Surprising and funny things that happened while hunting

My cousin and were hunting as teenagers. Rabbits mostly sometimes a couple pheasants. We had walked some creek bottom and brushy draws and came out at a corner fence. He handed me his shotgun to hold while he drained his bladder. I was holding a shotgun in each hand, he peed on a hot electric fence wire, and a covey of quail flushed from right under our feet.
He was hopping around screaming, I was laughing hysterically, the quail were safely headed to the horizon.
 
Hunting in edge of a harvested and muddy bean field one day,. I think I was in my early 20's, circa 1994. Doe ran across it full speed with a nice buck right on her tail. They were angling towards me, so I shot the doe 1st and she folded up in a pile,. Buck ran smack over her and flipped in the mud. Just as he scrambled to his feet with mud dripping off his antlers, I dropped him. Was hell getting them both out of that field.
 
I have a couple good ones to add. The first involves a small hill overlooking a small stand of pecan trees at a friend's grandparents house. There was a small "grape bush" that we used as cover when we were picking off squirrels. There was one time we did not see that it was full of poison ivy, and we had gotten set up with the folding table and chairs. Thankfully his grandmother kept calamine lotion handy and his grandfather had plenty of round up.

The next one involves a different friend and a "woods walk" for squirrels and other targets of opportunity. We found ourselves stumbling into a moonshine still that was fermenting some mash. We backed out quickly and silently and made the appropriate phone call to the sheriff's office. My friend received a photograph of us standing in the middle of the still right as we realized what it was. The sheriff ended up catching the guy running the still a few weeks later.

Both of those events were not pleasant at the time but still make us laugh now, even years later.
 
This one was funny to everyone but me. Nephew and I had built a huge tree house style deer blind in a creek bottom. It was close to a mile from the house and we had to step across a small creek to get to it. Well one day my wife's younger brother joins us. He and nephew are about 14. We go hunting that day and creek was a little high and we couldn't cross in our normal spot. We only had work boots, none of us owned waders yet. It had also been in single digits for several days prior and had ice on edges of the creek. I think it was in low 20's that day. So we find another area that I think I can jump across, but not with rifles in our hands, and I have to use a small sappling to assist. Nephew and Bil won't try it first, so I go first, successfully, and have them toss the rifles to me. Then they jump across with no problems. Return trip was a different story. Combination of cold hands, cold feet, and a slip on the icy bank planted me in middle of the creek on my back. Was a loooong walk home. 🙃
 
If you hunt long enough you will have some fond memories.
About thirty years ago there was a decent size beaver pond across the street down in the woods from our place and geese would settle in there. My oldest son was around fourteen at the time, we would walk down there for a chance of getting a goose.
I'd walk on one side and my son would walk the other side.
The geese flushed with no shots taken. A couple of crows were flying across the pond and my done shot one of them. It landed right between my feet.

About forty years ago I was deer hunting with an older friend. He was set up on a hedge row that ran across a good size hay field.
He was squatted down doing number 2 when a few does came running across the field along the hedge row.
He hadn't wiped yet, he grabbed his shotgun and shot at the first doe, he thought he missed and shot at her again.
She dumped after the second shot.
She has a hole in her ear from his first shot.

About fifteen years ago I was goose hunting with my two sons, we had the goose decoys set out in a cut corn field. Some geese came in and we shot three of them.
One of them landed in a crotch of a tree about twenty-five feet up in a tree.
We found a long stick to knock the goose out of the tree.
 
Back about 30 years ago, my supervisor at work told me about rabbit hunting with some fellows from his deer club, down in Williamsburg County, SC. They had a big pack of beagles. The beagles worked through a weedy field and got near a house (one of the old, wood-frame tenant-farmer type homes) and suddenly flushed the owner's cat. The cat ran into the crawl-space under the house....and the whole pack of beagles followed, baying wildly. The bewildered homeowner came out, wondering what in the world was causing such commotion under his house. It took the hunters about an hour to get the beagles to come out from under the house!
 
