What have you seen while hunting?
West Virginia
A buddy of mine told me he watched a hawk catch a squirrel while sitting in his stand recently. I've seen a lot of things happen while hunting, but I had never seen that. Made me wonder what unusual things everybody had seen while hunting?
One day my brother in Maryland turned to see a hawk flying right at him with something in its claws. They both got startled at the same time and the hawk let go of what it had and started back flapping to get away. The copperhead that it was carrying landed on my brothers boots in the stand. Fortunately it was already dead. My brother denied he dropped anything but I've always had my suspicions! LOL
My nephew was spring turkey hunting two years ago, he was in a blind and had a decoy set up. A large wing span bird flew by and landed on a limb, then it flew by closer and landed on a closer limb. Then it flew down and snatched his decoy and flew off with it!
One day while I was in my tree stand I watched an owl in a tree near me. It kept looking down on the ground, and eventually flew down and grabbed a mole. It then flew back up to the same limb and flipped its head up and swallowed the mole whole. I thought that it would eat it in pieces and was shocked to see that it ate it whole. The things that we see, learn, while in the woods.
Watched a Fisher on the hunt. As the sun rose one morning I heard a turkey. I looked up and there was a turkey roosted in the same tree looking down at me. And saw a ground hog fall off a deadfall from about 8 feet high. Did you know ground hogs bounce?
While hunting in Southern WV a few years back I saw a black bear and a coyote meet face to face while traveling the same tram from opposite directions. To my surprise the black bear is the one that bolted over the mountain like he was running for his life.
I've had a few neat experiences spring gobbler hunting.
I had about a 300 lb black bear with a beautiful white blaze walk by me at about 20 ft. Never knew I was there.
I was calling to a gobbler ahead of me and something caught my attention in my peripheral vision to my right and I turned my head slightly to look and there was a big bobcat about 10 ft to my right just standing there looking at me. When our eyes met he turned and bounded away. Made me wonder what would have happened if I hadn't seen it?
A few years ago I was in a self made ground blind and had decoys set up about 25 yds in front of me in and right at daylight I saw something across the field about 100 yds away. I could tell it was dark. All of a sudden it came running across the field at the decoys when it got about 10 yds from the decoys it looked like a cartoon on TV, it started back peddling to try and stop. About the time it got stopped the Benelli roared and I had a black coyote down. I think it initially thought it was a small flock of turkey but the closer he got he realized they weren't moving like a real flock would and was trying to stop.
One time in the same field there were turkey at the end and a golden eagle came swooping in after one but missed. I think a few years later George Coleman saw the same thing in the same field.
I've killed a couple of bobcats during rifle gun season and have trapped several but my only chance with a bow was years ago in Summers county. I was hunting a pine flat and an old split rail fence ran down the edge of the flat then dropped down into a holler. I looked down from the stand and a bobcat was walking along the top of the fence and when he got to where he could see the flat he stopped to scan it. I was shooting an old whitetail II. Just as I cane to full draw the cam squeaked, his head popped up and our eyes met for a split second then I released. From the time I released until the arrow hit in the split rail fence right where I was aiming he had done a 180 and was about 10 ft down the rail. They have quick reflexes.
One year while in college several of us decided to go bear hunting. We grove up to The National forest out past Auto in Greenbrier county and each went a different direction to look for tracks in the snow. I was easing out this big long flat ridge. And I saw a huge bobcat walking toward me at about 50-60 yds away. He went behind a big white oak. When his head disappeared I got my rifle up and steadied it on the tree I was standing next to and waited for it to come out the other side to shoot it. 5 min. Went by, then 10 minute, after 15 minutes I eased ahead and saw the tracks in the snow he had made a turn and walked directly away from me using the tree to block my sight. All I could do was laugh and respect the cat even more.
One year while gobbler hunting in Mercer county I came upon a big black snake that was in the process of killing a copperhead. I watched for an hour. He wrapped himself around it like a boa until it was dead then slowly started swallowing it. I moved on and came back by about 3 hrs later and he had about 6 inches of it swallowed. It was a big black snake about 5+ ft long and the copperhead was only about 18 inches long. It would have been neat to be able to sit there and watch the whole process but I just didn't have the time.
Those are just a few of the really neat things I remembered off the top of the head. That's one of the really cool things that happen while hunting that you just never expect.
I remember hunting once in Pinnacle Creek when a big doe came around the hill about 40 yards in front of me. As she approached she became suspicious and started moving to my right. The hillside was very steep and she was moving slowly but looking in my direction constantly. As she moved past me she evidently decided it was time to get out of town so she bolted up the hill. Only problem was there was a large tree that had fallen and was laying about 30" off the ground. As she started up the steep hillside she attempted to jump the tree but didn't quite make it. She ended up straddling the tree and after a few seconds thrashing about she finally fell to the ground. She immediately jumped up and took off around the side of the hill. I think of her everytime I do something stupid and wonder if anyone was watching!
