Charging animals.

I had a 1980 honda 110 when I was a kid, bought it for $25. The thing barely ran, the only light it had was a front blinker that didn't blink. I was driving from my grandparents one night through a holler and some woods that seperated our land. When I came into the clearing I spooked a black ninja Bull that had gotten out of the pasture across the street and had waited to ambush me. Bull came charging, so I gunned the engine...which snapped the chain retention bolt...which made my chain fly off...which made me ditch the motorbike and haul butt. Luckily the bull was just after the bike. When I'd cleared far enough away and didn't feel a horn goring a new hole to poop from I turned and watched that sucker give my bike a good horning and stomping.

Also got charged and kicked by an ostrich once. Those suckers are mean!
 
I used to get charged by buffalo's quite often when I was younger (grandpa raised them). If you were feeding you had to run and jump into the box of the pickup let me tell you I could have out ran and out jumped any olympic hurdler when that happened. I have also been charged by turkeys with chicks talk about mean!
 
Been charged by plenty of cows and bulls.

I used to mess with deer at strip mines. I would trap the deer on peninsula cliffs so there was only one way out, through me. They would not try to gore me but were more like football players faking a charge to only cut right or left at the last second. You get 4 or more trapped like that and it gets really hectic because they will get more frantic each time you block their exit.
 
I've been "charged" a few times.

Once by a javalina that was trying to get out of the mine shaft I was standing in front of. I kicked it in the head as it went between me and a rock face at the side of the entrance.

Another time by a fox when I was critter calling. It got between my cousin and I so that I couldn't shoot it, and the episode ended with the fox leaving at a high rate of speed after passing over my head as I ducked and rolled to get away from it. I ended up at the ED for the start of a rabies vaccine later that day.

Being a critter caller, I've had coyotes and such running straight at me many times at pretty fast speeds. Not really "charging", but... They make pretty easy targets in most cases.

Daryl
 
Didn't get directly charged...

... but was out on a hog hunt in the Everglades with some other guys, when they flushed several hogs. A couple of them came running directly my way.

I wasn't too pleased with the setup. The other guys were concealed in the brush where those hogs had been, and basically would have been my backstop.

I drew the SBH .44 I had on my hip, but held fire and hoped for the best, since I really didn't want to risk a shot with the two guys on the far side of the hogs.

You can bet I was very happy when the two hogs broke off to either side of me.

I was less happy when those two knuckleheads gave me crap about "why didn't you take the shot?"

On another occasion, was at the beach once (New Smyrna), when a dorsal fin started racing my way. A second one appeared, and not unlike the hogs, they broke to either side. Dolphins, as it turned out. For a moment there, I was sweating bricks. Once I recognized them as dolphins, I was a mix of happy and embarrassed.

On yet another occasion, also at New Smyrna, I was body-surfing with some buds. I had just stood up from a wave ride in, when a flopping object flew over my shoulder from the shore side. Appeared to be a small spinner shark; tail almost slapped my face as it flew by. A surf fisherman had hooked him, and had gotten him off the line by whipping it once around his head and slashing the line with a knife. I was going to have a word or two with him about lobbing sharks at people when my buddies decided it might be a good idea to restrain me. The fisherman left the area.

When I was a kid, I was out canoeing with my parents in Maine, when we came upon a moose and her calf, swimming in Flagstaff lake. They are cool to watch, but we opted to switch from paddles to outboard and haul out, when the cow started heading our way. She apparently didn't like the canoe getting anywhere near her calf (not a big surprise, that, but I was eight, and my dad has always made interesting choices when it comes to critters.)

Speaking of my dad's critter misadventures, my mother got charged by a bull moose one night, due to one of my dad's poor choices. Flagstaff lake is man-made, and when Maine has had a dry winter, with little snowmelt in the spring, Central Maine Power still runs the hydro-electric dam. So, the lake reverts to a river in a mud-plain. My grandparents' waterfront property went from a slope into the lake, to about a four foot vertical drop to the mud.

In the summer of one of those dry years, we had come back to my grandparents' cabin from an unsuccessful bit of hornpout fishing near the bridge to Stratton. It had started out well, until my dad shone a light under the bridge, revealing a rather large bat colony. My little sister and my mother were both bat-o-phobes, so this revelation ended that particular expedition.

