What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

[gareyg]

The terror for me in this story was the realization that I could have been standing next to my hunting buddy (whom I'll refer to here as Bud) when this incident occurred. I do wish I would have been there for him anyway. I flew to Mississippi to Turkey hunt with Bud the weekend before. Bud was the most avid hunter I ever hunted with, and probably killed more game than the plague. He took me into his favorite turkey area, a long 3 mile hike in. He liked it because in 40+ years he'd never seen a soul in there. I struck out but he got a nice Tom. He called me mid-day the next Saturday, from an ambulance on it's way to Jackson. He said he'd been shot and they were taking him to the ER. He sent me a pic I won't share out of respect for his privacy.
Later he recounted this story: He'd just arrived in the same area we hunted, when a Tom gobbled about 100 yards ahead in the brush. Through decades of practice he's a superb mouth-caller. He gave a few clucks and reached for his slung shotgun to quickly setup against a tree, when the lights went out.
When he came to, he was laying partly in a small stream, banged up, and couldn't see out of his right eye. An older guy came from his right and said something like "OMG I shot you!". Bud asked the guy if he was shot in his right eye, but the guy was freaking out. Bud then took the selfie he later sent me from the ambulance, and determined it was just blood in his eye, which he washed out. Then the guy says "You sounded just like a Hen!" (grievous error #1, hens aren't legal). Then he said "well, I'll never take a brush shot again" (grievous error#2). Bud was hit high on the right side from 30 or so yards (I forget), mostly head, neck, shoulder, chest, side, right arm and right hand, from a load of 4-6 duplex. He had heavy gear and gloves on which helped, but took a lot of pellets. His gloved right hand was somewhere around his face reaching for his slung shotgun and it was peppered with shot. Probably saved his face. (continued)

 

[gareyg]

Part 2:
When they got Bud to the ER they took X-RAYS, etc. The ER doc says, "looks like both sides of the chest, pellets thru and thru, prep him for emergency surgery". That typically means crack the chest and do what they can for perforated heart/lungs/etc. They'd given Bud meds for the pain, but he was just conscious enough to say "wait stop stop stop! The pellets on the left side…. are from a previous incident!" My friend had been shot once before on the left side while dove hunting. Close call!
Bud later returned to the scene with a Game Warden, Sheriff, and I think a State Trooper, documenting evidence on the incident. Going in the Sheriff told Bud he was relatively relieved with this one, as usually shootings like this almost always end up with a Coroner as a body recovery. At some point the Warden says "A-HA!". In between Bud and the shooter was a 6" sapling, plastered solid with pellets on one side. They told Bud that's probably why he's alive today.
One more note of special interest. When Bud woke, lying part in the stream, his first thought was "OH NO, I've been…. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING!". You see my friend had been shot twice, and struck by lightning twice (maybe 3 times, I'm not sure). In every case, he'd been knocked out cold. It makes me ponder, how many people, in the history of the world, would be able to distinguish between being shot, and being struck by lightning, based on personal experience!

 

[Hugnot]

I was shooting rodents on public land. Friends were enroute to join me. A cell phone call told me that they were going to be late but get started. I told them I would be within sight of the gravel road at our usual spot. I started walking up a 2 track towards a real good spot overlooking a field having 100's of gophers of the pop can size. Shooting started, a steady pace, about 1 shot per 2 minutes, keep barrel from getting real hot. Then I heard a vehicle of some type approaching, it was a bright red Land Rover. It was kicking up dust. I grabbed rifle, ammo, & tripod and stepped back about 10 feet from 2 track. I had my 1911 inside my vest. The Land Rover came to an abrupt stop. An overweight middle-aged woman was driving, a small elderly man sat in the passenger seat. The woman climbed out of the Land Rover making the vehicle lurch up an inch or two. The woman was enraged - bright red face, spittle coming out of mouth. She said - "people like you are destroying what is beautiful nature & quiet solitude". I smiled, and responded that I read Walden, Life in the Woods, by Thoreau in grade 6, but this is not a good fit. She became more angered, and her face went pale. I asked her if she wanted a nice cold bottle of Arrowhead water. The elderly man got out and accepted the water & guided the woman into the passenger side. I helped the old guy make a U turn. I smiled,, he smiled and waved good bye.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Part 2:
When they got Bud to the ER they took X-RAYS, etc. The ER doc says, "looks like both sides of the chest, pellets thru and thru, prep him for emergency surgery". That typically means crack the chest and do what they can for perforated heart/lungs/etc. They'd given Bud meds for the pain, but he was just conscious enough to say "wait stop stop stop! The pellets on the left side…. are from a previous incident!" My friend had been shot once before on the left side while dove hunting. Close call!
Bud later returned to the scene with a Game Warden, Sheriff, and I think a State Trooper, documenting evidence on the incident. Going in the Sheriff told Bud he was relatively relieved with this one, as usually shootings like this almost always end up with a Coroner as a body recovery. At some point the Warden says "A-HA!". In between Bud and the shooter was a 6" sapling, plastered solid with pellets on one side. They told Bud that's probably why he's alive today.
One more note of special interest. When Bud woke, lying part in the stream, his first thought was "OH NO, I've been…. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING!". You see my friend had been shot twice, and struck by lightning twice (maybe 3 times, I'm not sure). In every case, he'd been knocked out cold. It makes me ponder, how many people, in the history of the world, would be able to distinguish between being shot, and being struck by lightning, based on personal experience!

