Hunters Afraid of the dark
Wisconsin
I think this should be brought up. I mostly hunt the central forest part of the state. The predator population is high there, the land is vast and the swamps can get you turned around.
I see it all the time. Guys are afraid at the dark. I'm in my tree and I hear guys finally getting on the road. People comment to me every year, and A guy asked me again tonight as I was coming in on my canoe. I can't believe you make those long walks alone in the dark. Aren't you worried about wolves and such?
Then I always reflect on my past hunts and I think of what I would have missed, if I didn't get in early or leave at dark. I know I wouldn't have some of the deer I have on my wall if I was scared of the night. I've had one issue in my whole hunting career.
I'll be honest, I am more worried when I hunt closer to city limits. I once ran into a bum. Scared the crap out of me when I walked up on him hiding behind a fallen tree. There wasn't an issue but him trying to hide from me like that put me on complete edge.
I'm confident there are guys on this forum that have some sort of fear, and maybe it secretly affects them. I just want to share my opinion that your safe. No matter what predators are around. Carry a side arm and a head light. The odds of being attacked are so rare.
What are your thoughts to this? Some guys have to see the same as I do. Has anyone ever had issues walking alone at night?
I've encountered homeless guys a few times when hunting my urban honey hole. They were more frightened by me.
I can think of a couple of other encounters in the dark that clenched my sphincter much more tightly. Sneaking into my stand in the dark early one morning, I stepped over a log and almost stepped on a grouse that flushed from right underfoot. And coming out in the dark one night, I realized that my next step was going to be on top of a skunk.
It only took a fraction of a second to understand that there was no need for fear, but my adrenal gland was way ahead of my comprehension.
I've had more serious concerns in camp in the dark. Waking up to a rutted up bull moose in camp for one and another would be the prolonged period of time that I spent trying to convince myself during a spectacular electrical storm that my sleeping pad had to have some insulative value besides R Value.
I have made quite a few walks in the dark, mornings in and evenings out. Not much fear unless my imagination runs wild.
I have worried that there might be someone waiting around my truck to mess with me. In my career there was at least one looser I issued citations to that was stalking me but he never found them at my truck.
One night after returning to my truck and changing from hunting clothes to street attire I had a wolf howl about 50 yards behind me. It was very dark except for the lantern on my tailgate. I usually don't worry about wolves but that got me spooked that night.
Nocturnal8, Its funny you mention this, my next story in OWO is on this very subject.
I've told my kids the most dangerous thing you'll come across in the woods is another person - whether it's improper firearm handling, drunk/hungover public land gun hunters, or arguments over being "in someone's spot."
That being said, it can get creepy in the dark when you know there are predators around, especially if you lose your way. I've done that a number of times and eventually any fear gives way to frustration. Going waist deep in water or getting tangled in thorns replaces fear with anger pretty quickly.
I've entered and exited both rifle and bowhunting stands literally thousands of times over the years and I have never really been afraid, apprehensive perhaps a number of times, but never afraid.
Both my wife and I have had grouse flush from immediately underfoot when walking into our stands in the morning darkness. Man, that'll stop your heart for a second! But you soon realize what happened, gather your wits and soldier on.
Then there are those times when you're walking in or out and you hear noises but cannot identify them and never locate their source. When they are close, or loud, they rattle you. But always, despite the concern, everything seems to work out OK.
Maybe I have just been lucky, but I have learned, things that go bump in the night seldom seldom have the disastrous consequences we fear.
In the seventies, near Tuck-A-Way Campground in Sauk County, I had permission to hunt way off the road on top of one of the bluffs. It was almost an hour back in to my stand and then about forty minutes downhill back to the vehicle. I bowhunted there from, actually, the mid-sixties until the late eighties. One beautiful, clear, calm October evening I was in my favorite stand and the moon rose as hunting hours ended. I unstrung and cased my bow right in the stand and decided to stay and enjoy the evening and watch and listen to the woods adapt to the night. Eventually I climbed down and started the walk on the old logging road back to the truck. As I walked I became certain I could hear footsteps in the crunchy leaves behind me. Sure enough, crunch-crunch-crunch, almost matching my footsteps. I turned around and looked but saw nothing. The footsteps stopped too. Then I continued walking, and the crunch-crunch behind me started again. Again I stopped and looked. Again nothing. Silence. What's going on I wondered? I resumed walking. Up ahead the trail took a sharp left turn but I continued on straight into the brush and walked in place while listening and looking back down the trail. I could hear the crunch-crunch behind me getting closer. Whatever it was, it heard me walking in place and continued following me, it must have thought, down the trail. Whatever it was, I was going to ambush it with my flashlight and scare it away. I quickly changed my mind however. The critter following me and making the crunch-crunch was about the size of a house cat, mostly black, with white stripes going down its back. I watched it walk on by in the moonlight, waited a few minutes, then continued on to the truck. Amongst my buddies and I that part of the old logging road became known as "Skunk Alley."
