Closest you've ever been to an animal?

[BOWMARKS]

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!!!        

[Cookie125]

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.

[halfseminole]

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.

[BRITTMAN]

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

[Phrogdrvr]

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.

[GreyGoose]

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.

[buckeye_hunter]

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!

[canuck4570]

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.....

[Cootling]

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 @$$.

[jhg]

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

[boznarras]

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....

[boznarras]

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....

[stillhunter]

Great experience boznarras! Hope you didn't have pancakes and syrup for breakfast.lol By the way what did you say to him?

[Bldtrailer]

Had a fawn stick it's head      into my ground blinds window (66x66) and had a ground hog(and chickmunks) run through it under my seat.

[boznarras]

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.

[mnbwhtr]

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.

[Matthew Bolton]

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

[Sam S]

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

[FerretWYO]

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.

[mike g]

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....