I know theres a certain pride in making long shots with a bow but I find it more interesting to see how close you can get to an animal. So how close have you been? Once I had a doe eating the branches I was using for cover, I could've touched her face and another time I had a buck sneak up on the opposite side of a fallen tree I was using for cover, he was within 3 feet of me. Neither detected me and interestingly enough I drew back on both but opted not to shoot either.
mine was a doe that was bumped when we were rabbit hunting. she passed on a trail I was 2 ft off of. Another time I had a old buck the dogs were running. Passed at about 5 ft. Missed him with a pistol. lol I was too shook up
I was once sitting in a natural ground blind and had a small doe walk by so close her back rubbed up against my arrow. She was about 15"away.
Another time I had another small button buck come running down the trail I was on and he got within 2' before he figured out I was there.
My dad on two different occasions touched deer he stalked with the end of his HH longbow. Those deer just about jumped out of their hides when he did that.
Just like Ulysseys above none of these deer were harmed in the above instances.
Nice big 8 pointer was standing on the other side of the tree I was behind. It was cold enough that his breath was rising right in front of my face. 1 1/2 yards or basically the width of the tree.
Ground hunting is awesome! He only ever offered me one VERY severe quartering shot so I let down on the string.
I've had quite a few real close encounters with black tail deer. The closest ones were the one i stepped on, and the other one was the one that side swiped me running down a trail in the dark.... Both times i ended up on me arse....
The scary one was the black bear... 2 feet looking me right in the eyes. I could smell the fish on his breath..... I needed clean shorts after that one.
I fell asleep laying on the ground one frosty morning in the pre dawn waiting for legal shooting light. I woke up to a doe standing inside the "D" profile of my Fedora longbow. I could have reached up and grabbed her leg, even thought about doing that for a second, then opted not to.
This experience makes me question all of my efforts to hunt the wind and other scent managing tactics. I was just my normal stinky self, laying there in the brush.
Tom
Riding on the hood of a old 64 Dodge cop car I jumped on the back of a big doe when I was in high school.
We had no video games back then.
George
on a hog hunt a few years ago I jumped a sow off her nest/bed. she ran off long enough for me to grab one of the little ones by the back of the neck and hold it up for a buddy to snap a pic.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/sswv/dad_with_his_pig.jpg?t=1393720140
I put it back exactly where it was and left the area. I've had my hands on several wild turkey flopping to their death, 3 different whitetail fawns, coons, possums, groundhogs, rabbits and squirrels but I can honestly say the fastest I ever turned loose of something was a chipmunk. don't let'em fool you....they are MEAN.
oh yeah' bout forgot the bear. he is also in the pic on the left.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/sswv/bearlookingup.jpg
Had a buck sneak in on me last season, told the story that I could hear him breathing. But looking back it could've been me! Probably 6ft on other side of a little pine.
Killed an elk close enough to touch with the bow. I came into this spot over a deep river canyon and bugled very lightly., real low and heard a bunch of animals running. I backed into some baby cedars and suddenly had elk all over me. I had this one run up and stop right in front of me./ Last day of season so shot it. It turned out to be a really big cow and made a great winters eating.
That was the only day of the season that I did not have any other hunters with me. They had decided it was all over. Buttttttttt the fat lady had not sang yet. LOL
God bless, Steve
Shot a whitetail buck at about 4 ft. one day and on another occasion took a pronghorn at about 6 ft.
Another time I shot a buck mule deer at 15 yds. while his two companions stood within 3 ft. of me (one on either side of me). I was in a ditch and they were on the rim looking toward the one I shot.
Things got a little blurry for a moment or two.
Swatted a cow caribou on the arse in Quebec. I'd huddled back into the willows to wait out a rain squall when about 30 or 40 caribou came pushing through the willows. I was a bit un-nerved as they started popping out of the willows all around me.......will never forget it!
I've touched a few deer on the rump in South NJ, near Fort Dix. It was in the pine barrens. The deer were feeding heavily on blueberries. I was preoccupied with the sundew plants I found growing there and noticed the deer feeding nearby. I stalked them low and slow, and reached through the the blueberry bushes and touched them (different occasions). They took off like they were shot.
Touched a feeding fawn with its mother. Things got exciting for a moment, and then very quiet. Had a little black bear try to climb in a tree with me, until he figured out that I wasn't another bear. He then left in a big hurry like the deer. Had an antelope stick her nose in a sagebrush blind, about a foot from my face. I had a whitetail fawn run into a fence and get stuck. Had to pull the little fella out of the fence. Had a bull elk at about 3 feet, bugling. Never got a shot at him, as he finally saw the boogie man and left in a huge hurry.
