oddest(strangest)thing you`ve experienced while hunting
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Kreyzhorse
New member
That's a good story....
Way back .....when I was 16 I went deer hunting in SC.
Found me a place on a small hill overlooking a creek that had a nice crossing
with lots of tracks.
I marked it and left to come back in the "early" morning. I had tied a small
string to the stump I was going to sit on and run it out to where I was gonna park.
Got to the parking area about 4 am, found my string and followed it to my stand. I sit down and waited for daylight. as it was getting lighter and lighter I saw a small buck walking towards me on the other side of the creek. He stopped at the crossing and I raised my rifle , I waitied for him to step out from behind a pine tree. Just as he cleard the tree I pulled the hammer back and then BOOOM, the guy in the tree stand above me shot him.
We both shot about the same time and scared the #$&*out of us both.
He had fallen asleep and had no idea I was at the base of the tree and I had no idea he was in the tree above me.
We split the meet and was both happy.
I am a little more carefull when I choose a stand now.
Found me a place on a small hill overlooking a creek that had a nice crossing
with lots of tracks.
I marked it and left to come back in the "early" morning. I had tied a small
string to the stump I was going to sit on and run it out to where I was gonna park.
Got to the parking area about 4 am, found my string and followed it to my stand. I sit down and waited for daylight. as it was getting lighter and lighter I saw a small buck walking towards me on the other side of the creek. He stopped at the crossing and I raised my rifle , I waitied for him to step out from behind a pine tree. Just as he cleard the tree I pulled the hammer back and then BOOOM, the guy in the tree stand above me shot him.
We both shot about the same time and scared the #$&*out of us both.
He had fallen asleep and had no idea I was at the base of the tree and I had no idea he was in the tree above me.
We split the meet and was both happy.
I am a little more carefull when I choose a stand now.
While hunting in the northern region of the iron ore mines of NY, I happened across 4 guys living in a cave, dressed like street people, obviously out of place. Made light of it but watched my back as I moved on to a ranger station and notified them. Turns out they were wanted for felony crimes.
Back somewhere around 1976, early spring in southern Missouri, my grandad saw some helicopters flying low and slow back-forth over the area. This was before they were really using helo to search for pot fields around there, we didn't see helicopters ever around that area, so he was mildly curious about what they were up to as this went on for about 2-weeks, then stopped. Fast forward to that winter, I was about 10 years old and went squirrel hunting with Grandad back in the woods on his place. As we walked out of a small gully, we saw something large and red, lightly covered with some leaves, about 50 yards ahead of us. When we got up to it, we saw it was a large RC plane, as I remember probably about 5'x7', no markings on it. We hauled it back to his place, put it on the back porch and called the Sheriff to report what we found. The next day the Sheriff with a couple of "suits" arrived in an unmarked car and a flatbed, thanked us for finding it, and gave us a $100 for reporting it. They loaded it on the flatbed, covered it with a tarp, and took off. It never showed up in the papers or anything, but the Sheriff was able to tell us just a little...turns out it was some government thing, whatever the plane was for/doing, had gotten away from them last spring and the helo's were out looking for it (nothing in the papers about that either). Apparently it had made a crash landing on my Grandad's place, and they could never see it under the leaf canopy of the woods that spring, and abandoned the search. They had plans to come back and search again when the leaves had fallen, but hadn't gotten back to it yet. I still wonder what that RC plance was for, and wish we had thought to take a picture of it (or maybe best we hadn't?)
camper4lyfe
New member
My brother-in-law told me this story, and I laugh at him about it (I laugh at him a lot, but that's another story). He had climbed up a tree and sat in his stand. Roughly 15 minutes later he hears a rustling in the tree above him, and bark starts hitting him in the head. He looks up to see a raccoon climbing down the tree toward him. Needless to say, he didn't wait to see what the raccoon was going to do, and at the same time, cleared the woods of any deer that might have been there.
