Today I saw a llama!

Also I saw a hawk snatch a squirrel off a branch, then knock himself out on another branch. Hawk and squirrel tumbled to the ground, squirrel ran off. Hawk took 15 seconds or so to recover.

While sitting in groundblinds in November my son and I saw squirrels fall from trees on two separate occassions. I've heard of such a thing but never seen it before, let alone twice.

Years ago, while hunting in the TX hill country, I watched an armadillo trying to gather leaves. He would bow his back and kind of hop backward, gathering leaves with his front legs, trying to catch and hold them with his rear legs. It was funny, because he was leaving a funnel-shaped cleared spot. As he scooped leaves, some of the ones he was already holding would "leak" out the sides. I got pretty tickled watching him...

I had a very large horned owl roost in my tree five feet above my head - had no clue he was there. As the light faded he let loose with a hoot that nearly ruined a freshly washed pair of fruit-of-the-looms. Scared the living bee-gee-zus out of me.

I had a lady grouse land on an angled branch right in front of me. The branches all had a coat of ice on them. She slid sideways down the branch and flew back up to do it again and again. I don't know if she was enjoying it or just doing the woman thing. I suspect the latter! Down on the ground was a nice male doing his strut and drumming like mad but she ignored him. Serves her right not being able to stay on the branch!

I was hunkered under a sprice tree this fall......I saw and heard 2 pheasants flying across the field. Damned if one didn't drop in right under my tree and land about 3 feet away. We looked at each other for a few minutes and he had this real nervous look about him. Finally he slowly....very slowly walked away. As he was doing so he kept looking back at me and I could see him thinking what was that???

I also saw the bark on a large poplar that looked exactly like..........Elvis!!

I kid you not it was like a black and white photograph and it looked absolutely real. If I would have had my camera I would have taken a pic and sold it to the "enquirer"

Last year I was sitting along a wide trail and I heard the leaves rustling, naturally I thought here comes Mr. big!! But along comes theis cute little skunk and he doesn't walk by noooo way he decides to walk right towards me. Now I'm trying to slither back away from the little bugger but he just keeps on coming. Finally I crab crawled back a few yards and I shot an arrow beside him. He nearly came unglued, flipping around to check out the arrow. Luckily he didn't spray.

when I go home from hunting my daughters always want to hear a story of what happened today. I'm lucky to have these little adventures, then it gives me a story for the girls.

I think a lot of anti hunters would do well to listen to some "hunting stories" they're not all about slaughtering innocent animals.


the chef

Once I thought to try and call coyote. I decided to do this after our deer season ended. So I was in my tree and began squealing with a dying rabbit call.

Not long afterwards I hard something big coming. Suddenly I was surrounded by about 50 Herefords, they broke through the local farmers wire to see what the heck was going on.

From another direction came several does and their fawns.

I've had ermine, owls and squill join me in the tree out of curiosity. Chickadees like to perch on my bow string or hat brim.

I had a big moose cow come into a bear bait site.

One time a young buck deer walked right past the end of my boots when I was sitting on the ground up against a tree. He was so close I thought he might trip over my boots. The weird thing was his face, which was bent over to one side, the whole upper and lower jaw. It was the ugliest deer I had ever seen. I deduced it must have been hit by a car at one time.

One year I saw a very small owl, with in arms reach it checked me out for awhile then flew away.

Some great stories here already, thanks and keep 'em coming!

I wonder what that armadillo thought he was going to do with those leaves???

What the heck is a squill?

bfr, your story and the two owl stories reminds me of a chicken problem my uncle had one time.

Seems his chickens were disappearring one at a time overnight. He'd stayed up watching for the coyote that he was sure was getting them, but no soap. I told him I'd spend the night in the hayrack right beside where the chickens roosted.

They roosted on the top fence rail that divided two pens off the side of a cattle shed. They roosted on the part of the rail that went under the low shed roof and ended right up next to the shed wall.

It was moonlit night, and since my head was about a foot away from the line of chickens, every time they clucked I'd wake up. Once I woke up and there was an extra "chicken" on the rail. It was an owl. The owl just kept sidling along the rail, crowding into the line of chickens until one fell off the rail. Then he swooped down onto it. Killed it in about two seconds by biting the neck and twisting. The chicken didn't flop like they do when I break their neck or pull the head off.

