What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

[marksman1941]

Good story and MOSTLY I agree with your statement, but not always.

When I was probably 17 or so, I was hunting with a friend and his family in northern Mn. I had only been hunting there a short time and really didn't know my way around at all.
It was maybe a couple hours after sunrise, and Mike and I are walking this 2 track when we come across a Y in the road. We decided to each take a different leg and maybe one of us would push a deer to the other. We thought the road just made a big loop so we'd meet at some point.
So, off we go.
I walked for what seemed like forever and the trail was getting more and more closed in, now and then one of the tracks disappears in the overgrowth.
At one point, I give up on the idea of the road making a loop and stop to look at my compass so that I can just head back west and at least find the road. The problem is, even being an overcast day I was sure it was wrong. So I tested it on a long straight stretch of trail.
I checked it, then walked straight for maybe a hundred yards then checked again.
Very different readings. I don't know if it was the iron in the ground or the cheap compass, or maybe I just wasnt holding it correctly but it gave very different readings.

This property is much like others have described- surrounded by roads, so I'm not too worried.
I figured this trail (even though it's now solidly just a single track) was originally a logging road so EVENTUALLY would lead to a road, so I stayed on it.
I walked what seemed like forever when I came across a hunter in a tree stand. He was facing away from the swamp that I'd just walked through and was startled when I approached.
We talked a bit. He was very surprised that I'd walked through that swamp and pointed me to the gravel road which was only 1/4 mile or so away.
Great, I thought. We were camped on a gravel road and I was sure that was it.
Except it wasn't. I walked for what seemed like forever AGAIN and came across another gravel road.
Now Im sure this is the one.
Nope. It lead to a tar road. Now I'm really confused because I didn't know of any tar roads close to where we hunted.
At this point, I have to say that I WAS starting to hit panic mode.
After debating with myself and not coming up with a clear answer, I mentally flipped a coin and started walking.
It was starting to get late, but after just a short distance another hunter pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride.
Boy, did I ever!
I described where we were camped the best that I could and he knew the area well enough that he was able to drive me back to camp, but it still took 20 minutes or more to get me there.
I dont think I've ever been that glad to see camp!

So, that's the long winded version of "Sometimes You Cant Trust Your Compass".

Man that's a relieving feeling when you get a ride and realize "oh boy I wasn't where I thought I was!" And finally roll back into camp. Thank goodness for kind hunters willing to help.

 

[Allen Kitts]

Well since guys are throwing in some fishing stories I have one of those as well, not spooky but scary. We went fishing in Mexico at Lake Comedero for Largemouth Bass. On the way to the lake we had to stop at the local police station to pickup an armed escort and I mean machine gun toting armed guard. After picking up the guard they took us to the lodge, which just happened to be an old Corps of Engineers facility at the dam of Lake Comedero. The facility had an 8' high fence with razor wire on top completely surrounding it. We should have know as soon as we got the escort it was going to be a long three days of fishing. First day fishing was OK for us but two of the other fisherman in camp were shot at by one of the locals. They were way out in the lake but the guy discharged his weapon at them twice. A call was made over the radio and the armed escort called in the cavalry and they took him away. The fishing the first day really sucked for everyone anyway and it was hotter that Hades. We were told that evening back at camp that the government lets the locals put out huge nets to catch fish as a source of income and it had really taken its toll on the bass population in the lake. Always great to hear when you just paid big bucks for a fishing trip to a trophy lake. We did notice that first evening that in one area that there were two nets stretched almost all the way across the lake and the fish were jumping like crazy in side of there but the guides all stayed clear. The second day our guide decides we are going inside the two nets. We question the decision amongst ourselves but once we started fishing it was unbelievable, no really big fish but literally a bass on almost every cast. My buddy and I are having a great time when all of a sudden the guide starts yelling to pull in the lines and sit down. He is trying to get the boat motor started and we can see another boat approaching us quickly. I could feel my heart start beating about 100 miles an hour as it got closer. The boat pulls up to us and its a guy with his little boy in the boat. The man has a pistol in his hand. He starts yelling profusely at the guide and we are sitting there wondering if literally this is it. I look in the bottom of the boat and I can see what appears to be a pile of wallets stacked up and I'm thinking this is going to be a robbery at the very least and possibly much worse. The little boy is looking at me and the only thing I can think of was to give him some of my candy and an ice cold coke out of the cooler. Maybe they would accept it as a peace offering. I do so and he gets a big smile on his face and says gracias. I smile back and say your welcome just as the guy with the pistol turns and looks at me. I hand him a coke as well and he gets a big smile on his face. He then turns to the guide yells out a few more words waves the pistol in his face and takes off. The guide starts the boat and we get the hell out of Dodge. When we get back to the lodge we are telling our host what happened so he questions the guide about it. Apparently he had been warned on several occasions before this one to stay away from the locals nets, I guess he was a slow learner. I later learned that what looked like wallets was some type of fish food/bait that they make locally and they fold it up and put it at the base of the nets. That is probably the most scared I have ever been in my life. They reported him to the armed guard as before and he called in some help and supposedly they rounded the guy up. Just some words of advice, hunting, fishing whatever it is, if you have to have an armed escort to get there its probably not worth it.......