Another time, my brother-in-law and I were heading out into the woods behind my parents' house to squirrel hunt. I had my dad's old single shot 20ga, and I believe my BIL had my dad's single shot .22. In the woods is a clearing where a neighbor had built a tree mansion that has since collapsed. As we get halfway across the clearing, we both see a squirrel jump onto a tree and start climbing up. My BIL says "squirrel" as I'm simultaneously shouldering and cocking the 20ga, and without even thinking, I pull the trigger, only to hit the squirrel, and launch it roughly 5' back from the tree. I'm still amazed at that shot.
2 years ago, I was behind my parents' house bow hunting. I'm not seeing much within shot distance until out of nowhere, a 5-point pops out of the brush, 15 yds away. I get set, site in between two trees, waiting for it to step through. I release the arrow, and it flies directly over its back. CRAP. It takes off, and I don't see anything the rest of the morning. As I get ready to climb out of the tree, a squirrel pops up and starts rummaging around below my stand. I put my broadhead away and knock a field tip. I draw back, aim, and hit that squirrel right square in the brisket. It lets out a shriek and starts to climb the tree next to be, with my arrow sticking out of it! I'm sitting there thinking to myself, #1, I can't hit a deer, but I can hit a squirrel, and #2, the dang squirrel's going to steal my arrow! As the squirrel heads up the tree, the arrow pops out and clanks to the ground. I still shake my head at that one...
I've only been hunting for a handful of years, so that's all the stories I've got.
Another time, my brother-in-law and I were heading out into the woods behind my parents' house to squirrel hunt. I had my dad's old single shot 20ga, and I believe my BIL had my dad's single shot .22. In the woods is a clearing where a neighbor had built a tree mansion that has since collapsed. As we get halfway across the clearing, we both see a squirrel jump onto a tree and start climbing up. My BIL says "squirrel" as I'm simultaneously shouldering and cocking the 20ga, and without even thinking, I pull the trigger, only to hit the squirrel, and launch it roughly 5' back from the tree. I'm still amazed at that shot.
2 years ago, I was behind my parents' house bow hunting. I'm not seeing much within shot distance until out of nowhere, a 5-point pops out of the brush, 15 yds away. I get set, site in between two trees, waiting for it to step through. I release the arrow, and it flies directly over its back. CRAP. It takes off, and I don't see anything the rest of the morning. As I get ready to climb out of the tree, a squirrel pops up and starts rummaging around below my stand. I put my broadhead away and knock a field tip. I draw back, aim, and hit that squirrel right square in the brisket. It lets out a shriek and starts to climb the tree next to be, with my arrow sticking out of it! I'm sitting there thinking to myself, #1, I can't hit a deer, but I can hit a squirrel, and #2, the dang squirrel's going to steal my arrow! As the squirrel heads up the tree, the arrow pops out and clanks to the ground. I still shake my head at that one...
I've only been hunting for a handful of years, so that's all the stories I've got.
some amazing and hilarious stories here in this thread, glad i noticed it!
there had been some clearing done to what would one day be lake livingston in eastern texas.
i was a wee tyke, taggin along with dad that day because he was gonna stay pretty close to the truck on a low ridge(very low) that gave a great view.
one of my uncles was visiting and dad set him up with the old 30-30 and when we arrived, took him down to the stand dad had selected for him.
once it came daylight we could see where the uncle was literally sitting on the steps of an old woods shack.
time passed and at not long after good daylight an entire herd of deer came zippin out of the brush right at him. i could see the deer when dad said to look. to me it looked like all the deer in the world bouncing around out there. i guess it must have been nine or ten or so of them.
the uncle jumps up off the steps, runs at the deer and stops, we could see him sorta dancing around and turning back and forth and neither of us had any idea what was happening as we heard no shots.
the deer made it through the opening and were all gone and dad decides to go see what in the world just happened.
i tagged along of course.
got down there and the uncle commences to cuss dad for giving him a crooked shooting rifle.
dad asks him how many times he had shot.
uncle says he emptied the gun, all seven rounds.
dad points out seven unfired 30-30 shells scattered around.
