What is your "fear factor"?
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Major Dave (retired)
New member
Thundering herd of ???, in the dark.
Oh dark thirty, I parked a mile from where I intended to deer hunt, alone, and began to walk that way under a moonless, starless night. Heavy overcast sky, no sky glow from nearby citiy. While crossing an open field of considerable size, a thundering herd of ??? suddenly surrounded me. The noise was deafening, and since I literally couldn't see my hand in front of my face, I had no idea which way to duck/dodge, or otherwise scramble out of their way. No trees, bushes to hide behind. Semi-arid area, so not even tall grass to hide in. Just me in the wide open, totally blind, surrounded by a thundering herd, with no prior warning.
All I could do was crouch down and make myself as small as possible, hoping that they wouldn't stomp me into the ground.
The area held elk, whitetail deer, and possibly buffalo (American Bison). Maybe cows?
Still don't know what they were. Didn't get stomped, and all was quiet after about 10 or 15 seconds. A LONG 10 or 15 seconds!!
Got a 175 (gross) B&C buck at first light.
Oh dark thirty, I parked a mile from where I intended to deer hunt, alone, and began to walk that way under a moonless, starless night. Heavy overcast sky, no sky glow from nearby citiy. While crossing an open field of considerable size, a thundering herd of ??? suddenly surrounded me. The noise was deafening, and since I literally couldn't see my hand in front of my face, I had no idea which way to duck/dodge, or otherwise scramble out of their way. No trees, bushes to hide behind. Semi-arid area, so not even tall grass to hide in. Just me in the wide open, totally blind, surrounded by a thundering herd, with no prior warning.
All I could do was crouch down and make myself as small as possible, hoping that they wouldn't stomp me into the ground.
The area held elk, whitetail deer, and possibly buffalo (American Bison). Maybe cows?
Still don't know what they were. Didn't get stomped, and all was quiet after about 10 or 15 seconds. A LONG 10 or 15 seconds!!
Got a 175 (gross) B&C buck at first light.
Last edited:
snevensmores
New member
When I was 17, I wanted to prove to my friends that I was a "man." I set out alone at midnight on a cold November night. I planned to hike along side the road in the pitch black ~3.5 miles to my grandma's old abandoned house, camp out for a couple hours, and head back under the blanket of night.
I was walking down a deep, pitch black dip as the road cut between the woods and a dry, thick cornfield. I had heard a few deer grunts, but it was now eerily silent and pitch black.
About the time I thought that I was truly alone out there, a deer hit that dry cornfield going full tilt. I about left some "tracks" of my own on the side of that dark country road.
To top things off, upon arriving at my grandma's house, a stray pit bull came charging at me from out of nowhere and scared the bejesus out of me again. Luckily, he just wanted to be friends.
Moral of the story -- don't challenge yourself to stupid "adventures," and always pack extra underwear.
I was walking down a deep, pitch black dip as the road cut between the woods and a dry, thick cornfield. I had heard a few deer grunts, but it was now eerily silent and pitch black.
About the time I thought that I was truly alone out there, a deer hit that dry cornfield going full tilt. I about left some "tracks" of my own on the side of that dark country road.
To top things off, upon arriving at my grandma's house, a stray pit bull came charging at me from out of nowhere and scared the bejesus out of me again. Luckily, he just wanted to be friends.
Moral of the story -- don't challenge yourself to stupid "adventures," and always pack extra underwear.
eaglesnester
New member
woods freak out
Goin in the thick devils club after a wounded grizz. Nothing like it, I guarantee the old pucker factor will notch up about 10 points.
Goin in the thick devils club after a wounded grizz. Nothing like it, I guarantee the old pucker factor will notch up about 10 points.
Byron Quick
Staff In Memoriam
Snakes that are seen don't bother me. I've handled them, caught them and kept them for a time. Owls have landed on branches by my stand where I could poke them with my rifle. The only thing about spiders that bothers me is getting that darned web out of my face. I was poking around under a short, plywood tower stand when I looked up at the platform. Nice, big, fat black widows inches from my face. Now I left right then but I wasn't freaked out.
Hoots and howls are no problem.
But I stood on a copperhead one day without knowing it. Close enough to its head that it couldn't quite reach over the top of my eight inch boots. Darn thing struck three times with me totally oblivious. I had taken a couple of steps away when I saw movement in my peripheral vision. Saw the snake where I had just been standing. Looked down at my boots and saw three pairs of cloudy fluid dribbling down my boot. Put my twelve gauge auto shotgun eighteen inches from that snake's head. Pulled the trigger. I was shaking so bad that I missed twice.
Got out of my truck one day, pivoted and was face to face with a hornets' nest about the size of a basketball. Teleportation is possible. I was back in the truck with the door closed before the first hornet hit the window. I'd have been in a mess if I had locked the door.
But with snakes and hornets, it's not their presence. It's being unknowingly in their presence that gets me.
Hoots and howls are no problem.
But I stood on a copperhead one day without knowing it. Close enough to its head that it couldn't quite reach over the top of my eight inch boots. Darn thing struck three times with me totally oblivious. I had taken a couple of steps away when I saw movement in my peripheral vision. Saw the snake where I had just been standing. Looked down at my boots and saw three pairs of cloudy fluid dribbling down my boot. Put my twelve gauge auto shotgun eighteen inches from that snake's head. Pulled the trigger. I was shaking so bad that I missed twice.
