Close encounters!

my closest call was at quiet lake in the yukon. it was during the summer and of course not really nightfall. in the morning, we thought we were alone (didnt see any cars the day before when we arrived), we heard a big noise in the forest and some broken branches woke me up very well ...

i jump out of the sleeping bag and actionned the pump of the shotgun then i heard a scared voice outside do not shoot this is only my dog ....

that was a close call ....
 
Been close to a few mule deer does , one time I was with in 15 feet of 8 does, I was looking for a big buck, I sat down on my rattling horns, they new I was there but weren't worried, big guy never showed, but was nice sitting there for about 1 hr then it got dark, a little tricky getting back to my truck that night!
Another time I was within 2 ft of a black bear face to face - not my choice!
I was walking through the bush following a faint trail, it had been raining most of the day, sneaking along hoping to catch a deer
When I went to step over a log and ended up slipping and falling on my face in the mud, I looked up and was staring at black bear in his den, yikes , the. Good part was he was pretty sleepy, he didn't even move but was looking at me,
Fastest I ever got up in my life, I still know exactly where that was to this day
 
Many close encounters but the most nerve wracking was bowhunting, calling moose at a mineral lick. Cow and two calves came in and walked right by the tree I was sitting beside, last calf stopped, bent his head around the tree and sniffed me. No reaction but I couldn't help thinking if that cow comes at me I'm in it deep haha.
 
Walking home from my parents place chrismas eve ,went threw the old trail /lane and was watching where I was putting my feet ( it was real icy ) with only the moon light to see by , the next thing I hear see is a hove wizzing by my head and a flash of white flag then a dear spread eagle on the ice scrambling to get away ! It could have killed me or knocked me silly ! No one would have missed me till dinner next day ! Didn't fall down but it scared the beejesus out of me !
 
I had several with bears. One of the closest was when I was 7 or 8 and went to visit a friend. This was before plastic garbage bags. As I was walking up the back steps, I saw something black just beside the stair and thought his Mom must have thrown out an old coat or something. Then it moved. It was a medium-sized bear about 3 feet from me. I went home, told my Dad, who called the (then) Lands and Forests. They told him to shoot it.

Another interesting one is a few years ago when I caught 2 skunks at the same time in a live trap. I ended up covering the cage with an old bed sheet, then a blue tarp. I loaded them up in a garbage drum, and drove them about 30 miles out of town. My original plan was to shoot the skunk inside the cage, but with 2 of them, I figured the wise move was just to let them go. Odd thing, they were extremely relaxed and quiet all the way out (I had laid the drum on its side)
 
buzzmagoo said:
Walking home from my parents place chrismas eve ,went threw the old trail /lane and was watching where I was putting my feet ( it was real icy ) with only the moon light to see by , the next thing I hear see is a hove wizzing by my head and a flash of white flag then a dear spread eagle on the ice scrambling to get away ! It could have killed me or knocked me silly ! No one would have missed me till dinner next day ! Didn't fall down but it scared the beejesus out of me !
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I think there's a song about that...
 
dutchhunter said:
Its seems funny
But while turkey hunting in the spring deer will get very very close to hunters. I had a big doe step on my foot well I was sitting against a big tree. Also have had a few turkeys with in reach. Funny things happen well sitting in the dark against a big old tree I have had coons skunks and e other little critters crawl over my legs well turkey hunting.
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Ive had birds land on my shoulder, and crossbow while sitting in the stand. Had a huge owl land on a branch about three feet away, and two racoons climb the trunk of the tree I had my stand in.
 
buzzmagoo said:
Walking home from my parents place chrismas eve ,went threw the old trail /lane and was watching where I was putting my feet ( it was real icy ) with only the moon light to see by , the next thing I hear see is a hove wizzing by my head and a flash of white flag then a dear spread eagle on the ice scrambling to get away ! It could have killed me or knocked me silly ! No one would have missed me till dinner next day ! Didn't fall down but it scared the beejesus out of me !
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A few years ago we were on a bike trip in the states, two deer ran out in front of the guy riding in front of me. The first deer leaped up as the fella was trying to brake, and the deer,s leg kicked him in the helmet, and left a nice mark on it. It ended well for both of them that day, the deer ran off, and my pal didn't drop the bike. The fella behind me caught it all on his Go Pro.
 
