Fear and loathing in the woods

[GCook]

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.
Faced death too many times to worry about what COULD happen.   Just face and adjust as it comes.

[Walt Francis]

Most of my hunting is in grizzly bear, Black bear, mountain lion, and wolf country.  They are there, it is a risk one takes to hunt in wild places. Worrying about any of them too much takes away from the enjoyment of the wilderness.  Therefore, I don’t worry about them until they are encountered.  Yes, I have had encounters with all of the animals mentioned above, numerous times.  How one handles themselves in the woods minimizes the number of encounters.  How one acts, thinks, and feels, during an encounter often determines the results.  I consider myself fortunate, there must be guardian angle that watches over me through every chance meeting with them.

Here is the link to one of those encounters:

https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=13984.msg224414#msg224414





 

[STICKBENDER98]

 I haven't hunted the UP since 2015, the year my Dad passed, and took some of his ashes to one of his favorite spots.  My brother and I spent 17 years hunting up there with him, the only time I have ever been spooked in the woods was that year when I was walking a logging trail back to the truck, I saw a wolf 60ish yards away  crossing the same trail, it stopped when it spotted me turned trotted about 10 yards stopped and looked back at me, I can still see the look in its eyes, no fear.  It trotted away, once I got to the main trail, my brother had made an arrow in the snow with his feet to let me know he was headed back to the truck.  I hadn't walked very far on the main trail, maybe 50-60 yards when the pack started to howl, it sounded as though there were 6-8 of them in a semi circle around me, still had  about 1/4 mile hike back to the truck, it was the longest walk I have ever made.  All this being said, I have to admit, that the songs they sing in their howls are some of the best music I have ever heard, and feel very fortunate to have had that opportunity.


Jason

[jhg]

For the return to a gut pile.

[mahantango]

.44 snubbie any time I'm in the woods.

[Trenton G.]

That is an awesome picture!

[Archie]

I grew up in Alaska and had virtually no fear of bears back then.  I spent countless hours in the woods, fishing and hiking and mountain biking and hunting and motorcycling.  Then I moved away and spent 20 years in other places.  Got married, had kids.  Now I'm back in Alaska.  For some reason I'm much more aware of the possibility of bear encounters.  But I carry a 3.75" Ruger BH .44 mag everywhere, in a chest holster, full of 340 gr Buffalo Bore.  But I'm still not the reckless fearless guy I was when I was younger. 

While living and hunting in Illinois, I had several times where I was surrounded and followed by coyotes while walking in pitch-black woods, with a mile to walk.  And it was not legal to carry a firearm, so I just had to deal with it and face the fear.  Nothing ever happened and it was no big deal, but I must admit that I was a bit creeped out every time.

Maybe it's because I'm a dad now and think differently than in my younger years.

[Tim Reese]

I worry more about man than nature around here. Idk why but I do. My buddy won’t go into the woods with out his 10 MM On his hip. I could carry my gun too but hate the extra weight since I have my stand already on me. So just use a good headlamp and my knife close by. I can’t carry my gun in Ohio so when hunting there it’s not even a option.

[woodchucker]

I don't advocate anyone "breaking the law" but...

My NYS pistol license is valid for all of NY state, except for NY city.
DEC Regulations prohibit "carrying a firearm of any description, or being accompanied by a person carrying a firearm"
while bowhunting in NY state. Violation of this regulation, is a ticket, and a fine.

My pistol is always carried concealed, both every day, as while hunting.
I think I'd rather risk the ticket, than my life.... OMMV

[Swamp Yankee]

My biggest fear in the woods are the homosapian K-Mart weekend warriors: day or night.

[Sam McMichael]

After following this thread, I can only recall one instance that really made me nervous. Years ago, I had a setter that I was trying to train and was out in the nearby National Forest. The dog did not always come exactly when called, but when we found ourselves surrounded by a pack of wild dogs, Auburn wasted no time coming to hide behind me. That pack showed absolutely no fear of me. They followed us back to the truck and seemed to be a threat all the way back, almost a mile. My shotgun sure was comforting  that day. I am somewhat concerned about venomous snakes and sililar threats in the woods, but I was afraid of those dogs.

