larryw]

Two with a similar theme come to mind.

First time I was learning to dive in the northern corner of Monterey Bay. This was shortly after the movie Jaws was released. Yep, learning to dive in the southern tip of the Red Triangle, the GW Shark capital of the world. Anyways, was in about 20' of water and really enjoying playing tag with the Grimaldis in the kelp trees when I turned around and there was a shark swimming about two feet in front of my mask. Geez, that's a BIG shark. Well, so it seems when you're face to face with it. It its environment, and you're no longer top of the food pyramid. I think I drank most of the bay before I realized it was a itty-bitty (3') Thresher that was just passing through. Ever hear someone laugh at you through a regulator? My instructor though it was one of the funniest things he'd ever seen. Thus ended my adolescent shark anxiety.

Second time, I decided it was time to quit smoking. I figured the best thing was to terrorize the squirrels in Yosemite on my own for a while as the nicotine worked its way out of my body (better than doing the same to my friends and family). I arrived too late in the day to get a good start packing out, so I decided to spend the first night in the campground. Late that night was a meteor shower, so I was laying down on a footbridge that crosses the river watching the fireworks through the break in the trees when it suddenly got very dark. A black bear had decided to cross the river and just stepped over me like a log on the path and kept trekking towards the campground looking for a midnight snack. And I still don't smoke. :)

[Zorro]

http://www.electricfishmusic.com/001.html

[Colt46]

Was kayaking in flooded area and noticed limbs/branches in tree above me moving. Try as I might I couldn't detect what critter was causing the disturbance. There was no wind at all. Finally it dawned on me that the tree was falling in slo-mo. Two reverse strokes and I avoided the ignominy of being the first human being to be crushed or drowned by a beaver. Never got a look at him, but those chisel marks on the stump were unmistakable!

Got with 14' of a bobcat while out hiking. Sat down and ate my lunch while talking to him. When I got up to leave he took off like a shot.

While backpacking a had a black bear sneak around a tree and take a grab at our bear bag that was on the ground while we were cooking dinner. It was pitch dark, but I felt this odd sensation and looked down and left. He musta been three feet away. I said, "Oh, Sh##. A bear!" He took off and raided some gals campsite on the other end of the lake when he realized he'd been made.

[H&Hhunter]

The coolest thing that's ever happen to me; last year I was hog hunting in Northern Tx. I was slipping down an a brush covered creek trying to be a silent as possible. When I thought I heard a slight noise in the branches above me. I stopped and looked up only to see two tiny little baby Bobcats. These guys had just opened there eyes which were bright blue. The Bobcats stared at me as I stared at them. I started to reach up and touch one but decided to leave well enough alone and let them be. It was only after about an hour that I realized that I did have a camera in my pack........ Oh well probably never get a chance like that again.

Strangest thing well..........My brother and I were out hunting Coyotes in the NM desert when up in the Juniper trees we see this black round shiney thing moving through the brush. I put a pair of glasses on it and decided it was definatley moving it was shiney and black and I had no earthly idea what it was. So being the good ranch raised NM boys that we were we grabed a pair of rifles and proceeded to investigate. Checking the wind we carefully and skilfully stalked up on this strange and mystical black shining object. Which turned out to be a lady clothed in a swim suit and a pair of calf high leather boots walking a little doggie under the shade of her black umbrella. Guys I couldn't make this up if I tried. And the best part is that she was out in the concentric center of nowhere and we never did find a car or motor bike or anyother such vehicle to provide transport to the above mentioned locale.
And stranger yet this lady never would murmur a word or even lokk at us so we just left her to her walk.:confused:

[beckrodgers]

I followed a beaver 1500 yds down a canal in Bolivar co. Ms. That dude came up out of the water 4 times and kind of danced & played on the bank area ,we were 25 yds apart I stayed to its rear .When he would climb over trees ,branches etc. I mean his bottom was huge. I would guess 300lbs. easy. Anyway he climbed & swam on ouy of sight.

[Zorro]

H&Hhunter?

Sounds Like Santa Fe.

My Family is From Hobbes, and Albuquerque.

[H&Hhunter]

Zorro,
Yep how'd you guess...............:rolleyes:

[Zorro]

Takes one to know what a freak show Santa Fe is! :neener:


;)

[H&Hhunter]

And the bad news is that it's getting more freaky by the day. If your to wierd to live in San Francisco or Boulder you move to Santa Fe.

And now the newest group to invade is the "My trust fund is just to big for Aspen". crowd.

That's Santa fe, 36 square miles surrounded by reality.:D

[Edward429451]

Had a squirrel pinned in an isolated tree and was being quiet & still waiting for him to show himself so I could try out my (then) new 10/22 on him.About 20 mins later of playing statue I hear a twig snap to my right. I spun my head that way and there is a momma & 2 yearlings, mountain Lions, bout 20 ft away. She let out a Wild Kingdom yell and I dunno who was scared more, me or them. I suspect it was me. I've never felt so undergunned in my life! My heart rates up right now just thinking about it. (20 ft.!)

Who said they never seen a Mtn. Lion in Colorado? Be careful. I see more Mtn. Lions than any other game, specially in Phantom Canyon.

[Gila Jorge]

Was on a deer stand in Northern Michigan one time and a bunch of deer passed. Then along comes this fawn a bit behind and bleeting like a lamb....you could hear this rascal everywhere.

[MPFreeman]

My father and I are riding our horses in souther IN along a logging road. We decide to race to the top of this hill. So we rip up this path as fast as we can, side by side. Really fun, and then we pull the horses back, slow them down, and walk them over the top of the hill. About ten to fifteen feet in front of us is an incredibly straight stick about seven feet long laying across the logging road in the sun. Then the stick begins to MOVE!! Yikes, a snake. It was a big black snake, right in front of us. We let him amble off the path and into the bush before we past.

Another time riding in Missouri, about twenty of us going through the ozarks. We're going through some thick forest single file. The rider in front of me stops abruptly and freezes. Some long green snake is hanging out of a tree looking him in the face of a distance of 12". Then pops back up into the tree and watches us pass. Sucker must of been bout 48-60" long. I hate snakes.

Strange happening....

Trying to load a green horse into a trailor. Horse spooks and takes off down a dirt road in full-tilt boogy. I won't let go of the rope because I'm too young and proud to let the critter win. So I hold on and actually mud ski behind my pony in my boots for about 50yds. Past one of my dad's friend and I calmly said, "Hi Bob" as I blew past him.

[dongun]

I've seen a couple of hawks grab dinner. Saw a king snake eat a copperhead.

At dusk one summer evening, three of us were flying low, on ATVs, down a dirt road that runs through the middle of our deer lease. I saw the lead guy throw his arms up as he fell back on the seat in a cloud of feathers. He was able to lock it up and skid to a stop. He had run head long into a screech owl. My friend had caught the impact full in the face, breaking his riding glasses. He was in a daze for several minutes, not knowing for sure what had happened. We found the poor owl knocked out in the middle of the road. After soothing the little fellow for a little bit, it took a perch on my finger. After about 10 minutes it took off.

However, the strangest thing I've ever seen in the woods is my brother-in-law.

P.S. I just signed up tonight. I was moping around on the old TFL sight and saw the link to this forum. It's good to be back.

[Watchman]

What part of Central Ar. are you from ?

[Grayrock]

Too many cool/weird stories. I'm gonna wrack my brain- I must have seen something in my years afield!!:confused:

[Big_R]

I have a few.

I was checking my deer stands last fall and came around a small hill that was covered with scrub brush. When I rounded the hill, I was no more than 10 feet from a coyote who was taking a nap in the sun. It was quite windy that day and I was walking up wind, so it didn't notice me until I was there. It looked at me, not startled, not angry, nothing. We looked at eachother for a few minutes and it turned and walked away.

