Overcoming getting spooked.. and scary stories!

[Jakeemt]

P.S. guys there is a very cool thread called something like weird encounters or strange stories or some such running on this forum and it is a great read. Some of it down right cracks me up! If I remember right one poor was in his stand at night and kept swearing he heard someone saying his name right behind him. Turns out he had butt dialed a family member on his cell phone lol!!

P.S.S. I hate saying stuff like this over the internet but, I really am sorry about your pops. hang in there partner.

[Charlie Lamb]

I manage to spook myself more when I'm sitting on the couch than anywhere else. You see I'm a nut for Bigfoot programs and let my imagination run wild. (not the program with the 4 idiots)

Thing is when I go hunting I never give it a second thought.
Consider it lucky or not so lucky but I spent a year in a far off place back in the sixties where the nights lasted forever and were blacker than black... and there were many very real hurtful things in it.
Not much phases me these days.

There was one time in Wyoming, though. I was walking into my hunting area early, early one morning. The trail was long and steep to where I was going and I wanted to be there at first light.

As the trail dropped into a small drainage I thought I could see something moving above the willows just ahead.
I never carried a light in those days so I just stood and watched while the short hairs on the back of my neck went erect.

At first I couldn't tell if my imagination was working over time or the sixties were catching up with me.
In a moment I knew I was seeing something big that appeared to change shape and was a very light color if not white. It just floated above the top of the willows well above my head.

To late to stop the stomach knotting and sphincter clenching, I finally recognized the rack of a rather large Shiras moose as he swooped off through the brush, his huge, black body invisible in the darkness.

Then there was the time a low growl close by in tiger country caused me concern. But that's another story.

[highlow]

So Charlie, there were a bunch of other Charlie's out there in the dark. Damn good reason to be spooked. Never experienced that as I got sent to Korea in '65. Glad you got back and hoping it was in one piece.        

[Eric Krewson]

Most of the time I find walking in the dark exhilarating, especially on full moon nights. I always imagine that some guy, out hunting just like me, walked the same path 10,000 years ago and I am walking in his foot steps.

One time I did get a little nervous; My late wife hunted with me for years, I would put her tree stand on a tree for her with instructions to come down at dark so I could pack her stand for the trip home.

On night I went to pick her up and she was still up the tree. " Why didn't you get down?" I asked, "there is something out there and I am not getting down" she said, to which I replied, "nonsense, come on down".

About that time something about 40 yards away cut loose with the most ear splitting, blood curdling wailing scream I have ever heard. "I told you" she said.

I have heard bobcats scream, bears growl and panthers roar but have never heard anything like this. Every hair on the back of my neck was standing straight up.

The next time it screamed it had moved to about 50 yards away, then 75, 100, and finally on the far ridge.

My wife got down and we beat feet to the truck.

I have two friends who swear they have encountered a large, hairy, bipedial creature in this area on separate occasions so who knows.

[DDawg]

One word.....Glock...

On our farm we have yotes too, I have been caught back in the woods after dark with them close by; it was quite unsettling.
In Georgia if you have a carry permit then you are permitted to carry a pistol with you during bow season.  Not sure how things are in Canada.

[mlsthmpsn]

Originally posted by DDawg:
....  Not sure how things are in Canada.

In Canada, carrying a sidearm while TRAPPING is legal ONLY if you are granted an "authorization to carry". Even persons that reside way out in the wilderness must apply for and be granted permission by the government to carry pistol...regular citizens are even more restricted.


Back on topic, there are lots of good "do you guys get spooked in the dark" threads around the internet....one such from Michigan is a classic with tons of tales and stories...if you are so inclined to search for and read such things.

   

[acedoc]

not hunting related but bow related and the reason i joined tradgang (first time i held a trad bow), so here goes.

me and a couple of friends of mine went angling for mahseeer (tor species) in south india. the river was the dividing line between the village/ habitation and Nagarhole tiger reserve. we were just guys and two of us had some field time behind  us so we decided to camp next to the river side in a basic shelter (hut) rather than motor down to the angling spot.
had a great day of angling and as the best fishing is generally at night we decided to fish on. now bear in mind that we are on the river side out of the electric wire fence which is there to keep jumbos at bay and were bbq'ing meat.
     we called it a day when i flashed a light on the river to find two reflective eyes at water level closing in on our location - Croc!
south india is pretty hot and sultry so we decided to sleep under a veranda rather than a tent. one of us 3 decided not play safe and get in the tent. late at night he gets tired of the heat and plonks down close by - got tired of him waking us up at every noise and when he finally nodded off i gave him a slight jab in the leg with a knife. must have scared every animal within 10 kms with his yell !

i like the night as long as i am armed (with my 12g SXS and slugs) and for the rest i believe in what a poster said earlier- if its my time the gods will gather me!

p.s - another reason for liking the dark is that my wife walks a whole lot faster at night than during the day and i dont have to slow down much if at all

[bunyan]

I'm a rational guy and usually have no problem walking in the woods before daylight or after sunset. But I used to walk into one spot really early and every time id get this funny feeling when I reached this one spot on the trail. Never saw or heard anything out of the ordinary but id just feel nervous for no reason! I'm sure it was nothing but who knows?

There is one group of young hunters that hunt one public land that I do not like.  They are bullies, they take extreme long shots when deer are out in the fields and sit in their tree stands and take shots after legal hours.  Their excuse when they lose a deer is always 'I couldn't see through my peep sight'.  The one with smokers cough came up behind us when we were walking out, coming on fast.  The area coyotes were letting their presence  be known that night.  When one sounded off up the hill, the kid yelled in a fearful voice with lots of cuss words.  We stopped and turned out our lights, then another one howled on the other side, the kid yelled again and came running.  When he came by us on the tractor lane, I said "who are you yelling at?" He screamed and stumbled and panicked,   When we turned our lights back on, he said "those yotes will get ya."