What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

[marksman1941]

Heres one from my son. He was bowhunting on east side solo and returned to truck at end of day.The access there where two guys and gal.I thought ill just make small talked and asked how the hunting was.This morphed into them stating the land was there's and they had ranch down the road, and my son offered to show them boundary on ONx,which they news in fall many hunters park there at rifle season.They were drinking and calling him fagott and all kinds of things. My 5-7'' son is ex marine,MP,ans SWAT trained.He can also pull 400# deadlift.He left and as he went my ranch house they dropped of gal and came racing back out.He had to stop at a gate of there's ahead to leave and it was now dark.He was afraid of being pinned down in headlights as they neared.So in his tactical mind, he flopped out in ditch, off to side with his rig running at gate.They approached and looked for him in vehicle.At which time he stood up from behind them and in a loud commanding voice, asked what the H,they where doing, while in his arms folded in front, he held he's 40.The one guy caught that, he then told them get in your truck and leave in front of me.Which they did.As he left, they said they where going to bar.Later they ,I guess got his plate and a sheriff was involved, in follow up.They accused him of many false things and in the end, the sheriff told him he could charge them for hunter harassment .And if he went out there hunting again ,give him a call if he had problems

When I was a younger fella I was bowhunting with my cousin. I was 19, he was 16. We drove up an easement road, turned around at the property line, and came back down. On the way down we passed a fella who, upon seeing us, looked utterly outraged and turned around and chased us down the mountain. We hit a stop sign, and he pulled around in front of our rig and cut us off, then jumped out. So we jumped out, expecting the worst.

A long conversation ensued, in which he explained that a white Chevy Silverado with Idaho plates had been seen up this road stealing items. Me, driving my white ford ranger with Idaho plates, looked similar enough that he was sure we were the same folks, and by god he was going to get his stuff back.

My cousin decided he was up for a fight, as did the old fella who came after us, which didn't seem prudent considering the situation. I managed to get everyone defused and back in their respective vehicles, and thought it was all said and done. Until the old fella followed us out, all the way home. We eventually took the longest route home that we could, and made a couple phone calls to family members, so when we pulled into the driveway there were 25 or so rednecks sitting there waiting. When he saw how many folks were at the house, the old dude just backed out and left us be. Never saw him again thankfully.

 

[Montana'eer]

Packed in pretty far into GW National Forest in WV with a buddy. Hit the sack and sometime in the middle of the night a screech owl let out a scream that sounded like someone was getting murdered with an axe. Right above us.

We both shot up hearts racing, lol.

 

[BigDon]

Was bowhunting and cow called a grizzly in to point blank, and it woofed at me real close when it winded me.Shortly after a fight erupted between two, I think there was a kill close,3 bears woofing. There other time my friend hit the wake of a ferry type boat.We where in 14 foot skiff and just took off , out about 400 yrds.He lost tiller and U turned us and almost flipped.I asked where life jackets where,said don't need em, die in couple minutes in that water! This was up off POW,wasnt to thrilled about that.

Reminds of a Caribou hunt I was on with the famous Canadian outfitter Fred Webb - - At first dinner Fred makes a huge deal of us having to wear our life vests - no vest - you fly out next day. So....at dinner the next night, Fred is going on about life vests. I stop him mid-spiel - and tell the only reason he wants us to wear the vests is so they can spot the bodies in the water from the air. He had an absolute fit over that - told everyone to ignore me - and then said - out loud to everyone - Big Don is right. If you're in the water - you're dead! Dinner got just a little quieter....

 

[BigDon]

Reminds of a Caribou hunt I was on with the famous Canadian outfitter Fred Webb - - At first dinner Fred makes a huge deal of us having to wear our life vests - no vest - you fly out next day. So....at dinner the next night, Fred is going on about life vests. I stop him mid-spiel - and tell the only reason he wants us to wear the vests is so they can spot the bodies in the water from the air. He had an absolute fit over that - told everyone to ignore me - and then said - out loud to everyone - Big Don is right. If you're in the water - you're dead! Dinner got just a little quieter....