he had jacked every shell out on the ground thinkin he was firing, was so excited never noticed there was no recoil or sound.
i knew to keep my little kid mouth shut, never even laughed.
second tale.
long long years after that, as a teenager, dad and i drove up to a small clearing on a lease we had just south of livingston.
got out walked out a bit, dad gets up on a big pine stump for a better view, then whips the shotgun up and let one off. he stood there a moment, then fired again.
he later said a deer had gotten up, he saw horns and he let one off, then saw the deer still standing and let another one off.
when we walked over to the edge of the clearing there was a four pointer dead right there, but a big blood trail leading off. about a hundred feet away we found a doe wrapped around a small tree.
he had shot the buck, seen it go down, then saw the doe and thought the buck had gotten back up. said he never thought to even look for horns on the second shot as he had done shot the danged thing once.
fortunately he was able to legally tag both deer as we had doe permits for the lease(back then it was two bucks, then does if ya had permits for them).
there had been some clearing done to what would one day be lake livingston in eastern texas.
i was a wee tyke, taggin along with dad that day because he was gonna stay pretty close to the truck on a low ridge(very low) that gave a great view.
one of my uncles was visiting and dad set him up with the old 30-30 and when we arrived, took him down to the stand dad had selected for him.
once it came daylight we could see where the uncle was literally sitting on the steps of an old woods shack.
time passed and at not long after good daylight an entire herd of deer came zippin out of the brush right at him. i could see the deer when dad said to look. to me it looked like all the deer in the world bouncing around out there. i guess it must have been nine or ten or so of them.
the uncle jumps up off the steps, runs at the deer and stops, we could see him sorta dancing around and turning back and forth and neither of us had any idea what was happening as we heard no shots.
the deer made it through the opening and were all gone and dad decides to go see what in the world just happened.
i tagged along of course.
got down there and the uncle commences to cuss dad for giving him a crooked shooting rifle.
dad asks him how many times he had shot.
uncle says he emptied the gun, all seven rounds.
dad points out seven unfired 30-30 shells scattered around.
he had jacked every shell out on the ground thinkin he was firing, was so excited never noticed there was no recoil or sound.
i knew to keep my little kid mouth shut, never even laughed.
second tale.
long long years after that, as a teenager, dad and i drove up to a small clearing on a lease we had just south of livingston.
got out walked out a bit, dad gets up on a big pine stump for a better view, then whips the shotgun up and let one off. he stood there a moment, then fired again.
he later said a deer had gotten up, he saw horns and he let one off, then saw the deer still standing and let another one off.
when we walked over to the edge of the clearing there was a four pointer dead right there, but a big blood trail leading off. about a hundred feet away we found a doe wrapped around a small tree.
he had shot the buck, seen it go down, then saw the doe and thought the buck had gotten back up. said he never thought to even look for horns on the second shot as he had done shot the danged thing once.
fortunately he was able to legally tag both deer as we had doe permits for the lease(back then it was two bucks, then does if ya had permits for them).
Easy
man i had a guy during bow sseason tresspassing, i was already setup in the tree and scouting when i saw a guy litereally right below me. The thing was it was 30 min till dark so i had no chance at deer....haha so i started grunting, he froze, then moved to some ground cover, after that he saw a laser on his chest and decided to leave. HUM, i wonder where that comae from> never have ssen the guy again. I mean the look on his face when he couldnt pinpoint the laser was priceless. MAn it fun. Then he was arrested crosssing the road, evidently he had a conceled firearm along with the bow and was a convcted felon.
man i had a guy during bow sseason tresspassing, i was already setup in the tree and scouting when i saw a guy litereally right below me. The thing was it was 30 min till dark so i had no chance at deer....haha so i started grunting, he froze, then moved to some ground cover, after that he saw a laser on his chest and decided to leave. HUM, i wonder where that comae from> never have ssen the guy again. I mean the look on his face when he couldnt pinpoint the laser was priceless. MAn it fun. Then he was arrested crosssing the road, evidently he had a conceled firearm along with the bow and was a convcted felon.