Another time I was hunting pheasant in southern MN with a friend and his yellow lab who is about 10 human years old. Anyway, Pete (the dog) starts getting birdy and Dean (my friend) tells him to go. Pete runs into a small patch of brush and is almost run over by two whitetail does. Practically gives Pete a heart attack. Even worse, about 30 minutes later, same situation, Pete runs into some brush and out flies the biggest wild turkey I've ever seen. Pete looks at us, then back at the bird, then back at us trying to figure out why we're not shooting.

Ryan

[labgrade]

Have had 'monks/other three-rats walk up my leg, touched a deer once, the plenaply of the "black-cap" chick-a-dees walk all over me & peck the trees to beat the band all over - sometimes while standing on my head ....

... caught a Gambels' quail once - by hand. Quite the stalk. I figure that a real treat not to be done again ....

I saw what could only be a pine martin once, in the deep/dark timber, - but Colorado doesn't have any ....

I saw a mountain lion once stalking 2X mule deer bucks on a Sangre de Cristo terrace - & this from a 4WD - so cool! but the truck's presence broke off the chase. Still, to watch that partial ...

I've seen the rise of many a nice brooky to a fly, in crystal clear water - & missed the hook-set because the water was too clear & I anticipated. ;)

I've shot a coupla jakes a 8 feet - after being called in - they can be stupid for such smart birds. Guess they have to live a year or two to get there ...

Too many "on the flats" - re Keys fishing - to mention. Such strange things go on there .... a world unto itself.

I should have done a journal, as my huntin' bud Ted suggested .... "write down those things important while it happens" (or just afterwards) ... I'd be able to more aptly put down some strange, or just normal, things that goes on while "in the woods."

That, & those that are just absolutely wonderful for the just being there.

What better thing could anyone write down - or remember? I've forgotten more than I could say & thanks for bringing up this thread - brought up so many memories (again). .... will have to start that journal (as should we all).

[ed dixon]

Once, just out of the woods, saw a white fox jump a ringneck cock out of the corner of a cornfield -- purple-orange dusk sky and a little house directly across the road with untended bushels of apples on the porch. Not weird, but a postcard moment for this city boy. These other stories are great by the way.

[444]

Ed, your story reminded me of another story that is only loosely related to hunting, but it occured when I was hunting. Last year, maybe the year before, I was out hunting at night for varmints (coyote, bobcat). I don't know how many of you are familiar with Nevada, but there are a couple cities of any size and millions of miles of uninhabited territory. Nevada is a huge state by eastern standards. Nevada could swollow up a half dozen or more eastern states and they would never be heard from again. Neavada used to be a mining state; Gold and silver mining. There were some huge bonanzas, but as the vein played out, everybody packed up and moved on down the line. So, scattered throughout the state are ghost towns in various states of disrepair. Some of them actually have a few people living in them, way, way, way out in the middle of no where. So this particular night in December I fueled up at the last gas station for about a hundred miles in all directions, drove 68 miles up the highway, turned left and proceeded out across the desert. We drove an old dirt road for about two hours spotlighting, calling, looking. We crossed over a mountain range heading in the direction of Kalifornia. About two hours off the pavement there is a ghost town pretty much just like it was a hundred years ago, the buildings are standing and there are even a couple people living there out in the middle of no where, they even still have the gallows right on the main street. I came down out of the mountains, crossed some more desert and pulled onto the main street of town. Much to my amazement, the first house on the street had a fully lit Christmas tree in the front window. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It was an incredible sight in the middle of the night, so far from civilization.




Yes, we did get a cat and a couple coyotes that came in to our call.

[labgrade]

And one time along the South Platte River, oout east, we were hunting quail, or pheasants, probably both.

1/2 foot of snow on the ground & we were walking some turkey tracks because nothing else was happening - meandering.

A cock pheasant busted out of the underbrush & a hawk (of some sort - I don't know 'em like I should) was cranking on this bird to beat the band - matching every twist & turn while only about 5 feet behind. We watched this flying match till the pheasant dumped into cover & the hawk skreeched its way skyward. Lasted a whole 10 seconds, if that, but burned forever into my mind. (but I'd forgotten, again, till just now .... )

Neat thread. Thanks.

Perhaps the same day, & if not, all but the same location & very similar terrain/conditions, my black lab, Spook, got birdy.

I kneeled down with my 870 across my knees & called to The Dog. He was "all over it - being way birdy" - a quail jumped up out of the snow & Spook grabbed it - snatched the thing in mid-flight.

"What a great dog!" I think. He's caught a cripple. What a great conservation tool a dog is - pulling in an otherwise lost cripple.

I bent down to retreive the quail & praise Spook. "Fetch it up!"

The covey starts to erupt through the 1/2 foot of snow between my legs!

Obviously, I stand up & start jammin' 'em.

Yeah, right.

3-4 birds at a time, the covey seems to break the more I shoot.

I shoot 1 - 2 times & stuff another coupla shells in - to "be ready." Right.

I'd lay odds that a cool 2 dozen birds flushed between my legs that quick minute.

I shot at least 11 times & got 2 whole quail. The dog got one without firing a shot. ;)

I've had birds flushed close to before, but have never experienced such a staggered covey ever launching such as that.

Absolutely flustered & the worst shooting I have ever done.

Beat by my dog. So totally cool.

Again. Neat thread. I'd forgotten till just now.

Gotta start that journal .....

[labgrade]

This thread seemed to have started a memory flood ....

Had a day once, dark Colorado timber & I'm essentially "bow hunting" elk with a rifle - a 2X8 scoped short-barreled .308 - usual shots are well within 25 yards - the timber's fairly thick.

I'm sneakin' & an elk moves into the zone, I start to scope 'im & "git ready."

All I can see is what I think is a front shoulder - a perfect shot placement - but I can't be sure - too much cover & the whole sight picture is too cluttered - too much trees 'n stuff in the way, but an elk's "right there!" I just can't tell what part of the elk I have in my sights.

V-e-r-y slowly, I'm 20 yards off & dial up the scope from 2 to 8 ... still can't make out the picture to see what I'm aiming at. I want a sure shot & not "just a hit somewheres."

I scope 'im out, trying to discern what part of the elk I'm looking at ..... for 2 ..... 3 minutes. The elk is stationary. Time is d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g ..... any who has done this know the time distortion - it drags so long.

I can't see what I'm looking at & finally the elk spooks some & jumps some & walks away = spooked for being so close, for so long.

As it figures, once the elk moves, I know that all the while, I've been scoped in to the shoulder all along ......

It moves on out & no shot's available - everything's too close & the elk moving off only a few yards makes it unavailable ever again.

But that's really OK.

Having it that close, for so long was a real treat & just have to thank it for doing what it did.

Never did get an elk that year.

Did get to have an exceptional rush through .... ;) very cool hunt all told.

[meathammer]

Deer hunting in northern Wisconsin, I had a curious chickadee flying around my head as I sat really still. He then proceeded to land on my shoulder, then landed and perched right on my rifle barrel. I swear to God. He just sat there, turning his little head, looking at me. I was trying real hard not to laugh, I felt like I was in a Disney movie. :D


Another time, when I was a kid, my dog and I treed a big, fat grey squirrel in my parents front yard. (My dog was the unholy terror to any small mammals in the area.) Anyway, this squirrel realized he had nowhere to go. After about 10 minutes, he jumps down (about 20 feet) and hits the ground HARD. It sounded like someone dropped a 20lb. sack of spuds. He was stunned for a second, then ran off.