Follow up - - Later that night after dinner he told me I was the first guy in over 20 years to figure out the reason for the life vests. Hilarious!

 

[sp6x6]

This was about ten years ago. I was about 30 miles out of town moose hunting.My camp was up a long canyon, and a road turned off to a gate about 75 yards in the timber.Its was 9 pm ish and was getting dark much earlier.I heard a vehicle pull up and some music, and it was late for where I was, my spidey senses tingled.So I exited my camper and stood behind a tree, with my 30-30, right around then about ten shots rang out.I was far enough up on ridge that I had cell and called 911, as I hopped in my built jeep and pursued off mountain.I wasn't having any of it.Sure it was young kids in something like a Subaru,becuz I didn't catch up, and as I got down lower there where multiple routes out.Idid stop right at road and look for brass, there was none.

 

[marksman1941]

This was about ten years ago. I was about 30 miles out of town moose hunting.My camp was up a long canyon, and a road turned off to a gate about 75 yards in the timber.Its was 9 pm ish and was getting dark much earlier.I heard a vehicle pull up and some music, and it was late for where I was, my spidey senses tingled.So I exited my camper and stood behind a tree, with my 30-30, right around then about ten shots rang out.I was far enough up on ridge that I had cell and called 911, as I hopped in my built jeep and pursued off mountain.I wasn't having any of it.Sure it was young kids in something like a Subaru,becuz I didn't catch up, and as I got down lower there where multiple routes out.Idid stop right at road and look for brass, there was none.

Did they shoot your camper? Or were they just dumb kids torching off rounds into the woods? I'm having trouble figuring out why you called 911 then chased them.

 

[Darryle]

-6º walking out on the ice to the blind and heard a big pop as the ice cracked underfoot will get your attention

 

[Montana'eer]

-6º walking out on the ice to the blind and heard a big pop as the ice cracked underfoot will get your attention

First time I heard a crack it was a doozy. More of a boom.

The guys I was ice fishing with laughed so hard seeing my middle aged butt jump straight off a 5 gal bucket and dash towards the shore.

They said they were all hoping that would happen while an ice virgin was out, lol.

 

[Mcranch]

This was about ten years ago. I was about 30 miles out of town moose hunting.My camp was up a long canyon, and a road turned off to a gate about 75 yards in the timber.Its was 9 pm ish and was getting dark much earlier.I heard a vehicle pull up and some music, and it was late for where I was, my spidey senses tingled.So I exited my camper and stood behind a tree, with my 30-30, right around then about ten shots rang out.I was far enough up on ridge that I had cell and called 911, as I hopped in my built jeep and pursued off mountain.I wasn't having any of it.Sure it was young kids in something like a Subaru,becuz I didn't catch up, and as I got down lower there where multiple routes out.Idid stop right at road and look for brass, there was none.

A mountain side drive by?! Before it was a normal occurrence

 

[victor3ranger]

With as many skunks as I have seen dead on the road, I had never seen one in the woods until last year. while turkey hunting I kept hearing a scrabbling in the leaves that sounded like a turkey digging for food. Calls were not doing much so I decided to try and put the stalk on the turkey (rarely effective but often fun).

I came around a big Doug fir expecting a turkey and instead was face to face with a skunk, digging through the leaves looking for bugs I'm guessing. We just stared at each other for about 10 seconds, and I made the most gentle backwards retreat I could around the fir tree. The moment I broke his line of sight (and line of fire) I hightailed it a few hundred yards back up the hill, and gave that little fella his space. I have nothing but respect for something that stinky lol.