One of my favorite odd encounters involved a bobcat and a young buck. The cat came onto the flat I was hunting ended up curling up in a small depression in. It quickly fell asleep just like a house cat in a warm sunbeam. Eventually a doe entered the flat and was being trailed by a young buck. The doe passed by the cat and jumped and ran when she saw the feline napping just inches away which woke up the predator. The buck ended up jumping the depression and over the bobcat even further startling the cat. The look on the bobcat's face was priceless. The clueless, lovestruck buck never knew he jumped over a cat as his attention was totally on the doe.
Just 3 weeks ago while hunting Southern WV I was on a afternoon scouting adventure and jumped a few deer in an area that I had been wanting to check out. I went over to look at where the deer had been and while looking I walked up on a deer that was still standing there where all the other deer has been. She was only 10 yds away. I stood still for about 5 minutes waiting for the doe to see me and run but she never did. I finally decided to move my arms a little bit so she would see me and leave. She never saw me. After about 25 minutes of waiting I came to the conclusion that she was blind. Every time I would move my feet in the dry leave she would look my direction but would blankly stare through me. I took a phone video of her looking dead at me while I was waving my arm back and forth and she never saw me. She finally started to feed in a small area but never did run. I backed out of the area slowly and left her alone. I can't believe she had not been killed by a bear or coyote. I will be keeping her in mind next year when the rut hits if she makes it that long. If she still breeds I could have the perfect buck bait.
Good thread and topic.
I've seen several hawks dive bomb chipmunks while in the stand, about a 50/50 chance on successful capture. I watched one that came in a little too hard, when it hit the ground it looked like ruffled up chicken bouncing up. Took it a minute to gain its wits back and fly off. I've had several hawks land within 10 ft of my stand and just stare. I watched a fox squirrel loose its grip and fall 25 feet or more to the ground. It dazed it for a second, probably knocked the wind out of it, but it jumped back on the trunk and scurried back to the top. I actually cringed watching it fall and land, it bounced off its side over 4" up in the air when it hit. Just a big, loud, hollow sound when it hit. After watching that, its no wonder they are so tough to survive a fall like that.
This is a cool thread. Over the years I've seen a lot of grey squirrels fall from small limbs sometimes falling 20-30 ft. They just get up and scamper away. Size wise that would be like us falling off a 10 story building. I figure we wouldn't get up and scamper away.
Last year I saw a bobcat catch a squirrel. The bobcat exploded from its hiding place and it was over in just a few seconds.
A few years ago while turkey hunting I called a female bobcat she got within 10 yards of me.
I had a black Iguana crawl out on the limb my bow was hanging on, while hunting Couse Deer in Mexico, last January. I wasn't able to get to my camera before it scampered off. I thought now that doesn't happen every day. Pretty cool.
I had a big black snake crawl down the tree I was in and right past me. I was eyeball to eyeball with him. Kind of cool. Bowhunters see a lot.
I was in a treestand at gobblers farm in Monroe co when I watched a golden eagle swoop down and try to grab a Jake out of a group of Jake's feeding in food plot....the eagle missed but then started walking around the group trying to grab one of Jake's....the turkeys opened a can of whoop a-- and jumped all over the eagle....never see that again.....i had an owl try to take my nose off as I waiting on daylite one morning in treestand
This happened to me and Jimmy Kiser one morning back in 1980....picture this....it's 2 hours before daylight me and Jimmy are way back in middle of nowhere driving to our stands on meadow river it's warm and we have the Windows down....not a farm or house around for miles....it's drizzly, foggy and dark...we round a bend in old road and something huge runs across the road barely visible in the headlines..Jimmy said what the hell was that?? I said man I don't know looked like something the size of a Volkswagen bug...the critter ran off into the woods on drivers side of truck and disappeared in fog...Jimmy grabbed my big maglite and leaned over by me and steering wheel shinning it out drivers side window...as we are looking out my window in the direction of the critter...unknown to us on the other side passenger window a big old horse stuck his head in the window and nickered and blew snot on Jimmy hand and face..lol Jimmy jumped over in my lap hit door handle and knocked both of us out the truck door into the mud...the horse then circled around to our side to see the fun and scare us some more...needless to say we was to shook up to hunt....lol as we set in the mud Jimmy said I spent many months in Vietnam fighting and I never got scared that bad...we thought big foot had us... . U can't make this stuff up
Couple years ago me and wvmule aka Jeromy rose were checking cameras at our mingo lease when a snow white albino deer walked up to us within feet and started eating corn near the camera we were checking...she was very tame but no houses anywhere near us...very strange...hey rosey if u still have the pictures post one on here
One last one and I will shut up...I was in a treestand on the edge of meadow river when a squirrel was swimming in river out to a flat rock that was about 20 foot from the bank...there was a couple of hickory nuts laying on the rock and he was swimming out to get one...he swam out got one nut and started swimming back when a huge muskey grabbed him and drug him under...in about an hour another squirrel swims out to get last hickory nut and again the muskey nails him....so the next morning I'm in same tree right at barely light enough to see I see this muskey swimming toward the rock with a couple of hickory nuts in his mouth he swims up to rock and some how flipped them up on rock...I set there most of the morning but no squirrels showed up....nature can amazing
It was frosty late Oct morning I could hear turkeys over on next hillside as sun came up i could tell they where coming my way. Something caught my eye down in hollow,Coyotes 2 of them as i tried to watch, thinking are they after those turkey. I had lost sight of one of coyote but one climbed up on a downed tree lay down like dog. All this time i could tell that the turkey where get close to where the coyote was.All at once the turkey where running, flying, putting. The next thing i knew the coyote came out of that downed tree and had his bird.I still wonder if that other coyote busted and scattered the turkey? Really dont remember if i saw a deer that day, but what a great morning to be in a tree stand.
