Scary Stories

[Ol'Mossy]

I saw this on another Forum and thought I would ask here. Do you guys have any hunting stories that scared the daylights out of you? Like things that go bump in the night or before daylight? Here's a couple from me:

One time in archery season I had to walk out a flat about 400 yards to my tree, when I got there I just hooked up my treestand and heard the most blood curdling scream above me with footsteps, like something was circling me. I climbed that tree as fast as I could, never hooking the bow to the stand. I stayed up there until daylight, then climbed back down to get my bow. Never saw anything that morning either.


Another time I was bowhunting, this time on the ground, I just started walking from my truck I heard a noise up on the mountain I never heard before. It was loud enough to echo down the mountain. I can't describe the noise but it was loud. I was shaking while walking to my stand. I got there and then when it got daylight I heard a tree crashing down above me, made a heck of a racket. By then I was on edge and nervous looking around to see what the heck that was. Then I heard something walking heavily above me, and at that point I was ready to turn around and start running. But I stayed there and about an hour later a Porky walked up to me.

[guesswho]

I've never really been scared while hunting but I did find myself in an eerie situation one time while turkey hunting.

I was engaged with a hot gobbling bird in Georgia close to a not so old moonshine steel.  He was moving parallel with my location.  I let him move far enough for it to be safe for me to move.  While I was waiting for him to move far enough I spotted what looked like the base of a shed deer antler.  Once I decided it was safe to reposition I figured I'd pick up the shed before falling in behind the gobbler.  When I got to it I realized it was the entire leg from human remains from the hip joint all the way to the foot.   What I had seen was the ball of the upper leg bone.   Then I noticed several mounds of dirt that looked like it may be multiple burial sites.  It's kind of eerie being deep in the woods looking at what I was looking at.   

[hootn]

YES, on 2 different occasions. more than a few years ago. both happened about a half mile from the other.
first, was listening one morning right at day light i heard something at the bottom of the hill where i was listing from. at the bottom is a long beaver pond, where i was at was at the edge of some planted pine about 15 foot high to my left was some big timber and a fire break running down the hill and i mean a steep hill. both cash and t-town knows where this spot is. a i was there i hear something making a scream like sound it was not a cat. but it was coming up the edge of the beaver pond about 150 yds away headed towards the big timber. when it got to the fire break it turned and started up the hill towards me. when it got right below the crest of the hill it went to the left into the big timber going away from me up that big hollow. making that sound until it went out of hearing distance.  while it was coming up the hill i had the gun up and was ready for t to top the rise. needlessly to say i didnt hear a bird that morning there.
2nd time was across that hollow where a logging road goes back in towards that beaver pond. as i left the truck and about when i go into that area i go about 400 yards to a place to listen. about half way up the ridge i hear something giving a low growl about 100 yards or so up the road, it was drk with enough light to see about 5 foot in front of me with no flashlight. well after i heard that i got the light out real quick. and shined it up the road. but a small mag light dont put much light out maybe 20 foot. didnt see anything but i did have the gun again. waiting but it quick growling ad dont know where it went. so after about10 minutes i could see about 40 yards up the road and went in anyhow. did hear a bird down by the beaver pond but he went the other way so no luck.
those are the only 2 times that sticks out in my memory. had quail scare the crap out of me. and ducks getting up out of a creek right at daylight but knew what they were.

scott

[flintlock]

When I was 14 a buddy of my dads invited me to go on a camping/squirrel hunting trip.  We went down in into Ky, way back in the hills.  We ate at one of the other guys' folks place, they had the wild hogs with black hair in a pen along with a coon in a pen.  Dirt poor, but they gave us the best meal a man could ask for.  Super nice folks.

From there we drove back some gravel road for a long time, then took his car top flatbottom up a few miles into the backwaters of some lake.  We slept under a big rock ledge for few days and squirrel hunted, but the squirrels population was zip that year.  After a few days his brother-in-law joined us, his name was "Sandy".  I kind of chuckled when I heard his name..till he showed up - about 6'2" and farm strong.  He had a big ol black eye and told us that he stumbled into someone's pot patch and 3 guys beat the crap out of him.  He cautioned us about being in places we should be in, wandering around out there in the mountains.

