cool happenings while hunting...

[ddauler]

Owl grabbed a squirrel never heard a critter scream like that before. Another time a bobcat jumped up in tree after squirrel I watched the cat seak up there for 20 minutes he missed and went home hungry.

[KOOK68]

I was duck hunting in a blind built in between two cypress trees, boat pulled up the bank behind me. I saw something swim towards me, blowing bubbles under the water. It was an otter. It made it's way to the bank behind me, propped it's front paws on the front of my boat, and sniffed around for a minute, then turned and went about it's business. I have been fortunate to see quite a few up close. They are very curious animals.

[beauleyse]

Earlier this season I had a squirrel running around picking up acorns while I was waiting to try and take a shot at him when I hear a crunch beside me. I look down on my stand and there is a squirrel sitting on the back of my ladder stand eating acorn watching me... He saw me move looking at him and ran off and down the tree some 20 yards out I start trying to get a good shot on him when I hear the same crunch I look back. Sitting there in the same spot as the previous squirrel is another eating and acorn watching me!He left and I figured the squirrels had won the battle for the day and returned to my seat to wait for a deer!

[hitman]

Just the other day a squirrel came up a limb and when he noticed me he jumped on and off my arrow that was nocked on my string and and knocked the arrow off  my bow.

[Overspined]

While Turkey hunting I had a family of Sandhill Cranes walk by. Not just walked by, the two adults walked within a foot of my feet, and the babies, about 12" tall and all fuzz, scampered around my leg, in between my legs, and then around again.  The adults make a calming rumble noise to assure the chicks there is no danger.  I felt a little nervous, they are ALL BEAK, NECK, AND WINGS.  I would imagine they can get ornery if necessary.  They are extremely wary and I don't know of anyone getting so close to wild ones.  They have made quite a comeback in MI.

[centaur]

So many memories over the years. Watched a golden eagle take a young antelope; looked like a dive bomber making a strike on a ship.
Having a young bear climb the tree with me before I woofed at him. I didn't know a bear could run that fast.
Kind of the opposite of the above; having a big boar griz woof at me as I snuck along an elk trail in black timber. I'm glad he decided to leave rather than smack me around.
Touching a whitetail fawn that fed right to me without having a clue I was there. Did you know that deer can turn themselves inside out when surprised?
Having a big bull elk bugle 3 paces away; I could actually smell his breath. Nope, didn't get a shot.
Jake Diebolt's chickadee story struck a nerve. I thought I was a chickadee magnet while deer hunting this year. Had one land on my hat, on my shoulder, a couple on my bow, and one sat on my broadhead. Very cool.
That's just a few. I have been blessed.

[Bert Frelink]

Sitting in my Whitetail stand a few weeks ago, this guy came along to check me out, we had lots of snow on the ground and I left the "spray" in the truck thinking he would be sleeping by now.
 

[centaur]

Gee Bert, why is that photo fuzzy?  

[eddings220]

A couple years ago my son and I were Turkey hunting and had a lone "blow up" turkey decoy about 20 yds out in front of us. When, out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement and saw that it was a bobcat. I knudged my son and pointed to the bobcat as the bobcat was sizing up our decoy.  After about 30 sec. the bobcat took off at a blazing run and attacked our decoy.  It was amazing the speed he had, and we both were all smiles as we listened and could hear the air coming out of the decoy.

[Russ Clagett]

Rabbit hunting with a buddy...long time ago. We had read in an outdoor magazine all about how to rapidly field dress a bunny without opening it all the way up. Goes like this....

You make a cut to enlarge the bunny's anus, then squeeze the top of the bunny to push all the guts down into the abdomen. Then you stand with legs shoulder width apart and forcefully bang your arms on your thighs...exactly like hiking a football...

The guts are SUPPOSED to fly out of that enlarged hole.......( I know, I know....it's just one of those things you have to try)

We made the cut, then my buddy squeezes the bunny down and hikes it down between his legs...