Had a buck take a bite off the opposite side of the bush I was hiding behind.Shot a doe @ 3 yards while hunting on the ground.Shot a bull moose 6 yards from me.
I was hunting from a blind once and had a doe pass in front of me so close that I couldn't shoot her because the blind was between us, two feet tops! Also had a couple walk to the base of my tree, spittin' distance!
I came almost literally nose to nose with a moose in Utah years ago. I was focused on following his tracks in fairly steep rolling terrain. Got to the top of a rise at the same time he got to the top of the other side (he obviously had doubled back). He took a long sniff at me and went back to munching on a willow branch. I backed away. Lucky for me it wasn't rut and lucky for him I was hunting deer. One of my favorite hunting memories there...
I was sitting on a stump and I saw a doe approaching and decided to wait to see what else might amble by. She and a small button passed within two yards or me. Even looked me over carefully and passed right on by.
Did not react to my scent once past and they had to have scented me.
I've had squirrels walk across me. Chickadees land on my upper limb and nocked arrow.
Shot a running deer from about 10 feet as it ran past once (again as I was stump sitting).
Touched a rabbit with an arrow I was holding two weeks ago. Took coup on him. 5 seconds later Curt (I think it was Curt) dropped him after he bolted.
Dozens of does and small bucks have passed under my feet as I sat in my treestand.
Shot a small buck at 18". I was kneeling in a hedgerow and had to lean backwards to draw my bow. Had a doe walk by at 5' once and couldn't get a shot off.
Hap
The closest had to be the cow elk that stuck her face in mine and looked me in the eye at about a foot.
I have had birds land on my shoulders quite a few times.
Had a young mule deer lick the toes of my boots one time. Had deer at about a yard several times over the years.
Several years back I hunted from the ground while bear hunting in Manitoba. While I had numerous encounters within that 10-12 yard distance from the bait, I had one younger bear that was VERY determined to show me he wasn't happy at all that I was there. He postured, snapped his teeth, huffed and puffed for quite a while but at one point he got within 3 feet of me and just growled showing his teeth. I DEFINITELY had my hand on that bear spray and was within a split second of letting him have it. :scared:
I gave him one last chance and whispered, "Hey big boy, hit the road." That was all it took. He turned inside out and never saw him again. :)
I have had a doe and two yearlings at 4 feet before with me inside a croup of wax myrtles....
I have had a buck come up behind me when I was leaning against a tree sitting on ground eating an apple and I felt his breath on my neck as he sniffed to see what I was...I turned and screamed-yelled-groaned with fear and the buck gave out a bleat and snort and his eyes got as big as saucers when he turned to depart.
Those are my closest encounters...other than the wild boar I shot at around 15 yds but when tracking him a half hour later walked up on him watching his backtrail at 5 feet....for followup arrow.
My dog sometimes licks my face when I'm sleeping. Hate it when she does that. Ibow that is crazy! I think I would have emptied the spray and filled my britches. Ha ha
Chased a 140# sow into a briar patch and shot her broadside at 4 yards. Walked up to her and stuck her with my BK 5.
Ran into a hog in the dark, early morning, walking out to my deer spot. I heard it breathing in a big clump of high grass 6 ft. from me. I just stood there thinking for a minute, then circled wide and went on. I didn't have a light set up on my bow at the time. Killed a possum at 5 yds. lol
I got close enough to a long tailed weasel to stink of musk for a few days. Won't be doing that again.
In yellowstone I slid my hand thru a small tree and tapped a cow elk on the nose. When I was younger and dumber of course.
When I was 15 years old back in the 60's I was standing in a clump of pines and had a small buck buck come in from behind. His nose just a few inches from my side. We had a state wildlife farm down the road from where we lived and the biologists suggested we let them rob our jackets on the crotch of one of their hot does. It sure worked. Didnt get that buck. He ran about and stopped 20 yards in front of me, still convinced I was a hot doe. He finally took off after I shot all my arrows without a hit. That was the day I learned to pick a spot. Also, our jackets stunk so badly, we discontinue the practice.
Funny and good stories.
I have touched a few: deer, squirrels, chickadees, moles and mice.
Been 5 yards or less of Black bear, Moose, mule deer, racoons, skunk :scared: , weasel, Beaver, Muskrat, chipmunk, turkey.
Had an elk calf run by me last fall so close that I had to move my bow out of the way or she would have knocked it out of my hand.
Another time I was sitting against a tree watching a waterhole. A group of cows and a spike came in and as one of the cows walked by she seemed to notice my felt hat and walked directly to me. She got within probably six inches, took a big sniff, and exploded!