My biggest problem with being in the woods after dark is that my sense of balance is horrible in the dark. It started about 12 years ago when I had what was diagnosed as inner ear infection. I couldn't stand up for a day and then couldn't walk for another day, then started to walk with assistance on about the third day. I was horrible, vomiting without warning several times and similar stuff coming out the other end at the same time. It was my one and hopefully only ride in an ambulance.
Now, even walking on my driveway in near dark with a flashlight I walk a very crooked line. In the woods it is way worse than that. It also affects my sense of direction. That is what makes me somewhat 'afraid' of the dark.
Skunks and people are the only things I worry about. And I hunt where there are very few people, so I guess it is just skunks. And porcupines. And sticks in the my eyes.
A week ago last night I was standing over and breaking down a bull elk on my own. The smell of rutting elk in itself is very strong, now add in raw meat, blood, and guts. At dark I turned on my headlamp, took a compass bearing, shouldered up a pack of meat/antlers/gear and started cross country for camp. 2+ hours later I arrived at camp. Grizzly/Black bears, coyotes, wolves, and mountain lions. Survived them all, and honestly don't even think about it. It scares me more on some of the side-hills, north facing black timber areas laced with downfalls, and some of those steep rocky faces with awkward packs. I'm more afraid of slipping/falling/ getting hurt of some sort than any animal in the woods. That said WI my biggest fear are some of the other people I may encounter.
I hunt in bear and wolf country. Hearing about those rare wolf and bear attacks gets me nervous sometimes. I read stories online about wolves stalking bear hunters in northern WI. I read about a wolf attack in Adams county and another one in northern MN. I've read about black bears not running away when a person was approaching the bait site. I don't like the idea of bear baiting in the dark morning hours by myself, but if someone comes with me I'm not paranoid at all for some reason. They say to avoid conflicts with bears make noise let them know your coming, "don't surprise them", BUT if your doing a morning hunt for bear or deer you need to be as quiet as possible walking in. So I do get some paranoia sometimes when I wanna do morning hunts in bear and wolf country. I don't own any firearms I'm not gonna buy one anytime soon. Also reading about black bears being less skittish at night. Reading about hunters getting out of their stand 30 minutes after sunset with bears at the bait and the bears don't run away, they just stared at the hunter and watched him leave. Also have read where a bear followed the hunter for a little ways as the hunter was walking out.
One time, years ago, walking out at night from the bear stand. It was super windy, dark cloud cover, thick brush on each side of the trail. With all the wind, you could not hear anything. My fear was walking around a corner and being nose to nose with a bear in the dark. That night I walked out with bow in one hand, .357 in the other.
Actually, if there are no deer around you at the close of hunting hours and you can leave at that time, there is a lot of light left to walk out and you can cover a good distance before it actually gets dark-dark. I usually can have my half mile or better walk back to my house or truck and never need a flashlight.
I'm never really afraid in the dark. I've come to enjoy the skin tingling adrenaline rush when jumping a deer or grouse in the dark. You never feel more "alive" than when you get this feeling!
I usually don't have any issues walking in or out in the dark, but once in a while I get a little 'apprehensive' for some reason... paranoid maybe is a better word, like I am being watched. Who knows if it is my imagination getting the better of me, or perhaps there are a horde of flesh eating boy-scout zombies stalking me, or wolves, or meth heads, or bigfoot...
The senses sure do seem to enhance in times like that. I conceal carry, so I just think about the 1911 on my hip and it helps a little.
