I have never had a problem at night in the woods after two tours in Vietnam. I will admit that I am hyper aware at night and always ready to react to a threat, but I am always calm. I have had a deer step on my feet and a possum try to climp my leg among other encounters . I like the woods at noght. I am scared to death of other hunters, however. The most unnerving episode I have had was during turkey season a few years ago. I had had a hip replaced and was pushing the recovery period too much. I found that I had to get back to the car while I was still able, and the most direct route was through heavy brush and leaves. My exit ruined a nice setup for a couple of guys as I stumbled past them. They were mad and I was apologetic. When I was about fifty yards away one of them fired over my head and I could hear the shot going through leaves above my head. I went prone on instinct and was prepared to fire back but then I realized they were laughing and calling out that I should respect them in the future. I finally decided it was safe to get up and head out. They packed up and caught up to me during the mile walk out on an old road. They thought it was OK to joke around with me on the way out, but I did not trust them, and they probably never realized that I was locked and loaded and ready to pull the whole way out...... Another time I was standing in light brown brush at the bottom of a brown leaf hillside wrapped in an old brown burlap blind waiting for a hog when I heard movement nearby in some heavy new green growth. After a bit two young guys worked their way out toward me with shotguns ready and I just knew that if I moved, one of them would shoot. I waited until they were about ten feet away and facing away before I spoke up. You would have thought I fired the way they jumped..... Another time I'm wearing orange and working my way out through heavy brush when I look up and see some idiot tracking me through his scope from a tree blind and I know I'm three pounds of accidental pressure away from being shot.
Night exersizes @ Ft Benning cured me of that fear CW.
CW, humans are the assholes of the wild sir. While I didnt want to share this story as its a stupid human one.
While on private land in PA, I was warned to not cross a certain fence line. I did come up on it, and sort of tacked my still hunt up to the line and back, and had been for at least 150 yards when I came upon a gate. Four fellas on the other side call out to me and WARN ME not to cross. I told the "MASTERS OF THE OBVIOUS" that they can check my tracks in the snow, " i resepct property". Well they don't let up, and then ONE of the mopes decides to lower his rifle from "port arms" to make it point right over my head.
THATS IT! I said.......... " OH YOU MOPES WANNA DANCE DO YOU!? I opened my my orange outer cover to expose my .44. Unstrapped the .44, held my draw hand at the ready... and called out.. " YOUR DRAW MOTHERF$$$$S~! " Candyasses retreated - imagine that. I was ready to drop my prize 1950's Model 70 .243 lightweight and FAN my new fan's straight across their chests.
I might advise folks to treat other with courtesy out there; as ANY good hunters do. Don't want to run into a Army SF-trained BAMF and push him too hard with STUPIDITY. Flipping the switch into an adrenaline -fired machine is still much too easy for some of us Vets. Iceholes bring out the BEST IN ME!
CW, your "friends" may have ended up "garroted" to a tree. I TRULY TRULY avoid humans out there if i can. But when I do, I am as courteous as can be....and usually THEY are as well, thank G^D. The assholes will get theirs eventually.
I was with my step dad, and two other "old fellers" ( my age now! ) during that trip, and I sensed they thought I may have gone too far. Nope, properly measured response is how I saw it. Of course, ....
RUINED my hunting day with non-Zen human jetsam.
I'm sure the Great Spirit even was not pleased.
I know what happened is way bad don't get me wrong. I just can't imagine what that man felt like for both reasons mentioned.