Joe,
A. you take your boss hunting?
B. I thought you were retired :dunno: LOL
It must have been funny after the Elk realized your hat wasn't what she was expecting.
While bear hunting, I was jogging my way off a 150' high river bank on the Peace river in Alberta to meet my guide(picking me up in a boat) before it got dark, and ran right into a herd of mule deer feeding in a grassy opening. The light was getting dim and I never saw them.
I ran smack into a doe full tilt. I had a back quiver on, and my abrupt stop made all my arrows fly out of the quiver over my head and all over the field. My bow went behind me somehow and I even lost my knife out of it's sheath. The doe tumbled over in front bending 2 arrows in the process. Mule deer scattered everywhere hopping and bouncing in all directions.
I never fell, and was left just standing there with no equipment left on my body, frozen with shock.
The guide saw the whole thing from below in his binoculars (since he was concerned I was not out yet, he was glassing the high bank) and I could hear him laughing his butt off.
It took me awhile before I found humor in it.
A small owl flew (Indiana) into me while sitting in a tree before daylight.
A goshawk almost took my knit cap off in Colorado on an elk hunt.
I caught a full-grown squirrel by throwing my sweatshirt over it as it swam in flooded water -- tiger by the tail definitely came to mind.
I could have grabbed the ankle of mule deer as they came out of nearby draws beside my ground blind on the edge of an irrigated alfalfa field in Wyoming.
My closest big game kills have been under the stand.
Some of you guys should leave your bow at home and just take an arrow.
Had a cow elk and her calf walk by my stand, between two fir trees. Close enough to touch. Shot a whitetail doe from a ground stand @ about 5ft.
I've counted coup on Mule Deer & Elk by touching them with my bow, and had a Black Bear try to climb in the stand with me a few years ago in Alberta.
The one encounter that particularly sticks in my mind happened about 18-20 years ago. I was hunting Mule Deer during archery season.
I had walked in a creek bottom before daylight and set up in a small draw that overlooked the creek. I had been in the timbered draw for a couple hours and hadn't seen any Deer movement.
The sun was working it's way over the mountain across the draw and I was a little chilled so I thought I might work my way up the ridge above and set up in the rocks and do some glassing for the rest of the morning.
Just as I broke out of the timber and into the sunlight I stopped to warm and glass a bit. Standing there for a couple minutes I caught a slight movement out of the corner of my eye, it was a brown flash.
I froze and thinking it might be a Deer and slipped an arrow on the string, as I didn't want to move. I stood in amazement watching the big tom Mountain Lion walking towards me, he had his head down and was sauntering up the ridge, he had no idea I was in his path.
Finally when he was about 20 yards from me he realized something was there. He raised his head and froze staring at me, I didn't dare move, so we stared at each other for what seemed like several minutes (probably more like 30 seconds). He finally lost interst flicked his tail a couple times and walked away up the ridge.
I have had two encounters with cats over the years other than chasing them with hounds but this one was definatly one that had the adrenaline pumping..!
Cutting timber walking through waist high blueberry bushes came to a fallen log I was going to cut into so I ran the saw near the top of the log to cut the blue berry bushes. So then I was about 10-12" from a waist high timber rattler laying on the log. I wish I knew how high and backwards I jumped with chainsaw in hand.
I touched a spike bull elk on the nose. He was leaning in to smell me and I put my hand up and stopped his nose. His eyes about popped out of his head but he didn't really spook too bad. Kept looking at me trying to figure out what I was.
These are all great, I love close encounters, that's why we do what we do... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Had several elk close. When I shot my first bull I drew my bow when he was at 18". Literally couldn't release till he was further.
Sat down in the brush to rest and have a snack one day when a small group of cows came thru. Three of em stepped over my legs and never knew I was there.
A 3/4 grown calf walked by and stopped under my elbow while I stood by a fir tree. She was maybe 3" from my hip. I stood still long as I could stand it then said "boo". Lucky she didn't kick my teeth out when she took off. ;)
Killed my antelope buck couple years ago when he blew by at 4 or 5' while I was stalking the herd.
Had a mature wolf 3' away year fore last, he walked up looking for me when I got pinned down during a stalk, intense!
Snuck up on this guy and grabbed him by the tail on a dare... ;) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/gotahunt/R0011566.jpg)
Had a few bears up close and personal, got a pic somewhere of a small black from 18" away and here's a 450# griz at 6'. I was in a stand 6' off the ground and he was directly under me. I was glad he didn't stand up.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/gotahunt/Griz_06.jpg)
my first elk season I was in an Aspen grove and looked ahead see to a bull coming my way. I dropped to my knees behind a mature Aspen tree. My left shoulder was against the tree. When the bull pasted the tree I had to move so his right leg would not hit my arrow.. :scared:
YORNOC takes the cake!!!
