Close encounter stories

[BSK]

Didn't want to highjack DeerCamp's thread about his recent close encounter with a buck, so thought I would start a new one about close and weird encounters with wildlife. So let's hear your stories...

 

[BSK]

Middle of the afternoon during muzzleloader season. It was a very windy day so I thought I would do a little still hunting just to break the monotony of stand hunting. I'm still hunting along and come up on a solitary fawn. Fawn sees me, and instead of running away, runs right to me! At first I froze not realizing the fawn was actually running to me, but eventually I figure out this is a fawn that has been run off by its mother while she is being bred. The fawn is completely lost without its mother and decides to imprint on me as its mother. For the next half hour this fawn follows behind me like a puppy, mewing like a cat. I couldn't get it to leave until I got close to our hunting cabin, and even then it seemed reluctant. This wasn't the last time I've seen fawns running through the woods looking for their mothers during the peak of breeding. I even watched a doe with triplet fawns trying to chase them away as she came into estrus. A total hoot. She would run one off while the other two chased after her.

 

[RS]

A few years ago I was heading back to the house on the four wheeler after a morning hunt. As I started down the logging road into the hollow, I noticed a yearling 4 point at the bottom of the hollow walking up the road in the my direction. I turned the four wheeler off and just sat there, and that buck walked all the way up the hill on the road and passed right beside me. I could have reached out and touched him. He acted like I wasn't even there.

 

[UCStandSitter]

Middle of the afternoon during muzzleloader season. It was a very windy day so I thought I would do a little still hunting just to break the monotony of stand hunting. I'm still hunting along and come up on a solitary fawn. Fawn sees me, and instead of running away, runs right to me! At first I froze not realizing the fawn was actually running to me, but eventually I figure out this is a fawn that has been run off by its mother while she is being bred. The fawn is completely lost without its mother and decides to imprint on me as its mother. For the next half hour this fawn follows behind me like a puppy, mewing like a cat. I couldn't get it to leave until I got close to our hunting cabin, and even then it seemed reluctant. This wasn't the last time I've seen fawns running through the woods looking for their mothers during the peak of breeding. I even watched a doe with triplet fawns trying to chase them away as she came into estrus. A total hoot. She would run one off while the other two chased after her.

Huh. My parents used to make me go play in the backyard on Sunday afternoons. Didn't understand why till I was older. Still never followed anyone around though. lol

 

[BSK]

Huh. My parents used to make me go play in the backyard on Sunday afternoons. Didn't understand why till I was older. Still never followed anyone around though. lol

Ha!

 

[BSK]

Muzzleloader season, near peak of the rut. Hunting a long narrow ridge and end up shooting a nice 2 1/2 year-old 8-point. This is before the days of game carts or ATVs, so I've got about a 100-yard drag to get to the closest road I can get my truck in on. Woods were very dry and dragging that buck made a huge amount of noise. In between drags I hear something running through the woods straight towards me. Up onto the top of the ridge runs a little fork-horn. He runs right up to me and stops staring at me. I'm standing there with this dead buck's antlers in my hands and don't really know what to do other than freeze. Eventually the yearling bucks gets bored and slowly wanders off. Giving the buck enough time to get a good distance away, I start dragging the dead buck again. Crash, crash, crash, here comes the yearling buck again. Again we have a stare off at about 10 feet. This pattern repeats itself 2 more times before I get the dead buck to the road.

It was that experience that taught me 1) yearling bucks can be dumb as bricks around the rut; and 2) ANY noise in the leaves, no matter how loud, during the peak of the rut can cause bucks to come running, thinking they are going to get in on an estrus doe chase.

 

[Harold Money jr]

There is a brushy draw on the corner of my property, I'd always thought something was special about it but, didn't know how to hunt it. One foggy morning during the rut I snuck in there just looking around. I hadn't gone 10 yards when I saw a small fork horn come out of the fog running by me with its tail tucked. I thought it's body language was very odd. I stood there for another minute or so, then on the quiet pine needles snuck another 10' or so. Then I stepped on a stick and all heck broke loose. I heard the most intimidating snorting, running and breaking of limbs coming right at me. I thought it was one of our cattle but, couldn't believe it was going that fast. All of a sudden a nice 8 point came out of the fog from about 20' away charging me full speed head down and ears back. Honestly I had thought I was ready for anything but, in that second all I could do was stiffen up and brace for impact. He realized at the last possible foot what I was and turned to the left. He touched my leg with his ham as he went by. I stood there shaking in my boots with the adrenaline. He apparently had a hot doe in there and was having a hard time keeping the young bucks at bay and thought I was one of them.