Here's the funny part. My dog just looks up at me like, "Can you believe what we just saw?" My dog never made chase. I laughed so hard I cried. She just looked up at me in disbelief. One tough squirrel! :D

[mrt]

As a youngster camping with my dad ...I would get bored and hunt squirrels and chipmucks with a handmade spear. One time I crossed the channel that we were fishing cause I seen a great big bird sitting high in a tree, it was my first bald eagle experience...it flew off when I drew near under him... so I went exploring again...and seen another squirrel to kill. It raced up the tree and I wacked it down once, but it got back up the tree...and climbed up and up... then began to "fly" from tree to tree, spreading it's webbed legs. It was real neat when I discovered what it was.

In that same channel, we were trolling and then a couple of deer decided to cross the channel right in front of us...I remember telling my dad to speed up so I could grab the one with the horns...but he didn't...bummer...I just had to watch them peacefully swim by.

So it's one of my first times mule deer hunting...and after the opening day my friend & I bag our deer, which we hung by our tent...next day we wake up late and started cooking breakfast and I got this feeling something was watching us...I look up a there's a black bear creeping toward us...I actually was calm and said; "Hey Steve, look there's a bear" He jumped up like mad and yelled "where's my gun, where's my gun" Meanwhile the bear took off...it was the fastest thing I ever personally seen run.

So I decided to try some bow hunting on some friend's property. And on this deer trail I found a tree which went up and bowed to a right angle at ~10' high... so I thought I would try it for a stand...got up there and waited, and waited...then this doe and fawn came along...and stopped right beneath me...by then I had my bow fully drawn and pointed directly down at the mom (I was not intending on shooting her, I just wanted to tell my friends that I could of).... then she bent her head clear back (as in straight back) and looked up at me. After a little while of wondering what this still figure was, she got spooked and they trotted off.

Now I'm elk/deer hunting with a bow again...I was stalking quietly through the woods when all the sudden I hear a bunch of noise ...sticks and small logs breaking like heck...thought I scared something, but soon realized it's coming towards me...I hunker down and draw my bow...when I see elk charging at me...I see one in front of me and let my arrow fly...they stampede by, and after a bit, I regained my composure...look around for blood and realized I missed everything when I finally found my arrow...bummer

[six 4 sure]

Well, this is pretty lame compared to everyone else, but here it goes. I used to live in the middle of nowhere Nevada exactally as 444 described. I'm crusing across the valley when I see something off to my right poking out above the sage. It's an antelope. Well there's not much I can do besides look at him. After awhile he looses intrest and starts to trot off parallel to the trail I'm on. Well I decide to see how fast he is and I start to pace him. I sort of spooked him and he shifted into turbo and talkes off. I tried to keep up with him for awhile, but after hitting a wash and having a Dukes of Hazzard moment I gave up the chase.

Six

[musicofcolor]

Good thread guys. It even got THIS lurker to register and post. Heres mine. First time I went turkey hunting was with a friend, we were watching about 25 hens no more than 15 to 20 feet in front of us. A large coyote just appears on the edge of the flock.
Never saw it come in. Next time I look to where it was at it was gone, no more than 30 seconds. Thought I might have been seeing things. My friend never saw it. 5 minutes later a different much smaller coyote comes trotting up the trail on the other side. My friend sees this one, he hates coyotes and takes a shot and
misses. Later it seemed to us that the smaller one was trying to push the birds to where the larger one came from.

[labgrade]

A "never saw"-thing.

"Sneak-hunting" once along a game trail - maybe takng one step every 2 minutes, I spooked an elk - likely a decent-sized bull.

I say a bull elk due to the subsequent tracks & what this elk drove through.

The tracks were huge, the breaking of aspen blow-downs was quite unbelieveable - "he" blew through 12" diameter dead-fall like there was no tomorrow - just ran right through this stuff/& breaking it all up - ran right through it.

Ran across this critter at about 5 yards, never saw him at all - it was that thick - only did scare the livin' hell outa me when he broke cover & ran off - breaking everything in his path leaving the area - & I'm "sneaky." ;)

But a 5 yards!? How sneaky can you be? ;)

One of those "whoops!"-things .... you better have
better eyes than what I had that day ....

Not a "seen"-thing, but a certain "close-encounter."

[Steve Smith]

But aren't you glad you didn't have drag his sorry butt out of that deadfall? :D :p

[S_O_Laban]

Very interesting thread. I guess I'll throw in.


Coolest: Red tail Hawk picks up a bull snake (large/10ft+) and can just barely get off the ground. He is beating his wings for all he is worth and this snake is still alive and squirming for his life, hawk slowly (very slowly) at about an alltitude of 10ft flies out of sight with snake in tow. I'm guessing the hawk won? Didn't see the end of it. That was one determined bird! I felt like he bit off quite abit more than he could chew:D

Strangest: While living in Indonesia I found a flying lizard in the front yard with a broken leg/wing. A most beautifull reptile, he had fallen/ flown out of a huge mango tree.

Weirdest: Rabbit hunting, well not really:D I was out in a field behind the house (hayfield) in Jan. There's about 6-8" of snow on the ground. This is back when I was 18 and in pretty good shape :D I decide to try to chase rabbit, never intending to catch it, just goofing off. The rabbit for some reason doesn't take off and just run in a straight line but keeps turning this way and that and I keep after him for about 15 seconds and suddenly rabbit keels over dead! I guess he died of a heart attack or something like that? Felt very bad about the whole thing, wasn't trying to hurt it, just fooling around

[Art Eatman]

At the end of WW II my parents bought a small farm/ranch next door to my grandparents. My grandfather had bought an old Farmall 12 (steel-lugged wheels; before rubber tires!) tractor. Hand crank start or no, it beat plowing behind a horse!

We'd rigged the sickle-mower and the hay rake to work behind the tractor. My job was to mow and rake for the hay-baler man.

At age 11, by haying time, my feet were total callus. I'd spook a cottontail rabbit while raking and after putting the tractor in neutral take off running across the stubble after "Mollytail". It was quite a show for my parents, and I caught quite a few of the little critters. Always let them go, after I had figured out they wouldn't tame down and be pets...

:), Art

[Johnpl]

These stories of hand-catching rabbits got me thinking about a story I read about Turk Wendell, a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, I believe, who is a huge bow hunter. He once shot a deer inside of a car wash, according to this story. Anyway, he has vowed to take a deer using just a knife.

[DJJ]

steel-lugged wheels; before rubber tires!

...my feet were total callus.

Before shoes, too, apparently! :evil:

[labgrade]

Out around the coastal canals SE of Miami - pretty much boonies at the time - hunting up snakes to sell to the Serpentarium .... I hear this very strange noise - it sounds like a rabbit distress call, & go investigate.

Turns out, a garter snake has a leg-hold on a leopard frog & the frog was screaming for all his was worth - classic distress yellin'.

Never knew a frog made that kinda sound.

Left them to their own devices.

[Art Eatman]

DJJ, once the weather warmed up, you couldn't keep me in shoes except at school. Once school was out, I went barefooted all summer long.

My folks could get me to do "tractor stuff", but other than basic farm chores I was gone to the woods most of the time. The folks used to sorta wonder 'bout me--and the rest of the world's been wonderin', ever since...

:D, Art

[sig970]

Funniest thing?

Me

Off the trail, reaching for the toilet paper and a buck runs right past me. I had about 10 seconds total to drop the thing.



Missed that one.

[dev_null]

Strangest, weirdest, coolest thing seen in the woods?
My ex.

-0-

[Drundel]

Y'all have me beat hands down but...

dove hunting once, crippled a dove, hawk hit it in mid air and had a free meal.

[Frohickey]

dove hunting once, crippled a dove, hawk hit it in mid air and had a free meal.
Should have reported the hawk to the Forest Ranger for poaching. :D

[OkieGentleman]

One warm fall when I was about 15, I had been out roaming the woods and was on my way home. I was walking across some pasture that had never seen a plow, the sun had set just a few minutes before so it was only about half dark. I step over this clump of buffalo grass and heard a sound that sounded like the granddaddy of all rattle snakes. I mean loud. After freezing to stone I realized about 25 or 30 quail had flown when I stepped into the middle of the little circle they had made to bed down for the night. Those darn wings beating by my ear sounded just like a rattle snake in the dark. It took about 5 minutes for my heart to stop beating like a trip hammer.