[jhg]

My main encounters that caused concern were people and moose.

A bull in rut ran me up onto a huge downfall pile. I threw and hit him in the nose with a chunk of wood the size of my forearm to get him to relent. He circled the heap like a wolf but wouldn't try to climb it (match stick logs). I would have used my .45 on him (point blank a moose is not immortal, there  are tougher animals, like elk) If it had gotten worse I would have had to. The pile was an island of safety- if he had breached that it would have been no other choice, you don't out run moose.

I have met a couple certified creeps while hunting and no telling what they are capable of.

[Bob D]

Vermont has always been full of bears. I never feared them. It’s actually comical watching how fast they try to run away from you.
However, bull moose in rut… I have been threatened twice (head shaking, ground pawing, snorting etc…) and charged once. (head down running after me).
Very scary.

[Trenton G.]

When I was younger I used to have to walk across the pasture at night after hunting in the swamp behind my grandpas. Theres a lot to be said about wild animals being unpredictable, but I probably worried more about the black and white thing with horns and a ring in its nose than I did bears or anything back then. I hated dealing with bulls, always unpredictable.

[Lori]

"Them yotes will get ya." said the young guy almost running to get out of the woods. There were quite a few conversing that evening. I was concerned about a cougar that ventured into our area that left some scat and an occasional track.  He also showed up on a couple of trail cameras, but i was told that he could be here today and 50 miles from here by tomorrow and never come back. Then two days later, we talked to a kid that jumped one when he was walking back to his pickup that  morning.  So much for it being 50 miles away tomorrow.  Not too sure what to think about cougars that venture into Iowa. A few years ago, the game warden had to shoot one that was getting bossy.

[Soonerlongbow]

We’ve got black bears here in parts of Oklahoma, and we’ve seen an increase in the number of mountain lions. But to be honest our biggest problem predators have two legs, people have gotten pretty upset for various reasons out here in the woods. People thinking they own a particular spot of public land, an unknown area of a right of way (happened to me and nearly got the other land owner in a world of hurt), but the most common are narcotics. My grandfather sold a property of his specifically because the drug growing and cooking in SE Oklahoma had become very prolific in that area. That said, I’ve had bobcats stalk me before, and found mountain lion track on top of my own.

Regardless, 2 legs or four, I’ve got “something” with me all the time.

[JDunlap]

Michael Arnette--many of you will know him -- has an interesting story to tell about a mountain lion. Wish he would join in....

[Cyclic-Rivers]

We have lions, wolves and bears but mostly I'm afraid of people

[kenboonejr]

So I grew up hunting in Florida and years or rather decades ago, I went to the management area I hunted and it was pretty flooded.  I had a good ways to reach where I had my tree stand and normally the walk is dry with the exception of a few moist areas.  Now I have always had this great fear of snakes.  Hunting down there, most of the times you would come across moccasins, and every now and then a rattlesnake, however, there are worse things that lurk in Florida swamps.  Anyway, its pitch dark around 4:30am and I am heading to my stand.  What was normally a mostly dry walk turned into mid thigh deep in the water for several hundred yards - at 4:30am pitch dark, with nothing but my bow in hand.  Somewhere in that dark lonely walk, the water about 15 ft away erupted and I knew I was about to be attacked by a gator and would never be found again.  That instant the water erupted the chills went down my spine with that oh crap moment feeling.  Turns out I stepped on a long branch that was under the water and I guess I put enough pressure on it that the end of it like 15 ft away popped out of the water.  But you know how it is when you are in the dark with a spotlight on your head, you only see what you are looking at and everything else is dark and then you hear the water making noise out to the side of you.  Well about had to go back to the truck and change my underwear that morning.  After that, I decided walking mid thigh deep through a swamp in Florida by myself with only a bow in the dark was not such a good idea or something I ever wanted to do again!

[woodchucker]

I give that "pucker factor"..... A "9" !!!!!