We were bowhunting in South Texas for white tail in 1990 on a ranch called 3 Sisters near Rachal. My hunting buddy was in a tree 300 yards down the same small sedera (trail). We had huntined 3 days and this day was the 4th morning. We both had seen several deer and turkeys each day. This 4th morning nothing had moved after the first two hours of day break. Then I heard a branch break and coming toward my area was 12 Mexicans each carrying a duffel bag. The first two guys were buffed and carrying weapons. They never saw me and they walked within 40 yards of my tree. I asked Keith when we met back at the truck if he saw any thing this morning. He said (well) I seen 12 men at about 100 yards. We reported thjis immediately to the Border Patrol. They came out and started tracking the drug runners!!

In Poland when I was looking for a stag in September, I heard something coming from far away, screeching like mad! It turned out to be a kind of woodpecker (big one), who was being chased by a hawk or something similar. I never got a good look at the raptor, but the woodpecker kept flying from tree to tree around our stand, screeching from time to time, the raptor making the occasional pass overhead. Very interesting, since we never saw any deer. That by the way was the sordiest trip I've ever been one, though I should my biggest stag to date. Rain, rain, rain, and more rain... we only saw and heard one stag that 7 day trip: the one I shot.

Frans

Some very good stories here. I have to say that I get just as much out of hunting from being out in the woods as I do on the days I kill. Those kill days are just an added bonus. Some people just don't understand that it's not all about killing.

Several years ago I was sitting on the ground one morning and had 2 doe walk up so close that I could have reached out and grabbed their legs.

Just this year I had an owl perch on the front rail of my climbing stand for a couple of minutes. I don't think it ever knew I was there.

I also had a coon climb my tree one afternoon. After he got up next to me and we were face to face, he freaked out and jumped to the ground. It was only about a 35 foot drop. That same afternoon I really enjoyed watching several coons climbing up persimmon trees and having dinner. Some were as close as 15 feet.

A few years back my Dad and I were turkey hunting out of a ground blind in the fall when we hear what we think is a flock of turkeys to the front/right of us. Sure enough, a group of 20+ hens and poults start meandering through this bowl, pecking at the ground for food, not paying attention. At this exact same moment, a small coyote saunters out from our left, heading directly toward this flock of turkeys. For a second we believe that this coyote is going to surprise the head turkey and grab her by the throat for a quick meal, but the coyote doesn't see the turkeys until they are less than 5 yards apart. Suddenly they realize they are face to face, the turkeys take off in a mess of feathers and the coyote jumps back 5 feet. I think the coyote was more scared than those turkeys.

This summer, I was waiting for a decent boar. Came 2 sows and 12 piglets. I was camo clad sitting on the ground, my back leaned on a pine trunk, not 20 yards far from the feeder. Some piglets we frolicking not 3 yards from me. I was really part of the landscape, really like in a Walt disney movie. A WREN landed on my left shoulder and stayed 10 seconds. Mice were running around and two climbed my right leg undisturbed. I was in Paradise.
Will You believe it. The next time I went to this very place, I found on the ground my left camo glove and a 20 Euros note, fallen from my pocket. The proof I felt like sitting on a cloud.
In my opinion, only bowhunting lead You that close to the wilderness and the animals.

Late November I was bowhunting during the rut. I heard a little noise to my right and saw a small deer come out. I thought it was a yearling until I saw the second deer. The second deer still had spots on it (and four white feet) and maybe weighed thirty pounds. The first deer was the mom.
I told my hunting partner and almost had it out because he called me a liar. The next week he comes up to me and apologises. It seemed he hunted that stand and saw the same fawn in the middle of the rut. Thinking back, I don't think I would have believed me either.

One afternoon on stand in South Texas, while hunting near a water tank, had a US Boarder Patrol helicopter come in and hover a few hundred feet away and herd a group of people away from the direction of the water tank -- a few minutes later a few agent packed SUVs came thundering right past me toward the direction the helicopter was headed -- although it seemed like a great spot, with a lot of sign, just can't understand why I didn't see any game.