The shooter is an A'hole. What a tool. Hope they jurked his license.

 

[Hugnot]

Part 2:
When they got Bud to the ER they took X-RAYS, etc. The ER doc says, "looks like both sides of the chest, pellets thru and thru, prep him for emergency surgery". That typically means crack the chest and do what they can for perforated heart/lungs/etc. They'd given Bud meds for the pain, but he was just conscious enough to say "wait stop stop stop! The pellets on the left side…. are from a previous incident!" My friend had been shot once before on the left side while dove hunting. Close call!
Bud later returned to the scene with a Game Warden, Sheriff, and I think a State Trooper, documenting evidence on the incident. Going in the Sheriff told Bud he was relatively relieved with this one, as usually shootings like this almost always end up with a Coroner as a body recovery. At some point the Warden says "A-HA!". In between Bud and the shooter was a 6" sapling, plastered solid with pellets on one side. They told Bud that's probably why he's alive today.
One more note of special interest. When Bud woke, lying part in the stream, his first thought was "OH NO, I've been…. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING!". You see my friend had been shot twice, and struck by lightning twice (maybe 3 times, I'm not sure). In every case, he'd been knocked out cold. It makes me ponder, how many people, in the history of the world, would be able to distinguish between being shot, and being struck by lightning, based on personal experience!

Seen guys (Bud) like that - God has plans for their lives and protects.

 

[Hugnot]

Been fishing in Alaska, & way out, seen big bear tracks on top of my tracks.

 

[Rosebud]

Nope, never did.

Rare experience!

 

[Rosebud]

Seen guys (Bud) like that - God has plans for their lives and protects.

Holy crap, I wouldn't be near him in a thunderstorm.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Been fishing in Alaska, & way out, seen big bear tracks on top of my tracks.

When they sneak up and bite you in the shorts, don't bother turning around.

 

[g0cherr]

I was elk hunting about 10 years ago in Oregon 2nd season. I was hunting in on a closed logging road that dead ended in a large open canyon. I'd seen elk in there while riding 4 wheelers a year before this so it seemed a good spot to check out. About 2/3 of the way in this road I cut a large bear track crossing the road in the fresh 2" of snow on the road. When I took off my glove and laid it next to the hind foot track it was as long as my Large size glove. Dang I thought that's a big bear. It dropped off in the canyon to my right so naturally I kept looking over the edge into the canyon. Eventually I got to the end of the road and sat on the edge of that canyon and did some cow calling and waited. After an hour of no activity I left and headed back to the truck. Gun on my should off I went. The end of the road has a very dense reprod thicket growing on both sides of the road and I hadn't walked more than a 100 feet and found where that old bear had come back into the road and was following my tracks towards me. I never saw it or heard it but with only a few feet of visibility the gun was now in hand as I walked cautiously with me head on a swivel until the country opened back up. It was hair raising for sure.
Thanks for stories I'm enjoying reading them. Some very strange things happen out in the woods.

 

[DarryH]

about age 18, I was running my trap line on a creek in Iowa. Very early hours with just enough light to see my surroundings. I was on alert and on edge, as the previous week, a family friend and two neighbor kids had run-ins with what they believe was a Bigfoot. The family friend owned the land I was trapping. Earlier in the week he and his wife were in the house when they heard a loud and scary howl outside. They said it sounded like a cross between a big cat and an ape. He grabbed a golf club (no guns) and went out to explore around the buildings. He said it smelled strong and bad outside. It was strong like a skunk, but did not smell like a skunk. He finally was spooked enough to go back inside. This person was the type who would not say anything to hurt his reputation, and was also the type to generally feel he was above other people. I say this as he is NOT the type to tell his story and have people think bad of him. A few days prior, two neighbor boys were driving a tractor down a combined row of corn to pick up another load a corn. Something large and black stood up in front of the tractor. The boys know local wildlife, and no bears have been in the area for over 100 years, yet they said it was Bigfoot. It scared them enough that they would not go outside on the farm for over a year. So here I am less than mile away from these events I had heard. I was carrying my .270 rifle over my shoulder for protection, and admit to being a bit afraid. The first trap had a ripped apart duck in it. Had Bigfoot eaten it?? The next trap had a ripped apart muskrat in it.. Had Bigfoot eaten it?? Suddenly my hair was standing on end. I turned around while taking the gun off my shoulder. I was aware of something coming towards me, I felt, in the water. There was a slight bend in the creek, and something was coming right at me. I suddenly realized a Great Horned Owl was skimming the surface of the water, coming right at me. He went up and over me, never slowing down. It took a while before my heart quit racing, I never did get to see Bigfoot, and probably glad I didn't!!