My buddy and I were very dedicated (obsessed) quail hunters years ago.
An older neighbor also had bird dogs and wanted to go with us and see our dogs work. We were hunting an old overgrown pasture when we came upon a ditch scarcely three feet wide. My buddy and I both sort of long-strided over it. When our neighbor got to the ditch he said when you boys get my age, you won't be jumping ditches any longer". He had is rubber boots on and began stepping into the water which looked to be maybe a foot deep at most. When he finally got to the bottom of that ditch , he was in over his thigh!. Our hunt was pretty short after that!


Another outing we were hunting late-season and had been having a stretch of nasty winter weather. We were hunting along a small creak that was about half bank full of cold muddy swift water. We had a covey up and the singles flew over the creek. It was too deep to wade, but there was an ice covered logthat created a natural bridge over the 20' stream. Our older dogs had already swam the creek but we had a pup along that wouldn't cross. We were trying to hurry because the older dogs were already making birds....we needed to get there fast. My buddy handed me his 20ga and grabbed the pup. I crossed the log carrying two guns. By buddy was carrying the pup in his arms. When he got halfway across the pup could see the water rushing below them and went berserk.
With all the squirming and thrashing, my buddy lost his balance and fell astraddle of the log and resorted to wrapping his arms and legs around it to keep from falling in. The pup went in the water....popped up and swam out no problem. My buddy suffered bruised pride and a couple of other bruised parts.
Of course, I was doubled over with laughter.
 
I'm pretty sure I called in coyotes by accident using the fawn bleat on my deer call in archery season this year. Took a half day from work to do an evening hunt in public land 5 miles from my house. Had tried the lead doe call to feed sound and had no luck, had been doing just plane buck grunts no luck, just before dark did the fawn in distress, decided it was too dark and started to leave. Could hear a coyote howling sounded like it was 50 yds ahead. Stopped and blew the call again. Next howl sounded like it was right behind me. I had my hand made wooden long bow and no headlight so I just walked with a determined pace back to the truck in the near dark broad head arrow knocked and shelved fingers on the string
 
Oh and here is another from two seasons ago. My FIL and I where on our way to hunt squirrels over dogs when we drove by a strange figure walking the road. They where dressed head to toe in black, had on a mask and skii goggles and gloves. It was impossible to tell if this was a man or woman or what ethnicity or anything. They had two machetes strapped on there back and another in there hand and knives all over there front. I said "man I hope we don't run into that guy" FIL "Well if we do he's bringing knives to a gun fight"
 
Not funny, but a good memory.

Was a young fella and new hunter. An old timer told me “son, if you ever see a buck you want to shoot and he’s not stopping then all you gotta do is whistle or holler at him. He’ll stop and look.”

About a year later my first opportunity at a good rack buck presented itself and he was on the move. Old timer wisdom popped in my head and I said “pssst. Hey deer!”

In all seriousness, that buck stopped for a split second and looked at me. Just enough time to make a shot. Nervous and rushed (and a young teenager) I made a high shot severing the spine and dropped him.

I think of that old timer all the time.
 
EDIT: I found the old pics and uploaded them.

Three of us were driving to a charity deer hunt near Demopolis, Ala. We decided to stop off at our old hunting lease that was no more. We asked permission to hunt from the owner and he remembered us and said OK. The other two guys wanted to man-drive a 40 acre overgrown field and I elected to hunt along the RR tracks.

I jumped a 4 point buck and shot it and dragged it back toward the car. They saw me and were jealous that I got one so I had no volunteers to help drag. They said I got the only deer on the place because they had scoured the field and turned up nothing. Halfway to the car while dragging the buck, I jumped a doe and shot it. They were steamed!