Same time period I was walking across a pasture with tall grass when something hit my calf like I had stepped on a stick and it had slapped me. When I looked down the big ole cotton mouth I was standing on, struck my boot again. Did you ever see the steet magician that can levitate? I beat him by about 3 feet, did a 180 in the air and landed about 20 ft from where I had been standing on the snake. When I pulled up my pants leg there was two sets of fang marks about 1 inch below the top of my boot (they were very high tops) and venom was running down my boot. And people wonder why I look at the ground when I am walking even in town.

I ran across a momma bear with cub while deer hunting in Colorado about 20 years ago. I heard her but could not see her. I stopped where I was and crouched down. When the noise I had heard ceased (I thought it was a deer cleaning his antlers) I went to check and see if I could get a shot at the deer I thought I had heard. I find a spot the size of a large dining table plowed with claws and from where I am standing I am looking square into the bush I had taken cover behind. Momma went to north, I went east, several minutes later I hit Momma bears tracks in the snow and there was a set of smaller tracks right beside the larger tracks. I walked off that ridge with my .357 in hand and a terrible urge to go to the bathroom. I guess me sitting still behind that bush let momma decide I was not a threat to her cub.

We used to have a collie mix dog that hated snakes. We would find a snake and start yelling snake at the top of our lungs and Laddie would come running to kill it. We saw a snake in the water in a small pond by the house and yelled for Laddie. When we showed him the snake in the water. Laddie went right in the water. The snake stopped and waited for the dog. When the dog grabbed the snake, the snake started wrapping coils around the dog's head. I could not believe the size and length of that snake. It wrapped enough coils around that dog's head to pull him under the water head first. Laddie finally had to let go of the snake or drown. When Laddie finally got loose and back to shore, he shook himself dry, gave us a dirty look and went to the house.

Again when I was about 15. We used to take and cut our shotgun shells below the wad until just a little paper was holding the thing together. Coyotes would be crossing the pasture 250 to 300 yds from the house. We would shoot those shells like artillery shells and do aim adjusment from the dust. I laughed like crazy one day at a coyote, he could not figure what was making slapping noises all around him. So he stopped in the middle of the field to investigate. We finally stung him with some shot when it hit the ground and he took off like a shot.

Oh for the good ole days, 30 inch waist, work all day, party all night and go back to work the next morning. And I had hair to comb, not a shiny spot that I use a wash rag on.

[NRA4LIFE]

Several different incidents. One of my younger brothers and I were turkey hunting in Northern MO in a river bottom and kept seeing this same doe walk past this spot every morning about the same time. The next day we set up in the same spot and sure as heck here she comes. I told my brother to freeze and get ready. The doe walked within 10' of us and stops about 20' past us to take a #1. I touched off a round out of my 12 ga and the doe must have jumped close to 10' into the air. We couldn't hunt anymore that morning because my brother kept laughing.

Another incident happened at a Wildlife area near St. Louis. 2 friends of mine and I were scouting some turkey hunting spots earlier and had regrouped and were talking when we hear something approaching us. A doe comes screaming up to us looking into a very bright morning sun and doesn't see us until she is about 5 feet from us. She slammed on her brakes and tumbles directly between the 3 of us, almost knocking one of my buddies over. She made off right quick after realizing where she was.

Third and last, seeing a Bobcat for the first time in the wild this last deer season on my land in Northern MO.

[labgrade]

Not woods, per se, but interesting enough .....

In The Keys for a VaCa once & got a call from a bud at a marina - there's a manatee hanging out - bring a coupla heads of lettuce.

Did & brought the kids. Tossed the lettuce heads to the manatee, which sucked 'em right up.

Too, hanging a regular garden hose over the dock edge, the manatee sucked the hose into its mouth & tanked up on fresh water for perhaps 20 minutes.

Never seeing it before, it was quite the experience. I've heard that some sailboats'll "tank" manatees here 'n there with fresh water.

The whole Keys experience is brackish water & manatees need fresh. "Tankin'" here 'n there's a decent thing to do.

[Dadio]

last week i was hiding out and had a fisher cat walk within 10 feet of me right in my yard. first time i ever saw one! fuzzy little critter didn't even see me but he sure could smell me. he walks through my yard every day.

[beckrodgers]

What kind of snake had that puppy dog all wrapped up, did you all ever git that son of a gun? Thanks

[Mannlicher]

The most amazing thing I ever saw in the woods, was when walking along Camp's canal, in North Central Florida. The canal was dug back in the 20's think by the Camp's Cattle company to drain Paynes's Prairie, just south of Gainesville.

The sight that cought my eye was a Eastern Diamondback rattler, that was (by later measurment) just a tad under 9 feet. His body was about as big around as a football. He was swimming down the canal, and the way they swim is to inflate their lungs, and it looks like they are crawling on the surface of the water.

His undulating body, moving against the current was a fascinating sight. I watched him for about 10 min, using the binocs, until he swam to the opposite bank, and up and over he went. I was very glad he did not come up the bank on MY side of the canal, or I am sure I would have really set a landspeed record getting out of there.

[Art Eatman]

Ah, yes! Payne's Prairie! We used to run top end through there, heading to Ocala and the booze store. Alachua County used to be dry, back in the '50s/'60s. 3.2% beer, only.

NE of P.P., there's (well, used to be, if it ain't a subdivision) a lake and swampy area. Lots of cypress. Beaucoup ospreys nested there. I used to go out for a "head rest" to get away from the textbooks...

"A Florida man needs no introduction."

:), Art

[Mannlicher]

Well I'll be. Mr. Eatman, you have just made a quantum leap in my esteem. "A Florida Man needs no introduction" indeed !! I am a Gator Grad, class of '69. Alachua county was, as you say, dry back then. The Sunday afternoon runs down 441 to the Scrounge Lounge, or up to the Oasis, by the Bradford County line are fond memories.

I hunted, and fished the entire area, from Lake Butler down to Ocala and the Big Scrub.

Gainesville is still a wonderful place to live. Sure beats Miami. I gotta move. ;)

[12.7x99mm]

Well not in the woods for the best one... it was kayaking with a pod of killer whales down in one of inlets a few years back. That was amazing!

Second was having a bull moose come out of the trees and swim across the Kenai in Alaska. Then we motered right up next to him, close enough to touch. This was in September after the Sockeye run. The river was full of dying red salmon and I think I cought about 50 rainbows that day.

Also having a bull Elk walk right to me (about 25 feet away) this past year. Picture perfect event.

[Newt]

Well, I'm in my mid 20's now and when I was little, as Art said, when summer time came, shoes left. I chased a rabbit down our driveway until I caught it. Wanted to keep it for a pet, but folks wouldn't let me.
Another time when I was about 16, while just driving the back-roads (as we say) my friend and I came across a doe and a fawn in the middle of the road. Of course, he stopped the truck and I jumped out and after the fawn I ran. It was easier to catch than I thought it would be. I proceeded to carry that fawn back to the truck thinking I would keep it for a pet. Not a smart idea. I didn't get halfway back to the truck when that doe starts "blowing" at me and charges. :what: .... I dropped that fawn and ran like heck back to the truck.

[campergeek]

I don't know about strange, weird or cool, but I thought this was kind of funny.

In March of 2002 I was backpacking at Hawn St. Park in Missouri, and slept at campsite #2 which is right next to a creek. Although it's not generally necessary in MO, packing in other parts of the country have put me in the habit of "bear-bagging" my food. Because I didn't expect to see any bears, I only hung the bag about 5 feet high - out of the reach of little critters.

