What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

[M77Fan]

They definitely get your attention when hitting trees near you.

A friend of mine and myself were in a fairy deep, small timber filled bowl that I knew had elk in it. We went in before daylight on opening morning, just knowing that we'd be in amongst the elk.

What we didn't know was that there was a "two track" on the ridge around our little "honey hole". Just prior to daylight several vehicles of hunters, parked around the rim of our little bowl.

Soon after daylight, " we heard someone yell "there they are boys" , a sentence burned into my memory. In moments, all hell broke loose. We heard lots of shots fired, bullets and elk crashing through the timber.

We hit the dirt, waited for the shooting to subside, and got out as fast as we could. Never tried hunting there again! memtb

memtb holy bear scat!!! That is about as scary as it gets. You guys were extremely lucky to get out of there without damage. Sounds like the old descriptions of the "shooting line" over at the Elk Refuge. I just can't understand the behavior of people taking random shots "hoping" to hit something.

PlumberEd weird & M1A1 interesting, not exactly words I would have used to describe the feeling of being shot at. It is pretty unnerving to realize someone has intentionally taken a shot at you because they heard you moving.

Berrnard, those owls are sure quiet, aren't they? I'll bet the adrenaline dump lasted a while! The silence is because their feathers have a special silencer structure, like a coating of velvet, that deadens the wind noise. Because they are stealth hunters, they need quiet rather than speed like falcons, for instance. Falcons have slick feathers that reduce wind resistance, and boy can their wing feathers whistle/shriek as they plummet to the ground to hit prey. Fuzz on their feathers would cause too much drag. You made me flash back to a time when I stepped into an old barn, and suddenly this great horned owl swooped from above me with no sound until it started popping its bill right beside me. As soon as it started that so did its three little ones on a beam just above me. It is a really loud hollow echoey sound and quite startling! She circled right back at me as I ducked out the door.

 

[drabdrew]

The one that stick with me forever is me and my buddy were hunting an area around 10k elevation on a huge mountain flat. Super steep mountain range with about 5-7 miles of flat on the top. The only way to get up there is one gnarly jeep trail. One way in one way out. Takes about 2 hours to go 10 miles and the road up is all in tight thick stuff before it opens at the top. There is zero room to turn around. Wall on one side cliff on the other. We hunted 3 days 4 nights so far and I try and convince my buddy lets end the trip a day early and go get hamburgers because I am sick of mountain house. He convinced me to just stay one more night. Okay sure maybe we'll get lucky in the morning. It was a windy day but normal in that area. On our way back to camp the wind starts picking up gnarly. I am talking 50+ consistently with gusts that throw you off balance. I was like **** good thing none of us are smokers. Were sitting on our hammocks in some thick timber going over the game plan for tomorrow eating mountain houses and I noticed what looked like a large amber light just on the other side of the mountain from camp. I said to my buddy how the hell did a car get over there? We both start walking up the hill towards it to get a better look. We peak over the top of the hill and it was like nothing I have ever seen before. As far as the eye could see a MASSIVE wildfire for MILES. The winds must have been blowing the opposite way hiding the smoke or something or maybe it just lit after dark and became huge and we never saw it. We sprint back to camp and start putting together our gear. Do we have time to pack up or do we leave our stuff? What if the winds shifts towards our exit? We start packing with our backs to the fire and feel wind on our necks. Oh no wind shifted. We both look back and the fires already where we were up on the hill when we saw it the first time. NOPE LETS BOUNCE. Fire always travels uphill we need to go down. We hop in the thankfully fully functioning Polaris and absolutely rocket ship across the 5ish mile sage flatts to get to the start of trail out. Will an ember catch and cut off the only trail out? Will there be an overlander going 2mph on the way down like weve ran across many times? What takes around an hour to go 5 miles over the rocky log fell flats maybe took 20 me minutes. My poor polaris...We notice part of the fire paralleled the mountain range on the right side of us on the way out and was headed directly towards the road on the way out. If we start the descent and the fire makes it to the bottom before us were fuq'd as it would ride the oxygen up the canyon into our faces as there is nowhere to turn around and would be too slow to reverse back up. I must have set a speed record on that trail as what usally takes us 2 hours to get down that awful road took 45 minutes. We got down to the bottom maybe half a mile from the mountain where our truck and trailer was and its all flat open almost no trees or shrub(safe) and looked back up and see the fire had wrapped around the bottom maybe 5 minutes after we got through and was headed its way back up the road we came down. We nervously laugh as we finish loading up the trailer and give one last look back at what could have been before leaving. Wait....whats that? HOLY **** THERE IS A CAR COMING DOWN FROM THE TOP. We rip back into cell service which maybe took 10 minutes and contact the authorities. I guess the people in the car already sent out a SOS via sat phone and search and rescue airlifted them out and already had two other hunters who also got airlifted about 10 minutes before. I could care less now about bears, cougars, people, or paranormal thoughts while hunting now. But the hair on the back of my neck raises every time I find myself way out in the mountains and think about a fire.