Greene C. Ala. 1web.jpg Greene Co. Ala. 3web.jpg

Later at the charity hunt I shot another deer and they both were skunked. They didn't talk to me for 2 weeks. 😄

Demopolis Ala. 1web.jpg
 
Last edited:
Turkey hunting years ago in the bushes along the edge of heavy woods. That corner of the field occasionally got a big gobbler strutting around. It was a slow morning and I had a collapsible rubber decoy on the edge of the woods about 10 yards to my right. Was using a turkey call sparingly, about every 10 to 15 minutes and was getting no responses. About an hour later I caught a blur of movement out of the corner of my right eye. It was a fox in mid air leaping onto my decoy. The instant he hit it, he knew something was wrong and he headed into the woods at maximum speed. I would have shot it, but it all happened so fast that I would have never gotten the shotgun into position in time. It was laying across my lap with the muzzle pointing left while this all happened to the right of me. That fox must have been stalking through the brush for quite a while to get within leaping distance of what he thought was a turkey. It was an exciting experience, on a beautiful spring morning, that I will always remember. That fox must have had a real surprise about the time he hit that thin, rubber, phony turkey.
 
Several years ago I decided to spend the day in the woods and headed to a favorite spot. Shortly after dawn I walked past a stand of large trees and a dove flushed so I shot it. I watched where it fell and as it went down a hawk came flying out of the same stand of trees and caught it on the bounce off the ground. Hawk took off and I stood there with my mouth open. I spent a good 20 minutes searching to make sure I didn't miss the dove.

I spend the day mooching around the woods and just before sunset I am passing the same clump of trees and flush another dove. I shoot it and a hawk comes flying out of the trees and grabs it before it even hits the ground. I stood there watching a cloud of feathers with my mouth open before giving up and going home.
 
brewer12345 said:
I am passing the same clump of trees and flush another dove. I shoot it and a hawk comes flying out of the trees and grabs it before it even hits the ground.
Click to expand...
I've had that happen. I winged a dove and it was flying head-high away when a kestrel flew down and grabbed it but the kestrel was too small to lift it higher so I ran under and swiped it with my shotgun barrel. It dropped the dove.

I also had a bald eagle swipe two bluebills from me after they hit the water. I moved to another area away from the eagle.
 
A friend went steelhead fishing about ten years ago on a remote section of the Stillaguamish River. It was a nice sunny January morning and his wife wanted to tag along with him.
He got set up and was fishing and his wife went for a walk along the shore line with thier little Yorkie terrier.
There was a bald eagle sitting in a tree across the river, it swooped down and grabbed her little rug rat, went back up in to the same tree and commenced eating off of it.
 
Highland Lofts said:
A friend went steelhead fishing about ten years ago on a remote section of the Stillaguamish River. It was a nice sunny January morning and his wife wanted to tag along with him.
He got set up and was fishing and his wife went for a walk along the shore line with thier little Yorkie terrier.
There was a bald eagle sitting in a tree across the river, it swooped down and grabbed her little rug rat, went back up in to the same tree and commenced eating off of it.
Click to expand...
I feel terrible for her, but I have to wonder if she blamed the eagle or realized her fault?
 
I was with my brother and several friends hunting rabbits behind a pack of beagles. There was a small rise covered in grass with higher weeds surrounding it, The dogs were working this area and a beagle started across this rise and at the same time one of the other dogs jumped a rabbit that ran right into the side of the beagle crossing the rise. Both tumbled over when the rabbit hit the dog and when they got back on their feet they were gone. I was laughing so hard I didn't even attempt a shot at the rabbit and was so thankful to see that happen as it will never be duplicated.
 
I've got more than a few.

One of my brothers had jimmied the feed on his old .22 bolt action so that it would also feed .22 Shorts. But he said it wasn't very accurate with them.

We decided we'd go squirrel hunting at a cousin's place along a river. Spotted a squirrel way up in a tree which, true to squirrel behavior, walked his way around the side of the tree opposite of us. Typical tactic is one of us would remain stationary with a bead drawn in the vicinity of the squirrel while the other would walk a ways past the tree to prompt the squirrel to move back around the trunk to the other side.

I stayed, brother walked, squirrel eased back around to my side and I squeezed a round off. Squirrel drops with a head shot.