Serious question here - Since deer see very well in the dark and can run full speed through woods in the dark, what benefit is there to staying in your stand until well after dark when there are deer around you? Do people think you won't be seen because it is dark?
I had an encounter with a pack of wolves chasing a deer right past my stand as I was approaching. Maybe 30 yds from at least five wolves. Even then I thought to myself "nature is pretty damn cool". No feer though, I do not carry a gun and the thought of danger lurking never crosses my mind. My bro in law on the other hand waits till first light and gets down before dark because he's so afraid.
Happy, if a deer is near me at last light I wait hoping it will just move on or at least move far enough away that it won't notice what tree I climbed out of if I do bust it.
Happy, while I am pretty sure the deer do see you after dark, they, like many other animals, don't seem to be nearly as frightened of humans after dark as compared to during daylight.
"Serious question here - Since deer see very well in the dark and can run full speed through woods in the dark, what benefit is there to staying in your stand until well after dark when there are deer around you? Do people think you won't be seen because it is dark?"
I usually hunt 'til the end of shooting light and with quietly running my climber down the tree, packing up the climber, my safety harness, rope, lift line and sundry items, in and on my backpack, some of my hike out often ends up in the dark. And my entry and exit routes are often not a direct path to the road. Sometimes, it can be a hike of better than a mile or so. Even without deer being present to cause me to wait, I end up walking in the dark.
But when I hike in for a morning hunt, I like to get in early and allow things to settle down. I enjoy that quiet time waiting for dawn. I prefer to be in my climber, all settled in, in the dark, 45 minutes to an hour before shooting light. In the morning, I'm always moving in the dark.
Only been scared once. Gun hunting on a pitch black morning in northern wisconsin. Knew wolves were in the area. I often walk a mile to get where I want to be sitting 1/2 an hour before first light. Been turned around once and a while. I just wait for light, walk in a direction I know I can find something recognizable (river/road...) or pull out the GPS and let it lock on and show me where I am. I have never been lost for over and hour, but many people would be permanently scarred if that happened to them.
Many people don't know what to do when things go wrong other then ask for help (or call 911). Those people -should- not walk in the woods in the dark.
Never been afraid. Have met a few skunks in my time. Once while walking in the twilight of Northern Wisconsin I kept seeing a shadow of something following me in the brush. Learned later that there are known such things as 'shadow people'
And then you turn on your headlamp and see this...
Good luck getting that image out of your head next time you have a long walk out of the woods in the dark. Lol.
I'm a bit weird when it comes to this. I think nothing of turning off the cabin lights and walking into the woods 22 acres to my stand in the dark, climbing the tree and settling in to watch the day begin. However, on evening stand I get a little edgy about doing the exact same thing. I do it, because I won't leave my stand too early, but for whatever reason, it just seems a little creepier walking out than in. No idea why.
Bears, especially grizzlies, cougars, rattlesnakes, wild dog packs and wolves will make you think. Depends on where you hunt I guess.
I was never too nervous about walking in and out of the woods in the dark. Until, the second or third time I ever went bow hunting. I really did not like the dark but never really gave it too much thought either. So, on this morning (Halloween morning, non the less). I was walking along an edge of a CRP field and I about jumped out of my boots when I spooked something up and heard in rustle away...only to hear a loud scream 5 seconds later. That is when I absolutely was frozen with fear. After a few moments I shouted aloud something like "I have a weapon- stay away". I stood there for a while longer analyizing my situation...only to realize I had spooked a rabbit and an owl had made a breakfast out of it.
I have long since laughed it off...even though I can not forget the incident when I enter or exit the woods each time...stupid rabbit.
Only at the start of the season. First few times in and out. Seems I get used to it after a few hunts. Have a trail through a swamp where I hunt that is the only piece of high ground around and had a skunk in the trail twice that would not leave the trail. Those got to be very late nights until he would decide to mosey on. Stepped on a porcupine once (thought it was a cow pie when I did it...until it moved)and spent all night pulling quills out of my brand new, very expensive, Gore-Tex pants.
I used to hunt a rugged, steep chunk of bluff country in Sauk County. Moving slowly in the early morning dark I walked by a pine tree housing a screech owl...those babies'll wake you up quick, fast, and in a hurry!!!!!
