Close encounters!

This was back in the days of film cameras, I had a little point and shoot canon with a 28mm lens ........ I had already tagged a moose earlier in the year, but was out with my hunting partner. We had spotted a larger bull and this little guy. While my partner was working in on the other bull I thought I would play around, call this one in a little closer, see how close I could get. Well eventually he got frustrated with me, and much to my chagrin he put a little bluff charge on! I remember shouting and waving my arms about, absolutely no recollection of composing and taking this photo, but there it was when I got the film back. Not quite touching close, but if you consider the wide angle lens, close enough for me.

I've had a few pretty close interactions (within 10 feet) with black bears, but they all ended well enough for both parties, the odd warning shot or puff of bear spray. No photos of these though.
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[/url]charge by Jonathan dowdell, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
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the spank said:
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!!!
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About those talons;

When I was 12 my dad found an injured hawk in the ditch and brought it home to nurse it back to health. Every day dad would feed it some stew meat. He would put on an elbow length thick leather welding glove and have the hawk jump up onto his right arm while he hand fed the steak from his left.

This was working great until one day the hawk decided he’d just go where the food was. He jumped on to my pops unprotected left hand and sunk his talons into the meaty part of his palm. He had to gingerly pull out one long talon at a time until the hawk finally let go and jumped to the ground. One talon made a complete pass through and came out the back side of his hand. Ouch.
 
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lledwod said:
This was back in the days of film cameras, I had a little point and shoot canon with a 28mm lens ........ I had already tagged a moose earlier in the year, but was out with my hunting partner. We had spotted a larger bull and this little guy. While my partner was working in on the other bull I thought I would play around, call this one in a little closer, see how close I could get. Well eventually he got frustrated with me, and much to my chagrin he put a little bluff charge on! I remember shouting and waving my arms about, absolutely no recollection of composing and taking this photo, but there it was when I got the film back. Not quite touching close, but if you consider the wide angle lens, close enough for me.

I've had a few pretty close interactions (within 10 feet) with black bears, but they all ended well enough for both parties, the odd warning shot or puff of bear spray. No photos of these though.
2972731380_6ae0319857_z.jpg
[/URL]charge by Jonathan dowdell, on Flickr[/IMG]
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That clearly qualifies as closeup evidence :)
 
We had a squirrel when I was a kid that my dad would feed peanuts too from his hand. It would come around the back porch everyday around dinner time. One day when dad wasn't around to give it some peanuts, the squirrel jumped up on the back door screen and peed onto the kitchen floor through the screen. My mom wasn't too thrilled with that squirrel after that episode.
 
awesome thread. i'm still new to hunting (less than 5 years) so the only close encounter i had was last year turkey hunting almost had a racoon walk over my legs so i poked it with my shotgun. few days later had a porcupine at 4ft and was stubborn. still get really nervous when wildlife is that close... i couldn't imagine what i'd do if i was as close as some people have been to bears and moose.
 
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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Talking with my cable guy this morning ( old bud from way back ) and we got to talking about how dear can be noisy and bold , told him my xmas story ,he started laughing and said found xmas morning ( incert my name) found dead, Under curious circumstances Investigation Ensuing!Probable death by blow to head ! Investigating the white fur found on face of the Deceased ! Would have been quite the scandal LoL!Laugh2Laugh2Laugh2Laugh2
 
Had a few bears load themselves into the back of my truck over the years. Twice on to the back of my quad. Used fryer oil is messy stuff. Deer and elk in touching range. Lots of cool interaction with martin/fisher/lynx, they often don't show fear. Lots of great experiences happen when you actually get "in" the bush rather than driving or quading around it.
 
Not a hunting close encounter, but several years ago, I had to get a chainsaw part out of one of my sheds. It didn't have hydro, but I knew where the part was, so I went in using my BIC lighter for light. I heard a noise at my feet, under the counter, and there was this nervous little skunk. It scurried, trying to get its aim on me, but it was standing on a pile of boards, which moved at that precise time, throwing it off balance. I hastily retreated, followed soon after by an indignant little skunk. No harm done, though!
 
I was driving down the Skagway road and saw a decent black bear disappear over the shoulder of the road. Stopped and got out and walked up to where he had disappeared. I was looking down a deep ditch and saw a brown black bear at the bottom probably 30 mtrs away. This was not the bear I had seen. Just then I noticed a movement to my left and there was the blackie I had seen not more than 6 feet from me, I shouldered my 350 RM and swung it onto him in about 1/2 a second and dumped his ass in a heartbeat with the 225 AB. Of course he rolled right to the bottom of the ditch. We could have shook hands but he seemed a bit shy. I have had this happen several times when a bear spooks off the road without really being scared, they come back to see what spooked them. You end up being nose to nose with them at literally several feet......this is why I love my Mod 7 KS 350 RM........dead bear !!!!!!!!!!
 