"Seems to be shooting straight to me."

Much good natured cursing was directed towards me!
 
IMG_0327.jpg
I was shelling corn with the combine one day. A coyote showed up and soon snatched a rabbit. I keep a rifle in the combine but if I stop my machine even for a minute it starts a domino effect with the cart driver....the truck drivers....so I don't normally stop for anything.....besides I had people around and neighbors also working outside so......I just let the coyote go without shooting..... Until a few minutes later, when I saw him bury the rabbit and start hunting for another! Okay....that's enough! At my next opportunity, I popped the hydro into neutral and stepped out onto the catwalk with rifle in hand.
Now coyotes are OK with machinery...as long as it is moving. When it stops, they get real skittish! This one did as I expected and made a fifty yard dash towards the standing corn in front of me.
I shouldered my rifle and gave Pursuit with hot lead!
We found the coyote dead in the cornfield later that day.
The next day. I was going down the road with my flashers on, and noticed that my left outboard flasher wasn't working....(big pet peave of mine...lights). When I got back in the shop I started trying to fix the light, and I discovered why it didn't work!
It seems there was a 5.56mm hole in the support arm!?! Huh? The wiring harness has been severed too! Huh?
Oops!
 
Milt1 said:
I was with my brother and several friends hunting rabbits behind a pack of beagles. There was a small rise covered in grass with higher weeds surrounding it, The dogs were working this area and a beagle started across this rise and at the same time one of the other dogs jumped a rabbit that ran right into the side of the beagle crossing the rise. Both tumbled over when the rabbit hit the dog and when they got back on their feet they were gone. I was laughing so hard I didn't even attempt a shot at the rabbit and was so thankful to see that happen as it will never be duplicated.
Click to expand...

Before I took up hunting we would let our two beagles chase squirrels in a common area of the apartment complex we lived in. One dog was right on them, the other was extremely nearsighted. If the first saw a squirrel and started running, the second would guess where the squirrel was and go full tilt. More than once the first dog would be bearing down on a squirrel and have Mr. Magoo come crashing into her broadside at a dead run because he guessed wrong where the squirrel would be.

In the same place, the smarter dog soon figured out that when you tree a squirrel it often ran up someone else's tree and after some squabbling sometimes the loser would come back down to get to another tree, as they were planted too far apart to jump across. So she took to waiting quietly for a minute or two after treeing and several times gave a squirrel the shock of its life. This was great fun until she surprised a squirrel a few feet up and it lost its grip, landing on her back. There was a moment of shock where everyone froze, but the squirrel recovered a second faster than the dog and made it to the next tree with her a foot or two behind.
 
This happened today, not while hunting, but in connection with it.

I went to visit the friend who lets me hunt his property, to bring him some gifts, and then help him with a chore that required us to drive several miles to another property. He lives at the end of a very narrow, one-lane road that is a couple of miles long. We were driving out on that road, I in my truck following him in his. We were about half-way out to the two-lane road, and I, randomly, looked into my rear-view mirror, just in time to see a section of tree trunk or limb, that was about 8 inches in diameter, and 8 feet long, crash down onto the road just behind me! If I'd been a half-second further behind my friend, that log would have come down onto my truck. And I just got my truck back after waiting almost 4 weeks for it to be repaired, and missing most of the deer season. I'm beginning to think the universe is telling me to stop hunting for the year..... :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

somethingbenign
  • Locked
I Forgot How To Sight A Rifle
Replies
2
Views
352
somethingbenign
somethingbenign
A
  • Locked
2020 Rabbit season is a wrap!
Replies
5
Views
374
Hookeye
H
Z
  • Locked
Goose hunting...
Replies
1
Views
473
JohnBT
J
M
  • Locked
My hunting buddy....
Replies
7
Views
621
interlock
I
D
  • Locked
(OR) Bunny hunt bugs animal-rights advocates
Replies
20
Views
2K
Drizzt
D
Back
Top