I forgot to add, the third trap I checked, after the owl scared the crap out of me, had a buck mink in it. His face was all bloody. He was the actual culprit that had torn apart the duck and the muskrat.

 

[DarryH]

"shot twice, and struck by lightning twice (maybe 3 times" ??????????????

I wouldn't want to be standing next to him..........ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bowhunter123456789]

When the aliens told me they have nothing to do with Hunter Biden's coverups...

not much of a story compared to the others here but I will share this one. I always enter the Texas Drawn hunts, it is cheap and there are some really good hunts. A few years back a friend and I got picked for a hunt on a private ranch near Sanderson Texas. It was a guided hunt on a 3000 acre ranch.

The first day there they made us sight in at 100 yards (I guess really to ensure the hunters can shoot) and then we went out that first afternoon for an evening hunt. We were allowed one buck and one doe but the guide was there to ensure we got the correct buck (6 point limit). The guides would drive us out to the blinds, it ended up being 30-45 minutes or more of a drive to the blinds and I had no idea where we were, we crossed so many gates, went ver so many hills and made so many turns I had no sense of direction. The first evening a buck came out and I shot him at about 150 yards with my 6.5 Creedmoor. It was the first deer I had ever shot at/killed so I was happy that first day.

Since I got my buck, the guide did not need to come with me for my doe so they were dropping each of us off at blinds before light. Same drive, 30-45 minutes or more of bumpy road to get there. On the way they start telling stories of having illegals and cartel coming through the area (Sanderson is fairly close to the border). Stories of Border Patrol and helicopters chasing people. They said we could offer water if we saw anyone. They had seen drug runners in all black BDU's with AR's coming through the ranch too. Visions started going through my head.

It is zero dark thirty, we are driving who knows where and I am going through scenarios in my head of the cartel coming by my blind. I had a 4 shot bolt action rifle (with no extra ammo) which would not be very good against multiple people with AR's. Fortunately I had a concealed handgun with me but that only gave me about 20 rounds more ammo that was only good up close.

When they dropped me off at that blind in the dark, every sound I heard seemed to be someone walking toward me and I was hyper aware of everything. It was all for naught, it got light and I never did see any humans or deer.

To top that off, on the drive back the guide told me that there was a small "cave" in front of where my blind was (it is fairly flat but there were some rocky areas overlooking some open areas) and at times they had seen mountain lions coming out of that cave. That would have been good info to know before they dropped me off there. I got my doe later that day and spent the last couple hunts looking for foxes and mountain lions. Never got any thought but I did get my two deer. Info on two and four legged animals that could possibly hunt me would have been good info to have prior to the hunt. I suppose since they had never had any issues they assumed nobody else would.

My brother in law has a ranch just north of Sanderson tx . There are 12 cameras connected to cell phones and we see drug runners on every full moon. We have them on camera but you don't want to confront them. My brother in law says they don't bother us, we don't bother them. It sucks that this is going on but until we get a change in administration, nothing will change.

 

[GUNNNN]

I realize this could go a few different directions, but I know we all have some stories that left us freaked out or weirded out.

I have two, both deer hunting in Northern Idaho. Hiking down a skid road when I heard the most insane yipping and cayaying. It was heading right at me at speed, and I went from confused to fully assuming I was about to be whacked by coyotes/wolves/feral dogs. My hind brain took over and I dove behind a stump and threw my rifle across it, just in time to see a pair of Barred Owls come zooming through the brush, just making the most godawful racket you've ever heard. Took a few minutes to calm down after that.

Second was weirder and still unexplained. I packed a small muley about 4 miles back to the truck, arrived around 9pm, and found another guy waiting by my truck. Super nice, said he was just making sure I made it off the mountain cause it wasn't the safest area (his words). I asked him why, and he just put his finger to his lips and said "sit and listen". I was wrecked so I was happy to sit for a bit. After about 5 minutes, on the opposite side of the canyon I heard what I can only describe as a wounded elk squalling. Half bugle, high pitched, but changing tempo and pitch oddly. It went straight to the spine and made me want to bail. Right as that sound ended, the same type of call lit off on the mountain I had just came down. A third call answered the second from back to the west a good ways. These three calls went back and forth for all of 15-20 minutes before they just stopped with no warning. The other guy and I hadn't said a word the whole time we listened, fairly transfixed. Then he just smiled and me and said "this is why I waited. Not a good mountain to be on after dark". And off he drove. I have no idea what I heard that night (I'm not a big foot believer) but it was the most eerie, hair raising communication I've ever heard. I moved shortly after that (graduated from school and moved home) and I've never been back up there.

First off this was 50 some years ago I was 14 and deer hunting by myself a couple of miles from the house and didn't own a flashlight so I was walking in by moon light and we had had a big ice storm the year before as I was walking in I walked under a large cedar tree that the ice storm had broken 2 limbs down on each side and left the middle prong standing straight up the were a large group of blackbirds roosted in the tree they came boiling out of the tree and I looked up and in the moon light it looked just like a monster about to eat me I didn't shoot it but came really close I still laugh when I think about it