In the middle of the night I was startled awake by a lot of clattering and clunking downstream. While I was trying to reason out the noise, the source became clear when I heard a deer's hoofbeats making quick time toward the campsite (in the dark). Just as they reached the other edge of the campsite, where the bag was hung, they were interrupted by a muffled (THUMP), followed by a snort & confused grunt, and then the hoofs made double-time back the way they came.

I went back to sleep snickering. :D

[natedog]

Accidently stumbled into someone's illeagal mairjuana patch once :uhoh:

[Spider]

Around sundown, sitting out on the deck of a boat moored in a creek about 1/2-mile in from the Chesapeake Bay. The creek is home to a large marina, and they were dredging to keep the channel open. The dredge crew had gone home for the day, and had left their work boat moored out in the creek.

An osprey comes flying by with a large snake (probably a bull snake) in its talons. As it crosses over the work boat the snake manages to work loose, falls on the boat, and manages to get into the cabin through a slightly open window. The osprey banged around the outside of the cabin for about 10 minutes trying to get at its dinner, with no success.

Work crew shows up the next morning, and we were watching. One guy opens the cabin door, starts to step inside, looks down and lets out a yell like you have never heard as he levitates backward. Never laughed harder in my life...

[The-Distinctive-Edge]

Wow, some stories, will have to go back and read the rest! Great post idea! paul

[BlkHawk73]

Not sure what you'd call this. maybe "Thing that makes you go hmmmm..."
During hunting season a few yrs back, while heading to my spot, a noticed another vehicle pull up. Four large - all 300+ - men get out , full orange. Even if the sun wasn't out, they glowed enough to light up the whole area. Anyways, off they go into the woods after some deer. Ok now...if these four large men each get a deer they'd been in a preddicament; they arrived in an Escort!:what:

[Smoke]

1. Once saw 2 rattlesnakes...ummm....stuck together, you know?
Didn't think much about it at the time, but later learned that is a pretty rare sight. FYI, they will stay stuck together several hours after you bash their heads in.

2. Father, brother and I were moving cattle one evening. Got the pasture cleared and we were heading back to the trailer. WE saw a coyote chasing a rabbit. We stopped and watched him for a while and he seemed to be herding it more than chasing it. He finally ran the rabbit by
the other coyote which promptly jumped out and grabbed it.
Very impressive, I didn't know they worked in teams.

3. Once saw a young mountain lion run out in the road in front of my pickup ran in front of me for about a 100 yards then went back up the hill he came from.

4. Scariest. I had a calf die and drug it off in a cedar break next to a caliche hill. aA few days later I had another calf die and drug it to the same spot only to find the first one gone. I followed the drag marks to where whatever it was had left the carcass. The rib cage was cleaned as if by a very good bitcher with an extremely sharp knife. I looked around for prints and found none. After looking for a bit I finally found a cat track....a BIG cat track. (this was a 400# calf) I looked around a little more and started getting a bad feeling. I left plenty fast. Went back a couple of days later and the first calf was gone. Completely. Second calf was not bothered at all.

[H&Hhunter]

Smoke,
I'd lay dollars to donughts that BIG cat was a Jaguar. A large male has a track much larger than a Mt lion and there has been an substantial increase in Jaguar sightings in Tx, Nm, and Az in the last ten years.

Warner Glen a houndsmen from Nm treed and photographed a large male in southern Az 8 or 9 years ago. He did a real nice little book on it called fire in the eyes or some such.

You might find it interesting as it explains and pictures the difference between Cougar and Jaguar tracks.

[Art Eatman]

I've read of coyotes working in pairs, to catch some supper. One report had it that two of them worked an antelope: The antelope ran in a circle with a roughly one-mile diameter. One coyote would chase for a while and the other would cut across the circle. They eventually wore the antelope down and killed it.

I once had a cottontail run past me, only a few feet away. About five feet behind him was a coyote. Neither one of them saw me. Wide open throttle, for sure! (The reason a rabbit is hard to catch is that he doesn't know where he's going next, either.)

H&H, in Bosque County, the odds are more likely it was a cougar, not a jaguar. That's northwest of Waco...

Oilman Clinton Manges, at his 120,000-acre ranch near Freer in south Texas, decided he wanted to start an elk herd there. (!) A female lion of no more than 100 pounds killed a 500-pound cow elk and dragged the carcass over a hundred yards into the brush...

:), Art

[H&Hhunter]

Art,
Yep, I didn't realize that it was that far north and east.

But you never know it may have been a Chuchacabra or La Yarona or even the Co-Co Drino.;)

[Norwegian]

Best : First time I saw an eagle...we call it the KingEagle I don`t know what you call it .

It was NO DOUBT it was one of them...it was quite high above ground though , but hoovering still , I guess he was looking for something :D , maybe he was looking at me :eek: :eek:

Cutest : My parents had rented a cabin near the Oslofjord
one summer and I was sitting in a chair on the porch reading a book .
There was a branch in the left corner of my eye and all of a sudden I saw it beaking downwards :confused: I slowly turned around and saw a squirrel that was looking into my eyes maybe 40 cm distance , it just stared at me for a little bit with the huge brown eyes then all of a sudden it ran away .

Stangest : Well NOT in the forest though , but nature related .
I was walking to school at around 7.30 am in the morning and I was walking in a side-street that doesn`t have much traffic .I walked in the middle of the street when heard the sounds of a horse coming upon me from behind .

The sound just stopped and I decided to turn around as I guessed the horse and the rider would pass me , so I turned around







And it was a HUGE FREAKING MOOSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

I was paralized and just froze....fortunatley the moose just looked at me and headed towards downtown after I moved .
He was of course shot later that day , poor moose must have been scared and deffinitly potentially dangerous to people so.........I think they gave the meat to some elder hospits or something :)

[makdaddy03]

2 Strangest?
1. I saw a Black Panther in SE Alabama. He crossed the road right in front of me. It didnt seem to be in a hurry either. I had to slow down to a near stop for it to cross. I was likw WTF!!
Others have seen it or them also. Rare in Bama. They are most common in FL.

2.I was Bream fishing a small creek with a nephew and what we thought was a log was a 8ft Alligator. Not common in SE Bama either. You should have seen us High Tail It out of there..:-) But there have been more and more sightings by local fishermen,hunters. The Game Warden said to leave them alone.:eek:

[kentucky bucky]

Once during the early muzzleloading deer season in Kentucky, it became very windy (and noisy), so around 9:00 I decided to get up and scout around because I sure as heck couldn't hear anything . I walked out on a point scouting for sign and as I walked back I noticed something out of the corner of my eye . It was three turkey hens walking in a row parallel to me down in a bowl to my right and they were just enough ahead of me to not spot me. I just kept walking the same pace and they gradually veered up the ridge right in front of me! I sped up until I was so close that I could have touched the rear bird with the muzzle of my longrifle. We walked together in this bizarre spectacle for about 150 yards with me trying not to laugh out loud! I was grinning like a opossum the whole time. I would have given anything for a camera. Eventually they veered back down another hollow and never once saw or heard me!!

PS, for you nature children, they never once landed on my shoulder.

[pax]

Years back, when my firstborn son was just a baby, my husband and I went camping over in eastern Oregon. We had an old canvas tent with a mostly-broken zipper that was such a pain to use that we rarely bothered.

One morning, I awoke before either my husband or baby son, and snuck out of the tent to enjoy the peace and quiet. I was lying in the hammock quietly watching one of the zillions of campground 'chipmunks' as it snuffled through our campsite looking for crumbs.

The little chipmunk nosed around under the picnic table for a few minutes, and then got interested in our tent.

