Dive Bombed by a Peregrine Falcon

[BHhunter]

I had a very interesting morning yesterday. Started out with no gobbles within two miles. Then I moved when I should have stayed put and got busted by two toms. Then as I was attempting to circle in front of the aforementioned toms I here this god awful ca,ca,ca,ca,ca,ca,ca,ca,ca. The loud and annoying crry of a peregrine falcon. So I figure I'll move quickly to get away from it before it spookes my birds. Well, this bird flies in and lands in a tree 20 some feet directly over my head and continues the racket. I stop and admire this bird of prey, and just as I turn to walk away it tucks its wings and dives from the tree directly at me. (The peregrine falcon is one of the fastest birds in North America) It dives straight at my head and I hit the dirt, GPS, slate call, striker and shotgun fall beside me. This bird came within a foot of my head. I get up and try to move faster as the bird swoops from another tree, not as close this time. This happened three more times.
I don't know what set this bird off, but it was one of those interesting "I've never seen this before" stories.
To top it off, I never heard or saw the toms again.

[Basser69]

A buddy of mine had the samething happen to him while in a deer stand with an owl. I think it has something to do with the fact that he had on a face mask and felt threatened by seeing nothing but the eyes. I am not really sure but that is all we could come up with.

[redarrow]

Probably had a nest nearby. I was sitting in camo and had a Goshawk land 20 feet or so in a snag. I sgueaked with my mouth and flipped my gloved hand up and down. I managed to get my hand out of the way just before he grabbed it.

[bowhunter84]

i was bow hunting a few years ago and was about 25' up in a climbing stand. a red bird landed right beside me. out of the corner of my eye i was watching him. all of a sudden i hear something so i move my eyes to look around. about that time a hawk comes and grabs the red bird and his wing actually hit me in the back of the head!!!    needless to say i'm glad i had my safety harness on because i tried my best to get out of that tree.   the hawk take him down into the field and the fight was on. very cool to get to see something like that but when his wing hit me it scared me pretty good.

[redarrow]

i was bow hunting a few years ago and was about 25' up in a climbing stand. a red bird landed right beside me. out of the corner of my eye i was watching him. all of a sudden i hear something so i move my eyes to look around. about that time a hawk comes and grabs the red bird and his wing actually hit me in the back of the head!!!    needless to say i'm glad i had my safety harness on because i tried my best to get out of that tree.   the hawk take him down into the field and the fight was on. very cool to get to see something like that but when his wing hit me it scared me pretty good.

At that point I would be wishing I did'nt have a restraint. It would make it easier to get away from the smell.

[longspur]

sounds like nest site aggression, but a falcon wouldn't be nesting in the trees. Are you sure it wasn't one of the accipiters

[BHhunter]

sounds like nest site aggression, but a falcon wouldn't be nesting in the trees. Are you sure it wasn't one of the accipiters

It was definately a peregrine, it may have had a nest in the nearby rocks, but I wasn't real close to them.
Wish I had a video of it, could of been the next $10,000 winner.

[Jay]

Birds will become very aggressive to protect their nests. I remember years ago on a golf course they told you if you hit a golf ball in one particular section of tall grass, don't go after it or you'd be attacked by Redwing Black Birds. I read once when a hiker stumbled across a female Goose nesting, and continued on, but evidently not fast enough for the male that flew at him, hitting him in the legs, and severely shattering  his leg. He had a tough road getting out of there in the shape he was in.

[Turkeydan]

I am skeptical that it was a Peregrine Falcon. peregrines like high roosts that have solitude. They behavior you describe is that of a Goshawk protecting its nesting area.

[whitelightning]

Earlier this year I was sneaking up on a bird gobbling in his roost tree when i see something flying right at me very fast!  I swung my gun off my shoulder ducked to the right and swung my gun to the left hitting the birds wing!  I never heard a wing beat or anything so Im assuming an owl.  All i know was that it was big and if flying 6 feet above the ground.  The bird actually gobbled to me falling over in the leaves too because he was only 100 yards away!