 

[Karey Kimmel]

Spookiest hunting event I ever experienced…

I was alone hunting whitetail deer in north central Maryland. It was early BP season. It was the rare occasion that I had to use my headlamp as I walked to the location of my tree stand because of how dark it was. It was one of those pitch black, dead still, eerily quiet mornings.

I finally settled into my climbing tree stand and started the slow wait as daybreak approached hoping for that careless big buck to come wandering by. The forest was just beginning to come alive. It was still dark, the pitch-black kind of dark that occurs every once in a while when the sky is moonless and filled with low hanging, heavily moisture laden clouds. A misty fog from the clouds rolled slowly across the mountain top as if a fire was burning somewhere close by and the smoke was lazily drifting throughout the trees. The familiar odor of damp, rotting forest floor vegetation drifted up through my nostrils at every breath I took. I could feel the dampness in the moist air as it drifted across my face. It was one of those mornings that was so quiet you could hear your own heart beating, the moisture forming into droplets and intermittently rolling off of the tree leaves falling to the forest floor, and every once in a while the beginning sounds of some kind of small creature who ventured out of their den onto the forest floor as the inhabitants began to come alive after being disturbed by my uninvited entry into their living room a bit earlier. As the time passed, the mist began to slowly clear as the early dawn of the morning began to arrive.

I was about 26 feet up on a tree with a large limb extending out to the left of me. It was normally perfect for viewing some heavily used deer trails and I was anticipating seeing something saunter by me right around daybreak. I sat perfectly still. I loved this time of the morning when I was hunting.....

THEN it happened……

I felt a quick burst of air along the left side of my face and the back of my head where my bare skin was exposed below my hat as if someone had waved a hand-held fan at me creating a light breeze. The odd thing was that THERE WAS NO WIND…

The short hairs stood up on the back of my neck and a chill ran down my spine. My thoughts raced trying to rationally identify what I had just experienced. I couldn't think of a quick reasonable answer that made any sense. With my neck hair standing up bristly straight, I very slowly turned my head to the left and SAW the source of the fear that now engulfed me.

There, about 3 feet out on the tree limb was a great horned owl, looking directly at me. Time seemed to stand still at that moment. At first glimpse, the size of it, (this one stood a good 18-24") and proximity to me, unnerved me. It's approach behind me and landing on the tree limb next to me was the source of that haunting breeze!

As quick as it began, it ended. I then witnessed, from a birds-eye-view (pun intended) the owl, lean forward and give a little hop off of the tree limb before it opened and spread its large wings and began to fly away right in front of me. It literally flapped those huge wings twice, and then turned almost vertical with the wings extended to maneuver through two trees and then straighten out and flapped again only to disappear into the misty darkness of the early morning.

Yeah, it was ONLY and owl….

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

Spookiest hunting event I ever experienced…

I was alone hunting whitetail deer in north central Maryland. It was early BP season. It was the rare occasion that I had to use my headlamp as I walked to the location of my tree stand because of how dark it was. It was one of those pitch black, dead still, eerily quiet mornings.

I finally settled into my climbing tree stand and started the slow wait as daybreak approached hoping for that careless big buck to come wandering by. The forest was just beginning to come alive. It was still dark, the pitch-black kind of dark that occurs every once in a while when the sky is moonless and filled with low hanging, heavily moisture laden clouds. A misty fog from the clouds rolled slowly across the mountain top as if a fire was burning somewhere close by and the smoke was lazily drifting throughout the trees. The familiar odor of damp, rotting forest floor vegetation drifted up through my nostrils at every breath I took. I could feel the dampness in the moist air as it drifted across my face. It was one of those mornings that was so quiet you could hear your own heart beating, the moisture forming into droplets and intermittently rolling off of the tree leaves falling to the forest floor, and every once in a while the beginning sounds of some kind of small creature who ventured out of their den onto the forest floor as the inhabitants began to come alive after being disturbed by my uninvited entry into their living room a bit earlier. As the time passed, the mist began to slowly clear as the early dawn of the morning began to arrive.