Touched a few different bears.....shot a deer who was standing over my left extended leg while hiding behind a big elm tree. The arrow was actually pushed through the deer by the string...
I've walked right up to a fawn twice - they know that they are not supposed to move. I've also had a very large buck explode out of the rose bush in front of me - about three feet away - talk about an adrenaline rush!
YORNOC , that was hilarious . I've had does get within 4-5 feet before freaking out. I'm a big guy and I had a 2 man tent that my feet touched one end and my head touched the other. We were camping one night very frosty and cold with a full moon . I watched a bear circle my tent (shadow on the tent) walk up and press his nose against the top of my head and sniff. Needless to say I don't sleep in small tents or mummy bags anymore. I felt like a meat burrito. My buddy was camping in Yosemite once with his daughters laying on the ground in sleeping bags and had a cub run his wet nose up his arm like a dog.
Several deer at less than 10' on the ground. Some I could touch. Several so close I could not get a shot off. Several with nothing between us but air.
Many more right under my stand while in a tree.
Close encounters are awesome!
A few years back I was hunting a fence row and was all tucked back into it. The corn was still up on one side and soybeans on the other side. I had a young doe saunter up and stand literally against me as she peered out over the soybeans for a couple of minutes...... I finally had enough and reached down and patted her on the head. She learned a lesson I imagine as she went frantic as she turned around to see what was doing that.... I had a good laugh at that young doe's expense ;)
I've caught deer and various small game including a weasel once ( if you think a squirrel is lively try a weasel some time!! :scared: ) caught fish by hand, caught a seagull as it flew past, played with baby eagles in the nest but maybe the best was when I caught a great horned owl as it flew out of a tree I was walking by. Looking into those DEEP yellow eyes is an experience that is unforgettable! :eek:
Also, on the worlds most dangerous game I did a sneak close enough to touch, then backed away undetected. After that I lay next to the trail as they walked by, on my back, looking them in the face again close enough to touch by moving my hand just a bit and not one of the group of 5 detected me. Big fun!!!
PS, oh yea, then there's the bears,.............
QuoteOriginally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
Joe,
A. you take your boss hunting?
B. I thought you were retired :dunno: LOL
It must have been funny after the Elk realized your hat wasn't what she was expecting.
Stupid auto correct.... Sorry - should have read bow. You're right - I have no boss other than the one I'm married to. ;)
I don't comment much on here but thought I would share a few of my close encounters. I had a small doe this past year come within 3 steps of me when I was hunting from the ground. I put my hand out to her and made a kissing sound like calling a dog, that was fun.
I've also had two different black bears close when I lived in Pa. The first was during spring gobbler, it was face first into a large patch of skunk cabbage. When we, my hunting partner and I, saw it we " melted " into the brush beside the trail and the bear walked past us so close I could see the water running out of his eyes.... from the skunk cabbage... I assume.
The second bear was a young one that ran by during a deer drive. I could have touched both but decided it would be best not to.
While ground hunting I had a nice size doe walk up to me and stand within touching distance, like 1 foot. I could have easily touched her leg while she studied a feeder 15 yards away, but chose not to do so. The wind was blowing directly in my face. She eventually moved directly behind the tree I was leaning against, maybe 3 feet from where I was sitting. When she got the first whiff she tore out of there. Made me glad I didn't touch her.
A few years later I killed a nice 8-point whitetail at maybe 3 yards. I was standing in the crotch of a tree, maybe 5 feet off the ground, while the buck worked a scrape behind a cedar bush immediately adjacent to my hide. When he stepped from behind the cedar bush he stopped and surveyed the area for what seemed like an eternity. He finally looked back over his back trail giving me an opportunity to draw and shoot. That was a hunt I'll never forget. You just can't beat getting close to your pray. :campfire:
I've had several turkeys within a couple feet of me. Of course I didn't try to touch them as they were one eying the fire out of me.
First time I tried predator hunting I had two coyotes come up behind me and got so close behind the tree I was against that I could smell them. That was a little creepy.
Of course birds and squirrels and stuff too.
A fellow hunter and I were out for a stroll late-moon was bright-we were walking a dirt track. All of a sudden there's a commotion; a large herd of pigs is running right at us and there was no time to move. They ran right through us but not making contact.
Often wondered about that. Did they realize we were humans? No idea but they "parted" to avoid running into us so they knew we were there. A few of them reacted more than others, some looked right at us as they ran by, others did not even raise their heads. We had pigs no both sides, they could easily have knocked us down had they wanted to. No doubt they were as surprised as we were. It was over in seconds we just looked at each other totally baffled. :scared: :scared:
I had to lean out of the way when a large buck almost ran over me. I had another nice buck standing underneath the same tree I was in but on the other side. He backed up like he was on rails until he was twenty yards or so...