The next day Sandy and I went squirrel hunting up some big holler about a mile up the lake.  We had eased up the mountain a ways when we heard walking up the ridge a ways.  Sandy held his hand out to tell me to stop and listen.  About that time a huge log came barreling down the mountain toward us and we heard more walking.  Sandy whispered it was time to leave and I have to tell you I lead the way out!

[camotruck]

OK I've got three that I still think about.  First one was in PA .  A friend and I were walking into our stands in the dark , Deer season.  When we heard this, for a lack of better terms, Screaming/ screeching.  The only way I can describe it is to say it sounded like someone had an old pull start lawn mower with bad bearings and no compression it was the most God awful Squealing/screeching/ screaming I ever heard.  But we were young and packing so we went on with the hunt.

Second I was bow hunting in MD before I learned about tree stands.  It was mid September and I dosed off on the ground back against a tree.  I awoke to the loudest racket I have ever heard to this day.  An old dead tree decided to give up the ghost and fall.  The loud crack sounded like a gun shot and the crashing of it coming to the ground,  Well I had to check myself for skid marks.  Whats worse is when I looked down at my leg a 5 foot black snake was sliding down my leg.  that was it for me that day.

Third was the worst My son and I were in a two man tree stand about 9 or 10 years ago.  we were crop damage hunting on a friends farm.  Every one "Knew" where everyone was but about an hour before dark shots rang out and the slugs went whizzing less than three feet over our heads and zipping through the branches.  I nearly threw my boy the 20 feet to the ground.  He's not a big fan of deer hunting anymore and he won't go with the guy that made the mistake of shooting at deer sky lined an the top of the field while sitting in the bottom.  Thank God my boy wasn't hurt and he does still look forward to turkey hunting with me.

Camo

[flintlock]

Another time my buddy called me to try and kill some coyotes.  We didn't have a clue what we were doing being 18 and we drove his pickup out to the woods in the dark.  There was about 4" of snow on the ground and he pulls out 2 sheets he had sewn together and threw it over his truck.  He put the speakers on the hood and popped in a screaming rabbit tape and told he would start it in 3 minutes.  I high-tailed it to a cedar point and with the moon you could see really well!

The screaming started and man was it eerie!  Almost immediately some coyotes started yipping on the neighbor's property, then another group to the south.  After a few minutes they yipped again and were close!  I gripped the 12ga pump just knowing one was gonna pop out at any time when I heard something thump DIRECTLY behind me.  I screamed inside and spun around in slow motion, knowing a pack of yotes was probably in mid-air, jumping for my jugular.  As I finally made it around with the shotgun I saw where a big clump of snow had fallen off of a small cedar.

No we didn't kill a thing that night, but I think I DID soil my shorts!

-------------------------

Good thread, brings back some old memories, last one:

About 30 years ago I was out with my bear whitetail recurve, the big tall one with pulleys everywhere, lol.  I was hunting a property with a buddy, where the owner had problems with wild dogs and told me to whack em if I got the chance.  I was on-stand and heard a pack of dogs barking....so I got down and went to the edge of the field to see if I could see what was going on.  About that time a yearling doe came running up out of the holler and stopped right in front of me, did she EVER look beat...mouth open and worn out.  She took off and about 30 seconds later 2 dogs come running up. 

I zipped the first big one and while he was flippin around I zipped the 2nd one.  The second wild dog was down and I missed the first dog with my last arrow, trying to anchor him.  The wild dog went down into the woods and I went over to find an arrow..so I could go finish him.  About that time I heard a growl and looked up to see the biggest freak-of -a-dog I have ever seen and did he looked like death.  He was only about 15 yards from me and all I had was my bow out in the field with no tree anywhere close.  I was deciding on what to do.  Maybe I could use the bow like a ball-bat if he came for me, but then he turned and was gone, and I breathed a sigh of relief!