Got out of my truck one day, pivoted and was face to face with a hornets' nest about the size of a basketball. Teleportation is possible. I was back in the truck with the door closed before the first hornet hit the window. I'd have been in a mess if I had locked the door.
But with snakes and hornets, it's not their presence. It's being unknowingly in their presence that gets me.
phil mcwilliam
New member
After last weekends bushfires claimed possibly 300 lives in the state of victoria, Australia- I would say bushfire in summer when hunting the bush would have to be added to any fear factor list.
Swampghost
New member
Skunk ape? Yep! I'm a believer. Been too close.
PaddyWhacked
New member
Dick Cheney 
Swimming in murky water and having something brush up against your leg.
Swimming in murky water and having something brush up against your leg.
Ruffed grouse.
Well truth be known it was a one time thing. I was trying to coon hunt with a bear hound, she would tree a coon provided no bear were about. Just black bears, no grizz here. It was a nice night for the woods and I normally hunted by myself. The hound decided to work on a bear, in an area that had been logged that summer. The remaining tree tops were thick with dried leaves. The dog was baying the bear, the bear was backed into a tree top. Bears have a reputation to charge a light. I never had it happen to me, but other houndsmen I know swear it happens. The little Mossberg 22 is stuffed to the gills and I am proceeding into the melee. The adrenaline is probably a quart and a half overfull. So I almost step on a 'partridge'... no doubt about it. The beating of the wings up my chest and wing tips caressing my face gave me about all the thrill I can handle.
Well truth be known it was a one time thing. I was trying to coon hunt with a bear hound, she would tree a coon provided no bear were about. Just black bears, no grizz here. It was a nice night for the woods and I normally hunted by myself. The hound decided to work on a bear, in an area that had been logged that summer. The remaining tree tops were thick with dried leaves. The dog was baying the bear, the bear was backed into a tree top. Bears have a reputation to charge a light. I never had it happen to me, but other houndsmen I know swear it happens. The little Mossberg 22 is stuffed to the gills and I am proceeding into the melee. The adrenaline is probably a quart and a half overfull. So I almost step on a 'partridge'... no doubt about it. The beating of the wings up my chest and wing tips caressing my face gave me about all the thrill I can handle.
Not really scared to death over anything in the woods. The howl of a timberwolf sends chills up my spine/stands the hairs up on the back of my neck everytime! I'm not a huge fan of snakes, but we just have small, non-poisonous ones here, so I'm not that startled by them. A partridge that takes off in front of you will startle you quite a bit too, even if you're hunting them! 
chemgirlie
New member
I'm okay with most things. I keep a couple of exotic pets (I currently have a scorpion, a snake, and a tarantula), so I'm pretty much okay with all of the creepy crawlies. In my neck of the woods most things will leave you alone if you make enough noise.
However, there is one thing that almost made me pee my pants once. I was biking and saw 2 bear cubs come out of the woods about 25 yards on front of me. I didn't see the mom, but she couldn't have been far away. That moment was by far the fastest I have ever biked.
However, there is one thing that almost made me pee my pants once. I was biking and saw 2 bear cubs come out of the woods about 25 yards on front of me. I didn't see the mom, but she couldn't have been far away. That moment was by far the fastest I have ever biked.
Evan Thomas
Inactive
Which way did you go?
bufordtjustice
New member
I was blessed (or cursed, depending on how you look at it) to go through the Jungle Warfare School in Ft. Sherman Panama many moons ago. I hate spiders, snakes and assorted crawly things and a jungle of course has those in spades. After spending a day or so being extra careful when you touched anything, you slowly begin to relax and accept your surroundings. Not LIKE but ACCEPT. There is a big difference.
I can tolerate anything as long as I see it first and can give it a wide berth. I think we as humans have lost a lot of our skills regarding sensing and observing what is going on around us. Maybe that is what really creeps us out. I mean, the fact that these things seem to magically appear right in our faces, etc.
Of course when it gets dark in the jungle, it gets really dark. And with no fire to see, the sense that animals and insects are conspiring against you is very real.
I can tolerate anything as long as I see it first and can give it a wide berth. I think we as humans have lost a lot of our skills regarding sensing and observing what is going on around us. Maybe that is what really creeps us out. I mean, the fact that these things seem to magically appear right in our faces, etc.
Of course when it gets dark in the jungle, it gets really dark. And with no fire to see, the sense that animals and insects are conspiring against you is very real.
What scared me the most
was one time I was coming out of the the woods on my 4 wheeler when I saw a reflection in a thicket. I pulled up next to the thicket and shinned my flashlight and it was a dang mannequin! Scared me to death! I thought that I had come up on a body! To this day, when I drive by that thicket...it still wigs me out.
was one time I was coming out of the the woods on my 4 wheeler when I saw a reflection in a thicket. I pulled up next to the thicket and shinned my flashlight and it was a dang mannequin! Scared me to death! I thought that I had come up on a body! To this day, when I drive by that thicket...it still wigs me out.
madmo44mag
New member
"What is your "fear factor"?" was the thread title!
The sound of a bolt or round being chambered out in the dark beyond where I and my fellow hunters are.
This is a 12 on the pucker meter.
Other than that there are very few things in the woods that will get over a pucker factor of 2.
The sound of a bolt or round being chambered out in the dark beyond where I and my fellow hunters are.
This is a 12 on the pucker meter.
Other than that there are very few things in the woods that will get over a pucker factor of 2.