What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

1992 me and a friend were hunting on the King Ranch with a couple of cowboys that we know ( riding in a truck with a seat mounted to the bed) we stopped to eat and I got bored and decided I was going to do some rattling so I walked about 100 yards away backed into a bush and started rattling and scratching around. I could see the truck and the guys I was with they were waving their arms around so I knew that there was a buck around
Then something blew on the back of my neck the dang buck slipped up behind me stuck his head in the bush and took a whiff
I jumped and bolted to the truck they were laughing their butts off hollering run I get to the truck my buddy tells me the buck wasn't but a 140 and it was too small to shoot
 
Most people never get much adventure in their lives. Spending time in the woods provides it.

I found an elk shed while hunting and stashed it about 50 yards off the road. Went back after dinner to retrieve it. Walked to where I thought it was, couldn't find it, and wandered around in a circle for a while looking. When I gave up, I realized I had no idea which way to the road. I carry a small kit on my pack with fire starters, compass, and a few other essensials, which I did not have. I guessed right, but now that kit stays on my belt.

Got lost on a hunt once and bushwhacked to where the map showed a trail. Walked the trail for quite a while before I realized we had hiked over the top of the mountain and down the other side. Hauled *** up the trail to try to find the trail junction we needed. Found the right trail, by now it was 10:00 pm and were hiking up to the top when I see 10 or 12 pairs of eyes in the dark. Luckily, they were dogs followed by cougar hunters with one strapped to a horse.

I once googled wolves killing humans, because the green weenies tell us they never do. I didn't find much in the 20th century, but one story from the 19th century I'll never forget. Two hunters didn't return from their hunt. A posse went out to find them, and did. Sort of. They found their clothes, their empty rifles, and 17 dead wolves. The wolf population is exploding. Just wait, and go armed, with extra ammo.

I was once cleaning my deer and slipped on some wet algae covered rock. Fell cheek first on a prickly pear. I was standing there in the dark, pants around my ankles picking spines out of my butt. I happened to glance to the right, and about 50 ft. away I see eyes. I upped the light intensity, and it was a cougar. I was 15 feet from my rifle. If he had wanted me, I'd be gone. I fired a round between his ears and he leaped 10 feet in the air and ran off. I jacked another round in so fast that I wasn't able to find the ejected shell the next day when I went pack.
 
I'd mentioned in another post that when I got out of the service in Alaska I had a pocket full of money and a VW beetle. I lived in Anchorage from April until early June then moved to a small apartment in eagle river. It was closer to the fishing spots. I'd also picked up a girlfriend, and I wasn't even looking for one. But I digress. Eagle river was fairly large and a friend from the AF time hooked up with me and we being 23 years old and wanting adventure decided to take a two man raft and raft it from the lodge back to the main highway. We were "stupid" I'm sorry really STUPID. I'm thinking Alabama rivers nice straight flowing rivers. Eagle river was a wide basin a the river went from one side to the other. The trip we guessed to take five hours was in hour eight, we were soaking wet and bone tired. I came to a big sand bar in the middle of the river and beached the raft. Had to chase a cow moose and calf off of it. Another stupid thing to do. I managed to get a fire going and get warm and somewhat dry. Back in the raft. We made a couple of more trips back and forth across the basin when I told Mark my friend we have to get off this river or we're going to die. Mark had been shivering for about thirty mins now. On the trip to one side I see a road cut up on the side of the mountain, told Mark when we get there we leaving the raft and walking out on that road. Its high summer in Ak. And it never gets really dark, but light is fading and I knew the bug and bears came out to play st this time. We're soaking wet again and now we're climbing straight up the mountain to get to the road. I found it. I'm happy. I looked back down the mountain to see mark struggling big time. We rest a few when he makes it up to the road and strike out down stream. I'm moving pretty fast, but mark is lagging back. I'd ran miles every day in the gym on shemya and was in great shape. I think the only time mark had ran was chasing girls. I waited for him to catch up again and see he's not doing well. He's shaking again. I stop and build another small fire, no easy feat in the woods there. He's setting on the ground just staring at the ground. I know I can't leave him and go on for help! He wouldn't be able to keep the fire going. I was just straight up with him.I said if you don't keep walking I don't think you are going to make it out of here. You could see the light come on in him. Ok, I'm not going to die in here. So we're up and walking again. He's still slow, but more determined now. Went what I guess another mile and I popped out on the road between anchorage and eagle river. I saw an Alaska state trooper parked about two hundred yards away. Went up to his car and asked for help with my friend who still hadn't made it the road. He gave me a stern look and ask you Belcher. I'm, yeah why? Your girlfriend has called the state police, there is a search party on the river looking for you and another man. I tell him about mark and we both go back down the road into the woods road and find him barely making it! He's staggering along. Get in the back of the troopers car with the heat on full. Something to drink and warm he refuses the ambulance trip. I had to deal with some really upset people, including my girlfriend who had told me how stupid we were for the next two weeks. Mark said he was thru with anymore of my FUN trips. Looking back it's a wonder I celebrated my 72nd birthday yesterday.
 