When he started eating I came to my senses and shot him with the 12 gauge #4 buck I was carrying for coyotes.

We never had another owl problem like that. I wonder where he learned the trick!

Squill = Squirrel

Had a Midnight Black Squirrel spot me about 25' up an oak in my climber and he just had to make his way over to my tree and climb right up to the bottom piece of my stand and just stare at me for a while. He was a pretty little booger.

I've had Owls dive at my face on 3 diff occasions. I had my face mask on and I believe they spoted my eyes move and thought it was alittle rodent. When they realized there was a big camo blob swiftly moving as they approached they quickly spooked.

I was on the ground one day and a grey falcon caught a cat squirrel in the top of an oak, lit about 5 feet from my boots, got a good hold on the squirrel and took off. That little squirrel was giving him heck the whole time.

I love watching the different things that happen in nature. Been telling folks for years it's not just about killing an animal, it's about being in the wild outdoors.

Reloader

I once had two raccoons walk over my gumboots while sitting in a groundblind at last light. Only the second one saw me and even it kept going...after giving me the evil eye and a fang-faced hiss. I was so happy they weren't skunks I forgot to be disappointed they weren't deer.

I have seen lots of Hawks flydown and get rodents. but one that sticks in my mind happened while I was bowhunting for bear. A hawk landed within a few feet of my head but didn't see me. After sitting there for awhile he flew to the other side of the pond I was near. Over the pond were several Swallows flying around eating mosquitos. That hawk swooped out of the tree and nailed one of those swallows in mid air. It was awesome to watch.

I was bow hunting about 10 years ago and a young man and woman rode up on a 3 wheeler and parked about 30 yards away. Guess the great outdoors got the best of them cause they started making out pretty heavily. I was curious to see how far it would progress. I waited until she removed her panties before I cleared my throat.

Sure did ruin the moment. She was screaming and trying to dress and he was trying to zip up and pull start the bike - no electric starter. That image is forever tatooed in my mind.

quote:

I was bow hunting about 10 years ago and a young man and woman rode up on a 3 wheeler and parked about 30 yards away. Guess the great outdoors got the best of them cause they started making out pretty heavily. I was curious to see how far it would progress. I waited until she removed her panties before I cleared my throat.

Sure did ruin the moment. She was screaming and trying to dress and he was trying to zip up and pull start the bike - no electric starter. That image is forever tatooed in my mind.

That's funny!

Hello;
Could make a long list, but one that springs to mind involves a Mule Deer buck. I was driving out to Drumheller early one morning, when I did a doubletake and slammed on the brakes. There, about a hundred yards out in the field, stood a Mulie buck with a bright orange Affro!!! I got the binoculars out and what I figure happened is that he got tangled up with a bunch of baler twine, which farmers habitually hang on fence posts as they are feeding. He must have tried to get it off and thats how it got all frizzed up.
Grizz

A couple of years back I was sitting in a stand watching squirrels play while waiting for a deer to show up. One squirrel was sitting on the end of a fallen over tree trunk about 15 feet long stuffing his face with nuts. Another squirrel hops on the other end of the log, eyeballs the first for a couple seconds and then takes off full speed down the log and tackles the one with nuts clean off the side of the tree trunk. Woulda made any linebacker proud.

I just heard on the news that three bison are loose in Ohio.

Man, that'd be sight from the deer stand!

But at least the Buffalo are native. That llama really had me going Saturday before sunrise!

I called the landowner, M, who was politely disbelieving. Then he called back later in the day while I was at the farm moving stands and gave me the number of the guy who'd lost the llama. Seems when M told his wife how crazy I was, she set him straight!

The owner came for the llama, who was easily tracked in the snow. Weird feet, kind of like a two-toed dog. When we got in sight the guy whistled and the llama came trotting over like a dog.

The worst that happened to me and it happened twice that day. The morning I was sitting in a hide waiting for a warthog to come in. I saw a black mamba moving in to the water. I did not get anything and returned the afternoon. I heard a rusling of leaves but could not see the creature creating the noise. The next moment I saw another black mamba on his way to the water. He passed not more than 3 meters from me. I'm glad I did not see him earlier. I would'nt have liked it to walk in the camp without pants.

Jaco, whats a mamba?

I once watched a Red Fox chasing a rabbit around in a plowed up field. They ran around for at least 20 minutes until they both got so tired that when the fox stopped to lie down so did the rabbit. After about another 10 minutes the rabbit got up and left the fox lying there.

