What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

[DarryH]

I had shot a rabbit out in the pasture. That pasture was a combination of trees, alive and dead, tall weeds, and lots of dirt and mud. The hogs would rub against the trees with their dirty and muddy sides, making the base of the trees hard like they were petrified. Well anyway, I made a poor shot on the rabbit, and he ran up a hole in the base of a dead tree. I couldn't reach him. I got the axe from the garage, but it bounced of the hardened tree like I'd hit a rock. Next I grabbed my 12 gauge. I shot the tree pretty much point-blank, walking around it a I shot. Sufficiently ventilated and weakened, I could finally chop my way down the dead rabbit. I don't recall EVER working that hard to get a rabbit after that. Rabbit gravy over fresh biscuits is awesome!!

 

[Mark37082]

I just love this thread. It is almost like sitting around a camp fire sharing stories with your hunting buddies. I have a similar issue with small critters as some of you. Rodents, spiders, and other tiny critters challenge my man card when they find themselves getting in my clothes. Some awkward dance moves are usually the result.

 

[C-130 Dude]

We had to shell corn on the farm every year. Three times I saw my dad do the crazy dance when a mouse went up his pants's leg. Instead of helping him, I was laughing and enjoying the show!! One time a mouse ran up my pant leg. I quickly reached down and gave it a very hard squeeze with my hand, then I stomped my foot a couple times and the dead mouse fell out. I looked over and dad had seen it, he just shook his head and walked away. Funny how threads like these bring back the old memories. I'd sure like to be able to do it over again.

Never a truer thought was spoken. I'd give almost anything to have another conversation with my dad.

 

[memtb]

I had shot a rabbit out in the pasture. That pasture was a combination of trees, alive and dead, tall weeds, and lots of dirt and mud. The hogs would rub against the trees with their dirty and muddy sides, making the base of the trees hard like they were petrified. Well anyway, I made a poor shot on the rabbit, and he ran up a hole in the base of a dead tree. I couldn't reach him. I got the axe from the garage, but it bounced of the hardened tree like I'd hit a rock. Next I grabbed my 12 gauge. I shot the tree pretty much point-blank, walking around it a I shot. Sufficiently ventilated and weakened, I could finally chop my way down the dead rabbit. I don't recall EVER working that hard to get a rabbit after that. Rabbit gravy over fresh biscuits is awesome!!

You definitely "earned" that meal! memtb

 

[C-130 Dude]

I just love this thread. It is almost like sitting around a camp fire sharing stories with your hunting buddies. I have a similar issue with small critters as some of you. Rodents, spiders, and other tiny critters challenge my man card when they find themselves getting in my clothes. Some awkward dance moves are usually the result.

"Almost" as good. But I really miss the brotherhood, friendship, and experience of of campfire chats. Days gone by.

 

[Critter Picker]

Excellent! I've done similar a few times. But most often the da*n squirrel would run straight up my leg. Must have been the last act of defiance.

It's instinct! They are looking for nuts.

 

[marksman1941]

"Almost" as good. But I really miss the brotherhood, friendship, and experience of of campfire chats. Days gone by.

Growing up we did elk camp yearly. Never got anything, but it was a great camping trip. As folks have gotten older and busier, that's fallen apart. This years it's just me and a buddy because no one wants to hunt anymore. It's pretty sad.

 

[Calvin45]

As a rule, we are not creatures of the night. The acuity of our senses drops off rather dramatically. I asked the question in another post, if we're REALLY being honest, how many of us can truthfully say we've never had a feeling, when in the night woods, of something akin to, " I'm really not sure at all that I should be here right now." ?

Humans are indeed diurnal. I will say, especially when I was younger, I would often feel restless and unable to sleep and actually go for long walks in the dark. Usually on the roads, but sometimes yes even in the fields and bush trails. I had that feeling of unease threatening to grow into all out fear. I found some kind of meaning in challenging it and continuing to walk. In hindsight that may have been foolish haha, but not because of animals that might be out there…the people you might run into at night are much more what worries me now. Not just in town or the city either, I still think that about the scariest creature you could encounter in the middle of nowhere in the dark is another human under the right (or wrong) circumstances.

 

[Critter Picker]

Humans are indeed diurnal. I will say, especially when I was younger, I would often feel restless and unable to sleep and actually go for long walks in the dark. Usually on the roads, but sometimes yes even in the fields and bush trails. I had that feeling of unease threatening to grow into all out fear. I found some kind of meaning in challenging it and continuing to walk. In hindsight that may have been foolish haha, but not because of animals that might be out there…the people you might run into at night are much more what worries me now. Not just in town or the city either, I still think that about the scariest creature you could encounter in the middle of nowhere in the dark is another human under the right (or wrong) circumstances.

You ever swim at night? Now that makes my hair stand up!

 

[Calvin45]

You ever swim at night? Now that makes my hair stand up!

No!!!!! not a big fan of the water in broad daylight!!!!

 

[C-130 Dude]

Growing up we did elk camp yearly. Never got anything, but it was a great camping trip. As folks have gotten older and busier, that's fallen apart. This years it's just me and a buddy because no one wants to hunt anymore. It's pretty sad.

I lost my best bud early this year. We knew each other for over 45 years. We hunted dozens of times, sometimes several times a year. Last month, my local shooting bud passed from a massive heart attack at 58 years old. Trust me when I say if you don't make it happen, some of life's precious opportunities will pass by. And they can't be made up. My excuse is both my knees are shot from multiple surgeries on each hasn't helped. So I'm pretty much relegated to Monday morning hunting stories. What I would give for a week long trip back to my old hunting grounds. Days gone by.

 

[casey36]

You ever swim at night? Now that makes my hair stand up!

With a young lady or two. Hair wasn't standing up but.

 

[tribb]

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.

I would not go back either. As an old buddy of mine used to say "they ain't enough money in the world to make me do that"

 

[tribb]

Dude...I woulda filled my unnies....

X10 right there buddy. WOW