What’s your spookiest hunting experience?

[Blackwater Red]

Back in the '80s, I was running a vegetative transect just South of the Pease River in North Central Texas. I had two partners walking with me to record the wildlife browse and grazing plants. I unwittingly stepped on a rather large western diamondback rattler just about six inches from his head. My buddies were spooked, and one found a big sandstone rock to kill the snake. The rock was much bigger than my foot, so rather than chance the rock shattering my foot, I just stomped the head off the snake with my old mule skin right-hand cowboy boot while keeping it anchored with my left-hand boot. I may have spotted my Levi's a little bit then. I have worn snake boots in heavy cover since then.

 

[CrickBottom]

I was hunting a grass field edge when i was about 14. Towards dusk I'm looking across the field and it feels like something is moving towards me but i can't focus on it. All of a sudden an owl is bearing down on me about ten feet away. I flinch and raise my arms and it darts away at the last second.

It was a few of them and they kept taking turns. I could barely see but they would coast straight at me about right on the horizon from 400 yards out. Never batted their wings and all you would see is their eyes when they were close enough to focus on.

I got back that night all freaked out. My older brothers were laughing...."owls? Hahaha!!"

The next night my brother came with. Getting towards dusk.... and same thing happens... you should have heard him shriek," f#%$$ owls trying to pluck my eyes out!!"

Those things will light you up! I googled up some photos after the fact just to see what they're capable of. A guy could easily lose an eye!

 

[C-130 Dude]

Those things will light you up! I googled up some photos after the fact just to see what they're capable of. A guy could easily lose an eye!

And they let out that unbelievable screech at the last second just before they pluck them out! If that doesn't get you, I don't know what would.

 

[marksman1941]

A friend of mine is what we call a "hooter". He works for the state as an owl trapper. This crazy ba$tard will stand in the woods at night running a predator call to bring in owls. And (I swear to god I've watched this process) he holds a dangling dead mouse in one hand as bait, and when the owl comes flying in for the mouse, he swings in the other hand and grabs the owl by the feet that are stretched out going for the mouse. It's the most insane thing I've watched. And also really cool to see.

 

[C-130 Dude]

A friend of mine is what we call a "hooter". He works for the state as an owl trapper. This crazy ba$tard will stand in the woods at night running a predator call to bring in owls. And (I swear to god I've watched this process) he holds a dangling dead mouse in one hand as bait, and when the owl comes flying in for the mouse, he swings in the other hand and grabs the owl by the feet that are stretched out going for the mouse. It's the most ******* thing I've watched. And also really cool to see.

Those talons can put a real hurting on you if you misjudge distance!

 

[marksman1941]

Those talons can put a real hurting on you if you misjudge distance!

The dude has some scars no doubt! He's a bit crazy though in the best way possible. I think you have to be for that job.

 

[victor3ranger]

When I was 19 my brother and I were hunting next to a slew bottom on the river, it was before daylight and we both had a pair of two way radio headsets so we could talk to each other.
Brother ended up about a 1/4 mile from my location, the light was just starting to change and I heard a soft whoop, and then again, I tried to get bearings on where exactly the sounds were coming from, I heard my brother whisper, "can you hear something?", just then I could hear something about 150yd across a opening in front of me walking.
The whooping started again but this time it was a lot louder then again and again each time getting louder and faster.
I crawled up a very small tree, my brother kept asking what's that sound.
I could see a giant Coon under me on the ground looking towards the sounds when all of a sudden the limb I was sitting on broke and down I went landing on the very angry Coon trying to eat me but couldn't because the limbs were holding down.
Then I hear this super loud scream.
I jumped up and ran a mile back home in record time, I was scared to death

 

[victor3ranger]

A friend of mine is what we call a "hooter". He works for the state as an owl trapper. This crazy ba$tard will stand in the woods at night running a predator call to bring in owls. And (I swear to god I've watched this process) he holds a dangling dead mouse in one hand as bait, and when the owl comes flying in for the mouse, he swings in the other hand and grabs the owl by the feet that are stretched out going for the mouse. It's the most insane thing I've watched. And also really cool to see.

I can tell ya one thing, they can hit you hard enough to make you think someone hit you with a ball bat.
I was sitting at my wife's stand before daylight when something hit me so hard I saw stars, my glasses went flying off and so did my hat.
When it got light enough to see I became friends with this dude

 

[victor3ranger]

What's kinda funny about the whole thing is that owl and I had a little discussion about what I was going to tolerate, we agreed on a compromise and shook hands then he let me pet him, he sat in my lap while we talked and then it went on about it's day
Real story

 

[tigerrose01]

What's kinda funny about the whole thing is that owl and I had a little discussion about what I was going to tolerate, we agreed on a compromise and shook hands then he let me pet him, he sat in my lap while we talked and then it went on about it's day
Real story

That's awesome! Great pics too!