You should have seen the look on his face when all those bunny intestines flew out....looped up around over his back and landed up on his shoulder right up against his face.

Still makes me laugh 30 years later..

[maineac]

Great stories.  

Sitting in a treestand along a river some wood ducks that had been swimming around flushed.  A goshawk chased one down and struck it, driving it into the water just off the bank.  It stood there chest deep standing on the duck for a minute or two.  Then it flapped hopped up onto the bank with the duck in its talons.  Repositioned the duck head first and took off.  

Watched another goshawk chase a squirrel around.  It would dive at the squirrel and the squirrel would jump onto ta tree.  After the miss the hawk would sit in a sapling and watch the tree.  After a couple of minutes the squirrel would forget and go about its business on the ground and the hawk would try again. I watched this for quite awhile until they worked their way out of sight. It seemed more like a game than a life of death struggle.  Don't know if the hawk went hungry or got a meal.

[Pat B]

I was sitting in my stand of the edge of a cane break and hardwood woods a few years ago. The sun had just set and I was sitting with my copperhead snake skin backed osage bow across my lap. All of a sudden a brown thrasher began to dive bomb me. This went for about 10 minutes before I got disgusted and got out of my stand and headed back to camp.
  The next evening I was back in the same stand and shortly after sun set the same bird decided he didn't like me in the stand and ran me out again. As I walked back to camp it dawned on me that it wasn't me the bird was after but the snake across my lap.

[AZStickman]

Stump hunting a clearcut one day in Oregon I spotted a Doe coming from my left along the treeline. As I watched she went out of sight behind a 7' stump. About 30 seconds later a Cow Elk steps out from behind the stump and continues down along the treeline to my right. I swore David Copperfield was out there that day. I walked over and saw that the stump sat in the "Y" of a trail coming into the clearcut from the woods. The Doe had headed into the woods down the trail as the Cow was coming out.

One January I was hunting Desert Muleys here in AZ and spotted a nice bench with a good glassing view. As I climbed onto the bench I flushed a covey of 60 or so quail. I sat down got comfortable and started glassing. About 10 minutes later I heard quail making their way back onto the bench. I sat still and within 15 minutes I was literally surrounded by quail. They eventually made their way off the bench and down a draw.

Another time in Oregon I had managed some time off midweek and headed out to my favorite  Roosevelt Elk spot In the Wilson unit of the coast range. Midday I stopped for a break and sat up against a log mid trail. I dozed off and woke up to loud breathing in my ear. I sat up and heard a yelp as a dog jumped back. As I got my senses back I saw there were 5 dogs running in a pack. All of them within 10 yards of me. My partner and I had seen this same pack chasing a deer the weekend before. I slowly grabbed my bow and knocked an arrow as I stood up. The lead dog was growling at me the whole time. He crouched and started walking to me. I don't remember drawing my bow but distictly remember my fletching disappearing into him. The pack scattered up the trail and I headed the other way. We never saw that pack again.

This one time at band camp...... oh wait that's another story....  :D  

Terry

[Lin Rhea]

A buddy and me went on a bow hunt for Elk just West of Crested Butte. This was several years ago. We hiked in several miles and along came a snow storm that lasted for most of the afternoon. It was near white out conditions. My buddy is one of those who wont budge until dark to leave and with it snowing, I was worried about our directions. Everything was looking different now plus it was still coming down hard. I thought I knew the direction to go, but his opinion was'nt the same as mine. Well,....we got turned around and walked miles 90 degrees off of the correct direction even though we had our compass. Lots of trials and near mishaps. Had to cross creeks that we had not crossed on the way in, but we thought we could get to a landmark that way so we persisted.

Anyway, we recognized a trail and creek junction and struck out toward the main road. Now here's the cool part. The storm clouds passed about then with clear sky behind them and the moon was full and it lit up the whole wonderous scene. I dont know if I have ever seen a more beautiful scene. The timber and meadows covered in fresh snow. I was glad someone else was there to witness that. We still had a long hike from there but we didn't mind after that.