A black bear stood up on his hind legs to get a better look at me in my stand, I suppose he was about ten to twenty feet away.
While hunting in Norther BC, my brother pushed a group of rams around the Mt. towards me and I had a 3/4 curl Stone Sheep sniff my boot.............about a minute later, I arrowed his leader! Tree bark camo works wonders against grey rock.
TD Hunter ,your really stealthy when your sleeping though. Likely snoring making sheep noises also.
" the best was when I caught a great horned owl as it flew out of a tree I was walking by."
Wow! Did you get clawed up? I would think so!
I was in Quebec hunting caribou, I was kneeling down waiting for a shot at a big bull that was heading my way and calf was standing on the edge of my foot.
foxbo, no, the bird just went limp and calm. I released it after a few minutes and it flew away.
These are actually hilarious. Why does driving on the hood of a dodge cop car and jumping on a doe make sense in high school but not now?
Shot a javelina at about two steps. Whip was about 10 yards away at the time.
I am a parapalegiac and hunt off an ATV. Once had a little 4 point walk up behind me and by me within touching distance.
Scared the hell and a few other things out of me!!! :scared: :scared:
My first traditional deer was taken at a couple feet from me, but I've had deer munch on ground blinds that we made out of vegetation. while turkey hunting I've had hens come up to my legs and then walk around them. Also while turkey hunting I once had a bobcat try to stalk me and stop at the end of my 20ga when I was 13 years old that was exciting.
I've kicked a coyote in the snout. They tend to be my favorite quarry (no season, overabundant and do lots of damage to the property) and so I've counted coup, stalked them and challenged them in my own front yard. We have a serious issue with them. I just decided to even the score.
Hunting about 10 foot in the forks of a tree in a home made stand i leaned out and over and shot a doe right under the tree with my bow . It couldnt have few been over a few feet straight down with me leaning over like that
Doug,
Your armadillo reminded me of this one. I don't know if dillos are nasty like this snapper was, but they probably move a bunch quicker.
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm136/brannan_family/Mobile%20Uploads/965279_10201357323723503_1666229154_o_zpsa11eb57f.jpg) (http://s295.photobucket.com/user/brannan_family/media/Mobile%20Uploads/965279_10201357323723503_1666229154_o_zpsa11eb57f.jpg.html)
Closest I've been to the type of animal I was hunting at the time is about 5 feet, and no, I was not prepared to draw and shoot that close - I never practice that close. Closest to an animal that I shot was barely 10 feet - a fox that approached my ground blind while I was waiting to see whitetails. I've had songbirds fly inside a ground blind and light on me, which is pretty cool feeling.
Geeze, how did I forget about the bear cub that ran up the tree I was in? I kicked him to try to knock him out of the tree. Can't get much closer than kicking a bear, even if it was only about 30-40 pounds!
I was on my climber and a great howl came and perch itself on the branch coming from the neighbour tree
it was at the most 2 feet away from me at the same level has my face
he looked at me and tried to make me move by shaking his head up and down
my face was all camouflage and I did not move when he turned away I went hooo hook and he turn right back and stared at me move up closer and that when I was getting nervous so did not move no more he stayed there for about 5 minutes then just flew of.... could hardly hear him flying.....
I've been within arms length of quite a few deer and elk, sometimes with entertaining consequences. This doe just discovered me closing the distance... but does not yet realize I am human and is preparing to kick my @$$.
(http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/cootling1/Slide020_zps26fb9807.jpg) (http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/cootling1/media/Slide020_zps26fb9807.jpg.html)
Deer-3 feet. Otter- touched it. Moose- touched it.
Black bear 1 foot- but I didn't know that until about a second later as he kept walking the log I was leaning against. Never heard him.
Joshua
Right after I moved to AK in 1980, I was dumb emough to camp alone next to a salmon stream in August. Got up before light next morning and walked through the woods down to the ocean to check my skiff. Stepped across a downed tree and put my foot on a sleeping brown bear, thankfully did not fall on top of him as he jumped up. He ran about 20yds, stopped and turned sideways, proceeded to huff and pop his teeth.
I was holding a firearm, and just stood my ground and talked to him. We each backed away, both survived to tell the tale....
Right after I moved to AK in 1980, I was dumb emough to camp alone next to a salmon stream in August. Got up before light next morning and walked through the woods down to the ocean to check my skiff. Stepped across a downed tree and put my foot on a sleeping brown bear, thankfully did not fall on top of him as he jumped up. He ran about 20yds, stopped and turned sideways, proceeded to huff and pop his teeth.
