QuoteOriginally posted by beachbowhunter:
Shot a javelina at about two steps. Whip was about 10 yards away at the time.

Good times!  

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.

 

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.


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!          

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.