Scary encounters

[slave601]

About 10 years ago maybe a little longer me and buddy of mine were hunting southern Missouri in the ozarks a long ways from any civilization. We decided to try a new road we had never been down. We drive a long ways in there and figured we'd park the truck split up and try to roost some birds. He walked one way I walked the opposite. I walked up a pig trail probably 3-4 hundred yards and I turned the corner and saw a man standing there with no shirt on and camo pants. I whistled and he turned around and saw me. He takes off running away from me like a mad man. I turned around and ran back towards the truck not knowing what in the world I had stumbled up on. As soon as I make it back to the truck I hear a vehicle coming down that pig trail FAST. The guy was in an older model Ford and nearly took out our truck. My buddy come hurrying back to the truck wondering what was going on. I told him get in the truck and let's get the heck outta here. Needless to say we didn't hunt that area the next morning

[Turkeybutt]

I was deer hunting in the mountains of Penna some years back as a quest at my friends hunting cabin. Not knowing the area, I would walk a few steps, stop, listen and watch the area for any movement.
I came up over a rise and about 60 yards away I noticed another hunter. Not wanting to be intrusive and interfere with his or her hunt I waved at them, and they waved back, and I started to walk in another direction. I stopped and while looking around, trying to decide what I wanted to do I looked back in their direction and person now had their gun up scoping me! I yelled at them while waving my arms and they put the gun down. I started to walk away and again this person put the gun up pointed in my direction. Again I'm yelling waving my arms. This happened for a third time and I yelled over to them saying, "how would you like it if I came over there and put that gun up your butt" and started in their direction. The person took off running and I was left wondering who this person was and what was their intentions.
A little while later I ran into my buddy's father and uncle and they knew something was wrong with me by the way I looked. I relayed the story and they said, "Let's go back to the cabin and get some coffee."  On the way back I was falling behind thinking about my encounter knowing this person could have pulled the trigger, dropped me and just walked away. They stopped allowing me to catch up and asked what was wrong.
I said if I go back to the cabin and think about what just happened, I might not ever hunt again. I told them to go ahead without me and I stayed out hunting.

[Sir-diealot]

I was deer hunting in the mountains of Penna some years back as a quest at my friends hunting cabin. Not knowing the area, I would walk a few steps, stop, listen and watch the area for any movement.
I came up over a rise and about 60 yards away I noticed another hunter. Not wanting to be intrusive and interfere with his or her hunt I waved at them, and they waved back, and I started to walk in another direction. I stopped and while looking around, trying to decide what I wanted to do I looked back in their direction and person now had their gun up scoping me! I yelled at them while waving my arms and they put the gun down. I started to walk away and again this person put the gun up pointed in my direction. Again I'm yelling waving my arms. This happened for a third time and I yelled over to them saying, "how would you like it if I came over there and put that gun up your butt" and started in their direction. The person took off running and I was left wondering who this person was and what was their intentions.
A little while later I ran into my buddy's father and uncle and they knew something was wrong with me by the way I looked. I relayed the story and they said, "Let's go back to the cabin and get some coffee."  On the way back I was falling behind thinking about my encounter knowing this person could have pulled the trigger, dropped me and just walked away. They stopped allowing me to catch up and asked what was wrong.
I said if I go back to the cabin and think about what just happened, I might not ever hunt again. I told them to go ahead without me and I stayed out hunting.

Not saying this was the case but I will never hunt with a person if I see them using their scope as binoculars, if they are stupid and dangerous that way what other way are they stupid and dangerous? It is one of the first things they tell you not to do in Hunters Safety Class and for very good reason.

[Hughesjr60]

I was hunting some public land back in 2020 way out like I had for many years but this was Covid year and everybody was out on Wednesday of opening day. I was sitting up on this ridge top against a huge dead fall. I had a hen decoy out. About a half hour after sun rise I was calling a little and I heard some idiot in the river bottom below me using a crow call to my south. To my north I hear a guy trying to use a turkey call and yelping on it. I thought I better go get that decoy before I get shot, mind you it was a single hen. I grabbed it and shoved it back behind me against that deadfall. 3 minutes later right where my decoy had been I see this idiot gun drawn creeping up the hill. I yell HEY. He drops his gun and says whoa where did that turkey go. I said what? He said there was a hen yelling up here. I said that was me, and you can't shoot hens anyway. He muttered around and said oh I know I thought a gobbler would be up here too. Man you sounded real. I said yes like a hen not a gobbler. Then he told me he didn't really turkey hunt but he was off paid for 6 weeks. I text my buddy and he said why don't you come hunt the private farm I hunt so I packed up and left. I don't use decoys on public anymore when I do hunt it.

[aclawrence]

Good stuff. Keep the stories coming. There's a really good thread like this on Rokslide. People are definitely the scariest things we can encounter. There's really just not that much to be scared of in the woods in Alabama. I agree sometimes I can feel a little anxious way back on the desolate dirt roads. I usually try to be quiet and have my flashlight ready to shine and scan all around my truck when I coming out after dark from a deer hunt.  We have a huge national forest not too far from me and I've heard of people running into some pretty scary stuff in there. Like large groups of people dressed up and doing Satanic stuff.


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[mcw3734]

Turkey hunting in Idaho and I was working a group of birds maybe 100 yards out, and out of sight, for a long time with no luck. Then there is a big commotion that I thought was fighting, but also heard what sounded like alarm putts. I couldn't figure it out. Then I see glimpses of turkeys flying into the trees.

I started calling aggressively because it sounded like a few birds were headed my way doing some kind of combination fighting rattle and putts? I wasn't sure what they were doing or what was going on.

Then I see something in my peripheral vision and before I could turn, I think it's a deer because its big and tan. But I look over and 22 yards away (later measured) was a mountain lion looking at me, somewhat broadside. And as I stare at it in amazement, I realize a second head had popped up along its back. There were two of them.

For maybe 5-7 seconds we just stared at each other. I was covered up well in a young spruce tree, though clearly they could see I was something. Then, the first one got right down on its belly and started quickly crawling directly to me.

At this point, I immediately thought, "Ok, that's enough." I hop up with my gun shouldered and take a few steps to the side so they can clearly see what I am. They then took off at top speed until they were out of sight. It had crept to within 17 yards.

I'm not saying it to be smug, but because they were in front of me a fair distance and I had a weapon, I wasn't all that scared. Hyper alert? Absolutely! But when the one started crawling... yeah, I didn't like that. But honestly, I felt lucky to have had that encounter. I've had a run-in with one before while bowhunting elk that was creepier (caught him behind me). But, for this forum I thought this story more appropriate.

After the lions ran off, since I hadn't made any noise, I sat back down and just stayed quiet. About 30 minutes later, I started hearing soft tree yelps. About 45 minutes later, they began flying down and calling. A little over an hour later, I shot a really nice longbeard from that very spot.

[Turkeybutt]

Great story! Would have been great to witness but a little unnerving when the one stated to crawling.

[Greg Massey]

Snakes and wild hogs ...