A couple deer seasons ago I had a two bucks come out about 100 yds away. They stood there for a bit but looked edgy. The small one suddenly took off but only seconds before I shot the larger of the two. The one I shot was down right away in the middle of the little clearing. All of sudden the other buck came back through going Mach 2 and jumped right over my dead deer. About 20 seconds later a bear cub and its mother walked out. So I happily sat there watching them goof around down by my deer (no bear tag). I was sitting in a little pop up blind and had decided I would keep a round chambered and ready to go just in case. Well, all of a sudden the sow must have got wind of me cuz she started going nuts. She was running back and forth side to side between me and her cub trying to locate the source. Suddenly she stopped and like a radar beam locked in on my position. She stood up stared right at me and made a wicked sound. That was enough for me. I threw open the blind and started yelling and making a racket to get her to move on. No way man....she charged fast straight at me for about 40 yards. Gun up, heart pounding and waiting to shoot but she turned and went back. The cub didn’t want to leave though. I started moving towards my left to get closer to my truck and away from pissed off momma bear. Well that caused another furious charge to about 50-60 yds away. I picked up my pace and got to an area where I wasn’t a threat to her cub anymore so she calmed a bit and went into the brush. About 20 minutes later me and a bud were walking towards my deer when the sow comes flying out of the woods again straight at us only this time she was about 50 yds and closing fast. She must have decided two against one wasn’t cool so she turned and bolted back into the woods. My buddy and I fired into the ground in front of her and she finally took off in the bush with her cub in tow. The noises she was making and the tree shaking and general frenzy were amazing.
The funny part was my buddy though. He was laughing at me when I told him about the bear. “Big guy with a gun is afraid of a little bear” he said. Lol.
Well you should have seen him jump and swear and nearly load his drawers when she came out the third time. He even laughed at himself and said “I can see why you were a little freaked out. That was intense”.
I got the last laugh and made him load my deer into the truck.
 
Have had Grizzlies outside my tent on several occasions, not hard to accomplish mind you camping in the middle of the salmon run. Never the one you wanted mind you. Had it up top too in the mountains, he was one I wanted and had my tag, but was guiding a client who’s priorities were greater than mine. Aside from those the usual close shots, but nothing too wild, 5-7 yard black bear, a couple close moose but still over 10y, Cape buffalo at inside 15, that one was exciting, but I’ve heard Hoyt’s experiences in person and they win. One of my guides was run over by a sow Grizz awhile ago, and nearly had it happen again this October, was 5 yards away and he was screaming his lungs out at her. #### happens when you play in wild places.
 
Poked a mama raccoon with her babies in the nose with my shotgun as I was setting up for turkeys. Turns out I was at the bottom of their tree and they were on their way back from a night out.

Had a doe clobber my turkey decoys and snuck up on foxes sleeping on hay bales. Bears run across in front of my atv and moose wander by within feet. None of this happens during their respective seasons though,

Patrick
 
Once when I was out shooting gophers with a 22 I was walking though the long grass and just about stepped on a badger, scared the bejeebus out of me and I took a quick shot and departed at top speed. I think my first shot was a lucky spine shot because it didn't move to much as I stood on a little mound 10 yards away and emptied my clip into it to make sure it was dead
 
Stuck an arrow in a bull elk after it charged to within a few feet of me!
Then had a grizzly follow within 50 yards while packing that elk out in the night by myself.
 
Had a fawn go between my legs one day when checking my trail camera.

I was standing in the swamp on the deer path checking my camera and it's long grass so you can't see more than 10 feet each way. Just heard a splash beside me and looked to see a doe and twin fawns standing there. The doe got my scent and she did one stomp (the splash) then snorted and took off towards me and jumped off the trail about 3 feet from me, both fawns right behind her and one fawn followed her beside me and the other one couldn't make the turn and I just put my hand out and it ducked under and went right between my legs. It bawled once when it hit the inside of my leg then kept going. I was a bit shocked what just happened but had a good laugh walking out.

Had a turkey hen walk over my legs while she was heading to my hen decoy to give her a talking to.

Rather large black bear bluff charge me out of no where when I was seeking into my bait. He stopped at about 10-12 yards and turned around and left. I had my compound and was yelling and waving my arms. Thought I was screwed. Never heard or felt my heart beat so hard before
 
Years ago a buddy and I were tucked in some tag alders along a field edge sitting on the ground using a predator call hoping to call in a fox. After a few minutes watching after a series of calls I picked up the scotch game call and start a rabbit in distress call. Suddenly there is a whoosh sound and flash of wings. Just inches from my face is a yellow set of legs with outstretched talons and three hunters, two human and one avian, a big grey owl recognizing each other at the same instant and all 3 of us are scrambling in reverse away from each other. I’ll never forget that moment as long as I live. Man those talons look mean at eye level outstretched a foot or less away from your face!!!
 
Got home from a 3 to 11 shift, put a fire on in the stove in my detached garage, went in the house told my wife I was gonna have a bite and then go to garage and work on my snow machine. I grabbed a couple of beers and went out to the garage.

I finished up around 3AM, I was about to lock up the man door on the garage when some movement by the bird feeder in the back yard caught my eye. I turned and looked and there was this big timber wolf digging in the snow under the bird feeder twenty feet away from me, almost instantly our eyes met and all the fur on his back went straight up, and then he just bolted right for me.

Thankfully I hadn't gotten the door locked yet so I burst threw the door into the garage and slammed that door harder then I have ever a slammed a door in my life. I was honestly expecting to feel that wolf being hit by the door being slammed. That wolf was big, close and coming towards me fast and I'll admit it, it scared me. Funny thing though after I was in the garage for about three or four seconds I got real pissed, so I grabbed a baseball bat that I keep by the door and ran out to beat that SOB into a pulp, but he was already running down the road back towards the bush.
 
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