Into the tent he went, tail and nose both twitching. I pondered Doing Something About It, but what was there to do? He'd come out as soon as he realized there was no food to be had in there. He couldn't do any harm, right?

Moments later, my husband awoke from a sound sleep to find a chipmunk perched a quarter-inch from his right eyeball. He let out a loud yell, and apparently he and the chipmunk chased each other around the tent at least four times before either one of them could find the door.

The tent looked like something out of a cartoon -- there were lumps and bulges poking out the sides of the tent, with an occasional body part visible through the screen windows. Meanwhile our son awoke and added to the general ruckus by setting up a howl so loud you could have heard it from orbit.

Finally the chipmunk made his escape, but not before my husband managed to bring the tent down on himself and our toddler (who was safely esconced in a portacrib).

I haven't laughed so hard in years.

pax

[Edward429451]

LMAO, that was funny.

This just in...One of my buddies lives up near Divide in a cabin with a private fishing pond. The neighbors big black Lab always comes over and plays in his pond or with his two shepards. Its kind of a wussie Lab and 'Dan' delights in sneaking up on the lab by the water and scaring him for the funny reactions of the dog.

Last weekend, dan sittin on his porch in the middle of the night enjoying some late night paint stripper (ok, he was drunk), and hears water splashin in the pond and looks over to see the black Lab nosing around the water. Dan quietly sneaks up on him like always, just looking for a laugh..reaches out with both hands and grabs him by the rump and goes WAHHH real loud...

Things get real lively all of a sudden when a medium sized black bear leaps up screaming in fright and tosses / knocks Dan in the pond.:what: His dogs are on top of the situation though and come off the porch to help, distracting the bear and treeing it long enough for Dan to climb out of the pond and gather his wits and dogs back together and call it a night. I'm still laughing.

[makdaddy03]

:)

[pistolwhipped]

The coolest thing I saw in the woods was my father shoot a rabbit running at full tilt (the rabbit , not my father) with a .22 rifle. Nice shot Dad.

[Iain]

Wow, old thread, but I will add my bit.

Used to go stay with the grandfather when he still had a farm in Cornwall. Went to count the bullocks with him in the morning, used to see badgers just snuffling about like we weren't there. There was a news story about a badger not far from where I live now, seems over the course of three days the same badger hospitalised four people.

Last year took my springer spaniel for a walk. Up trots a doberman and the two of them mess around for a bit. Suddenly they both disappear into a bush, there is a bit of barking and snarling and my dog comes out with a rabbit. He beat the doberman's ??? for it. Of course the rabbit was dead when they got there, it was missing its head and had been for some time.

This is England of course and we don't have quite the same exciting wildlife. Reasonably sure I saw a weasel once, long, low red flash shot in front of me. Too small for a fox or domestic cat. Really quick and secretive creatures.

On a stretch of canal near home I saw 5 herons and 2 kingfishers in about 200 metres.

Best for last though. While canal boating last Easter (love that pace of life) we saw three mallards drowning a third. Really vicious behaviour for such a benign looking animal. Later on a swan skimmed the top of the barge at high speed, landed in the water behind us and attacked the rear end of the boat for 20 minutes. Guess it had a nest nearby.

[Horsesense]

We were catching mud turtles out of the farm pond and not wanting to catch any of the BIG CAT FISH, we would leave the bate (blue gill) just out of the water, with a length of line and a milk jug. Everything was going fine; when one day this large bird (name withheld) fly's by the house with a milk jug dangling behind. The poor thing got tangled in an electric line and suffered terribly…until I shot it. :( :(

For the next several years the birds mate would be seen at the pond. We all feel terrible about this and have devised another way to catch turtles.

[TrapperReady]

Not really the woods, as this happened at the edge of a lake in town today, but it made me laugh pretty hard nonetheless...

It's been cold enough recently that the water has started to freeze pretty well, but we've not had anything resembling real snow yet. As I looked out across the lake, I noticed that (A) just a few feet past the shoreline the ice was very smooth and clear, running out for quite some distance and (B) there was a flock of geese heading in pretty fast.

As I watched, a couple of geese dropped out and came down toward the water. The patch they were headed for was perfectly smooth and crystal clear. I'm sure they thought it would be a soft water landing. Instead, both geese hit the ice hard and skidded some distance until they stopped. The one slightly in the lead actually spun around a little more than 180 degrees before coming to rest.

It almost looked like they had little expressions, saying "What the heck was THAT??!!" The rest of the geese stayed up a little longer and came down on the other side of the road in a small lot and then started walking down towards the water.

[RandyB]

Was deer hunting once and was coming out after dark and jumped a deer off the ridge I was coming down. The deer ran right into a car travelling on the road at the bottom of the hill. Finished walking down to the road and was getting a flashlight out to look for the deer (it didn't appear injured, and the car took off after hitting the deer) and came face to face with a "Kitty cat" Figured he'd been dumped out along the road, until I noticed that cat was black and white............the skunk followed me on the road for about 50 feet. I was thinking "Man have I got a story for the folks." Then a truck drove past me an stopped. I thought it was a buddy of mine heading home and looked in and said "Howdy" well it wasn't instead it was a local who had one too many himself and was skunked too. Needless to say on the drive home, I drove REAL slow.

[redneck]

Walking to my next class last week and I see a redtailed hawk standing on the ground about 2 feet away from the sidewalk, out in an open areas of campus. Bunch of big oaks and maybe 3 acres of grass crisscrossed with sidewalks.
Walk right up to it expecting it to fly off, or hop away if it was hurt.


It had one of the thousands of little gray tree rats that run around campus, in its mouth, tail hangin out. I could have touched it I was so close. It cocked its head sideways and looked at me a little while, then went back to eating and I went on to class :)

[kentucky bucky]

I was Grouse hunting in the snow in some rough Eastern Ky hills when I was a teenager. We worked our way up to a pine thicket and some snow fell off of a tree and went right down the back of my neck. I stepped under a pine tree out of the snow and bent as far over as I could to shake the snow out of my coat. When I looked down toward my feet I was looking face to beak with a very large Grouse. Directly after we locked eyes he decided to find a less crowded tree an flew up at Mach I. My first reaction was to shoot, so I grabbed my shotgun and flung it to my shoulder.....................but the barrels were pointing at me instead of the grouse!!! Of course my friends have never let me forget it. They said "don't kill yourself, it's only a grouse":D

[labgrade]

May have posted this already - it's been a while, but figured I'd stick it in again if not ....

Hunting w/The Bud for pheasants along the Platte River area (Ft Morgan area SWA). See a pheasant flush & right behind him, a hawk.

The bird's doing twists & dives trying to throw off the hawk & finally just tosses into the snow, burying himself & losing the hawk. Hawk does the circle-bit, slreeching-thing & finally flies off.

The whole 3-second fly-by was incredible! The air-born twists & turns of the prey avoiding predator were unbelievable! not 10 yards away from us. No 'top gun" outfit film could have matched this aerial drill ....

Another time in the west-side Sangre de Cristos winter elk hunt, it was an absolutely beautifully clear-blue Colorado morning like nothing you'll ever see anywhere else & the minimal snow started to fall from no clouds at all. Mind you now, there were no clouds, no wind. Nothing but the most absolute, most blue, blue high.

If you've never seen it, I could never tell to you this color of sky.

Seriously.

One could watch a single snow flake from about a mile high, while tracking its entire movement to the ground.

I have never experienced such clarity in my life.

Kicked back & did nothing for at least an hour but watch one snow flake after another form & drop silently to earth through the vagarities of the non-existant winds.

A couple actually fell on & touched me.

Elk hunting? Ha! & forget it.

I got to watch, for a short while, something we would normally pass by as just "weather."

