Kook68~"On the platform was literally hundreds of insect parts. On closer inspection, they were mostly the heads praying mantis. Found that a little weird."

I would bet that the heads were from male praying Mantis as I've read that the breeding female will behead their male partners after breeding.

I guess we men can all be grateful that things don't normally go that route for us...lol

God bless,Mudd

Had a couple things happen.When i used a tree stand seen an albino squirrel and about 2 years ago seen a decent sized bobcat hunting it's way through the woods and several years back while out scouting seen an almost black colored deer.

That's funny Mudd!
Actually, I think the bird was eating them. Evidently, he didn't care for the heads.  

I've watched a flock (or gang) of turkey fly across a field and then swoop up and land in the tree with me and the surrounding trees.  I was sitting up in the branches without a stand.  Closest one was 10' from me.

Another time I watched a vulture try to land in the top of a pine near my stand.  For some reason, the limb too small or he missed, instead of landing he tumbled down bouncing off limbs all the way to the forest floor.  He looked around as if to see if any of his friends had seen him look foolish and then walked away.

Last year on a moose hunt I arrowed a nice ruffed grouse.........bowled him over with a tarantula head and then out of nowhere a lynx grabbed the grouse, looked at me like I just insulted him,(typical cat) swapped ends and exited stage left at a brisk run.......taking "my" grouse with him. I had to eat bacon and sausage for supper in camp that night instead of the chicken dinner I had planned.      :D  
Darcy

Great thread    
I have two that come to mind. The first one was three seasons ago. I was hunting on the ground watching a few grey squirrels going about their daily business and really enjoying watching them. After about two hours of this one got really skiddish and treed itself. The other one wasnt so lucky and before it made it to the nearest oak a hawk swooped down and got it. The quickness and intensity of the moment is something I will never forget. Another memorable hunt is from about 10 years ago when I was hunting in a stand of pines that overlooked a clover field. One particular pine offered great cover and natural shooting lanes if I backed myself against the trunk. On this night a doe and a fawn were feeding in the clover. I had every intent on trying to harvest the doe but she knew someting wasn't right. The fawn didn't have the same instincts and its curiosity brought it under the pine boughs I was standing in less than a few feet away from me. It tried all it could to make me move, bobbing its head in and out of the tree, but I didn't move. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and let out a chuckle, that poor fawn almost died of a heart attack as it reversed ends and got out of there.

A few weeks ago I was hunting in one of my hang-on's overlooking a small field, I had been watching the usual squirrels and chipmunks to pass the time when I heard something behind me moving through the leaves that sounded more like a deer's calculated footsteps rather than a chipmunk scurrying or a squirrel hopping around. I slowly turned my head and didn't see anything (not very thick so if it was a deer I would have seen it). I turned back around, a few seconds later I heard it again, I again slowly turned to see nothing! This went on for about 5 minutes finally I stayed turned looking to where I thought the noise was coming from and I heard it again but this time I could zero in on the exact location and still didn't see a thing!!!! I focused on the 2 foot area where I was sure the noise was coming from when suddenly I caught movement.... It was a box turtle!!!! Funny thing is this is the second time this has happened to me!!!

Keep em coming!!! This is great!!

1. This year I had a red tail hawk land in a near by tree.  we set up there together watching the forest floor together.

2. While in a tree I was inspecting a blistered toe.  stood up to get a warmer hat out of my pack.  I had one hat in one hand and another hat in the other hand one shoe on one shoe off and looked down there stood a BEAR at 10 yards... nothing I could do...

I had an otter in a tiny creek under my stand this morning by Mt Sterling Illinois.  Took a few cell pics and video. Most wouldn't believe it. Saw a 10 pt while I watched the otter...

Scary stuff that has happened to me:
Flying Squirrels landing/bouncing on me or tree
  at dark.
Great Horned owl lands on limb a bow length away.
Fox Squirrel climbs off shoulder.
Mt.Lion stalked up on me while I rattled bucks.