 

[MtPockets]

Holy crap!!!? Glad he wasn't a Pepsi drinker!

 

[memtb]

Part 1

I have another…..which also happens to involve failing light on a late evening hunt.

It was my first season of elk hunting in Wyoming, which involved a group of us going out in obviously unfamiliar territory as all of us had only moved to Wyoming a little over a year earlier with job transfers to start-up/operate a big new gas plant.

We all had over a week to hunt, and often split into groups of 2 or 3 to cover more real estate……this was one of those times.

A friend of about 7 years had transferred up with me…..so we teamed-up, heading out in my buddies truck and drove quite a ways from our home base.

Mistake #1: (there are several more ) may have been not telling the others where we were goi… But, in our defense…..we had no clue where we were going!

My buddy and I found a very large, steep ridge which was very heavily timbered except for a narrow (about 100 yards or so) strip of open ground running along the ridge near the top…..to a couple of nimrods this looked promising!

We paced the truck about 1/2 mile from the base, out in the open Sage flat land, made the long climb through the steep timber …..finally arriving at the opening.

Mistake #2: it was here that we split up and failed to discuss meeting back here, were we split up at a very large, downed tree……going opposite directions along the opening.

I arrived back at the tree with about 20 minutes of shooting light remaining.

With a predicted storm coming in, cloud cover getting heavy and light going fast….I was getting concerned about my buddy! So as not to disturb the world, just in case he was nearby and watching game…..I first tried to whistle. I can't whistle, so after a couple of fails….I softly called out. With light further failing…..I began to shout!

This is where all sorts of worst-case scenarios enter your mind. Was my buddy lost, was he hurt, did his heart condition (which wasn't supposed to be a problem) put him down!

To late to search for him, and not considering leaving…..I began to transform this dead tree into a winter's worth of firewood! Then proceeded to build a large, very large signal fire….my back toward the downhill side during the fire building. Satisfied with my fire, I decided to get comfortable for the night. When I turned around, I saw the light's were on in the truck, about 1/ 1/2 miles away, down a steep ridge, through heavy timber!

Now, I do my best Smoky Bear impersonation, and once satisfied it was thoroughly out…..I opened my daypack to get my light!

Mistake #3: not checking "all" of your equipment…..my light didn't work!

I started down, now in total darkness, using the moon as my compass. Once in thick timber, and with heavy cloud cover….the moon wasn't visible very often. No matter how hard you try, you will change direction when you can't see. Every time I would see the moon, I would readjust my direction…..trying to account for the moon's movement! Continued!

 

[memtb]

Part 2

When going down the ridge, practically feeling my way, I ran into a small downed tree….hitting me across my shins!

Mistake #4: Never step up about 16" onto a log in near total darkness, jump off onto the ground on the other side…..it may not be 16" until you hit terra firma again!

When I finally hit bottom, my knees were driven into my chest, knocking the wind out of me. When I finally got my breath, I was very thankful that the Good Lord dropped me into a soft bottom of deep grass…..and not a bunch of deadfall or a rick field!

On the move again, I finally cleared the timber…..no truck nearby!

As I moved farther out into the Sage, I saw lights far away to the west! Thinking it may be the truck…..I headed out. If I waded through the creek once….I waded it 10 or more times. But, I was determined to straight line to the truck.

Truck ? As I got closer to the light, I realized that it was a Coleman Lantern hanging at a camp! When I got close to the camp, I could see and hear hunters….I called out, not wanted to just walk into someone's camp.

They were all sitting around having supper and drinking a few beers. When I was welcomed in and stepped into the light, one said, " you look like hell, would ya like a beer? I didn't refuse it!

When I explain as best I could where the truck was parked….a hunter said he recognized the place, and he would take me there as soon as he finished his meal. He said that the truck was only 2 or 3 miles away, to the east!

Mistake #5: He drove me right to the truck! However, my buddy wasn't there and the truck was locked ! He went back to his camp….I stood at the truck in utter disbelief . My buddy, had gone back up the mountain looking for me!

A couple of hours, and several gunshots….. my buddy got back to the truck!

We got back to our basecamp a bit after 1:00 am…..with the camp pretty concerned about us! memtb

 

[Critter Picker]

Good story and MOSTLY I agree with your statement, but not always.