Last November I was sitting in my stand.The sun had just started to come up and it was putting some light in the tree tops.About 40 yards in front of my stand is a huge sycamore tree. at the very top was a squirrel barking and making all kinds of noise. i watched it for a few mins then all of the sudden this owl swoops in and grabs it. while flying off you could still here the squirrel raising he**.I laughed like an idiot for a long time after that.
Death from Afar
New member
LOL- in a covert OP while in the army, we observed an enemy dude getting VERY friendly :barf: with a goat through our NVG! :barf::barf::barf::barf:
Stuck Buck
About 1964, when I was young and living in New Jersey, I passed a hunter saftey course, bought a 12-gauge Mossberg from Montgomery Wards, and went deer hunting for the first time. It was mid-December, very early morning, and very cold with snow on the ground. I sat in a depression for about one-hour scanning the thick woods around me until my feet became numb. Did not spot a single animal. I gave up and stood up and a two point buck and a doe appeared about ten yards in front of me. I pointed the Mossberg but had no clear shot and, after a quick moment of hesitation, the deer ran off. I was not too happy. Then I heard a clatter in their direction and ran to the noise. This is what I saw: a narrow gravel pathway, a 6-foot chain link fence surrounding Lakehurst Naval Air Station (USN was still flying lighter-than-air airships from Lakehurst), and a buck with antlers stuck in the chain link. From the hoof marks I determined that the doe made a successful turn at the fence but the buck lost his footing and skidded into the fence antlers first. Was it humane to either hop the fence and untangle the buck or walk away? Not at all. From about 2-yards I blasted the stuck buck.
I felt a bit embarassed about shooting a sitting duck (or buck) and, for many years, I could not tell the story of my first deer without saying that I heroically tracked and stalked a New Jersey whitetail through the oaks and swamps of Manchester Township.
About 1964, when I was young and living in New Jersey, I passed a hunter saftey course, bought a 12-gauge Mossberg from Montgomery Wards, and went deer hunting for the first time. It was mid-December, very early morning, and very cold with snow on the ground. I sat in a depression for about one-hour scanning the thick woods around me until my feet became numb. Did not spot a single animal. I gave up and stood up and a two point buck and a doe appeared about ten yards in front of me. I pointed the Mossberg but had no clear shot and, after a quick moment of hesitation, the deer ran off. I was not too happy. Then I heard a clatter in their direction and ran to the noise. This is what I saw: a narrow gravel pathway, a 6-foot chain link fence surrounding Lakehurst Naval Air Station (USN was still flying lighter-than-air airships from Lakehurst), and a buck with antlers stuck in the chain link. From the hoof marks I determined that the doe made a successful turn at the fence but the buck lost his footing and skidded into the fence antlers first. Was it humane to either hop the fence and untangle the buck or walk away? Not at all. From about 2-yards I blasted the stuck buck.
I felt a bit embarassed about shooting a sitting duck (or buck) and, for many years, I could not tell the story of my first deer without saying that I heroically tracked and stalked a New Jersey whitetail through the oaks and swamps of Manchester Township.
Duck Hunting
A friend and I were out before dawn on the Horicon Marsh (WI) setting out decoys and waiting for the sun to rise. As sometimes happens, as the sun rose, the temperature went DOWN enough to freeze the decoys in place. Rats!!
No ducks came to investigate, but a coot came in to join the party, butt end first. He skidded about ten feet, then managed to stand up. The look was an absolute perfect "What the heck!!!" moment.
Leaving was equally exciting until he found a bit of open water for his takeoff run.
Didn't get a shot all day, but I have a memory for a lifetime.
A friend and I were out before dawn on the Horicon Marsh (WI) setting out decoys and waiting for the sun to rise. As sometimes happens, as the sun rose, the temperature went DOWN enough to freeze the decoys in place. Rats!!