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Rosebud said:
I'd mentioned in another post that when I got out of the service in Alaska I had a pocket full of money and a VW beetle. I lived in Anchorage from April until early June then moved to a small apartment in eagle river. It was closer to the fishing spots. I'd also picked up a girlfriend, and I wasn't even looking for one. But I digress. Eagle river was fairly large and a friend from the AF time hooked up with me and we being 23 years old and wanting adventure decided to take a two man raft and raft it from the lodge back to the main highway. We were "stupid" I'm sorry really STUPID. I'm thinking Alabama rivers nice straight flowing rivers. Eagle river was a wide basin a the river went from one side to the other. The trip we guessed to take five hours was in hour eight, we were soaking wet and bone tired. I came to a big sand bar in the middle of the river and beached the raft. Had to chase a cow moose and calf off of it. Another stupid thing to do. I managed to get a fire going and get warm and somewhat dry. Back in the raft. We made a couple of more trips back and forth across the basin when I told Mark my friend we have to get off this river or we're going to die. Mark had been shivering for about thirty mins now. On the trip to one side I see a road cut up on the side of the mountain, told Mark when we get there we leaving the raft and walking out on that road. Its high summer in Ak. And it never gets really dark, but light is fading and I knew the bug and bears came out to play st this time. We're soaking wet again and now we're climbing straight up the mountain to get to the road. I found it. I'm happy. I looked back down the mountain to see mark struggling big time. We rest a few when he makes it up to the road and strike out down stream. I'm moving pretty fast, but mark is lagging back. I'd ran miles every day in the gym on shemya and was in great shape. I think the only time mark had ran was chasing girls. I waited for him to catch up again and see he's not doing well. He's shaking again. I stop and build another small fire, no easy feat in the woods there. He's setting on the ground just staring at the ground. I know I can't leave him and go on for help! He wouldn't be able to keep the fire going. I was just straight up with him.I said if you don't keep walking I don't think you are going to make it out of here. You could see the light come on in him. Ok, I'm not going to die in here. So we're up and walking again. He's still slow, but more determined now. Went what I guess another mile and I popped out on the road between anchorage and eagle river. I saw an Alaska state trooper parked about two hundred yards away. Went up to his car and asked for help with my friend who still hadn't made it the road. He gave me a stern look and ask you Belcher. I'm, yeah why? Your girlfriend has called the state police, there is a search party on the river looking for you and another man. I tell him about mark and we both go back down the road into the woods road and find him barely making it! He's staggering along. Get in the back of the troopers car with the heat on full. Something to drink and warm he refuses the ambulance trip. I had to deal with some really upset people, including my girlfriend who had told me how stupid we were for the next two weeks. Mark said he was thru with anymore of my FUN trips. Looking back it's a wonder I celebrated my 72nd birthday yesterday.
Click to expand...
Congratulations! Here's to 72 more. Being in less than great shape has(does) kill more people that you'd think. That's why I can't go out on those "fun" trips anymore. I miss them.
 
Rosebud said:
I'd mentioned in another post that when I got out of the service in Alaska I had a pocket full of money and a VW beetle. I lived in Anchorage from April until early June then moved to a small apartment in eagle river. It was closer to the fishing spots. I'd also picked up a girlfriend, and I wasn't even looking for one. But I digress. Eagle river was fairly large and a friend from the AF time hooked up with me and we being 23 years old and wanting adventure decided to take a two man raft and raft it from the lodge back to the main highway. We were "stupid" I'm sorry really STUPID. I'm thinking Alabama rivers nice straight flowing rivers. Eagle river was a wide basin a the river went from one side to the other. The trip we guessed to take five hours was in hour eight, we were soaking wet and bone tired. I came to a big sand bar in the middle of the river and beached the raft. Had to chase a cow moose and calf off of it. Another stupid thing to do. I managed to get a fire going and get warm and somewhat dry. Back in the raft. We made a couple of more trips back and forth across the basin when I told Mark my friend we have to get off this river or we're going to die. Mark had been shivering for about thirty mins now. On the trip to one side I see a road cut up on the side of the mountain, told Mark when we get there we leaving the raft and walking out on that road. Its high summer in Ak. And it never gets really dark, but light is fading and I knew the bug and bears came out to play st this time. We're soaking wet again and now we're climbing straight up the mountain to get to the road. I found it. I'm happy. I looked back down the mountain to see mark struggling big time. We rest a few when he makes it up to the road and strike out down stream. I'm moving pretty fast, but mark is lagging back. I'd ran miles every day in the gym on shemya and was in great shape. I think the only time mark had ran was chasing girls. I waited for him to catch up again and see he's not doing well. He's shaking again. I stop and build another small fire, no easy feat in the woods there. He's setting on the ground just staring at the ground. I know I can't leave him and go on for help! He wouldn't be able to keep the fire going. I was just straight up with him.I said if you don't keep walking I don't think you are going to make it out of here. You could see the light come on in him. Ok, I'm not going to die in here. So we're up and walking again. He's still slow, but more determined now. Went what I guess another mile and I popped out on the road between anchorage and eagle river. I saw an Alaska state trooper parked about two hundred yards away. Went up to his car and asked for help with my friend who still hadn't made it the road. He gave me a stern look and ask you Belcher. I'm, yeah why? Your girlfriend has called the state police, there is a search party on the river looking for you and another man. I tell him about mark and we both go back down the road into the woods road and find him barely making it! He's staggering along. Get in the back of the troopers car with the heat on full. Something to drink and warm he refuses the ambulance trip. I had to deal with some really upset people, including my girlfriend who had told me how stupid we were for the next two weeks. Mark said he was thru with anymore of my FUN trips. Looking back it's a wonder I celebrated my 72nd birthday yesterday.
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Congratulations on making it out of a tough spot and Happy Birthday!
 