c-fbmi said:
I was driving down the Skagway road and saw a decent black bear disappear over the shoulder of the road. Stopped and got out and walked up to where he had disappeared. I was looking down a deep ditch and saw a brown black bear at the bottom probably 30 mtrs away. This was not the bear I had seen. Just then I noticed a movement to my left and there was the blackie I had seen not more than 6 feet from me, I shouldered my 350 RM and swung it onto him in about 1/2 a second and dumped his ass in a heartbeat with the 225 AB. Of course he rolled right to the bottom of the ditch. We could have shook hands but he seemed a bit shy. I have had this happen several times when a bear spooks off the road without really being scared, they come back to see what spooked them. You end up being nose to nose with them at literally several feet......this is why I love my Mod 7 KS 350 RM........dead bear !!!!!!!!!!
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an admitted road hunter
 
"Close Encounters of the Furred Kind" - Great thread.

My contributions are modest. Standing in light bush waiting for deer when a cow and calf appeared out of nowhere. Very few moose in the area, so just seeing them was an event. Tagged for deer only. Cow and calf slowly, steadily walked up downwind(!), so I stood very still to see what might happen.

Cow came straight toward me within 8 metres, calf right behind, both still walking. I raised the thirty-nothin' six to my shoulder, and that movement caused them to stop, then bolt away.
 
Fast forward a few seasons later. Buddy working down in a narrow, heavily-wooded gulch. I was walking parallel to gulch in light bush. I hear a noise, then a lot of noise, all in the space of a couple seconds. Eight-pointer crests the edge of the draw very close, coming straight at me. Instinct took over, neck shot at four metres, forward momentum brought him within a barrel-length of my feet. Don't think he ever saw me.

Later realized that I had been walking across an under-used path at that moment.
 
Game calls will attract predators. Called in a pair of Grizzlies a while back calling Elk. I was upslope on a clearing when I saw them emerge from the timber below about 200 meters away heading straight toward my position. I made a quiet and hasty retreat at right angles through the timber then downslope to get behind them to go in the opposite direction to where they were headed. Time to call it a day.

Called in a Wolf pack a couple of seasons ago calling Moose. One was north of my position and was howling. Then the rest of the pack south of my position began howling. Next I heard the Wolf to the north running through the bush toward my position. Couldn't see it through the bush but it got well within 50 meters then veered around me. Then I saw it on the trail to the south. Time to call it a day. Again.

No predators called in this past season. Inevitable to happen again one of these seasons. Using calls sure is fun because you just never know what you will attract. :)

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Hunters call in a Grizzly. :eek:

 
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Frick'n bears.
Spring season coming up.
Some dew revenge commith.

Ardent sparked a memory with a grizz.
Fly in hunt years ago up in Buckley Lake.
The old boss, I and his buddy and camp was skinny.
Three man pup tent.
Ol paw figured this trip I should take the old cannon.
And I did as he suggested.
Middle of the night the hair on the back me neck was standing tall.
Something real close woke me up.
Dint move for a bit and then the hair laid down.
Come morning I found big grizzly prints inches from my side of the tent.
Wish I had something shorter laying beside me t'uther than the Old Schultz.

Good grizz. More nozey than mischevious.
Left our camp alone.
 
Fishing trip in western Manitoba in a popout trailer with a friend and the campground had a young garbage bear. They ( C.O.'s or whatever they were called there then) were trying unsuccessfully to trap him. I could write a book about this one. Several encounters. Second one sleeping 2 am this little black bear snuffles in my ear and bumps me in the head thru the mesh. I JOLTED upright on my feet. First and last time I've ever done that. Grabbed an axe and yelling and running back and forth in the little trailer. My friend awoke from his slumbers started yelling too grabbed a baseball bat and we both jumped out of the trailer ready to fight. Of course the bear was long gone by that point....
 
razorbeck said:
an admitted road hunter
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I read that as he was driving and just happened to have a gun and tag with him. Take an opportunity when its presented to you. Do you walk to your hunting grounds and would you pass up an shot at your quarry if encountered on the way?
 
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A half meter long puff-adder an inch from my boot, and a charge by a large warthog, both while hunting on a friends farm in South Africa.
 
c-fbmi said:
I was driving down the Skagway road and saw a decent black bear disappear over the shoulder of the road. Stopped and got out and walked up to where he had disappeared. I was looking down a deep ditch and saw a brown black bear at the bottom probably 30 mtrs away. This was not the bear I had seen. Just then I noticed a movement to my left and there was the blackie I had seen not more than 6 feet from me, I shouldered my 350 RM and swung it onto him in about 1/2 a second and dumped his ass in a heartbeat with the 225 AB. Of course he rolled right to the bottom of the ditch. We could have shook hands but he seemed a bit shy. I have had this happen several times when a bear spooks off the road without really being scared, they come back to see what spooked them. You end up being nose to nose with them at literally several feet......this is why I love my Mod 7 KS 350 RM........dead bear !!!!!!!!!!
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i had a black bear that barked at me but i didnt have a 350 in my hand ...
 
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