[Selfdfenz]

labgrade,
Excellent story. Fun to imagine that.
S-

[standingbear]

most memorable..hunting groundhogs and noticed 4 or 5 buzzards in an ol dead tree.the guy that i was hunting with decided to mess around a bit with them.he got vomited on with the worst stuff i ever saw.i hadnt laughed that hard in 5 years.neatest....napping in the woods at the base of an walnut tree during squirrel season and was awakened by a deer sniffing my hair.

[labgrade]

Selfdfenz, thanks.

It was (both of them) pretty special treats. I think the Snow Story was one of my best times ever in the woods. So very cool to just watch a snowflake form & drop through such a so very blue, blue sky. Actually quite incredible. - even still.

Thinking back though - The Wife & I did a winter backpacking trip in the Lost Creek Wilderness area once - around Presidents' Day - early Februray, as I recall.

Was cold as hell - about -15F We woke up, got out of the bags & then started to FREEZE! COLD! Brrrrzzz ....

Fired up the camp stove for coffee & did a fire for some warmth.

The sky was as in the last recounter - a bluer than blue thing, but there was a noise, just barely audible - sounded somewhat like someone doing bacon about a mile away.

We were, doing a winter camping trip at -15F, so alone that there was nothing else moving in our entire world.

Turns out is was frozen air - the barest ice particles, if you will - blowing, with about a one mile an hour breeze, through the lifeless branches - it was making such a noise that I have never heard before, or since.

The barest rustling, while overwhelming, after a second's notice of your surroundings.

I couldn't ever write it, but it was the sound of your most close, dear-one whispering a Shhhsss in your ear/& bacon frying about a mile away.

Elusive, yet everpresent, I'd guess.

Nonetheless, we had the quick coffee & beat feet the hell outa there 'cause we were cold as all get out. The Wife still mentions my (dis)demeanor & breaking camp. ;-) Hey! I wuz COLD! ;-) My bad!



Thanks again, BTW, for whoever started this thread.

Brings back many a thing every time I get an e-mail refreshing this thread .....

I remember another time, when the tide was turning out over the flats in the Florida back-country.

A mereist of channels, but never you mind, it was The Only Channel for the water to pour out of.

Prolly about 1000 miles of flatland washing out through a 6-foot deep channel & all off it was pouring through this one "river."

Imagine it!

Permit, snook, dolphin - everything! all pouring through this one area all at once.

Utterly amazing! & the strength of this "tide" was, although only about a 6 knot deal (which is fairly outstanding in itself), took everything away from the flats through this channel.

We body-surfed through the tidal flow withe the boat following behind us.

Not too fun. ;-)

Our lake froze over once with a deer dead somehow out on the ice.

We had Bald Eagles eating that for over a month. Had easily a dozen fly over the house in a five minutes timespan.

That was fairly rare.

One time, again out along The Platte SWA, I was hunting quail/pheasants & my black lab Spook flushed & caught in his mouth a bobwhite.

I thought that very cool & "what a conservation tool my dog is" catching a wounded quail.

I bent down to pick the bird outa his mouth. There was about 4" of snow over a fairly heavy undergrowth.

As I retreived the bird, the covey started to erupt between my legs.

A flushing of quail - 2 to 3 birds at a whack.

Spooked!? you betcha.

I'd shoot once, twice, maybe hit a bird - or most likely not. Reload, just in case & .....

Happened again & again.

The covery erupted at least 5 times.

Turned out, after 11 shots, I hit exactly two birds.

The dog got one - live. I hit 2.

Now I've had a covey split right there a time or two, but I have never had one explode between my legs - ever.

Quite the hoot!

As i recall, this was the same day we had the hawk chaising the pheasant.

Not a bad day all-in-all.

Have you ever seen two hawks doing their air-dance, in the sky for mating, or for play?

I have once.

I once shot a grouper so large that the 3-banded spear-gun bounced off his head while me & my bud looked with delight that we din't git 'em - we would've been towed AWAY, or lost all our gear.

& the moray eel so large that it was easily 3' high & over 8' long - just after.

I saw a shimmering cloud-like-thing coming at me in a cannel (where a 12' hammerhead shark was recently caught) - there was no way out. Turned out to be a school of about 10-lb tarpon. While "hiding" in a cluster of seaweed, I got to watch this 50+ school of fish swim by .... the scared flashed by - after about an hour. ;-)

A floatilla of roasetta spoonbills passing by as a southern summerset .....

Clear white egrets on a full moon, flying to roost - dark night, while clearly illuminated.

A brilliant el dorado in an emerald sea, on-rod - caught, or not.

Brookies rising at a high-altitude lake enough to call it The Porpoise Show. We caught these fish to no end & while my lab Spook was swimming not 10 feet away sometimes.

A close whisper from My Wife, the view from my own window, the recollections of things I have beheld,

Backpacking the Everglades through Yosemite, skippering boats out of Islamarada (east & west), hunting The West & The East - I have seen some things.

Yep. Yes Sir!

Thank you, God!

I've seen a thing or two & cannot thank You enough.

What a wonderful world we have - to see, to hold & to cherish.

& what a hoot to be able to get out there & play.


Yip-pee!

:D

[grampster]

I don't know when I have enjoyed a thread so much as this one. Ain't bein alive and having an appreciation for the wild and wilderness great?

I live on a lake and have a deck off the great room with a scrub oak growing next the deck, about 10' from the slider. One late winter day a bald eagle is sitting on a limb looking in through the glass. He then turns, spreads his wings (huge) and hops down to the couple feet of open water of the lake before the ice sheet started and plucked a large northern pike out of the water and then flopped onto the ice. He tried to fly away, but the pike was too heavy and one talon was tangled up in the fish. He had to eat his way free over the next half hour before he could finally pick up the fish and fly away.

Same eagle and his mate land on the ice and appear to be having a confab about the flock of ducks in some open water several hundred yards away. "Listen, baldy, you go left, I'll go right. You swoop and move them ducks to your right and I'll drop down and get one and we'll go Dutch on lunch, OK?" So they do. Something to see. In the summer they hunt our lake almost every day around 3 PM.

Had a doe and two fawns come up to me while sitting on a stump during deer season. One of the fawns nuzzled my foot till mama bleated and they wandered off.

Had another fawn come up to me to be petted and fondled while bumping me. He had one eye torn out and was crippled up. Must have had some feral critter try and eat him and he escaped. Very sad. I thought about putting him out of his misery, but decided to let nature have its way. Very sad.

Have seen and been in close proximity to coyote's, large flocks of turkeys, foxes, black bear etc. Fun, but nothing special. Well.....I guess it is special, in hindsight.

Once while rabbit hunting with broth in law and fath in law, spotted peter cottontail sitting along the edge of the road. We stopped the car and exited and opened the trunk to get a shotgun..brother in law won the race and grabbed his shotty and ONE shell. I said ya better load up John...to which he replies...."only need one shell". Well........he missed from about 5 feet and Peter hops slowly away. The rest of us were laffin too hard to do anything else. We did push the field though and took about 5 other bunnies.

My brother and I were up a long two track following a creek west off 189 near Big Piney, Wyo in the Bridger-Teton range. That day was so special. Sky was cobalt blue and the higher we got the deeper the snow. Finally had to turn around and backtrack. We were in 4wd lowrange most of the way. We saw hawks, eagles, moose, elk, deer, various birds, other furry critters that I don't even know the names of, say nothing about the terain and wild flowers in the clear patches between snow drifts. It was the first week of June.
Late that night we were holed up in Big Piney and having toddies and dinner in the local pub. When the locals asked what we had been up to....when they heard where we were, they laughingly told us if a sudden snow had come up, they would have found our bones in a couple of years. Couple of Michigan morons in the BIG wilderness. What a place to die, though.