When I was probably 17 or so, I was hunting with a friend and his family in northern Mn. I had only been hunting there a short time and really didn't know my way around at all.
It was maybe a couple hours after sunrise, and Mike and I are walking this 2 track when we come across a Y in the road. We decided to each take a different leg and maybe one of us would push a deer to the other. We thought the road just made a big loop so we'd meet at some point.
So, off we go.
I walked for what seemed like forever and the trail was getting more and more closed in, now and then one of the tracks disappears in the overgrowth.
At one point, I give up on the idea of the road making a loop and stop to look at my compass so that I can just head back west and at least find the road. The problem is, even being an overcast day I was sure it was wrong. So I tested it on a long straight stretch of trail.
I checked it, then walked straight for maybe a hundred yards then checked again.
Very different readings. I don't know if it was the iron in the ground or the cheap compass, or maybe I just wasnt holding it correctly but it gave very different readings.

This property is much like others have described- surrounded by roads, so I'm not too worried.
I figured this trail (even though it's now solidly just a single track) was originally a logging road so EVENTUALLY would lead to a road, so I stayed on it.
I walked what seemed like forever when I came across a hunter in a tree stand. He was facing away from the swamp that I'd just walked through and was startled when I approached.
We talked a bit. He was very surprised that I'd walked through that swamp and pointed me to the gravel road which was only 1/4 mile or so away.
Great, I thought. We were camped on a gravel road and I was sure that was it.
Except it wasn't. I walked for what seemed like forever AGAIN and came across another gravel road.
Now Im sure this is the one.
Nope. It lead to a tar road. Now I'm really confused because I didn't know of any tar roads close to where we hunted.
At this point, I have to say that I WAS starting to hit panic mode.
After debating with myself and not coming up with a clear answer, I mentally flipped a coin and started walking.
It was starting to get late, but after just a short distance another hunter pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride.
Boy, did I ever!
I described where we were camped the best that I could and he knew the area well enough that he was able to drive me back to camp, but it still took 20 minutes or more to get me there.
I dont think I've ever been that glad to see camp!

So, that's the long winded version of "Sometimes You Cant Trust Your Compass".

In Northern Minn the Iron deposits can and will screw up a compass. I lived on the iron range for a few years.

 

[epc001]

MTPockets,,,,, I had the compass on my buck grunt literally be 180 out while on "foreign" property. Effed me up but good. Too overcast to skynav anything. ALWAYS VERIFY YOUR KIT!!!! old soliders should remember that - doh. no big shakes as its pretty much rural farm land with decent sized woodplots in the centers, so i hit a road eventually. That's when I knew that cheap chi-com *** was literally half a world out. ( plus i had gotten close to the "whatever you do, don't go near that guys property" - can't hide tracks in snow! )

ALLEN KITTS - i went down to Mexico once in my youth, while in US Army but as a civilian. Vowed NEVER to return to Mexico W/O my sidearm. Or 3. Love gourditas. HATE drunk armed cops or gauchos.

 

[LanceS4803]

Pat McManus, A great outdoor humor writer. RIP.

I have a whole row of his books on the shelf.
HIGHLY recommend to everyone.

 

[338 dude]

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.

I know that feeling! my wife and I were hunting on our 50 acres here in Tennessee, No luck that day so we went in to the shed. She was unloading her rifle (and I am a stickler for safety as well) and the rifle went off( Remington moment!!!!) She turned to me white as a ghost and said it's still on safe and it was. I didn't know what I was gonna turn around and see we both cried for a second that rifle sat in the safe for two years as I would not sell it to someone else and hear of an accident . That was my first semi custom the only thing left Remington was the action body !

 

[338 dude]

They ARE out there. They've denied for years they are in TN but finally now they admit it.

I'm in Wayne county Tennessee near our western edge is a town called Clifton where my buddy had pictures of a big cat on his game camera. The game warden said that it was a lie they were from somewheres else then as you mentioned later on, they said that several were released they just didn't want people shooting them.

 

[memtb]

May I relate another, that happened to someone else (thought we were involved) …..that's more of a "WOW" than spooky? memtb

 

[marksman1941]

I'm in Wayne county Tennessee near our western edge is a town called Clifton where my buddy had pictures of a big cat on his game camera. The game warden said that it was a lie they were from somewheres else then as you mentioned later on, they said that several were released they just didn't want people shooting them.

We had the same thing with wolves in oregon. They denied they were here, then they started claiming one migrated naturally from Montana, then a female followed him, and now oregon miraculously has 40+ packs. Smells like a fish and game transplant job to me, but they like to claim it all happened naturally

 

[epags]

May I relate another, that happened to someone else (thought we were involved) …..that's more of a "WOW" than spooky? memtb

of course!

 

[memtb]

We had the same thing with wolves in oregon. They denied they were here, then they started claiming one migrated naturally from Montana, then a female followed him, and now oregon miraculously has 40+ packs. Smells like a fish and game transplant job to me, but they like to claim it all happened naturally

I was told by a friend and hunter, also heard from a old retired game warden that wolves were released by the Feds in the late '60's north of Kemmerer, Wy. The old warden but was sworn to secrecy, but many years later told the story! memtb