No ducks came to investigate, but a coot came in to join the party, butt end first. He skidded about ten feet, then managed to stand up. The look was an absolute perfect "What the heck!!!" moment.
Leaving was equally exciting until he found a bit of open water for his takeoff run.
Didn't get a shot all day, but I have a memory for a lifetime.
mad coons!
During archery season early I put on coon urine cover scent, walk to my stand and climb in. Just before dusk 3 huge coons come out of the woods following my footsteps exactly, get to my tree and start circling the tree snarling and spitting up a fuss!! They continue doing this for a good hour and i wasnt about to waste a good arrow! I finally started yelling and throwing branches at them and they take off. Must of been she-coon-in-heat urine i put on and i smelled mighty pretty to them!!
During archery season early I put on coon urine cover scent, walk to my stand and climb in. Just before dusk 3 huge coons come out of the woods following my footsteps exactly, get to my tree and start circling the tree snarling and spitting up a fuss!! They continue doing this for a good hour and i wasnt about to waste a good arrow! I finally started yelling and throwing branches at them and they take off. Must of been she-coon-in-heat urine i put on and i smelled mighty pretty to them!!
This happened back in the early 90's.
We hunted public land that had very little pressure.
I had a stand that we had built just off a good trail. It was a permanent stand that was in three small trees that were close to each other. It was about 10-12 feet off the ground.
Being disabled, I had to use my 4-wheeler to get to my stand. There were some bushes that were close to my stand that I could "hide" my 4-wheeler behind while I was hunting.
One day I was on stand and I heard something coming up the trail. It was a doe with a little one. They both stopped right at the top of the hill, with the little one staying a little farther back than mama.
The doe has spotted my 4-wheeler. She really stared it down. As time went on, she began to blow and stomp at it. She did this for a little while from her original position. Then she started going around the 4-wheeler and doing the blowing/stomping routine from different positions.
I could tell that she was getting very frustrated. No matter what she did, she could not get the 4-wheeler to move!
It was getting pretty late, so I decided to make some "noise" to get her to move along.
There is no telling how long she would has stayed there "challenging" the strange "creature"!
We hunted public land that had very little pressure.
I had a stand that we had built just off a good trail. It was a permanent stand that was in three small trees that were close to each other. It was about 10-12 feet off the ground.
Being disabled, I had to use my 4-wheeler to get to my stand. There were some bushes that were close to my stand that I could "hide" my 4-wheeler behind while I was hunting.
One day I was on stand and I heard something coming up the trail. It was a doe with a little one. They both stopped right at the top of the hill, with the little one staying a little farther back than mama.
The doe has spotted my 4-wheeler. She really stared it down. As time went on, she began to blow and stomp at it. She did this for a little while from her original position. Then she started going around the 4-wheeler and doing the blowing/stomping routine from different positions.
I could tell that she was getting very frustrated. No matter what she did, she could not get the 4-wheeler to move!
It was getting pretty late, so I decided to make some "noise" to get her to move along.
There is no telling how long she would has stayed there "challenging" the strange "creature"!
tokarev762
New member
Last weekend of deer season a while back. I was watching a game trail down by the lake, when I heard something crashing through the brush off to one side of the trail. After a bit, I see a guy dragging his bike through the bushes. He was wearing a bright yellow bicycle helmet tee shirt and spandex bike shorts. The bicycle was a road bike, not a mountain/trail bike.
As I watched, he was like he was aining for every bush and vine. Crossed over the game trail without noticing it. (This path was an old worn down one that two people could walk side-by-side without touching). He had his head down and didn't look up until he got a few feet from the water. I stood up from where I was sitting and waited for him to pass by me. When he was a couple of feet away, I cleared my throat and tried not to laugh when he jumped. He looked at me and said "Oh! Are you hunting?".
I was dressed head to toe in camo and was holding a .50 cal. muzzleloader.
I just pointed, told him "The road is that way" and sugested he follow the game trail (he could of rode his bike on it!). Instead, he walked off in the general direction of where I was pointing, dragging his bike straight through the bushes and vines. Sheesh!