I was about 26 feet up on a tree with a large limb extending out to the left of me. It was normally perfect for viewing some heavily used deer trails and I was anticipating seeing something saunter by me right around daybreak. I sat perfectly still. I loved this time of the morning when I was hunting.....

THEN it happened……

I felt a quick burst of air along the left side of my face and the back of my head where my bare skin was exposed below my hat as if someone had waved a hand-held fan at me creating a light breeze. The odd thing was that THERE WAS NO WIND…

The short hairs stood up on the back of my neck and a chill ran down my spine. My thoughts raced trying to rationally identify what I had just experienced. I couldn't think of a quick reasonable answer that made any sense. With my neck hair standing up bristly straight, I very slowly turned my head to the left and SAW the source of the fear that now engulfed me.

There, about 3 feet out on the tree limb was a great horned owl, looking directly at me. Time seemed to stand still at that moment. At first glimpse, the size of it, (this one stood a good 18-24") and proximity to me, unnerved me. It's approach behind me and landing on the tree limb next to me was the source of that haunting breeze!

As quick as it began, it ended. I then witnessed, from a birds-eye-view (pun intended) the owl, lean forward and give a little hop off of the tree limb before it opened and spread its large wings and began to fly away right in front of me. It literally flapped those huge wings twice, and then turned almost vertical with the wings extended to maneuver through two trees and then straighten out and flapped again only to disappear into the misty darkness of the early morning.

Yeah, it was ONLY and owl….

Just for all you fellas that got the chit scared out of you, by a horned owl. I am glad to inform you. It also works the other way around. I was approaching my deer stand. And scared the chit out of a horned owl. Scared it so badly it flew straight into a big tree head on. This tree had those big vines taking over. And the owl got stuck in them hanging upside down. I approached it slowly as to not spook it again. But it didn't move. So I continued on to my stand. Once it got dark & I could no longer hunt. I made my way back out. Coming out I thought I would check on this owl. Low & behold it was gone. I assume it was only playing dead or knocked out temporarily. Or perhaps something else got a free snack. I was only in there a few hours. So I assume it came to it's senses & moved on.

 

[PlumberEd]

Just for all you fellas that got the chit scared out of you, by a horned owl. I am glad to inform you. It also works the other way around. I was approaching my deer stand. And scared the chit out of a horned owl. Scared it so badly it flew straight into a big tree head on. This tree had those big vines taking over. And the owl got stuck in them hanging upside down. I approached it slowly as to not spook it again. But it didn't move. So I continued on to my stand. Once it got dark & I could no longer hunt. I made my way back out. Coming out I thought I would check on this owl. Low & behold it was gone. I assume it was only playing dead or knocked out temporarily. Or perhaps something else got a free snack. I was only in there a few hours. So I assume it came to it's senses & moved on.

Payback

 

[Muddyboots]

Ok, one more Adirondack story. Hunting same camp, back in really not too far. About 1PM, overlooking a small ravine that dropped into a cedar swamp. I hear something coming. It's big, making more noise than 3 legged elephant. Thinking maybe a wounded deer, I get ready. Out pops a guy dressed in 100% orange. I mean a carrot looked less orange. So annoyed is understatement. I whistle at him when he stopped. Holy crap! He looks up at me and starts freaking running at me. He was about 100yds but holy Hannah, he could stay with Olympic sprinter! Now I am getting bit antsy. Who is this guy? What's his problem? And do I now have a problem? He runs right up to me and my rifle is at arms just in case.

He asks me: Do you know where you are?

So being young wise I said Adirondacks. Well he didn't take too kindly to my humor. So he asked me again and I told him. Then I noticed he was 100% soaking wet in sweat. And dang! He STUNK to HIGH heaven! He evidently started about 15 miles from where we were which was impressive considering the terrain he traveled. Pure fear drove him! He was in full panic attack mode. You could smell the fear it was so bad. He asked me to take him back and I started to laugh and told him how far he was from his starting point. Then he started cussing, swearing he will never leave pavement again, cussing out 1/2 dozen different names.

So my afternoon is in crapper from him running marathon through my hunting spot so told him I will take him out to our camp and drive home around to his start location. He was sputtering thanking me. It's was then I noticed his barrel was plugged and round in chamber with holy crap safety was off. I asked to see his rifle, unloaded it and handed it back. He was now in different mindset and kept telling me we needed to move faster. So to keep his mind off his predicament I asked him if he had a compass and no. Maps? No. Food? No. Water? No. Dang!

