Footsteps coming

I remember when something similar happened to me. I learned from the experience, and I'm sure your son will to. And I bet he will not soon forget it either!

That's why they call it hunting. You can't outguess those critters

BTDT myself. That's why when sneak/still hunting one must always be ready. Many is the time when sneak hunting where a deer bedded down and previously unseen by me, jumps up and takes one look, before running off. As many times as not I've kicked myself for not being ready. Sometimes it was the only chance I had all season and I blew it because I got aloof. Happened to me this season. Had a flock of turkeys around me all morning. Got used to hearing them scratch, putt and cluck. When I heard them alarm putt, I just thought they had seen me move in the blind again. Wasn't till they cackled and flew that I realized I need to look behind me......too late. Fortunately about three hours later the four deer came back thru in front of me. At least your son was still out there learning.

I was elk hunting in some pretty heavy fog, it was very quiet. I stopped and waited for a second,heard some thing like the breaking long uncooked spaghetti. All of a sudden there were 15-18 head of elk pouring down the hill about 85 yds in front of me. One nice tall spike in the herd. They came to a screeching halt, i pulled up and dropped the bull. The rest of the elk turned, ran back up the hill, into the brush. And, then, as fast as it happened, it was all over.Then, quiet once again like it never happened.

I was walking out of our Illinois woods after spending some time bowhunting for whitetail and not seeing anything moving that evening. It wasn't quite dark yet and I decided to stalk the edge of some standing corn that had been left unpicked because of a wet low spot along the creek. Dry noisy conditions with corn leaves but wet ground underneath. As I picked my way slowly along the edge of the corn I could hear footsteps moving parallel with me a few rows in. I stopped, ...they stopped, I moved, ...they moved. I had an arrow ready as I was getting near the end where the corn tapered to a point and I still couldn't see a deer even though I was straining in the now almost dark. I stopped and watched and waited and tried to slow my pounding heart rate and a big fat rooster pheasant flushed from right in front of my foot and his wing feathers brushed my face! I threw my arms up and my bow went flying too!
There never was a deer involved and until then, I had never realized how much a pheasant walking down a cornrow could sound like a deer, especially if deer is what's on your mind. I have since had coyotes, pheasants and raccoons and even possum come out of and along cornfields and you can sometimes hear them a long way off.

Well, darn! Based on the thread title I was expecting to find a picture of a Sasquatch!

Speaking of unexpected, a sight to behold from Hungary, not very far from areas I hunt once in every couple of years...

Wow. That is a big herd.

My second time hunting of the season I had a deer scare the ever living daylights out of me...

I was on the woods edge and a fence row walking my way to my tree stand. It's a well lit morning (5am) so I'm walking by only the stars and moon. As I'm walking I hear a little rustling of leaves just inside the tree line. I stop walking and hear no other noise, I continue another few steps and I hear a deer blow a fair distance away. I immediately stop and look and listen and I hear or see no other indicators of deer in the area.

I've walked probably another 75 yards or so and I hear what sounds like a semi truck barreling right at me. By the time I turn to look (too dark to even think about shooting) I have to stumble backwards out of the way as 2 deer about pile drive me into the dirt. I drop my rifle it hits the ground, I hit the ground and I flail my arms wildly for balance. I actually touched on of the deer as it ran past and jumped the fence never to be seen again.

My heart was racing my rifle was laying on the ground and I'm flat on my back trying to process what actually happened. I gather myself and continue to my stand, I'm trying very hard not to laugh just from the nervousness I'm feeling. Daylight approached and no deer were seen that day, I did get myself a coyote and an experience I'll never forget. Successful day if you ask me.

My first time in the deer woods... old as I am, it was just 2 years ago. A buddy was sneaking while I waited. After all morning, maybe 75-80 hours and I really had to "go," I heard a loud snap. Turned around, and there was a button buck charging down the ravine I was sitting above the other side of. He reached bottom at a dead run, started up, and then spotted me. He froze. I froze. He spun 90 deg. and Ferrari'd and I swung the musket too slowly. He's still out there somewhere.

A friend and I were out hunting hogs late one night years ago and I could hear something in the distance approaching us and whispered that he get ready with the spotlight. As it rapidly continued and closed within an uncomfortable distance it was “light, light,light, light, light, light, LIGHT!”.

I’m really glad I didn’t kill that horse...even happier it wasn’t something out to get me.

GSPN I still laugh when I think about it, so do all my other hunting buddies.

I was climbing through an old fence on my way up a mountain in the dark one morning, in the area I have seen frequented by the most bears anywhere, and I hear a “Huff!”.

I pulled out my mini-mag (which I promptly realized did not put out enough light, and soon replaced) and saw 2 pair of eyes staring at me as they began to charge.

As I slung my rifle off of my shoulder as quickly as possible, I remember this ‘instant’ thought in my head-I mean I didn’t ‘think’ it per se, it was just ‘there’: “2 bears, in the dark-I’m going to be a legend...”. I did not have time to panic; I was eerily calm.

As I got the scope up to my eye, thankfully I recognized that it was 2 horses charging me. I am, however, still a legend in my own mind...

Sam