I found one of the arrows and went down into the woods after #1.  I saw him lying there looking around and when he saw me he laid his head down and closed his eyes, playing dead.  As I moved closer I saw him peek a few times, just waiting for me to get close enough, but I drilled him in the neck and he clamped down on the arrow and was gone.

I met up w/my buddy and dark and he said, "I take it you found the wild dogs?"  I never forgot that last dog and the look of death he was giving me.  I was lucky.....but then again, so was he, that I didn't have another arrow!
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Those were the days!          YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wess

[camotruck]

After reading flintlock's post and the last line "I lead the way out" It made me chuckell and think of my little brother Dave.  We were fishing on the Potomac river one summer, and a thunder storm rolled in on us really  quick.  We started back to the car through the woods and a flash of lightning hit a tree ...  Oh I don't know ...  lets hust say I was deaf for a little while and remember seeing a flash.   Now knowing he was hundreds of yards behind me, I looked back to see where Dave was and was almost knocked down as he passed me at about 90 MPH..  I laugh about that to this day.  Dave never moved at anything more than a snails pace before that day.

Camo

[ccleroy]

I've never really been scared while hunting but I did find myself in an eerie situation one time while turkey hunting.

I was engaged with a hot gobbling bird in Georgia close to a not so old moonshine steel.  He was moving parallel with my location.  I let him move far enough for it to be safe for me to move.  While I was waiting for him to move far enough I spotted what looked like the base of a shed deer antler.  Once I decided it was safe to reposition I figured I'd pick up the shed before falling in behind the gobbler.  When I got to it I realized it was the entire leg from human remains from the hip joint all the way to the foot.   What I had seen was the ball of the upper leg bone.   Then I noticed several mounds of dirt that looked like it may be multiple burial sites.  It's kind of eerie being deep in the woods looking at what I was looking at.   

Wow

[TRKYHTR]

I was calling a gobbler one morning when I got an eerie feeling something was looking at me. Don't know how to explain it. I was determined to stay put and kill the turkey. Ab out 2 minbutes later a mountain lion screamed about 50 yards away. I as clutching that shotgun like it was my lifeline, I guess it was. I have no doubts that lion was looking at me from my rear and realized I was human. Then goit mad after it went a little ways and let me know he was there. I knew this area had some mountain lions and the rancher that let me hunt told me they had been seeing some. That was the first time I had been hunted. It was a liuttle scarey.

TRKYHTR

[chatterbox]

Harrison and I were driving to one of my favorite spring hunting spots, and as we were just getting to the driveway, we saw a doe go racing across the road in front of us like the hounds of hell were on her.
I didn't think too much about it, and we drove up the driveway, parking at the farm got out of the car and headed across the field.
Well, it was a full moon, and I was anxious to get to my spot without being seen by birds.
Well just as we hit the field, the song dogs lit it up! We had coyotes baying all around us! I swear to God, I have never heard so many!
Well, I tell you boys, it rose the hair on the back of my neck a little bit, and I don't believe I coulda pryed Harrison off me with a crowbar! I looked at him, and he was pretty scared. Gotta admit, probably only time I was a little nervous in the pre-dawn woods.

[Holston]

I shot a deer early one morning back in Clinch Mtn.  below the big cliff above White Rock Cove.

Got it dressed and drug it up to the road where me and my uncle meet at noon.   

Incredible view from the cliff and I've always enjoyed glassing for game up there.  With nothing else to do but wait, I laid my pack and gun down and walked out on the cliff with my binos and a drink and sandwich.

I had probably been there 20 or so minutes, just taking it easy and enjoying the view, when I heard something behind me.  (I was sitting on the edge of the cliff and there's about 10 or so feet of rock you walk out on, no where to go really.)

Turned around and there were 2 bear cubs staring at me from about 6 feet away.  Didn't really know what to think as I'd never been this close to bears before, so I just tried to stay still.  They sniffed around a bit and it seemed that they felt about the same as I did. 