So finally back to camp I waited for some guys to straggle in and told them dropping him off. Dang! It was 25 degrees but had to run with windows down! Stench was freaking HORRIBLE! I finally got to where he started and quite the party! His hunting party was there waiting for him and couldn't believe how far he traveled. This was a group I was very happy was this far away. CLUELESS!

That old saying bug eyed with fear? It's true!

 

[M77Fan]

Ok, one more Adirondack story. Hunting same camp, back in really not too far. About 1PM, overlooking a small ravine that dropped into a cedar swamp. I hear something coming. It's big, making more noise than 3 legged elephant. Thinking maybe a wounded deer, I get ready. Out pops a guy dressed in 100% orange. I mean a carrot looked less orange. So annoyed is understatement. I whistle at him when he stopped. Holy crap! He looks up at me and starts freaking running at me. He was about 100yds but holy Hannah, he could stay with Olympic sprinter! Now I am getting bit antsy. Who is this guy? What's his problem? And do I now have a problem? He runs right up to me and my rifle is at arms just in case.

He asks me: Do you know where you are?

So being young wise I said Adirondacks. Well he didn't take too kindly to my humor. So he asked me again and I told him. Then I noticed he was 100% soaking wet in sweat. And dang! He STUNK to HIGH heaven! He evidently started about 15 miles from where we were which was impressive considering the terrain he traveled. Pure fear drove him! He was in full panic attack mode. You could smell the fear it was so bad. He asked me to take him back and I started to laugh and told him how far he was from his starting point. Then he started cussing, swearing he will never leave pavement again, cussing out 1/2 dozen different names.

So my afternoon is in crapper from him running marathon through my hunting spot so told him I will take him out to our camp and drive home around to his start location. He was sputtering thanking me. It's was then I noticed his barrel was plugged and round in chamber with holy crap safety was off. I asked to see his rifle, unloaded it and handed it back. He was now in different mindset and kept telling me we needed to move faster. So to keep his mind off his predicament I asked him if he had a compass and no. Maps? No. Food? No. Water? No. Dang!

So finally back to camp I waited for some guys to straggle in and told them dropping him off. Dang! It was 25 degrees but had to run with windows down! Stench was freaking HORRIBLE! I finally got to where he started and quite the party! His hunting party was there waiting for him and couldn't believe how far he traveled. This was a group I was very happy was this far away. CLUELESS!

That old saying bug eyed with fear? It's true!

Muddy, the Adirondacks really is a place to get turned around. Sight distances in those thick north woods are short, and it is difficult to see landmarks. The rounded, glaciated terrain can look a lot the same. Especially on cloudy days. One of my hunting buddies back in the day had a nearly identical experience with a lost guy near Onchiota. Once he told that guy which way was out, my buddy thought he was going to go back to hunting. Nope, the guy stuck to his back pocket like he was velcroed as soon as he started to move. My friend had to escort him out and get him to his vehicle before the guy would unlatch. And in the same area, another time, a big guy from Minnesota who also hunted at times with some of us was the guy who got lost. I'll call him D. Being a native to the area, I schooled these guys about using white birch bark to start fires. That bark is great, and will burn like gasoline wet or dry. There was a search party out looking for D, and late that night they found hum. His pockets were stuffed with birch bark; he was ready in case he had to stop and make a fire. The boy could walk for sure, he had gone something like 12-15 miles.

Admittedly, I once got turned around in there myself for a little bit. Normally my directional sense is good, but I had been following winding and woven deer tracks, and there were low clouds that blotted out any sign of the sun and on the ridges you were in the clouds so visibility was short due to fog. I really hadn't been paying enough attention, and had crossed to the back side of a ridge without noting it. As it got toward time to head back to my car, I started to drop off the ridge toward the stream valley bottom and my car. After a little bit, I got below the clouds, and suddenly could see the opposite valley wall, which was way too close. A quick consultation with my compass told me that I was going 180 degrees off. It happens. But you can sort it out with maps and compass (way before GPS).

 

[M77Fan]

Karey Kimmel That was a very well written tale. You put me right there next to you.

 

[memtb]

Karey Kimmel That was a very well written tale. You put me right there next to you.