[Gdpolk]

Two years back while squirrel hunting and I had stalked a fat grey squirrel for a while.  The moment I shot, I heard whoosh-whoosh behind me.  Before I could snap my head around I felt the wind of its wings as it flew somewhere between 1-2 feet over my right shoulder.  As it passed over me with claws out I realized I had a red hawk flying after something in front of me; surely it wasn't that same squirrel...

It turns out a red hawk can catch a squirrel falling and flipping through the air after being shot in the head and knocked off a tree limb.

The bird flew down to eat my kill about 25-30 yards in front of me.  It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  That was the only squirrel I saw that day and I was happy that I got to see it go to the hawk.

[Soonerlongbow]

Watched a mother bobcat and a near grown cub try to tree a squirrel. I had been looking in that exact spot repeatedly yet don't know how long they were there before I saw them. Nearly got him too, had it isolated with no tree to jump to but tops of the white oak were just too skinny for even the cub.

Mr. Nuts was able to back track and get away.

[ISP 5353]

My wife and I were out on one of our small hunting parcels and saw a beautiful snowy owl.  Not that big of a deal, but our local DNR says that there are no snowy owls in Indiana.  I beg to differ!  It was very cool to see and this is a great thread!

[Sam McMichael]

I had a new experience just a couple of weeks ago. I always wear a face mask in the stand, which leaves only my eyes exposed. I just happened to look up, and a hawk was less than 10 feet out, boring in straight at my eyes. At the last instant he pulled up and passed overhead. It was really cool but could have been a problem if he had struck me in the face. I have seen this guy at fairly close distances several times, but this is the only time he seemed to be coming after me. However, he does not hesitate to go after the crows. This bird loves a good fight.

[BDann]

One winter about 25 years ago I was trying to learn how to call predators.  I had been practicing with my calls for a few days, then decided to give it a go.  

I eased down into this patch of woods along the creek that runs through the farm and sat down against a tree and began to call.  

I was about ready to give up when I heard a squirrel start to get really irritated at something, then the crows started in.  I figured that it would be a good idea to just stay put for a while to see what was happening.  I looked towards the creek and saw a big bobcat heading my way, then it dipped down into a little low spot and I lost sight of it.  When I looked up again there was another bobcat where the first one was, just smaller, then another right behind it.  

I stayed as still as I could, and in just a couple of minutes all three bobcats where within 10 feet of me, and they still had not seen me.  One of the young ones then jumped onto a tree that was right next to me, and was looking straight down at me.  

At that point I decided that I'd better do something, but as soon as I moved there was a bobcat explosion out of there.  I was amazed at how fast those things are.  Oh, and no bobcats were harmed in the making of this story......

[DeCurry]

Originally posted by Sam McMichael:
I had a new experience just a couple of weeks ago. I always wear a face mask in the stand, which leaves only my eyes exposed. I just happened to look up, and a hawk was less than 10 feet out, boring in straight at my eyes. At the last instant he pulled up and passed overhead. It was really cool but could have been a problem if he had struck me in the face. I have seen this guy at fairly close distances several times, but this is the only time he seemed to be coming after me. However, he does not hesitate to go after the crows. This bird loves a good fight.

I think I mentioned this in another thread a few weeks ago, but I had a similar experience with an owl that is frequently seen hunting the same area I like to hunt.

I was in a ground blind and had turned around to watch two squirrels chasing each other a foot or two off the ground, jumping from the base of one tree to the next.  One stopped within arm's reach.

Something reminded me I hadn't scanned my hunting zone, so I turned around... and there was an owl coming straight in at me -- all I saw was a giant gray body and wings; he filled a good 50% of my vision, he was that close.

I'm sure my eyes got as big as saucers, somehow I managed to maintain control of my bladder.  He pulled up upon seeing me move, banked hard to his right, flew around the stand of trees I was in and landed on a limb on the back side.  He sat there craning his neck, staring at me and hooting softly.

I think the most amazing part was that other than a light beating of wings when he pulled up fruiously and banked away, I never heard a sound.