What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

That typically is a daily experience in the Thorofare. Every trip and it has been quite a few there has always been Griz encounters.
I've been in the Thorofare on 7 elk hunts and a couple deer hunts. When I lived in Cody, we did some horseback fishing trips in that country and hiked up the South Fork and North fork more times than I can recall. I've had my share of grizz experiences, but they weren't daily experiences...
 
In the mid '70's my Podna Joey, my little brother by 5 yrs, and myself, were out one morning before daylight walking to a favorite hunting spot that was 3.5 miles from Joey's house. We all had our shotguns, walking down the blacktop road. Joey and I were 14 or so, he had a 12 gauge pump, I had a 20 gauge pump, and my brother a .410 gauge pump. We reached the turn- off "road" which was an old, rutted logging road to the bayou 2 miles in. We would go thru open or logged areas, then there'd be woods, open area etc. We were going thru an open area when we saw something coming from the next wooded area. We knew there were wild horses in there, and that's what we thought it was. It's DARK and the only light we had was the moon, and we could hear something but couldn't make out what it was. It turned out to be 2 guys and a half naked girl that had been scared by something and were trying to get to a town about 10 miles down the road. We told them they had 5 miles of walking before they reached the highway. We laughed and kept walking, then WE heard it. It sounded like a woman screaming bloody murder! We'd walk a ways, stop and it was following us and screaming. Nope, no flashlights and we didn't have enough matches to waste either. We made it through the hunt, and got back and was told it was "Panthers." That's what the Old Timers called mountain lions in Louisiana back then. My Dads Dad was a trapper all of his life and he told us how fortunate we were that we didn't make the menu. I didn't hear that sound again until I heard it on the internet. This was in Lacombe, Louisiana
 
In the mid '70's my Podna Joey, my little brother by 5 yrs, and myself, were out one morning before daylight walking to a favorite hunting spot that was 3.5 miles from Joey's house. We all had our shotguns, walking down the blacktop road. Joey and I were 14 or so, he had a 12 gauge pump, I had a 20 gauge pump, and my brother a .410 gauge pump. We reached the turn- off "road" which was an old, rutted logging road to the bayou 2 miles in. We would go thru open or logged areas, then there'd be woods, open area etc. We were going thru an open area when we saw something coming from the next wooded area. We knew there were wild horses in there, and that's what we thought it was. It's DARK and the only light we had was the moon, and we could hear something but couldn't make out what it was. It turned out to be 2 guys and a half naked girl that had been scared by something and were trying to get to a town about 10 miles down the road. We told them they had 5 miles of walking before they reached the highway. We laughed and kept walking, then WE heard it. It sounded like a woman screaming bloody murder! We'd walk a ways, stop and it was following us and screaming. Nope, no flashlights and we didn't have enough matches to waste either. We made it through the hunt, and got back and was told it was "Panthers." That's what the Old Timers called mountain lions in Louisiana back then. My Dads Dad was a trapper all of his life and he told us how fortunate we were that we didn't make the menu. I didn't hear that sound again until I heard it on the internet. This was in Lacombe, Louisiana

Ya gotta watch out in those louisiana swamps. One never knows what creatures are stalking about. There the Hidebehind, wampus cat, Big foot, and the legendary Rougarou
 
Ya gotta watch out in those louisiana swamps. One never knows what creatures are stalking about. There the Hidebehind, wampus cat, Big foot, and the legendary Rougarou
Yeah, Grandpa told me "There are things you're not old enough to know about just yet, but you'll find out soon enough." I sure did!
 
Colorado San Juan mountains elk hunt. At about 12000 ft, I felt a cool breeze coming my way. It started to hail but I welcomed the change in temps. Dark clouds started to form & I was headed back to the truck when lightning struck within 20 ft of me. The noise was deafening & things around me started smoking. I threw my bow down, found the lowest spot I could find, covered my ears & closed my eyes. Every time I looked up, another strike would shake the ground around me. I knew I was I toast. 4-5 more strikes & it was over. Trees were smoking & you could smell the hot dirt. Double time back to the truck. Hunting partners asked what was wrong, I looked like I'd seen Bigfoot. If I had been killed, this bunch would have quartered me up to pack me out!!
 
Ya gotta watch out in those louisiana swamps. One never knows what creatures are stalking about. There the Hidebehind, wampus cat, Big foot, and the legendary Rougarou
That is interesting that the bayou dwellers differentiate between Rougarou and Big Foot. Though the word Rougaru from French, in some references, does translate to wolfman, there is not complete agreement on its derivation. And if you read below, a "wolfman" (Rugaroo) could just as well be simply a "hairy man" versus a man figure with a wolf head. In the Lousiana swamps, though, I could believe both could be there.😬

In the northern Adirondacks, near where I grew up, the French-Canadian woodsmen (descendants from those who crossed into Northern New York [pre-Cajuns]), called Sasquatch/Bigfoot beings Rugaroo or Old Man of the Forest. Spelling maybe different from Cajun, but pronounced the same.

This story came from an in-law, only shared with close family. And under the circumstances, with Bigfoot a big joke, who would have shared it widely with all the likely derision that would follow? The man who told of this Rugaroo encounter, was not a man to invent stories, and was in fact reticent to tell about it. I think it happened in the early 1970's and he would not likely have heard of "Bigfoot" stories and couldn't have been influenced by the Internet. He was likely only aware of what was in his own culture around him and his own experiences. I will call him Pierre.

Pierre saw a Rugaroo at less than 15 yards, while deer hunting about 10 miles south of Canada. His description was pure Sasquatch. About 8 1/2 or 9 feet tall, long arms and legs. Heavily built and muscled. Long (5-8 inch) hair all over except the face. Dark brown, about the color of walnut wood. Face closer to human than ape but not quite, more like how a Neanderthal is depicted. He described a sense or a voice projecting into his head that all was well and the Rugaroo wasn't a threat. He was hunting with a rifle so thought the Rugaroo likely just wanted him calm. After that he said they both sort of backed up and turned around.

Pierre was a woods-wise Vietnam vet who had worked special forces behind enemy lines. He saw a lot over there. He grew up in a family of backwoodsmen who made a living off the land, cutting pulp wood, killing wildlife as needed to feed their families, scraping by. His relatives, particularly his uncle, had numerous encounters with Rugaroo, and they just coexisted. Naturally these woodsmen didn't talk about Rugaroo outside their own group of those who already knew, so people like me didn't hear about them - until I brought it up. These days there are stories of sightings of Sasquatch all over the Adirondacks, including police reports.

Do I believe him? Yes. Especially after some out-there experiences I have had.

Al Diamond, do you know the scream like you described is often attributed to Sasquatch?

Dkwellman, holy smokes! You are lucky you were not fried! The Colorado high country can be very scary in intense lightning storms for sure. Been there, but not as bad as you describe. WOW. Wasn't your day to die.
 

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