I was thinking exactly the same….though I didn't say it. He could certainly have a career in writing novels should he chose to do so! memtb

 

[carpassasin]

0k i have a weird one for you guys not something supernatural but scared the hell out of me! Living in Colorado when i was much younger and possessed with chasing elk with my bow every minute i could manage. After work i would jump on the 4 wheeler run up the mountain and hunt till dark. I had decided to try a new spot that I thought may have a small spring hidden on the side of the mountain. Well it was stupid hot that day I made it down there and no spring so I picked a dim trail and decided to just wait out the evening. As i sat there frying in the sun I dosed off the next thing i felt was like being hit in the head with a hammer. When I got to my senses, I discovered I had no idea where I was. I mean not even what mountain talk about scared. I tried to calm myself and think what to do so i said just head up the hill something will look Familiar Well I hit a barbwire fence followed it and ran into my 4 wheeler. At that point I was starting to semi recognize where I was made it down the hill to the truck talk about freaky.Only thing I could figure later was maybe a heat stroke but talk about scary i wouldnt wis that feeling on anyone cheers.

 

[M77Fan]

The one that stick with me forever is me and my buddy were hunting an area around 10k elevation on a huge mountain flat. Super steep mountain range with about 5-7 miles of flat on the top. The only way to get up there is one gnarly jeep trail. One way in one way out. Takes about 2 hours to go 10 miles and the road up is all in tight thick stuff before it opens at the top. There is zero room to turn around. Wall on one side cliff on the other. We hunted 3 days 4 nights so far and I try and convince my buddy lets end the trip a day early and go get hamburgers because I am sick of mountain house. He convinced me to just stay one more night. Okay sure maybe we'll get lucky in the morning. It was a windy day but normal in that area. On our way back to camp the wind starts picking up gnarly. I am talking 50+ consistently with gusts that throw you off balance. I was like **** good thing none of us are smokers. Were sitting on our hammocks in some thick timber going over the game plan for tomorrow eating mountain houses and I noticed what looked like a large amber light just on the other side of the mountain from camp. I said to my buddy how the hell did a car get over there? We both start walking up the hill towards it to get a better look. We peak over the top of the hill and it was like nothing I have ever seen before. As far as the eye could see a MASSIVE wildfire for MILES. The winds must have been blowing the opposite way hiding the smoke or something or maybe it just lit after dark and became huge and we never saw it. We sprint back to camp and start putting together our gear. Do we have time to pack up or do we leave our stuff? What if the winds shifts towards our exit? We start packing with our backs to the fire and feel wind on our necks. Oh no wind shifted. We both look back and the fires already where we were up on the hill when we saw it the first time. NOPE LETS BOUNCE. Fire always travels uphill we need to go down. We hop in the thankfully fully functioning Polaris and absolutely rocket ship across the 5ish mile sage flatts to get to the start of trail out. Will an ember catch and cut off the only trail out? Will there be an overlander going 2mph on the way down like weve ran across many times? What takes around an hour to go 5 miles over the rocky log fell flats maybe took 20 me minutes. My poor polaris...We notice part of the fire paralleled the mountain range on the right side of us on the way out and was headed directly towards the road on the way out. If we start the descent and the fire makes it to the bottom before us were fuq'd as it would ride the oxygen up the canyon into our faces as there is nowhere to turn around and would be too slow to reverse back up. I must have set a speed record on that trail as what usally takes us 2 hours to get down that awful road took 45 minutes. We got down to the bottom maybe half a mile from the mountain where our truck and trailer was and its all flat open almost no trees or shrub(safe) and looked back up and see the fire had wrapped around the bottom maybe 5 minutes after we got through and was headed its way back up the road we came down. We nervously laugh as we finish loading up the trailer and give one last look back at what could have been before leaving. Wait....whats that? HOLY **** THERE IS A CAR COMING DOWN FROM THE TOP. We rip back into cell service which maybe took 10 minutes and contact the authorities. I guess the people in the car already sent out a SOS via sat phone and search and rescue airlifted them out and already had two other hunters who also got airlifted about 10 minutes before. I could care less now about bears, cougars, people, or paranormal thoughts while hunting now. But the hair on the back of my neck raises every time I find myself way out in the mountains and think about a fire.

Fire is the scariest! That sounds like a really close call. Sounds like you just squeaked out of that. WOW!

As we have more and more fires, we are a lot more careful to have a way out way back there. Far rather get snowed into camp and have to shovel out (been there) than be surrounded by fire. Fire might not be survivable!

 

[Calvin45]

Fire is the scariest! That sounds like a really close call. Sounds like you just squeaked out of that. WOW!