Watched a big black bear munching on a car hit dead deer in the ditch along US 131 just north of Big Rapids, Mi. This is rural but a college town, so there is a lot of traffic and people in the area. Had to call my son on the cell phone, he was travelling behind me, to see if I was seeing what I thot I was seeing. I was.

Once had a great white snowy owl sitting in my front yard (on a little hill overlooking our lake) He was sitting on a RR tie that is used for landscaping the slope. It was snowing pretty hard and shafts of sunlight were spiking down through the clouds and splashing off the snow on the fozen lake below. Kinda surreal and beautiful.

I am also reminded about the old geezer hermit who lived in a trailer out in a several hundred acre woodlot in the Manistee forest nearby. He was arrested for ahem, cough, uh, having "relations" with the local animal population. When he was appearing before the magistrate he wished to plead guilty and the magistrate was quizzing him about his cough, ahem, behaviour. Clyde, did you have relations with goats? Yes your honor, guilty. With sheep? Yes, your honor, guilty. With large dogs? Yes your honor, guilty. With turkeys, Clyde? :what: !!!???Turkeys???!!!:what:

:D grampster:D

[Johnpl]

Great posts! And people ask me why I hunt, fish, and hike!

Since the time I started this thread, I've lost my dad...and I guess I've been thinking more and more about time he and I spent together in the outdoors: watching his hands tie on a lure, wondering if my hands would ever be so big and strong; watching him as he fired a rifle, and wondering if he was remembering firing a rifle in France, as he got a distant look in his eyes; having him read tracks in the woods as if he was reading a book laid open for us. I go out in the woods now and I feel close to him again. That's what the woods can do!

[LifeNRA]

Johnpl,
Very sorry to hear about your dad. My dad was my best hunting buddy before he passed away. My dad fell getting into a tree stand one year and broke his back. The top rung broke and when he fell his back hit a root sticking up out of the ground. Poor man lay there for an hour unabale to move until my brother (who had gotten up late) came along. Hunting was always painful for him after that.
On a lighter note I remember one time he and I were walking in the woods before daylight with flashlights to go deer hunting. I was not yet old enough to hunt on my own and he was going to let me stay with him all day. He wanted to hunt a ridge that he had not hunted before so I was behind him taging along. Next thing I know he disappeared up to his waste in an old grave that had sunken and was filled with leaves. My dad let out a cry I had never heard form him before. Scared him to death just about. No one even new the graveyard was even there. Very old one with only rocks for tombstones. The old man who owned the property said his grandpa had told him of a slave graveyard way back in the woods but he had never seen it.

[PWK]

In coastal S. TX I saw a Mexican eagle once flying overhead with a snake it had just caught. The snake was wiggleing back and forth so must have just snatched it off the ground. The snake was about twice as long as the eagle. That image has stuck with me for 10 years.
That was really cool.

[Guyon]

Great thread. Here's one from last turkey season.

Had a hen come right up to me while I was calling from the base of a tree. I wasn't really behind any cover--just hunkered in plain sight on my little portable seat. She walked up within about ten feet of me, clucking all the way, then puttered along to my left. Stayed there in sight for a good ten minutes or so, just pecking and clucking.

As far as cool memories... will never forget my dad teaching me to fly cast on a river near our house. In the summers, I spent almost every afternoon in that river, catching bream and small bass.

[NRA4LIFE]

Was Muley hunting in MT this year and noticed quite a few of the fawns were real small for some reason. Came up over a little rise one morning with the wind blowing across me about 30-40 mph and here lays a little fawn looking directly away from me only 50 feet ahead of me or so. Decided to have a little fun. Snuck up behind it within 10-12 feet only and went "BOOOOO". Scared the bejeebers out of the little bugger. It only ran about 50 feet and stopped to look back and the expression on it's face was priceless.

[Mike Irwin]

Probably the oddest/neatest was walking along in some serious woods and finding an old cast iron cook stove.

Turns out that the area had once been farms back in the 1800s, and the road leading through the area had been fairly well traveled.

There were apparently a number of farms and the like along the road, all long, long gone. After some more searching through the brush I found a low stone foundation that had supported the house, some odds and ends of domestic life (buttons, a spoon, a few other things), and of course, the stove. When the place was abandoned it was apparently too heavy to move.

For having been left rusting for the better part of 100 years it was still in fairly decent shape. I thought seriously about trying to get it out, but it would have been a monumental task.

[Kestrel]

Was hiking in the woods in the northeast a good number of years ago at night. Came over a small rise in the woods on the trail. Up ahead, maybe 100 yards, there was a cabin. The yellow glow in the windows told us the lights were on in the cabin, so we knew someone must have been there. We would be passing by it, but it was a bit off the trail. As we got closer, we could see something kind of grubbing around the back. (The back of the cabin was more towards the trail, but was probably 30 yards from the trail.) There was a small deck and the closer we got, we could hear what sounded like something going through garbage cans. We had heard in town the day before that a lot of people in the area had been reporting that their garbage cans had been scattered around, so we thought this may be what had been causing the trouble.

As we got closer to the cabin, we could see movement around the garbage cans in the back. We stopped and looked through the binoculars (didn't want to suprise a bear). We could not make out the form, but could see it moving. It had evidently knocked over one garbage can and was going through the garbage. I picked up a stick and through it down the trail, making a little sound. The thing stopped and looked toward the trail. Still unable to make out what is was, we hiked just a little closer. The thing stood up.

It was only about 3 feet tall. Kind of greyish-green, but more gray. Did not have any fur and stood on two legs. The arms were very skinny and a little too long for it's body. It looked like a very small man, but the head was much too large for it's body. The eyes were huge and the nose was so small we almost couldn't make it out, but it was there. There was almost no mouth - maybe none. Couldn't tell. Saw no ears.

Then the thing saw us. It was almost like a predator stare. Both large eyes fixed on us like it was calculating. If felt like the hair on the back of my neck was standing up. I was sure it could hear my heart beating. At this point we were probably about 30 yards from it. I felt very uneasy. My friend and I whispered quietly, wondering what in the world this thing was. I could tell my friend was very nervous, too.

The thing took a few steps in our direction and we turned and RAN in the direction from where we came. We had no guns with us, but we couldn't be sure if it was human or not, so would not have fired, anyway. We kept looking back as we ran and I felt sure the thing would be there, but didn't see it again. We decided to continue for a LONG time back towards town.

;)

[Outdoorsman]

Great thread, the stories are excellent.

The family was up at the cabin in northern Michigan, and like many times before, my 4 year old son and me got up early to go for a ride to see if we can spot some deer. Well after about an hour of driving around, (no deer) a rabbit comes out the woods and runs right across the road in front of us with a coyote chasing about 20 feet behind. I got a good look, but my son didn't so I turned around and went back to where they crossed the road.
We were both amazed to see that coyote sitting about 25 feet off the road with that rabbit in its mouth, just staring back at us.

Another time while golfing, saw a Bald Eagle swoop down and take a trout out of a large pond while teeing off.

And once had a bobcat run across the trail in front of me while snowmobiling.

But by far the strangest thing to ever happen was during deer season last year.
We had just had a successful late afternoon hunt (2 tags filled out of three of us) we headed to town to shower abo.ut 9:30-10:00. We're driving down a pitch black dark county road when we see a guy laying face down in the ditch along the road in our headlights. We figure somebody ran into him and left him for dead.
We stop to help, but it appears as if he's not breathing. Mind you, its pitch black out, in the middle of nowhere, and we're a bit unerved by this. So we call 911. Cops come with ambulance.
I tell this story only because there's a happy ending. Turns out this guy was on medication for some medical condition that reacted with another medication he was taking.
He was driving for some trucking company and realized something was wrong, became delirious, and could'nt drive. So he decides to try to walk back to town and call his dad for a ride. (about 10 miles away)
Anyways, thats the story the State Troopers told us the following day when we went back to see i