I was working in my shop one night on my hay truck.
Bay door on my shop was open and a nice night.
I was laying on my back wrenching over my head when I felt this fuzzy thing brush up against the side of my head, turned enough to see black hair and think, oh it's just scarlet my black cat. Went back to work and felt a nudge and a rub again this time I turned and I was nose to nose with a half grown skunk.
I froze, the silly thing rubbed it's face on mine and walked away. I was done for the night
Funny thing is that it came back several times during the summer and come right up to me if I was working in the shop

 

[Jester560]

I was on an all day sit in Marion County Alabama. I knew the property well and was sitting on a power line cut. I could see and shoot close to 800 yards. Never seen a deer behind where I was sitting.
Went back close to the road to pee 3 times that day. <<<info for later.

About 3:30 that afternoon, I heard a pair of squirrels chasing for about 15 minutes. About 4pm, I started hearing them again. Looked over my shoulder, in the direction of the noise, and about 20 yards away was the biggest whitetail I have ever seen while hunting. We had a 30-second stare down. Whatever he decided I was, he didn't like it, and here he came. Head down, hair standing on end like a freight train. He had the look of pure death.

My only recourse was to throw my rifle around and pull the trigger. The 7mag, going off in his face, turned him away. Back into the woods, on the side he came from, and I never saw him again. I sat in that spot for 30 minutes, smoking a half pack of cigarettes to calm my nerves.

Back to the pee....I will forever believe he smelled where I went to pee and came looking for me. He was on a purpose and I was it.

 

[birddog 68]

took my son deer hunting for the first time this year and a car saw us from pretty far away and honked their horn for about 5 minutes racing on the county roads trying to make noise

We were doing deer drives with 6 guys years ago. 3 would post and 3 would try to bump deer to them. A older woman decided to blow her horn driving up the back road to warn the deer.

I wish people like that would, just once, join in on a hunt and see how special it can be-

She joined in but not the way she wanted. Her beeping chased 7 doe into the field that we were in. We got 2 between the 3 of us.

 

[Allen Lone wolf]

I was on an all day sit in Marion County Alabama. I knew the property well and was sitting on a power line cut. I could see and shoot close to 800 yards. Never seen a deer behind where I was sitting.
Went back close to the road to pee 3 times that day. <<<info for later.

About 3:30 that afternoon, I heard a pair of squirrels chasing for about 15 minutes. About 4pm, I started hearing them again. Looked over my shoulder, in the direction of the noise, and about 20 yards away was the biggest whitetail I have ever seen while hunting. We had a 30-second stare down. Whatever he decided I was, he didn't like it, and here he came. Head down, hair standing on end like a freight train. He had the look of pure death.

My only recourse was to throw my rifle around and pull the trigger. The 7mag, going off in his face, turned him away. Back into the woods, on the side he came from, and I never saw him again. I sat in that spot for 30 minutes, smoking a half pack of cigarettes to calm my nerves.

Back to the pee....I will forever believe he

I was on an all day sit in Marion County Alabama. I knew the property well and was sitting on a power line cut. I could see and shoot close to 800 yards. Never seen a deer behind where I was sitting.
Went back close to the road to pee 3 times that day. <<<info for later.

About 3:30 that afternoon, I heard a pair of squirrels chasing for about 15 minutes. About 4pm, I started hearing them again. Looked over my shoulder, in the direction of the noise, and about 20 yards away was the biggest whitetail I have ever seen while hunting. We had a 30-second stare down. Whatever he decided I was, he didn't like it, and here he came. Head down, hair standing on end like a freight train. He had the look of pure death.

My only recourse was to throw my rifle around and pull the trigger. The 7mag, going off in his face, turned him away. Back into the woods, on the side he came from, and I never saw him again. I sat in that spot for 30 minutes, smoking a half pack of cigarettes to calm my nerves.

Back to the pee....I will forever believe he smelled where I went to pee and came looking for me. He was on a purpose and I was it.

I live in Marion County and if you were on Sam Murphy wildlife management area I've probably sat in that same spot

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

I was in the dark woods by the Delaware River and saw Biden coming out of the fog in a very dull lit object. I think for sure that Michelle was driving the vehicle.