I was holding a firearm, and just stood my ground and talked to him. We each backed away, both survived to tell the tale....
Great experience boznarras! Hope you didn't have pancakes and syrup for breakfast.lol By the way what did you say to him?
Had a fawn stick it's head :wavey: into my ground blinds window (66x66) and had a ground hog(and chickmunks) run through it under my seat.
Stillhunter, I just tried to make chit chat, talked about the weather. Avoided politics and religion altogether.
Seriously, I have heard the human voice is a good thing for bears to hear, helps them know you are not the usual prey species, give pause (not paws). And not to run and trigger a chase.
On reflection through the years, I have considered at that range whether I should have shot the bear while it was standing still and offering a fairly certain head shot. If it had charged, I would have been hard pressed to drop him before he got to me.
Deer-touched several, Bears- had them in the tree with me 4 nights in a row in Manitoba, first night punched one in the nose! Caribou- touched one in Newfoundland and had several within 10 yards in NW territory, My real heartstopper came in Zimbabwe when a bull elephant feed with 4 feet of me.
I won't tell my one that involved a pig and a shotgun hiking into the turkey woods one morning but I did call a hen turkey almost into my lap 2 seasons ago. Maybe 3 yards
I had a button buck and a doe fawn step over my outstretched leg while spring turkey hunting The closest I have ever shot one was at about a yard if I hadn't of drew my bow he would of knocked my arrow off the shelf when he came by
Had a spike elk step on my bow while it was in my hand and break my arrows. Also had a cow just this last year eating from just 1` inch from my knee.
While Beaver hunting at night out of a boat, on two occasions I have reached elbow deep in the river to grab a Beaver that was still thrashing around and pulled them out of the river still alive....
Non hunting incident, I was 13 years old camping with family in Yosemite, I was laying in my tent up against the tent wall, My Dad yelled at me to see if I was awake, I said yes, He said there was a big Brown Bear walking around the tent....
When it got to my side, the bear sniffed and nudged me from head to foot....
QuoteOriginally posted by beachbowhunter:
Shot a javelina at about two steps. Whip was about 10 yards away at the time.
Good times! :bigsmyl:
It's been way too long Joe! I need to find a spot on your busy itinerary to meet up with you.
On the ground maybe 4/5 feet from this guy without a shot. I was on my way to my tree stand and backed up to the brush. He never new I was there, wind was perfect. He turned and waddled away from me giving only his big butt for a target. I ended up getting a nice bear but no where near as big as this fella... pretty intense!!!
This is a trail cam picture from my bait site. This guy only came to the site at night.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/SUNP1002.jpg) (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/coaster500/media/SUNP1002.jpg.html)
3 years ago I had a doe on the other side of some brush in front of me.
My arrow almost touched her.
I set and watched her heart beat. Then she left unalarmed.
Killed a mountain goat at seven feet. Was sixteen feet from a live brown bear, chased thru me by a second larger bear--pucker!
Walking a Moose trail in Alaska, got to a spot in the trail where it split around a small spruce tree. Had a cow moose come down the same trail right at me. She walked on the other side of the spruce tree. Could have whispered sweet nothings in her ear as she walked by. Thought better of it.
Had a black bear sniffing the soles of my boots through the tree stand on the first BQ hunt I went on. Figured right then, I needed a taller tree stand!
Numerous deer within 1-2 feet.
In Alaska, Glassing for moose from the top of a mineral bank over a slough and had an owl see something he liked and wanted. Glasses suddenly filled up with owl, I instinctivly ducked and he hit the top of my head and knocked my hat off.
LD
I had kind of the opposite experience. I was sitting in my brushpile blind wearing my vest that had blood and feathers in the pack pouch, Some partridge hunters passed through the clearing in front of me. i was just going to let them go by until their German short hair locked up on point about 12 inches from my face. luckily they identified me as human before anyone got trigger happy.
I was sitting in camp having a sandwich when a doe came walking up. She came right up to my chair so I reached out with a piece of the bread and she ate it. she hung around and my dad took a picture of her getting a piece. Ill have to have him hunt down that pic.
Helped a blacktail fawn get loose from a sheep fence, grabbed an ankle, and almost lost some teeth. While predator calling, had a redtail hawk knock my hat off, and a gray fox IN my lap.
Wow...this brings back memories...I've side stepped a few hogs, and paralyzed a couple that charged me with spine shots between the jawbone and shoulder the same week in TX....but the one memory that really makes me smile about being 'close' to is the one deer that I was basically eye to eye with.
I have no idea if it was a buck or doe and don't really care.