We went back to my grandparents' (dad's side) cabin, in my dad's then new Saab 99, which was his pride and joy. Mom, my sister and I went inside. Dad apparently decided to scan the river and mud-plain with his high beams. Moments later, he yelled for my mother to come outside, there was something she just had to see.

Shortly after that, my mother came back inside, out of breath, shaking, and muttering "I am going to kill him." Mom is of Sicilian descent, so one can't take such statements overly lightly...

My dad came in a little after that, looking very sheepish, and just a wee bit scared of my mother.

My grandparents just looked perplexed.

Finally got the story, an hour or two later.

When my mother went outside, my father pointed out a bull moose, a couple hundred yards away, in the Saab's high beams. She thought it was something I should see, and wanted to call for me to come out, but my dad told her that would be a bad idea. She asked why, and he explained that there had been a cow with the bull (it was the rut season), and the cow had run when the lights had lit her up; the bull might be just a wee bit hostile.

Turned out to be a spot-on assessment. The bull suddenly charged toward the lights, and my parents.

Mom turned and ran for the cabin. Note: my grandparents were doing some renovations, including replacing the front steps. The old steps had been removed; the new ones were not yet installed; it was perhaps a 2.5ft leap up to the doorway, and my mother was not in top shape at this time.

Mom managed to leap up to the doorway, just in time to hear my dad yell for her to come back, quick! He had never closed the trunk of the Saab, which he had opened to remove the fishing gear, and now he couldn't see in order to back up and away from the bull moose.

My mother ran back and closed the trunk, at which point my dad drove off (not out of maliciousness; just every once in a while he does things without thinking...) The moose at this point was perhaps 50 yards away, and my mother was about equal parts terrified and furious. She made her second run for the cabin.

Just before reaching the door, she heard a loud crash, and some snapping wood. She made it inside, though.

A game warden friend of my grandfather's came by the next day, and checked out the tracks. He said it was a large bull, and that the crashing noise my mother had heard was the bull, apparently blinded by the Saab's lights, running head-first into a birch tree as it tried to make its way up the steep bank. Bark was skinned; pile of droppings was at the base of the tree; large hoof-prints indicated a moose staggering sideways away from the tree.

That moose had then walked down the mud-flat until it reached the community boat ramp; came up the ramp; and headed straight for my grandparents' cabin, where it (for some reason) attacked the outhouse.

My father spent several days apologizing. Over thirty years later, he still hasn't quite lived it down.

Sorry for the long post, guess I'll leave the bear story for some other time.

Cheers,

M
 
had a couple pigs die at me feet when i was helping guide for a buddys pig hunting operation and had to go after pigs shot with bows. Both killed instantly with a 500 linebaugh. Had one racoon charge me that was blinded buy a load of fineshot too if that counts ;)
 
not only charged, but attacked & had to shoot in self defense...

er... well kinda...:o

was deer hunting in north central Minnesota many years ago, with my ( then ) new father in law... I was in my tree stand on a fire break in the middle of the woods... decked out in orange with my blaze orange & rabbit fur mad bomber hat on m head, & some new doe in heat cover scent...

middle of the morning about 1/2 way through the week... I was slowly munching on an apple, & watching the squirrels rustle around the leaves below, when suddenly the other squirrels all bolted out of sight, & here came one a bit larger... hopping down the fire break... he stopped suddenly, on the forrest floor, maybe 30 ft from the tree I was in, & looked right at me, & started chewing me out loudly... I though "oh great... scare off any deer close by"... so he continued to stare at me, chewing constantly, for several minutes, until suddenly he ran into the tree on the opposite side of the fire break & got eye to eye with me, maybe 20 ft away, & was making the most shreakish racket you ever heard from a squirrel... this went on for probably 3-4 minutes ( though it seemed like a 1/2 hour ) I actually put him in the scope several times, & simulated pulling the trigger on my deer rifle... again, suddenly the craized animal bolted up to the top of the tree he was in, jumped to the upper branches of the tree I was in, & began to race down the trunk of the tree towards me...

this was MN deer season, I had full coveralls on, but it was warmer, & had some zippers loose on my coveralls... I was stunned, when in the matter of seconds, the squirrel covered the distance from across the fire break, to just several feet above me, & showed no signs of slowing down... now too close to use my rifle on a target that size, at least for anything more than a club... I reached through my open zipper of my coveralls, & drew my GP-100 ( 4" 357 ) I had holstered on my belt... the squirrel jumped from the trunk of the tree towards me... ( my head was his next stop )... I raise the revolver up, catching him in the middle, & pulled the trigger...

WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED ???

my 1st thought was that it surely must be rabid... thinking about it later... my mad bomber hat had a patch of grey fur on the forehead... maybe he though it was another squirrel & was going to fight it... :eek: maybe it thought the patch of grey fur coupled with the doe in heat cover scrent was a squirrel in heat & he had plans to make hot love to my hat :eek:

no matter what, I was so visibly shaken at the time of "having to" shoot something that day, that I went in early...

... of course a hollow point at point blank range from a 357 magnum, left me nothing but the tail as proof of my tale... & of course I was the laughing stock of the deer camp that night, relating my tale to the rest of the hunters... I'm just glad it was warm enough that my zipper was down enough to pull the revolver... LORD knows I wouldn't want that squirrel to have his way with me...:o
 
Charge

I have been charged by moose twice in Quebec.. 1st we were camping and heard something coming down to the lake that sounded like a bulldozer. We went to check it out..We were in the marsh at the head of the lake and I had a very dim flashlight. We got about 20 feet away from a very big bull.. He charged and we ran for our lives... The next time my car broke down and I was attempting repair when I felt I was being watched. I looked up and there was a cow moose 20 yards ahead of me checking me out.. I got my camera and started taking pics.. She started to move away so I whistled at her..Well she thought I was a bit to forward and charged.. I got behind the car and she stopped short..
 
On our honeymoon we went to yellowstone via wyo. We found a track went back into the mountains. I saw a moose down the way so I got out of the truck with my trusty video cam recorder. I got very close then the thing came after me. Barely got back to the truck in time.

When we was kids, we went to our cousins hog farm to help move them into the summer fields as they were free range (didnt know it at the time as nobody used that expression) what we had to do was grab a baby piglet and take it out of the barn and go 1/2 way into the field let baby go and get to the other side and over before momma hog gets ya. A foot race with dire results if you was caught by a momma. We took turns and would have them all moved in an afternoon. Well there was the meanest hog we ever saw, she was huge and mean, upset over the whole thing and ready to get me as I was her mover. Dad had some metal gates he tried to use to get momma hon to run out to the field. Well she had a go at Dad first, hooked her nose under the gate and flipped him up to the roof. Then she set her sights on me as I was running away with baby. She let out a huge hog squel and red eyed as hell came after me. I let baby go at the right time, she didnt care, she wanted me. I ran faster, she was on my heals. I leaped over the barbed wire fence, she ran into it and it went streeeeetc and snapped her back into the field. She went to her baby and the others were out by then, they all went to their mommas and all was well, till next spring....

I worked in the pig palace here in Omaha one summer. Them boars got real big, real mean, had one come after me, I held my ground I was 15 and invincible. He got close at a run, I swung the sledghammer I was holding. I had to buy a dead pig that day.
 
I was charged by a large German Shepherd once, not exactly bear stuff, but I do know the adrenalin rush of having a large animal with fangs run towards me. I was out walking and saw a crow in the light pole ahead. I shouted at the crow and clapped my hands saying, Get out of her crow! All of a sudden, I noticed a very large German Shepherd sitting at the bottom of the light pole very intently staring at me.

I stopped in my tracks and noted a small 2x4 right next to me from the last house being built in the tract. I slowing picked it up with the dog starting to circle me very nervously. I started to back up slowly and get some more space between us and then my neighbor shows up with his little cocker spaniel.

The German Shepherd immediately charged. I picked up the 2x4 to swing over my head and charged back at the dog. With the adrenalin rush, I never saw the dog run away and by the time I came back out of my adrenalin "white out" he was long gone. Only had an adrenalin "white out" one other time in my life when a car ran a red light and knocked my 7000 pound Sequoia over and literally into the air in a full gainer and then landed on my wheels heads up. That adrenalin surge takes over and the mind goes into slow motion and everything whites out.

Hope I never get a third adrenalin rush like that.
 
I don't think most people realize,,,

Just how fast an animal can close distance between you and it.

I always chuckle when people say they will,,,
Just make a head shot on that charging grizzly bear.

The quote I always remember is,,,
Can you hit a bouncing softball thrown fast at 25 yards?

I've been charged by dogs, cattle, pigs, and an angry raccoon,,,
All of those animals got close real quick like.

