What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

[wv270wsm]

This didn't happen to me but , I've heard both sides of this story. My buddy I grew up with decided one evening he'd spook his dad . His dad would get off work every evening and run home get into his camo and run across the field and get in his tree stand during the early bow season.
My buddies mom had bought him this very real looking monkey suit . He'd got home earlier than his dad did and put that suit on and went and got in the tree stand . He said he could see his dad walking down the trail not really looking to see if any one or thing was up in his tree . He said he let his dad put his bow on the pull up rope and touch the ladder then stated squalling and jumping up and down like a freaking monkey . His dad grabbed the bow and started to pull it back but didn't . By that time my buddy took the mask off .
I talked to his dad bout a week later he said he thought for sure he was gonna have a heart attack that's what stopped him from coming to full draw .
It was funny but could've ended bad for either party

 

[Rum River]

Tag

 

[sika64]

Did you ever figure out what happened? Like, was it a lost hunter who got under a blanket and still died from exposure? Or a murder that someone tried stashing the body?

Found out a little over a year later, it was a old lady from a specialty home that a couple of employees had dumped her body and cashing her SS checks

 

[marksman1941]

Found out a little over a year later, it was a old lady from a specialty home that a couple of employees had dumped her body and cashing her SS checks

Oh holy crap… that's heinous

 

[marksman1941]

In reading all these, more memories come up as I ponder things. We had a close call that really changed how we hunted.

My dad, brother and I were hunting deer with traditional muzzleloaders. We grew up with extremely strict gun safety, and obeyed it like a religion (still do). My dad had a .60 caliber flintlock slung on his shoulder, and was walking in front of my brother and I. With the flinters we usually left priming powder in the pan, frisson closed and sealed with bear grease to keep out moisture, and the hammer at half cock. In modern terms, rifle loaded and cocked but on safe. We learned this was a bad idea.

We got to a downhill slope covered in low berry vines that we started down. My dad slipped at the bottom and fell on his butt, and when he stood up his hammer was tangled in the vines. By sheer terrible luck, his hammer pulled back far enough to gain some spring energy but not far enough to fully cock it. Or potentially, it hit full cock and vines were in the trigger as well. Either way, when my dad stood up, his .60 went off still slung on his shoulder, pointing backwards up the hill in the direction of my brother and I. Thankfully the round went about 20' above us, but it was still terrifying. The only negligent discharge any of us have ever had.

My dad checked both of us over for bullet holes, then started getting teary eyed when the weight of the situation hit him. We just walked back to the truck in silence, and had a long conversation about muzzle control and what we'd do differently moving forward. It's definitely made me unsling my rifle in rough terrain, and hyper aware of muzzle control if there's someone else hunting with me.

 

[Critter Picker]

OK, Got another one, not really spooky for me ,but .... Well here goes. First a little background. This area isn't a huge area and is surrounded by roads so you can't get lost. Right? There are paved roads on the North and West Sides and dirt roads on the East and South sides, with a logging road coming in on the East side about a mile in from the North edge and curving around exiting on the North. It is 4 Miles W to E and 5 miles N to S . First time I hunted there (I've never been lost, just confused over night) I hunted grouse and didn't have a compass.

So it was just before gun season and my wife got called in to work. My 2 year old son was in my care, ant I needed to hang a stand. Last chance I would have until season opened. Drove to the place where the logging trail comes out of the woods on the East side and parked there. Put my son on my shoulders and carried the stand in. Followed the logging trail to where it curves to the North and took a game trial South. There is a swamp on the South edge of this area and I wanted to get close to the swamp to hang the stand. Found a good tree and got the stand hung. Now it's getting dark out so I decide it will be quicker to head straight East to the dirt road I should end up about 1\4 mile South of where the truck is parked. Take out my compass and head east. It's now pitch black and all I have is a AA Maglite flashlight. I walk and walk thinking I have to be getting close to the dirt road. Suddenly in the beam of the flashlight I see water. My son is riding on my shoulders,it's getting really cold out, the swamp should be a mile South of where I am. What went wrong? Did my compass lead me deeper into this area? Where am I ? Then off in the distance I hear a car on a dirt road so I just stop a wait and listen. I get closer,closer,Then I see headlights, closer Then it goes by about 20 feet away! I'm standing in the road ditch and there's water in the ditch. There for a few minutes I really panicked. ALWAYS believe the compass!

 

[Radman]

I have two episodes. Number one I was walking back to the truck after bow hunting on Ft. McClellan Alabama in the 90s down a fire break. A bat was flying up and down the fire break over my head. Then I noticed what I thought was a robin fly into the brush right ahead of me. Suddenly the bat was coming back towards me and the robin, that turned out to be a sparrow hawk intercepted the bat and both of them collided with the back of my head and got tangled up in my climbing tree stand. I screamed like a six year old girl. Number two. Hunting in LA, lower Alabama. One of our leases heavy swamps and low ridges. Arrow straight dirt roads. Was Walking back to the truck and got the sixth sense I was being followed. Sun was setting behind me, so I squatting down to sky light anything. Nothing! Kept walking but the further I went the more anxious I became. Ok, there is something there. I stopped dead in the two track road and waited with my 9mm in hand, nothing. Ten minutes later its full dark and I've got my flashlight out. I'm still looking back with the light. Nothing! I'm about to be in full panic mode. Get to the truck throw the tree stand in the back of my tahoe and as I got to the drivers side door I holstered the pistol and climbed in. At that moment something jumped on the back of the Tahoe and was bouncing up and down. Now I'm really freaking out. I jumped out, still don't know why, and drew the pistol. My Game Warden buddy who was a lease member shines his flash light on me say its ok, put down the pistol. He he had parked up the road and came in where I was hunting to " Help me drag one out". His words. But the big grin on his face told the real story. He scared three years off my life. He told the story for two decades.