I once watched while a gray squirrel murdered a rival. Chased him and faught him, and finally got him to fall from the top of a very high Oak tree. Hit a rock and didn't bounce.

Laner

Its probably the worlds most deadliest snake.I have had numerous hawks come swooping in for the kill on me, only to realize at the last second that i wasnt going to be dinner. This year i saw the shadow of a turkey vulture overhead, only to have it land in a tree about 25yds away, he was looking very intently at me so i had to chase him off. The only thing i could figure out was it smelled the doe in estrous and associated it with a kill, or i am dead and dont know it. I have also had chickadees land on my head or a nocked arrow.

quote:

Originally posted by Laner:
Jaco, whats a mamba?

It is a very poisonous snake. If you stay calm and keep quiet , they will not harass you. However if you endanger them or block their way, they will attack you.

Jaco,

I sure would be reluctant to depend on the goodwill of a mamba!

I'm familiar with rattlers, copperheads, and was bitten once (no envenomation) by a water mocassin, but I will take any of them over a mamba. All of these US snakes will try desparately to get away, even if you are actively interfering with them.

The mamba has a reputation for attacking you if it even thinks you might be in the way. I'd hate to depend on the mamba to correctly interpret my goodwill!

Don,
I had numerous encounters with snakes in my life, touch wood I was never bitten by any of them. It is ussually good practise to stay as still as possible with a snake. That still did not stop me from having the shivers after the encounter. I will never trust a snake and I do not like them at all, they give me the creeps.

I'm just glad the mambas are over there!

At least I only have to worry about 'em when I'm on vacation.

Don

Maybe the funniest experience I had with a snake was in April 2003. I was still hunting barefoot in those days. I had Dale Foster from the UK with me. We heard a hissing sound and I suspected it to be a snake. We looked around and just could not find it. Eventually I looked down and saw a snake barely 15 cm long. The little guy was highly upset. We used a twig to try and move him. He eventually moved into a small bush. Having cover available he really got pissed with up and a lot of hissing followed. Being young he had odd colours and I could not identify him. The next moment he raised himself and cupped his neck. It was a baby Rinkals. That small and already very short tempered. Even if they are young they have a fair amount of poison. Rinkals is known to play dead if they are in danger, if you vome close or touch it, it will strike.

After that I decided to hunt with boots. Since then I have not yet had another encounter with a snake.

I have a list of them, but one that was quite surprising happened to me back in 1995 while bowhunting Coues deer near the Mexican border.

My friend and I along with 5 other hunters were at a friends house. He had an amazing deck that wrapped around the whole house. Ralph and I decided to sleep on the deck b/c it was so nice outside.

I kept my bow and hip quiver out with me. I had red and white vanes on my arrows. When I woke up, I sat on the bench and it was barely getting daylight. I heard a very loud buzzing near my head as I was sitting very still. I thought it must have been a bunch of bumble bees.

I kept still. Next thing you know, about 8 hummingbirds were sticking their beaks into my arrow nocks. They even started fighting over them as they must have thought it was a new flower.

This all occurred about 10 inches from my shoulder. My quiver was sitting upright beside me on the bench. Pretty neat.

Part 2: At about 150 yards, I also witnessed a couple going at it. Just another "nature walk" that got them feeling natural I guess. I was in a climber and when I noticed them I figured I might as well climb down since it was prime eveing hunting, about 35 minutes before dark. I calmly gathered my things, packed up my climber and bow, then began walking to them to thank them for screwing up my hunt and let them know they were tresspassing on MY land.

I must have been only 30 yards before they heard me but they were done. I was ticked. They were STARTLED. And yes, the girl let out a scream from hell.

Later, I laughed at the whole thing but I did not hunt much that year and that was my ONLY day to hunt the rut and they screwed it up, literally.

I was up in a stand near a river hear in oregon and these two gals walked down the deer trail I was on to the waters edge and spead out a beach blanket stripped down to nothing and broke out some toys large rubber ones and started to go to town on each other for about a hour. I just sat there and enjoyed the show. after they were done they were talking about how there husbents were suck a$$es and what not. I just spoke up do ya mind I am trying to hunt they just turned white LOL

All you guys who have been watching the "heing and sheing (or sheing and sheing) should have had your digital cameras like I did this year.