Rosebud said:
When I left it was on Reeves Airlines. Electra L188 i believe. We landed in cold bay and they took the cowling off the in board port engine. Poured a bunch of what I thought was oil in a pounded it with a five pound ball peen hammer then fired it up. So help me. Pilot came back in the cabin and said me and the crew are going back to Anchorage , the plane will fly fine on three engines. Anyone wanting to say here tonight is ok. We will come pick you up tomorrow. No one got off the plane.
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You bring back memories....USAF military, a radar site (facilities not electronics) inspector. Fly to sites mainly on Reeves. For those who don't know, the cabin is barely heated and the flight attendants see that you are seated and have your seatbelts on. Then they hussle into the cockpit (no pun intended) for the rest of the flight.
Oh, re. Shemya Island. When the flight landed, one of the attendants and the site civil engineer would disappear ;)until the return flight. At that time, I could finally conduct my inspection. :p
 
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Arriving in camp well after dark I dropped my pack for a few minutes. I needed to settle down a jittery Mammoth Donkey for the last 50 yards back to camp. She had been really jumpy for the last couple of miles. Returning to grab my pack a few minutes later, in my headlamp I found the cause of Josie's jitters ... the tracks of a good sized mountain lion were covering our tracks down the trail. I came on in, built a fire, lighted a couple of lanterns and made a big sweet corn fritter pancake for Josie. I do miss that old girl.
 
epags said:
You bring back memories....USAF military, a radar site (facilities not electronics) inspector. Fly to sites mainly on Reeves. For those who don't know, the cabin is barely heated and the flight attendants see that you are seated and have your seatbelts on. Then they hussle into the cockpit (no pun intended) for the rest of the flight.
Oh, re. Shemya Island. When the flight landed, one of the attendants and the site civil engineer would disappear ;)until the return flight. At that time, I could finally conduct my inspection. :p
Click to expand...
I left the island on C141, I wasn't waiting another week for reeves. Had a Remington 700 in 7mag I'd brought with me from home. But no ammo. Base commander let me keep it in my room because of no ammo. Had to pass it up the ladder to the cockpit to a major, don't know if he was pilot or co pilot. Nothing in the cargo hold except a spare engine setting on a frame strapped down. There was an echo in it. Pull down bench to set on , no seat belts. I still had my winter travel clothing or I'd been frozen by the time we got to Elmendorf.
 
epags said:
You bring back memories....USAF military, a radar site (facilities not electronics) inspector. Fly to sites mainly on Reeves. For those who don't know, the cabin is barely heated and the flight attendants see that you are seated and have your seatbelts on. Then they hussle into the cockpit (no pun intended) for the rest of the flight.
Oh, re. Shemya Island. When the flight landed, one of the attendants and the site civil engineer would disappear ;)until the return flight. At that time, I could finally conduct my inspection. :p
Click to expand...
Did you ever fly into Attu, coast guard station. There were about 40 guys on the whole island. And, their tour was 18 months, no leave. The dudes would come on the plane to look at the stewardess. Only females they got to see. One time we landed and as soon as the door is open a parade of them comes through with a big husky licking every one close the isle. I thought they just wanted to see another face they hadn't see every day for year and a half.
 
Rosebud said:
Did you ever fly into Attu, coast guard station. There were about 40 guys on the whole island. And, their tour was 18 months, no leave. The dudes would come on the plane to look at the stewardess. Only females they got to see. One time we landed and as soon as the door is open a parade of them comes through with a big husky licking every one close the isle. I thought they just wanted to see another face they hadn't see every day for year and a half.
Click to expand...
Nope, never did.
 

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