That "sixth sense" that most people have can be a wonderful thing. I have learned this: The more I listen to it the more acute it becomes. Good story, (but he's lucky he didn't get shot).

 

[Radman]

This has been the most entertaining thread in a long time. Thank you for all the contributions, especially the ones that caused me to laugh out loud.

Total agreement

 

[Radman]

Buddy and I were upland bird hunting at my remote cabin in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Riding our ATVs on an old logging trail into a very remote area we'd never been in looking for birds. We stopped to have rest and a drink ( of water ). Starting looking around and saw several black irrigation pipes with water running from them. Further investigation led us to find a water tank with the spigot on and surrounded by a marijuana grow site as far as I could see. We both carry guns for a living but I didn't feel like getting into a gunfight with 16 rounds of 9mm and #7 1/2 12 ga so we quickly did a 180* and got the #$&@ out of there.

Both of us were disappointed in ourselves. We specifically go up there to get away from people and events like this. It goes to show you can never let your guard down even when in vacation.

Yup! Riding a dirt bike up in the mountains MANY years ago I came right up on a moonshine still in full operation. A big man with a bigger goose gun stood & watched as I repaired the seat.
I calmly told him why I stopped right there. He never pointed the 37 foot long (38 maybe?) shotgun at me & he never spoke a word. His "Silent Partner" said plenty!

 

[epc001]

LB LRH could publish a book with these!

 

[memtb]

LB LRH could publish a book with these!

When this first started, I wuz think'n that there should be something in the General section where these stories could be kept for eternity….if not longer! Years from now, new members should be able to enjoy this as much as many of us have! memtb

 

[Radman]

I've got another adventure about Bear Bait that he said was the most scared he had ever been. The one he shot happened so fast he didn't have time to be scared. But this one went on for some time. I don't want to monopolize this, so I'll leave it to you guys. Let me know if you're up for another Alaska adventure.

Always!

 

[Hard rock]

When I was 17 , I went to Dry Prong Louisiana for a vacation where one of my friends lived . My friends brother had an old mustang that had been wrecked with the passenger side windshield knocked out , that made for a good rabbit hunting vehicle. Those were the days before our fancy 4 wheelers , Can-am s etc.Tommy and I and my Belgium made Browning 22 went rabbit hunting one evening ,about dusk on a country road outside the city limits ,we were the only car out there driving and looking for a rabbit too shoot ,we probably wouldn't have turned down a skunk, opossum or a armadillo , we were driving pretty slow and as we topped a hill just on the other side there was some kind of air craft right in front of us just hovering less than 30 or 40 feet where we came too a screeching halt .This air craft looked like a wing with lights going back and forth , I'm sitting there looking up through the missing wind shield with my 22 , the hair standing up on my arms and neck ,with the feeling of we are going too be sucked up in this thing and looked at Tommy that had a look of fear on his face ,and I couldn't get the words out fast enough , let's get out of here as he slammed the Mustang in reverse whipped it around ,and left what ever that thing was behind .We got back too town too tell our story and everybody thought we were just seeing things , and every time I tell this story the next time I see the person or persons I tell this story too,they always say seen any UFO 's lately.
I will never forget what I saw , but it could fly , and stay in one place and make a humming sound ,with no visible propellers rotors etc. I got a close up look eye too eye frozen too the seat before I could gather my thoughts too say let's get out of here , that's my story and I'm sticking too it no BS

 

[Allen Kitts]

I was looking for elk in one of my favorite canyons on a snowy morning in November. After glassing for a couple of hours I decided it was a bust and I should start heading back to my truck. It had been a good hike in and the snow was fairly deep so the walking was pretty tough. I started making my way back and had gone about a half mile back down the trail when I came across a very fresh bull track crossing my path. There was about 12" of snow on the ground and the tracks looked pretty fresh. I followed the tracks about 300 yards into the trees and then it started to get pretty thick. Lots of blow down and alder brush. Of course I was taking a few steps, stopping looking for any movement and then proceeding. After about 200 yards of following the elk tracks I noticed there was another set of tracks in the snow as well, they appeared to be lion tracks. Lions are a fairly common in our part of Montana so seeing the tracks was of no surprise but the fact that they had crossed my path within an hour or so of me walking in was a little spooky. Since the elk tracks were very fresh, as they were not there when I went into the canyon I knew both had to be within the last hour or so. Now you have to understand sometimes my ego outweighs my common sense and I'm thinking there is no way I am letting this cats get this bull, so I stay on the tracks. The brush and blowdown keep getting thicker and the tracks are weaving in and out of the thickest stuff in there. I finally get to one spot and the tracks go into some heavy alder brush, kind of like a tunnel and below a big blown down/widowmaker pine. I think nothing of it and start under the blow down but before I get to the other side, practically on my hands & knees, I get a strange feeling, all of the hair on the back of my neck sticks straight out, you know the feeling, like the static electricity just went up about a million percent. I stop, look down and notice, oh ****, no more cat tracks. Now I am in a fully vulnerable crouched position in this thicket trying to figure out if I am going to be lunch for the kitty or what. I can't really see in any direction except straight ahead but I decide the best way out is to go backwards. I backed out slowly with my hands on my rifle. When I got to a point where I could stand back upright I noticed the tracks had left the ground and went up the blow down. How I had not seen this when entering the little tunnel in the brush is beyond me. Luckily for me the cat was nowhere to be seen. Spooky part is I could not find where the cat had left the tree. I could find no additional cat tracks in the snow anywhere surrounding the area. I decided I had tempted fate enough for one day and that it was probably time to count my blessings and go back to the truck. Still baffles me to this day where that cat went.