This photo shows a button buck fawn trying to hump its momma--they had been in the road for about 10 minutes and he had tried to nurse a couple of times--but momma just kicked him away. Next thing I know he is sniffing her rear and is up on top. Took this picture at about 200 yds, and just about 2 minutes before another buck (small 4-pt) came upon the scene.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a276/dustoffer/pc1000053.jpg

Remembered another fascinating scene but it took me a long time to find this thread again. I was sitting in an elevated box blind and had severeal doe-fawn pairs in the sendero. Noticed a smaller animal come into the road and checked it out-a grey fox. It had a mouse and would drop it and then recatch it, over and over. Lots like a housecat plays (torments?) its catch. The fox finally walked into the brush and when it returned, no mouse. Either it was practicing catch and release or decided to have a private dinner. The fox sat in the road and eyeballed the deer for a while, then started walking towards them. When it got about 30 yds or so from the deer it sat again and just watched. After a short while, one of the does began staring at the fox. Then, after a short time of staredown, the doe apparently decided she didn't like the fox's attention and started after the fox at top speed. The fox was running flat out but the doe was gaining. After about 50 yds or so, the fox did a hard right turn and disappeared into the cactus. The doe came to an abrupt halt and looked around as if she was wondering where the fox went. It is amazing how many neat things you see when you spend hours just watching.

quote:

Originally posted by crowrifle:
I was bow hunting about 10 years ago and a young man and woman rode up on a 3 wheeler and parked about 30 yards away. Guess the great outdoors got the best of them cause they started making out pretty heavily. I was curious to see how far it would progress. I waited until she removed her panties before I cleared my throat.

Sure did ruin the moment. She was screaming and trying to dress and he was trying to zip up and pull start the bike - no electric starter. That image is forever tatooed in my mind.

That's hilarious!!

Was she at least a looker?

The farmer’s daughter skinny dipping in the farm pond. But I guess that wasn't odd considering the temperature that afternoon.

The strangest thing I've seen occurred while hunting hogs in Texas. I was in a tree stand overlooking a timed feeder. The feeder went off, corn came out, and critters started to come. Some of the first there were mourning doves, one of which landed right amongst the corn and started gobbling it up. After several large "beakfuls" his wings shot out, he dropped to his breast, and started quivering like crazy. This lasted about 20 seconds, after which the dove flopped over - DEAD! The silly thing had choked to death on corn! 30 minutes later, some hogs came in and one ate the dove. Then I shot one of the hogs and ate him. It was a great "circle of life" event.

I was up in a tree stand waiting for a Deer to come into view. About an hour later I started to hear a sound like a Deer walking through the brush. I thought it has to be pretty big to make so much noise, but I thought Deer were quiet while walking in the woods. I have seen so many just come out of no-ware and just seem to appear. Finally a large rooster pheasant walked out of the brush I didn’t know a pheasant could make that much noise. Later that day a small possum walked in front of me it was neat watching him/her. I have had owls, crows, and squills get so close it was kind of spooky. Especially when I am hunting for squills in the same area I never see any.

A beagle treed me (well I was already in the tree) Then later that day I saw a very large buck- but hey wouldnt cha' know it- it was doe only season. Damn Damn damn-Ben

I took a long shot (225 yds) at a spike buck with my .25-06 once. I was trying for a neck shot, and missed. After the cloud of dust settled, I noticed something in the road I hadn't seen before. Turns out the world's most unlucky rabbit had been behind the deer and "caught the bullet." About 15 minutes later, several feral hogs came into the road, and one of them grabbed the rabbit and ran into the cactus. When she came back out--no rabbit.

The oddest thing. Hmmmm... How bout not seeing a single buck or pig to shoot/arrow during the entire gun season, and then during small game while pig hunting, all sorts of bucks and does decide to come out and hang in your sauced up wallow.

quote:

Originally posted by gixxer:
The oddest thing. Hmmmm... How bout not seeing a single buck or pig to shoot/arrow during the entire gun season, and then during small game while pig hunting, all sorts of bucks and does decide to come out and hang in your sauced up wallow.

Sounds about right when I am Deer hunting I see Phesants, Quail, Squils and Rabbits. I leave the rifle home and take the shotgun to get some Phesants or Quail and all I see is Deer. Some times I almost trip over the Deer.