As I watched, he was like he was aining for every bush and vine. Crossed over the game trail without noticing it. (This path was an old worn down one that two people could walk side-by-side without touching). He had his head down and didn't look up until he got a few feet from the water. I stood up from where I was sitting and waited for him to pass by me. When he was a couple of feet away, I cleared my throat and tried not to laugh when he jumped. He looked at me and said "Oh! Are you hunting?".
I was dressed head to toe in camo and was holding a .50 cal. muzzleloader.
I just pointed, told him "The road is that way" and sugested he follow the game trail (he could of rode his bike on it!). Instead, he walked off in the general direction of where I was pointing, dragging his bike straight through the bushes and vines. Sheesh!
globemaster3
New member
I'll share 2.
First, I was bowhunting down in FL with a buddy of mine many moons ago. We were hunting within sight of each other, working 2 separate cuts out of the swamp separated by palmettos. He chose to wear this "essence of coon" as a cover scent. We had also bought a pair of these voice activated headset walkie talkies from radio shack so we could talk.
I saw something moving behind him, but its so far away, I could not tell what it was. So, I tell him over our radios. Said 4-legged critter continues to approach the trail leading to his stand. Finally my buddy sees it: a large coon!
Said fat coon hits the trail and freezes, sniffing the ground. Then he turns and walks up the trail to the foot of my buddy's stand. Sitting at the foot of the stand, this thing begins growling at him! I can hear it from 100 yds away. Well, this coon is really ******, and climbs a tree right next to my bud, getting at eye level, and just growls at him for 10 minutes. That did it. Arrow knocked, by bud starts drawing and said coon makes for the top of the tree. We lost him up there and couldn't find where it went. Lucky day for that critter!
The second had to do with some of my football buds. Out west of town, it was common for the game warden to put out a fake buck we nicknamed "Timex" (since it took a lickin and... you know) to catch poachers.
Well, these buds of mine get all hopped up after a game on Friday night and go cruisin out west when they see old Timex from the road. They trolled past and dropped a couple off who worked their way back to the spot where Timex was standing. In coordination, they both took off running and tackled old Timex on the spot. Immediately, a couple million candlepower spotlights turn on and the warden starts yelling "Boys, what in the @### are you doin?" The warden let them go, and the pickup vehicle trolled back by and got them. I imagine that warden must have laughed his rear off over that!
First, I was bowhunting down in FL with a buddy of mine many moons ago. We were hunting within sight of each other, working 2 separate cuts out of the swamp separated by palmettos. He chose to wear this "essence of coon" as a cover scent. We had also bought a pair of these voice activated headset walkie talkies from radio shack so we could talk.
I saw something moving behind him, but its so far away, I could not tell what it was. So, I tell him over our radios. Said 4-legged critter continues to approach the trail leading to his stand. Finally my buddy sees it: a large coon!
Said fat coon hits the trail and freezes, sniffing the ground. Then he turns and walks up the trail to the foot of my buddy's stand. Sitting at the foot of the stand, this thing begins growling at him! I can hear it from 100 yds away. Well, this coon is really ******, and climbs a tree right next to my bud, getting at eye level, and just growls at him for 10 minutes. That did it. Arrow knocked, by bud starts drawing and said coon makes for the top of the tree. We lost him up there and couldn't find where it went. Lucky day for that critter!
The second had to do with some of my football buds. Out west of town, it was common for the game warden to put out a fake buck we nicknamed "Timex" (since it took a lickin and... you know) to catch poachers.
Well, these buds of mine get all hopped up after a game on Friday night and go cruisin out west when they see old Timex from the road. They trolled past and dropped a couple off who worked their way back to the spot where Timex was standing. In coordination, they both took off running and tackled old Timex on the spot. Immediately, a couple million candlepower spotlights turn on and the warden starts yelling "Boys, what in the @### are you doin?" The warden let them go, and the pickup vehicle trolled back by and got them. I imagine that warden must have laughed his rear off over that!
riiiiiight