Funny stuff Seen:
Two Squirrels are at the top most branches of a mighty oak. they are fighting and really tearing it up. I watch them chase each other for a few minutes and then all goes silent,I watch them fall through every branch and leaf on that tree until they bounce off the ground. They get up and shake themselves abit and walk off in different directions.

Cool Stuff:
Otter in the pond behind my stand. Not many around Clinton county.

Always cool to be pout thats for sure.
good thread Mike

best part of all these, is you will never see it sitting on a couch.

I spent a long time one day watching a fox hunt mice in the snow.  He would listen and then pounce, listen and pounce, over and over agin. His red fur against the white snow was just beautiful. He had no idea I was there.

A squirrel took me for a tree trunk and climbed on me and up the tree I was against!

I had a 6 point buck standing broad side at about 20 yards holding my bow in ready position. Just then all of a sudden a chickadee landed on my arrow peeping, Your Not Gonna Shoot That Buck Are You! He was there about 30 seconds and flew away. Actually i was going to let the buck pass the whole time. It was a pretty cool moment and i got a good chuckle out of it.  

Several years ago I was glassing late afternoon for mule deer on a ridge I like too hunt. Around a dozen does and fawns along with 5-6 bucks got up around 5:00 to feed. I just sat there glassing from 500 yards away with the spotting scope, hoping to see a big buck get up.

I watched for quite a while, waiting for anything else to get out of their beds, maybe a big one. Suddenly, all the deer stared to the south of the ridge. I glassed that way and saw a lion slowly stalking them. Once it was 100 yards or so from the deer, it took off on a run at them. The deer scattered everywhere, and the lion got within just a few feet of catching one.

After the dust settled, I saw the lion go into a small patch of trees, but never came out. I had a tag in my pocket, so I tried calling it with my voice, using a deer distress sound. (I call many coyotes with that) Anyway, I never saw the lion again.

I will probably never see anything like that in my life again. That was pretty darn neet!

Ok ,I'll type after a few beer: My hunting buddy and I set up about 75 yds apart well before daylight. Got up in my stand and a great horned owl lit about 5 feet from me . I wiggled my finger like a worm and he locked right on me . I figured wow we can see real good in the dark . about 5 minutes he flew off . At lunch , my buddy says "hey an owl lit on a tree neear me in the dark...i wiggled my finger and he locked on me ....i thought I was dead so i quit moving my finger..." I laughed and told him the story of the previous 20 minutes that morning.  
  I was not on this hunt but believe the story as gospel. Same hunting partner shot a squirrel from treestand....seconds later a red tailed hawk swooped down to claim the squack. took him 10 minutes of effort to dislodge the arrow from ground then flies off. Another good friend and hunting partner a 100 yds down the ridge looks up and sees a hawk with a brightly fletched arrow visisble ??? the texts insue then lots af laughter in the treestands

watched 2 porcupines doin it ! ......LOL ..... believe me the males is very careful !!!

On a bear hunt in New Brunswick I was sitting over a bait and 2 Ravens landed in the same tree as me just over my head....maybe 2 feet away. Stayed there for 5 minutes....I never knew how vocal they can be, really neat!

QuoteOriginally posted by Rick Perry:
watched 2 porcupines doin it ! ......LOL ..... believe me the males is very careful !!!

   

It was on the Second Day of Fall Turkey Season, trying out some Brandly New Land to me, and as I was sitting there, trying to look like a Bush, I watched a Good Sized doe come creeping through the woods to my left. She was Very Cautiously stepping closer and closer to where I was sitting!
  She got within about 10 yards of me, when the wind changed, she stuck her nose in the air just about the time she stuck her tail in the air, spun on a dime and was gone in 2 Huge Leaps!! Beautiful Animal, and just awsome to sit and watch her. must have told the Turkeys where I was too, didnt see a one the whole time I was there! Thats ok, it was a Great Day just to be Alive and in the Woods!! Thanked God for that Moment too!!