Now I had no gun on me, and literally no where to go.  Probably 80+ feet drop below me.  Mother bear walked out behind them and stood up on her hind legs.   This is when I got pretty scared.  Cubs turned and walked behind the mother and to her right into some laurels,  and she came back down hard on all 4s.  She never came any closer (maybe 10 feet away) but swung her head a few times and make some kinda weird, almost cracking, noise. 

I guess this "stand-off" lasted about 20 seconds or so, then she just walked away, the same way the cubs did.

Needless to say, I take my gun with me now when I'm on that cliff.

[Tom Foolery]

I think it was 3 years ago, I got on a bird on a Saturday that lead me on a cross holler march.  I had never been in this area so, down the ridge, over the edge, across the holler, up the other side, ease up the ridge.  Steep and rough country I was in, lots of pines but it opened up to nice timber.  I walked an old road out and I knew exactly where I would be on Sunday morning when I came back after that bird.


Sunday morning I shut my truck door and the bird is already gobbling, yes!  This is in a National Recreation area and I had to hike through a blue zone and my gun could not be loaded.  I slipped quietly down the sanded horse trail making no sound at all.  I stepped out of the trail and into the woods.  I had walked about 75yds into the woods, close to 1/2 miles from the truck down the trail.

As I eased through the woods listening to the bird gobble I heard a cough.  I froze instantly, "no way someone else is in here", I thought.  That's when it coughed again.  It was not a cough but a woof.  Not from a dog but from a very angry black bear that was somewhere right infront of me in a thicket.  

Think back to the blue zone, gun was not loaded.......gun is still not loaded.  My flashlight sucked so bad it would barely shine on the ground.  

I started talking to the bear, this lead to the popping of teeth and the swiping of the ground, false charge?  I did manage to get 2 round into my gun.  I did not feel any better about the situation though.  It was mad and I had NO clue to where it really was other than infront of me and really close.  I more or less hollered at the bear and I stood my ground.  It eventaully got tired of the stand off and left.  It went down the holler woofing and blowing.   I was scared as hell to be honest with you and I did not move until daylight.  

When I could see really good I remembered the turkey.  I eased on down the ridge and set down.  I made a couple of yelps and it gobbled at me.  I ended up calling the bird in and killing it, 11.5" beard 13/16" spurs.  

Let me tell you, everytime the wind blew I thought that friggin' bear was right on top of me.  I don't know if I have ever been so jumpy in the woods.

[camotruck]

I got one about Big Foot but I don't think anyone would believe me.  besides launching that truck across that tank trap of a ditch was scarier than the creature anyway.

Camo

[hootn]

i believe in bigfoot, cause i seen him before... he was sitting between me and elvis on the ufo one night.

scott

[El Pavo Grande]

I got one about Big Foot but I don't think anyone would believe me.  besides launching that truck across that tank trap of a ditch was scarier than the creature anyway.

Camo

Let's hear it.  I'm all for hearing scary stories. 

One morning my brother and I were hunting deep into a wilderness area.  We heard what sounded like a deer snorting at the west end of the mountain we were on.  As we got closer, we continued to hear this non-stop sound.  Finally, determining that it couldn't be a deer we decided to investigate.  What we found was a very small black bear cub, maybe the size of a boar coon, about 30 feet up in a pine tree.  He was bawling, so of course we get out the video camera and videod him, then the realization sets in that momma is probably close by.  We could see where she had been bedded down in the leaves.  Anyway, I remember hoping if the time came, those turkey loads would do the job if need be.  Never did see her, but we eased out of there.

I was out deer hunting one day, bow in hand, and walking along the top of this mountain.  I came through a spot that had two rock formations on both sides.  I got the sensation that something was watching me and I could hear what sounded like a cat purring.  Every hair was standing up on the back of my neck.  I looked and looked, but couldn't locate anything, so reluctantly I eased on through and as I got through them just down the hill I heard something come off the rocks and land in the leaves.  Needless to say, I thought I was about to be lunch for a mountain lion.