FiveRs, where I hunt on an overcast day with the heavy canopy it might still be light at end of hunting hours. But by the time I get my gear together, climb down it is getting dark. It is very dark on those nights before I get back to the truck.
In the morning I try to get to my stand before any light to let things settle down.
I sometimes lay a scent drag on my way in. One morning I did so and as I was hanging the scent rag near my stand where I wanted the buck to stop I heard something running towards me. I looked up and in my headlamp saw a large buck. Ten point I think, 140" maybe?
He stopped and we stared down until he walked off. That was scary, not good to smell like a hot doe in the dark.
kevin, I hate you. Clowns are the one thing that terrify me.
On an evening hunt a couple years back, I was hunting up on a ridge. Didn't see a thing, climbed down and walked down the ridge to wait for my buddy to come pick me up. It was nearly pitch black out at the time. There was a heavily used trail that the deer were using on that hill side but I stayed off that on my way down to the bottom. While waiting for my buddy to pick me up I decided to lean up against a big elm tree. I wasn't waiting two minutes when I heard something walking down the ridge right towards me. It wasn't until it was about 10 yards from me when I noticed it was a dandy buck, probably 160". It stopped, then continued walking down where I was standing and ended up walking right past me on the other side of the elm, within an arms reach!! I did get a little nervous when he stopped at 10 yards and stared in my direction. That definitely got the blood flowing. Ended up missing that deer a few days later at 30 yards.
Spent my life hunting public land. When younger we always hunted the same spot. Walked in the dark all the time. As I grew older I expanded my horizons to many different areas. After coming across many ground blinds with empty beer cans in them, I wouldnt walk in on public land in the dark on a bet during gun season. Bow season I still do unless there are other hunters in my area. I simply dont trust people anymore.
First Ontario bear hunt 1983 got left 10 miles from camp until 2:30 in the morning. Yep that was scary. Every noise was a bear, a wolf, etc. oh and I had my bait with since the bait wasn't hit. Didn't talk to anyone for a quite a while and they didn't want to talk to me either.
I have a buddy who walks in "just" after light and in the evening "just" before dark/dark. Carries a firearm all the time.
As far as I know he has never had an encounter nor has he suffered even a scare to my knowledge.
Boys don't say anything and let things be as he has fun doing it his way.
That's what's it all about....
I would carry in MN on bear and don't anymore.....
Only coming down on a active bear bait does my neck hair stand a little- other than that = let er rip!
Stagetek, I'm the opposite. I'm a little edgy walking into the stand in the mornings before daylight. I do it though because a majority of my kills are from morning sits. In the afternoons I have no issues sitting till well after dark if needed before I head back to the house.
Like Jeff as I have gotten older my night time eye sight has gotten poorer and find it harder to navigate in the woods. Sense of direction is fine.
Bloodtrail, What does your buddy do in the woods after "walking in just before dark"?
Just kidding you, I think I know what you mean.
I wouldn't say I'm afraid of the dark, more so afraid/concerned with what I could do to myself walking through the woods in the dark. My orthopedic surgeon was on speed dial until he retired. 1 knee is terminal & 1 twist I might end up crawling on 1 leg back to the truck. I was a bit freaked out by something walking behind me through tall thick brush early 1 morning, I'd stop & it'd stop a couple steps later. This kept up all the way to my stand. Never saw what it was, but the area is thick with bears.
A couple of times I was walking in to my stand in the dark and I busted a roosted turkey out of a tree above me. Before GPS and hunting "up north" I was worried about finding my way out in the dark. Daniel Boone said he was never lost but once he was mighty confused for two or three days.
I must admit I am quite concerned about my state of mind at the end of this year's rut. Not because of anything having to do with hunting. But rather about the two clowns that are running for president. It is not so bad that they are running. What is scary is that one of them is going to elected to the highest position in the land.
I'm not scared of the dark at all. What does scare me is the slob hunter types out there that will shoot at sound. Especially because most of those lazy douche pickles are terrified of the dark themselves. The majority of these are the get out in the woods once or twice a season crowd.
Smokey - You know exactly what I mean ...so knock off your crap off or you'll get....
A NIGHT IN THE BOX....
:^)
Bloodtrail, just can't resist teasing you. I'll behave now.