I was walking down a fence line that divided two fields as I headed to the corner where a thin line of woods bordered the river. This fence line was also lined with tall oaks and literally a tunnel of honey suckle that I knew deer used to travel under on my side of the fence.
All I wanted to so was ease along the plowed field undetected to get to the corner and climb my stand at the corner as I knew deer came out of that corner late in the afternoon. For some reason I stopped as I was easing along and I heard trotting coming my way. I was probably 20 years old at the time and my heart was about to pop out of my chest as I knew it was a deer coming toward me.
The deer must have sensed something and it came to a screeching halt.....and there we were looking eye to eye through a small hole in the honey suckle canvas.
Our eyes had to be no further than TWO AND A HALF feet apart, closer than the length of my arrow. What lasted 5 seconds seemed like and hour to me.....'it' trotted on by trying to act like it was sneaking off. My hunt was made right then and there.
But as luck would have it I made it to the corner and climbed my already hung climber as quiet as I could, and I never would have believed that 10 yards away at the base of the river bank 4 doe would get up an hour before dark and walk right under my stand. Yep, they were bedded and had no idea I was there.
You bet I had back straps that night.
Thanks for this thread, it was really fun reliving that special hunt.
I've had some close calls with deer but this one was quite interesting. This yearling doe acted like she was stuck in the crotch of a tree in a flooded creek (normally this is dry). If she would of backed out she would of been free. She was so wiped out she didn't fight me at all when I drug her up on the bank which was a chore because it was pretty steep. First pic is of her where I found her the video is when I was trying to get her away from the creek so she wouldn't fall back in. I searched the whole area a couple days after and didn't find any sign of hair pile or remains so hopefully she made it.
(http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu3/dmanwarren/1381360897570_zpsb0632d1e.jpg) (http://s628.photobucket.com/user/dmanwarren/media/1381360897570_zpsb0632d1e.jpg.html)
(http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu3/dmanwarren/th_VID_20131009_184734_701_zps4d0d5c5e.jpg) (http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu3/dmanwarren/VID_20131009_184734_701_zps4d0d5c5e.mp4)
Click on second pic to see vid. Dave
Had a hen turkey walk on my foot in spring season
I once had a fawn step over my legs as I was leaned up against a rock. It stop looked back at me as to second guess then went on its way. I had a crazy experience hunting elk. I had a cow and calf elk feed up to me. They keep getting closer until I had to huddle in the fetal position. At that point I looked up and the calf was steering at me a as it went to nurse a foot or so way from me. I was so close I could have nursed myself. Then I felt something tugging at my side quiver and it was the cow trying to eat my fletching's! I don't think she like them because remember hearing her spitting out the feathers. Then she went to my shoulder and took a bite! she really didn't like the taste and new something was up. Then put her nose in my ear as started to sniff. She got my scent and blew snot all accosted the side of my face.. I thought she was going to stomp me for sure but she back off quick thankfully.
On Kodiak Island I walked up behind a blacktail fawn that was feeding. After watching it for a while I came up with the idea that I could catch it. So I grabbed it hind leg and the fawn started bleating very loudly. After a minute I realized that I had a very good predator call going in a place where you don't really want to call a predator so I turned it loose.
That's a great story, twitch.
within 5 yards of a pig. but not for long LOL.
Shot a cow elk at 8-9 feet just cleared paradox with cedar arrows. Had good cover behind almost nothing between me and the cow.
Had a hog come up and almost sniff my boot I was standing completely still. Have had hogs within a few yards numerous times.
Caught a pelican by hand lured him in towards our moving boat with an anchovy; when he was real close I grabbed him by the neck and put my other arm around his body and wings . If done right there is almost no resistance and once you have your arm over and the bird held to your body the bird becomes real quiet-you have to control the wings-those who have done this know what I am talking about. Release the bird quickly and everyone is happy! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
This is by far my favorite thread I've read so far...
Guess I should add... When I was in high school, my mom was picking me up from wrestling practice. On our way home I saw a pheasant and just opened the door of the car (we were slowing to a stop sign on a dirt road) and chased the darned creature. Got within 3 feet, but damn they move fast!
Also chased a couple turkeys across a field and at the field's edge they got held up in some brambles trying to flee... got to touch one briefly!
I moved to Oregon 7 months ago and while I was making a rock and gravel pathway from my driveway to my house, these two blacktails came in from the woods to eat apples and browse. They paid me no mind whatsoever... At one point I was using a sledge hammer banging on some rocks, they could have cared less. Hung around for a half hour.
The scariest moment so far is when I was squirrel hunting in PA. Now, I'm walking through the woods really quiet and slow. Then I hear some rustling from my left. I look. AND HAVE TO JUMP OUT THE WAY!!!! of a buck's rack. Three deer were coming full bore straight at me to get away from some joker's dogs. I just went home...