What is the name of the scenario where a guy with a knife can close 21 feet before most people can draw?

Why do people think animals will be slower than a human?

Aarond
 
Yes moose can be a bit much,since we have some in the yard most winter days, we are very careful around them, but they can be surprising,I've been charged a few times. The first time a shot over her head with a 22 was enough to turn her,the second time it took two, and the bead was on her head by the time she turned.The third took one round from a 44 to stop ,but she didn't spook off she just stopped till a calf I didn't see spooked off and she followed.The third time was last spring a moose had been feeding around the yard all morning, and finally fed over the hill and into the woods that border our place, I poured a cup of coffee and went our ,sitting on the step I saw her lift her head the rest of her was out of sight over the hill, she began feeding back up the hill , and reached the edge of the yard, a distance of 30 yrds from me, I was thinking if she came any closer I would go inside when she layed her ears back and came,I stood throwing the coffee cup,it hit her and I went through the door, she came right to to steps and stomped around for a couple minutes, she had been around a couple weeks so I no there was no calf involved.Yes moose can be a bit much.
Alex
 
I've read more than one article, through the years, about some bull moose in rut losing out when arguing with an oncoming train.

I don't weigh nearly as much as a train.

So: The only moose I've seen was during a trip through Yellowstone Park. I stopped the truck, dug out the camera, and walked a short way toward him for the picture.

I didn't walk very far. I definitely used maximum zoom. After that, I watched from inside the truck, "In case of in case."

I've noticed that vicarious learning about potential harm beats heck out of first-hand experience. Condition White is a bad thing, no matter where you are. It's not about fear; it's about judicious observation and preparedness.
 
called his bluff

I just remembered this incident. About 10 years ago I was turkey hunting on some new property...I walked into a large fenced pasture in the dark.. I found a small patch of cover inside the fence line where I set up.. When I was able to see I started calling.. I heard turkeys talking and was getting some response. It was a great setup or so I thought.. What I didn't know was I was sharing the pasture with cattle. Well pretty soon they all came charging down the hill towards me.. They all stopped about 15 yards away, all that is except the bull.. He was not happy about whatever this was that was making the noise in his pasture.. :(He was getting closer and closer.. The worst part was that I couldn't even get up and run.. I was totally surrounded by pricker bushes. The only direction I could move was the one the bull was cutting off.. At this point I'm thinking that I am going to have to pepper this bull to get out of there..But try explaining that to a farmer?:o He kept getting closer till he was a few feet from my face.. But at the last second he lost his nerve and ran off.. At which point I hastily made my retreat..
 
The quote I always remember is,,,
Can you hit a bouncing softball thrown fast at 25 yards?

I dunno, since I've never tried it. Might be sorta dangerous for the thrower, though.

Many's the loping/running coyote I've shot coming straight at me. Granted, it's no grizzly, and the adrenaline rush is sure to be less.

I believe a charging griz is something most of us hope to never face. If we face it, and stop it, we should get on our knees and offer thanks to whoever sent the awesome luck.

Daryl
 
Been charged by a pit bull twice, same dog, same neighbor who can't control the dog. for whatever reason, it was just a charge. luckily for me.
 
I have never hunted anywhere else but Texas.........Here..we have a serious problem with hogs..........This is statewide...They are truly taking over..........They breed like rabbits and can go full nocturnal..........They destroy pastures and take over good deer habitat............Actually there is no stopping them............I hunt the Trinity River bottoms...Most of ours have a Russian boar influence...Some look nearly full Russian..others a smaller amount.........Some are trapped..others are shot......We make BBQ out of some and others(oh well...the yotes and buzzards gotta eat too)..........
But anyway........I have killed hundreds of these things......Never been charged..............Their eyesight is not very good...I think..sometimes they happen to run that direction and it is mistaken for a charge........Ever watch Pigman the Series????? At the beginning of every show.. he draws down on one..with a large caliber handgun.........The pig had been wounded by another hunter and he was going to dispatch it at close range......By the way..he is from a small town just down the road..............A wounded animal or one stirred up by dogs will act different..............Normally I see them headed to the thickest brush they can find and in high gear.........
 
I guess it would have sounded cool..If I had said.."This 500 pound Boar charged me and I shoved my 44 mag in his mouth and pulled the trigger." hahaaaa
 
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