 

[Headhunter]

made a stalk on one of the better bucks I have ever killed with a bow. got within a few feet of him. Got to full draw, he turned and looked at me, I had blue jeans, camo t-shirt and head net for clothes. He finally turned back around and looked out in front of him. I shot him right behind the shoulder. He made it about 90 yards and dropped. My daughter and myself with him at the old Cyde's bait store in La Vergne.

 

[BSK]

There is a brushy draw on the corner of my property, I'd always thought something was special about it but, didn't know how to hunt it. One foggy morning during the rut I snuck in there just looking around. I hadn't gone 10 yards when I saw a small fork horn come out of the fog running by me with its tail tucked. I thought it's body language was very odd. I stood there for another minute or so, then on the quiet pine needles snuck another 10' or so. Then I stepped on a stick and all heck broke loose. I heard the most intimidating snorting, running and breaking of limbs coming right at me. I thought it was one of our cattle but, couldn't believe it was going that fast. All of a sudden a nice 8 point came out of the fog from about 20' away charging me full speed head down and ears back. Honestly I had thought I was ready for anything but, in that second all I could do was stiffen up and brace for impact. He realized at the last possible foot what I was and turned to the left. He touched my leg with his ham as he went by. I stood there shaking in my boots with the adrenaline. He apparently had a hot doe in there and was having a hard time keeping the young bucks at bay and thought I was one of them.

That would be scary! Think I would need to change my shorts after that encounter!

 

[Headhunter]

One morning, breaking daylight, still couldn't see well, cloudy, I am walking in across a fresh cut field, and it is freezing cold. I could hear a "deer" walking and there are dips. I decided to try to pull a sneak and get close. Well I get close. I am looking, even with my Leica binos, nothing. I know I am close, real close because I could hear the "deer" walking. I finally look down, I am close to stepping on a huge skunk. Yep, that one got my heart going.

 

[megalomaniac]

Was walking 500y to my stand several years ago dragging a tarsal gland off a buck behind me through the open field, while talking to a buddy on the phone. I got about halfway to the stand when I noticed a 2.5yo 8 following on the scent drag bristled out and ears laid back. I stopped with him staring at me 100y away and he just kept coming. I thought it was hilarious until he got to 50y and still coming for a fight. Told my buddy I've got to get off the phone as I may have to shoot this buck if he doesn't stop. I yelled at him, failed my arms at him and he finally locked up at 40y, bristled down and just stared at me. After another 45s of yelling at him to go away, he just turned and walked off slowly.

I wasn't ever scared, but I did think I was going to have to waste a buck tag on him.

 

[sharpshooter]

My uncle, cousin, brother and I went duck hunting one morning and set out to hunt on a small island we had been to before. We get there before daylight to put our decoys out, but noticed something was "out of place" on the backside of the island out in the water. After hunting for a while and not seeing much I walk around the back side of the island to let my black lab do his business. This is when I discover what was "out of place". A small buck had evidently swam across the river and hit an area that was frozen. He broke ice as far as he could instead of turning around and going the other way. We took the boat out to him and my cousin grabs his antlers and we drag him back to a shallow spot so he can get his legs under himself. This poor fella was scared and worn out. We ended up taking him across the river and helped him up into a sunny, grassy area. On the way back to the boat ramp a few hours later we go over to where we left him and he jumps up and runs to the woods.

 

[BSK]

Dang that's crazy sharpshooter!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

There is a brushy draw on the corner of my property, I'd always thought something was special about it but, didn't know how to hunt it. One foggy morning during the rut I snuck in there just looking around. I hadn't gone 10 yards when I saw a small fork horn come out of the fog running by me with its tail tucked. I thought it's body language was very odd. I stood there for another minute or so, then on the quiet pine needles snuck another 10' or so. Then I stepped on a stick and all heck broke loose. I heard the most intimidating snorting, running and breaking of limbs coming right at me. I thought it was one of our cattle but, couldn't believe it was going that fast. All of a sudden a nice 8 point came out of the fog from about 20' away charging me full speed head down and ears back. Honestly I had thought I was ready for anything but, in that second all I could do was stiffen up and brace for impact. He realized at the last possible foot what I was and turned to the left. He touched my leg with his ham as he went by. I stood there shaking in my boots with the adrenaline. He apparently had a hot doe in there and was having a hard time keeping the young bucks at bay and thought I was one of them.