As we have more and more fires, we are a lot more careful to have a way out way back there. Far rather get snowed into camp and have to shovel out (been there) than be surrounded by fire. Fire might not be survivable!

It always impresses and scares the out of me how FAST fire can move. Like to know that if you were out in the open prairie on foot and a grass fire came at you you couldn't outrun it, not even close.

I recall seeing a documentary where a prairie wildfire started and in its wake there was the charred remains of a freaking PRONGHORN antelope. To be fair it was an old one, the rest of its herd did outrun the fire…but even an old pronghorn will beat the pants off of about 90 percent of the animals that walk this earth in a race so it was very sobering.

Recall a number of old farmers who relayed tales of burning off stubble and the wind picking it up and taking it out of control, knew a guy who lost his beloved dog to a stubble fire that got out of hand (it had been chasing the rodents fleeing the fire and ended up totally surrounded by the blaze and burning) A few minutes is all it takes to completely lose control of a situation so badly a dog can't get out of it fast enough, let alone a man woman or God forbid a child.

 

[Turkeytider]

Spookiest hunting event I ever experienced…

I was alone hunting whitetail deer in north central Maryland. It was early BP season. It was the rare occasion that I had to use my headlamp as I walked to the location of my tree stand because of how dark it was. It was one of those pitch black, dead still, eerily quiet mornings.

I finally settled into my climbing tree stand and started the slow wait as daybreak approached hoping for that careless big buck to come wandering by. The forest was just beginning to come alive. It was still dark, the pitch-black kind of dark that occurs every once in a while when the sky is moonless and filled with low hanging, heavily moisture laden clouds. A misty fog from the clouds rolled slowly across the mountain top as if a fire was burning somewhere close by and the smoke was lazily drifting throughout the trees. The familiar odor of damp, rotting forest floor vegetation drifted up through my nostrils at every breath I took. I could feel the dampness in the moist air as it drifted across my face. It was one of those mornings that was so quiet you could hear your own heart beating, the moisture forming into droplets and intermittently rolling off of the tree leaves falling to the forest floor, and every once in a while the beginning sounds of some kind of small creature who ventured out of their den onto the forest floor as the inhabitants began to come alive after being disturbed by my uninvited entry into their living room a bit earlier. As the time passed, the mist began to slowly clear as the early dawn of the morning began to arrive.

I was about 26 feet up on a tree with a large limb extending out to the left of me. It was normally perfect for viewing some heavily used deer trails and I was anticipating seeing something saunter by me right around daybreak. I sat perfectly still. I loved this time of the morning when I was hunting.....

THEN it happened……

I felt a quick burst of air along the left side of my face and the back of my head where my bare skin was exposed below my hat as if someone had waved a hand-held fan at me creating a light breeze. The odd thing was that THERE WAS NO WIND…

The short hairs stood up on the back of my neck and a chill ran down my spine. My thoughts raced trying to rationally identify what I had just experienced. I couldn't think of a quick reasonable answer that made any sense. With my neck hair standing up bristly straight, I very slowly turned my head to the left and SAW the source of the fear that now engulfed me.

There, about 3 feet out on the tree limb was a great horned owl, looking directly at me. Time seemed to stand still at that moment. At first glimpse, the size of it, (this one stood a good 18-24") and proximity to me, unnerved me. It's approach behind me and landing on the tree limb next to me was the source of that haunting breeze!

As quick as it began, it ended. I then witnessed, from a birds-eye-view (pun intended) the owl, lean forward and give a little hop off of the tree limb before it opened and spread its large wings and began to fly away right in front of me. It literally flapped those huge wings twice, and then turned almost vertical with the wings extended to maneuver through two trees and then straighten out and flapped again only to disappear into the misty darkness of the early morning.

Yeah, it was ONLY and owl….

That was some nice writing. GHOs are also known as flying wolves. For good reason! The GHO is a predator of the adult wild turkey. The owls actually knock them off the roost and take them to the ground. Finding a carcass with only the head and neck eaten is certain evidence of GHO predation.

 

[Calvin45]

That was some nice writing. GHOs are also known as flying wolves. For good reason! The GHO is a predator of the adult wild turkey. The owls actually knock them off the roost and take them to the ground. Finding a carcass with only the head and neck eaten is certain evidence of GHO predation.

No doubt someone would claim it was aliens

I've heard people claiming aliens must have been doing experiments on and mutilating cattle because they've found a dead one with only its eyes, lips, genitals, and "back end" missing or mangled. Not aliens, just the fact that the ravens and crows and such start with the soft parts….