I was walking to my stand before daylight around Summersville lake a few years ago when I heard a man screaming. It seemed that he had walked into a mud pit formed from the receding water of the lake that was drained for the winter. He was sunk down to his waist in the muck.
He yelled for me to help but I had a new recurve with snake skin limbs and I knew if I pulled him out while he held onto my bow that the snake skins would be ruined, so I quickly took off my back pack and searched for my camera.
To my surprise he got himself out of the pit before I could lend aid and take a picture. He was clearly shook up and cold so I found his friend who brought him over the lake with his boat so he could go and get dry clean clothes on.
I waved at him as he got in the boat to head towards the boat ramp. I later heard that that same man fell in the lake while getting out of the boat.
I would not want to embarrass the fellow by telling his name but his initials is George Coleman.
You never know what you will see hunting.
Gee Whiz, George! Now I'm wondering if I should believe the first two. :^)
Hey guys, I don't think we have gotten to the part of the winter where everybody gets bored and starts making stuff up yet.
Or maybe we have??
I'm still laughing about the horse blowing snot on Jimmy.
Ok I made up the muskey thing but I swear the others are true...when the horse stuck his head in cab of truck we thought big foot had us....horse had broken out of pen up road several miles back and was scared followed us back out the road like a dog...
Ok the mud thing is true...it was 10 degrees and my camo clothes froze on me...mp and danny didnt want to miss hunting time so they told me to wash off mud and build a fire instead of taking boat back to my truck so I could drive home and change..they did feel sorry for me and drove me back to truck....to keep from getting hyperthermia drove home from lake 20 miles buck naked praying I wouldn't get pulled over...all mike was worried about was his custom bamboo hummingbird bow....I was in quicksand dying...lol
Was there a payphone in this story also?
someone pass the popcorn, this is getting good.
George . What you been drinking? Can I have some?
While hunting from a treestand; I had a hawk fly at my head and turn at the last moment.
Saw a weasel with a chipmunk in it's mouth.
I was bow hunting black bear in the Cranberry. I was hunting within sight of a hiking trail.
I had a couple yuppie hikers go by and I cut loose on a predator call. The hikers stopped and the reaction and conversation between the two regarding what they just heard was priceless.
One morning hunting on Public land I was getting ready to climb from my tree. I heard something coming so a waited. Another bowhunter showed, stopped, dropped his pants and took a dump. As he began to wipe, he turns and see me in the tree. He quickly pulled up his drawers and boogied over their hill.
Ok, so I'll be the first to admit it - I've seen the back of my eye lids many times.
Oh, Saxton - sorry about ruining that hunting spot...when nature calls...
Saxton, You should have used your predator call on the dude taking a dump and seen his reaction.
Hunting out of a tree stand earlier this season and had a couple of turkeys roosted in a tree about 40 yards and slightly uphill from me. Never saw them until they came off roost and I thought the tree exploded. Leaves flying everywhere. One went straight to ground, but the other one flew what seemed to be right at me. Passed by about 15-20 feet away. That kind of got my attention.
Here you go, Georgie. Proof of your encounter.
The story goes something like this....I had seen the albino doe one day while on our lease. I never got closer than 100 yards from it. However, I was in total shock when I saw it because I never knew it existed. I think everyone on the lease thought I made up the story.
Well, George was helping me work on my feeder (I eventually abandoned it because it was far too much work for my lazy butt) and he says, "here comes that albino doe up that trail."
I didn't believe him because most of you know what a prankster he is. So, I refused to turn around and look and give him the pleasure of getting one over on me. He was insistent that he was not joking and I eventually looked.
Much to my surprise he was telling the truth. That white deer came right up and started feeding within feet of us. We finished up working on the feeder and as we left she jumped to the side of the trail letting us pass. She showed up on my cameras for a few weeks and then I never saw her again.
I hung the feeder at the mouth of a Y-shaped hollow. It was a great spot but had been an old dump or something as there was a bunch of semi-buried trash in there. As the deer at corn they unearthed more trash. It looks like a beer bottle behind her. lol!