I have a very similar experience. This was back around 2008. I remember that because I was after a big buck we had pictures of in this immediate area. I happened to have a stand about 30 yards from the camera. Well, one morning before light, I was headed in. I don't ever use a light unless I absolutely have to. This morning was damp, cold and just light enough to see. I could walk very quietly. I was sneaking along and made it to about 60 yards from that camera. The old trail pivoted and I had to make about 5-6 steps to get back on the trail. After 2 steps in the pivot (somewhat crunchy), all hell broke loose about 10 yards from me. One deer came straight at me and stood in the trail I just walked down at approximately the length of a car. The other deer I could hear running off down through the hollow. If you all remember those old green stream light pens, I had one of those and started digging slowly in my pocket. This deer started walking straight toward me and I just see his back swaying back and forth as if he was stiff-legged. I got the light out and my gun up, then pulled the hammer back and pressed the light on simultaneously….I did this because I didn't know what type reaction he would have once the light came on. Pressed the light and there he stood, the buck I was after, standing about 6-7' from me. Stood there for what seemed like hours, he eventually turned to my right, took about 10 steps then bounded off. I just stood there for a few minutes processing it, then went and got in my stand 70 yards away. I sat there for the first hour of light and realized he probably wasn't going to come back through there. I suspected it was him bedded with a doe and I broke up the party. When I got down, I went over and sure enough, there was a big bed and a smaller bed about 10' apart. Never saw him again

 

[TNTreeman]

I hunted a killer farm in Nolensville that is now all huge houses but that place was eat up with coyotes . A pair of them was running this buck to death, he was soaked from sweat and exhaustEd. I shot the one yote then within minutes the other one came over and was attacking his dead buddy , got that one too. That buck just stood there in shock and finally laid down . I drug the yotes out of the field and slowly walked towards the buck . I would sit down , then walk , over and over till I could almost touch him. I got about 10' from him and sat down and talked to him . I wasn't sure if he was injured or what and after about 30 minutes he got up and trotted off. I saw him multiple times later that season and was fine.

 

[Lost Lake]

When I carry a selfbow during archery season, I'll use a backquiver made from a coyote and my wooden arrows are fletched with turkey wing feathers. Usually, I'll hang the quiver on a hook at about shoulder height, so I can quickly access an arrow if need be.

One morning I watched as a Redtail Hawk landed about 50 yards from me. I could tell by the look on his face that he'd spotted my furry quiver laden with turkey feathers. I'm sure it looked like a potential meal for him.

He dropped off of his perch and flew silently toward my head, and when he was maybe ten feet away I waived my arms and said, "BOO!!!!!"

The look on his face as his eyes popped out was priceless, as he backstroked himself away as fast as he could. I've had that happen several times over the years.

 

[Lost Lake]

On another archery hunt, a female bobcat and her kittens crossed my scent trail near my treestand. The mother hissed and growled as the kittens climbed trees around me no more than a few feet away. The kittens and I are all hanging there looking at each other, and each of us too scared to move, while mom is pacing back and forth trying to locate the danger.

After about two years, they descended the trees and all moved off into the woods. My lungs and bladder started working again, and I wondered how close I'd come to having my britches shredded.

 

[BSK]

Those are two great stories Lost Lake.

 

[BSK]

TNTreeman, very cool story.

 

[BSK]

I have a very similar experience. This was back around 2008. I remember that because I was after a big buck we had pictures of in this immediate area. I happened to have a stand about 30 yards from the camera. Well, one morning before light, I was headed in. I don't ever use a light unless I absolutely have to. This morning was damp, cold and just light enough to see. I could walk very quietly. I was sneaking along and made it to about 60 yards from that camera. The old trail pivoted and I had to make about 5-6 steps to get back on the trail. After 2 steps in the pivot (somewhat crunchy), all hell broke loose about 10 yards from me. One deer came straight at me and stood in the trail I just walked down at approximately the length of a car. The other deer I could hear running off down through the hollow. If you all remember those old green stream light pens, I had one of those and started digging slowly in my pocket. This deer started walking straight toward me and I just see his back swaying back and forth as if he was stiff-legged. I got the light out and my gun up, then pulled the hammer back and pressed the light on simultaneously….I did this because I didn't know what type reaction he would have once the light came on. Pressed the light and there he stood, the buck I was after, standing about 6-7' from me. Stood there for what seemed like hours, he eventually turned to my right, took about 10 steps then bounded off. I just stood there for a few minutes processing it, then went and got in my stand 70 yards away. I sat there for the first hour of light and realized he probably wasn't going to come back through there. I suspected it was him bedded with a doe and I broke up the party. When I got down, I went over and sure enough, there was a big bed and a smaller bed about 10' apart. Never saw him again

I think I would have pooped myself.