Had a deer jump over me.
My hunting buddy went around some very thick and high thicket and made a noise, there was a deer bedded down and she literally bolted out in my direction. Only problem was that I was about 6 yards from her. I ducked to the ground and the big hind jumped over me! I can still remember her eyes, alert, but not panicking. Me and my mate still laugh at that one.
Had an echidna (porcupine)lick my boots.
A fox smelt the back of my calf, I thought he was going to bite me, we both jumped.
While sitting against a tree along the Red River in North Dakota, I had a whitetail doe and fawn feed right in front of me. A light breeze was in my face. The doe was very intent on grazing and never did see me, but the fawn stared me down from about 5 feet away. It finally decided to get a little closer and ended up sticking it's nose so close to my face I could feel it's breath. It never did get alarmed and eventually they moved off.
I have had several deer and turkeys pass with 5 to 10 feet while hunting on the ground.
I got into a stand of timber a little later than I wanted and put up a tree stand on the first tree I could find that was big enough to hold me. About a half hour before dark, I hard noise above me which I thought was a squirrel. After a few minutes, I felt bark falling on my head and shoulders. I tilted my head back and found myself staring at three small racoons about one foot away. They looked at me and climbed back up the tree and disappeared. I was more than a little nervous sitting out the remainder of the hunt. I look my trees over a little more closely now before I put up a stand.
This was a great idea for a thread! I have not thought about these encounters for a long time.
Watch the "OMG MUST SEE VIDEO " below this post :eek:
I've been 10 feet from a black bear, but I wasn't hunting at the time. Nothing I'd care to do again.
A few years ago I posted a series of pics where I snuck up on a turkey that was asleep on a log.
Here's the final pic. I'm about 3 feet away. Coulda reached out and stroked his beard.
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o232/Ottodude/sneak7.jpg) (http://s121.photobucket.com/user/Ottodude/media/sneak7.jpg.html)
Was sitting on the ground once while squirrel hunting and had a red fox come walking by and step in between my legs, sniff my crotch and then kept on walking....that was odd.
Two years ago while moose hunting in northern Ontario, I was sitting 20' off the side of a new logging road on an up hill grade, leaning against a spruce tree. I just finnished a granola bar and juice drink and it was about half hour before dark, just the right time to see the moose. I happened to look down the road to my left and up from the opposite side about 100 yds came this black bear. When it made his way to the road, it stayed there looking both ways, then started down the road away from me. I gave a calf call and the bear stopped, turned and looked my way then turned and started to walk away again. I then gave another calf call with a little more "soul" and the bear swung around and started it's way up the road towards me. I was hunting with a Crossbow { Iknow, Iknow }, so I rested the forestock on my knee and waited. The boar walked up the road to the exact spot that I left the road and started up the small grade towards me. When he was parallel to me there was a small spruce tree that he walked around and at that time I reddied the crossbow and when he cleared the tree I put an arrow behind the front shoulder. He went about 75 yds up the hill, then the death moan. He was about 8 to 10 feet away when I shot, never found the arrow. The boar weighed 400 lbs and yes I had a bear tag in my pocket. Bear sausage is really good to eat as are bear roasts. Unfortunatly, we were not successful in our moose hunt but as always had a really good time. Lloyd
About three springs ago I was turkey hunting sitting on the ground leaned against a tree when a hen flew in on top of me. I had to move my head to keep her from flogging me as she came in. She stuck around for ten or fifteen minutes. At any point I could have reached out and grabbed her.
QuoteOriginally posted by mooseman1967:
I've had some close calls with deer but this one was quite interesting. This yearling doe acted like she was stuck in the crotch of a tree in a flooded creek (normally this is dry). If she would of backed out she would of been free. She was so wiped out she didn't fight me at all when I drug her up on the bank which was a chore because it was pretty steep. First pic is of her where I found her the video is when I was trying to get her away from the creek so she wouldn't fall back in. I searched the whole area a couple days after and didn't find any sign of hair pile or remains so hopefully she made it.
(http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu3/dmanwarren/1381360897570_zpsb0632d1e.jpg) (http://s628.photobucket.com/user/dmanwarren/media/1%3Cbr%20/%3E381360897570_zpsb0632d1e.jpg.html)
(http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu3/dmanwarren/th_VID_20131009_184734_701_zps4d0d5c5e.jpg) (http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu3/dmanwarren/VID_20131009_184734_701_zps4d0d5c5e.mp4)
Click on second pic to see vid. Dave
If you didn't read this post or click this video. Do it..
And people say hunters are cold blooded killers....