"Smokey - You know exactly what I mean ...so knock off your crap off or you'll get.... A NIGHT IN THE BOX...."
When the wife tosses out the potential of getting "A NIGHT IN THE BOX", the adrenaline might kick in, but it has nothing to do with fear.
I don't know what the heck Bloodtrail is talking about, but his choice of semantics seems to lead to potential confusion as well as lending itself to humor and some good natured ribbing.
I'm jumping on smokey's bandwagon without fear.
Rut, I don't deny that there aren't any of the type of hunters you refer to but I'll offer DNR reports regarding injuries and arrests as evidence that there are very few of those types.
There was a movie that portrayed a prison if I remember correctly - fairly famous. A line from the movie was "a night in the box" that was punishment for a deed done wrong. I'll check with a buddy and let ya know...thought someone would pick up on that...guess I was wrong.
Smokey - your a good man!
Bloodtrail - I understood your reference completely. I was being disingenuous when I said that I had no idea what you were talking about. I was having fun with a play on words, referring to a different "Box".
You know. Like when those old blues singers sang about "Jelly rolls", they weren't actually singing about doughnuts. Or when Ruth Brown sang "If I Can't Sell it, I Might as Well Sit on it", she wasn't actually singing about a chair.
I apologize if some light hearted ribbing about your choice of words fell outside of the normal purse swinging that goes on here and threw you for a loop.
I was attacked by an owl one morning while walking in the dark. $1500 bow in one hand and a Glock in the other didn't help a lick. Damn thing swooped at me at least 10x. Only sound it made was when it landed in the trees. Gun or bow, nature has us beat
I had a porcupine start climbing my tree once just before daylight, panicked for a few seconds, thought it was a cub at first until I turned my flashlight on it.
About 15 years ago I was "charged" by a mole in the dark while walking in to a stand in the morning.
I Got It!!!!
Cool Hand Luke (Movie) Karl - The Floorwalker says any man violates the rules - "Gets a night in the box".....
Check You tube - funny with acto Paul Neumann.
BT
Onion - OK!
I was hunting alone on 300 or so acres in the woods of Monroe County 3 years ago (the landowner had already tagged out). Made a 25 minute walk to my stand that included climbing under a barbed wire fence that was surrounded by about a 6' wide patch of 5' tall grass. I just had a bad feeling that something was watching me that morning. Laughed it off until I was in my stand and heard coyotes howling on the ridges to the west of my stand. Still wasn't too worked up until I heard a long, throaty and terrifyingly loud howl from the thicket about 25' behind my stand. The entire woods went silent. Nothing, and I really mean it...NOTHING made another sound that morning. I never went back to that stand...my buddy that owned the property could have it all to himself.
Not hunting related, but You guys can get a chuckle at my expense.
I drove up to Northern WI late one night with the family to meet up with my buddy. We got up there about 3:00am. I had been pounding caffeine, but was road weary and just wanted to use the outhouse and go crash.
I opened the outhouse door and this white thing came flying at my head, hit the door frame next to my face and went scrambling out a hole where the roof met the wall.
An ermine had made a nest on the bench, next to the throne and decided to make a hasty retreat when I opened the door.
I was a little less road weary after that and laughing at myself, pleased that I hadn't eliminated the need to step into the outhouse.
A half dozen wolves just recently circled and stalked a member from this site (Nocturnal8) This must have been the most extreme rarity of raritys, because our wise lawmakers have classified wolves as an endangered species.
The lawmakers did not. A Federal judge said they had to be put back on the endangered species list because the USFWS did not do the delisting correctly.
Some legislators tried to sttach a provision to this years budget bill that would have taken wolves from the ESA, but it didn't make it.
It's a sour feeling knowing how many wolves are in Wisconsin. Something needs to be done. Their population in the area I hunt has exploded and they are not afraid of us what so ever. Watch you tails guys, and be sure to carry some kind of protection.
I'm not a huge fan of the dark, but I suck it up and still get out early/late. Flashlight, and pistol in hand walking out. Like you stated, some urban public land I'm more worried about people than animals.
Last year I had a couple punks walk within 30 yards of me, banging on trees and stuff with large sticks, I'm glad they didn't see me were out there up to no good. There's also some bums that hang out on the property when the weather is good.