I was in a tree stand one morning overlooking a clearing at the edge of a cypress swamp. I heard a dog in the distance that sounded like it was getting closer. A bobcat came out of the woods and began walking around making three interlocking loops about 50 yards long, all the while looking back at where he had come out of the swamp and the approaching dog. He then went over to a large pine and sat down. The dog came out of the swamp and made the first loop. The dog began to get a little confused on the second loop and completely lost it on the third. The dog ran off down the trail he came in on and the bobcat got up and walked off in the opposite direction. At one point the dog and the bobcat were within fifteen feet of each other and the dog never knew it. The bobcat just calmly sat and watched the dog go by.
I didn't see any deer that morning, but it was still one of the best morning hunts I have ever had.

Me and my dad were turkey hunting one morning. Dad was probably about 50 to 75 yards away from me calling. A few minutes later out in front of me I see a doe deer kicking the crap out of something, next thing you know I me and dad could both see it from where we were at a coyote runs off after just getting his butt kicked by that doe.

This one is different,

I was bow hunting on the farm across from my home, (a farm too).

Saturday afternoon, I thought I'd get in the stand alittle earlier, like 1 pm. I'm perched about 20 feet off the ground in a very big Oak. I'm in the corner of a very small field surrounded by timber, the branches hang part way over the corner of this field and the grass is very green and silky under it's limbs. Ok so you got the picture!

After a hour or so I hear walking in the leaves behind me, I have my ears zeroed in on the sound, it doesn't sound like a deer, too heavy. Not squirrels, or a large animal, at least it didn't sound that way. As it got closer, I got my bow in hand, I'm trying to ease around slowly when the walking sound was right under me I could look down, ST#@! It was the renters from the cottage at the farm! The guy and his girlfriend! SH#$! Screwed up my evening! They stop in front of me, about 15 yards from my tree, the guy bends down and starts lighty running his hand over the grass, saying to his girlfriend, "Come on! This is nice and soft! I'll lay my sweatshirt down first!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Now I had to nicely interrupt them before things went to far! I didn't want to scare them or piss anybody off, when the girlfriend says, "No I can't, not here!" He begged her alittle, she kept saying no, and we can do it back at your place. I'm sitting there nodding my head, talking to myself, " yes please get the hell out of here!" After a moment, he gave her a kiss and they held hands and off to the his cottage!

I was releived, I knew I was going to have to say something before things got to far, I just wasn't sure when or how to go about it without getting anybody upset. I lucked out, too close!

I realize I didn't see anything unusual but it was close!!

Another one about people not seeing you:

I was in a stand along the property fence of a farm I often hunt. The farm I was hunting was not in the small town's city limits, but the adjacent one had been annexed and was slated for development.

A uniformed cop came sneaking along the fence line with his gun drawn -- obviously looking for poachers on the posted (but as yet unoccupied or developed) land. He walked right under me and out of sight on the almost 500 acre place.

Directly he came back into view, circled back under me and disappeared towards the road. I figured things would settle down and I might get a shot.

The cop showed up again! He repeated the entire process, except this time he saw me skylined as he came out. He came over and was embarasssed and pissed off that he'd been exposed to my fire (bow) without seeing me. Ordered me down from the tree. I politely told him that I was not in his jurisdiction, had committed no crime, and asked him to either leave me in peace or at least move closer and stop shouting.

Well, that went over like you might expect. He waved the pistol a bit (not quite covering me with the muzzle) and ordered me down from the tree. He did step over close to me. I told him that it was chore to climb that tree (no steps) and said I'd toss down my ID, and did so. He then settled down a bit and asked me to put away my arrow (I had one nocked). I did, and took off my baclava when he ordered me to. After he found out my Jeep was parked in the owner's drive he finally went away, tossing my wallet to the ground. He circled over in his car to check out my Jeep, and left.

That night going home I got a ticket for 42 in a 35 as I went through the small town!

They did not leave me alone until I traded that Jeep!

The oddest thing .... it has to be my reflection in a puddle.

had a mozambique spitting cobra in the blind with for about 4 hours we did not want to move it came in and was too close had to let it leave of its own free will.