I once picked up a Great Horned owl off of the ground and brought it home to my mother's house...I was about 16 I think. He was compliant for the most part...I let him sink his claws into my sweatshirt...after I took it off of course. Thought I was in the clear for the hike home as I had him facing away from me...until that big head and eyes spun backwards to take a closer look at me. In the end, he saw it my way and he was turned over to a PA game warden...they had him checked out and observed by a vet..he was in a county fair until they were sure he was okay, then released in a place near where I found him. Looking back, I got lucky and just learned a bit about the owls and he got fed a few good meals and free lodging with his doctor visit. Win-win!

 

[victor3ranger]

That's awesome! Great pics too!

I once picked up a Great Horned owl off of the ground and brought it home to my mother's house...I was about 16 I think. He was compliant for the most part...I let him sink his claws into my sweatshirt...after I took it off of course. Thought I was in the clear for the hike home as I had him facing away from me...until that big head and eyes spun backwards to take a closer look at me. In the end, he saw it my way and he was turned over to a PA game warden...they had him checked out and observed by a vet..he was in a county fair until they were sure he was okay, then released in a place near where I found him. Looking back, I got lucky and just learned a bit about the owls and he got fed a few good meals and free lodging with his doctor visit. Win-win!

Great Horned's are no joke. A lady down the road had one get in her brooder pin, killed all 65 of her chickens. She called me to come get it out so I put on two pairs of thick welding gloves and went in after it.
I thought I was doing pretty good until that freaking thing got a hold on me
I had it by one leg and it had me by one hand
It sunk those talons right through the gloves, the more I tried to get control the harder it would squeeze.
I finally had to have another guy help me peel it's talons out of my hand and keep control of that foot.
I will never try that again with a horned owl

 

[memtb]

Great Horned's are no joke. A lady down the road had one get in her brooder pin, killed all 65 of her chickens. She called me to come get it out so I put on two pairs of thick welding gloves and went in after it.
I thought I was doing pretty good until that freaking thing got a hold on me
I had it by one leg and it had me by one hand
It sunk those talons right through the gloves, the more I tried to get control the harder it would squeeze.
I finally had to have another guy help me peel it's talons out of my hand and keep control of that foot.
I will never try that again with a horned owl

Had a similar thing with a big Horned Owl. The wife (pre wife) and I were rabbit hunting and came across an owl with a broken wing….likely hitting some Sage Brush when going for a kill.

I grabbed a wool blanket from the truck, made several wraps around my arm, picked him up to take him to the G&F. When I grabbed him, his talons latched onto my wrapped arm. He didn't penetrate the wool blanket…..but, it felt like my arm was in a vice with someone turning the handle!

That was almost equal to the pressure I got from the game warden for capturing the owl! He was most unhappy and didn't mince words telling me about it! memtb

 

[VaWhiteTailHunter76]

Great Horned's are no joke. A lady down the road had one get in her brooder pin, killed all 65 of her chickens. She called me to come get it out so I put on two pairs of thick welding gloves and went in after it.
I thought I was doing pretty good until that freaking thing got a hold on me
I had it by one leg and it had me by one hand
It sunk those talons right through the gloves, the more I tried to get control the harder it would squeeze.
I finally had to have another guy help me peel it's talons out of my hand and keep control of that foot.
I will never try that again with a horned owl

If he just killed 65 of my chickens, there wouldn't be a need to call a neighbor ..... just S-S-S.

 

[tigerrose01]

Great Horned's are no joke. A lady down the road had one get in her brooder pin, killed all 65 of her chickens. She called me to come get it out so I put on two pairs of thick welding gloves and went in after it.
I thought I was doing pretty good until that freaking thing got a hold on me
I had it by one leg and it had me by one hand
It sunk those talons right through the gloves, the more I tried to get control the harder it would squeeze.
I finally had to have another guy help me peel it's talons out of my hand and keep control of that foot.
I will never try that again with a horned owl

I know that I was a bit lucky on getting mine. He hopped out from under some grape vines along a stream bank as I walked by. I thought he was hurt...so, I had to help! Sorry to hear yours gave you some issues! Hopefully you don't have any scars from the encounter! And sad he got so many chickens! It has to be hard to lose 65 at once because one rough critter worked them all over like that!