Just have to relate this to you all
 

Last evening I was up in my tree stand archery hunting for deer. My stand is about 14' up in a nice size chestnut oak. I have another oak tree about the same size 4 feet directly in front of my stand. Although I didn't get a deer or even see one for that matter, I had a neat experience.
Sitting on the stand's seat I was watching a gray squirrel coming toward me. As he bounced down a small log that lay between the two trees he stopped and looked up at me. Not sure what I was, he hopped up the tree in front of the stand and proceeded to come up one hop at a time, unsure of himself. He got about 1/2 way up and jumped over to the tree that my stand was on. As he cautiously continued to climb up to see what I was, it was all I could do to keep from laughing. He made it all the way up to where he was just underneath my stand, directly between my feet. He had his body pushed as far away from the tree as he could possibly get it so he could get a better look at me. But I don't thinke he still wasn't sure what I was but his curosity was satisfied somewhat and he went aroung the backside of the tree and I could hear him slowly decending. And went back about his business. It was a fun encounter.

Dont you love that, a few years ago i was sitting in a stand that had another big oak tree beside it and a deer trail that looped beside the tree. A squirrel was dinking around the base of the big tree and a young fork horn buck was coming up the trail. When the buck reached the tree the squirrel came around the tree face to face with the deer, the deer just about jumped out of his hide lol. Then the darn squirrel came around the other side of the tree while the buck was looking for him on the opposite side where the squirrel first was. They continued to play peek-a-boo around that tree for a few minutes. What a sight.

It is amazing how the animals in the woods interact. Although I am not crazy about squirrels coming up the tree ever since I had one climb my pants leg to my lap. Where he was giving a good strong back hand and sent sailing out of the tree.

At least he wasn't inside your pants leg der.

I had a friend that had a pet squirrel (so he thought) That squirrel eventually ripped his knuckle of his trigger finger clean out of his hand, now he shoots with his middle finger. loose some accuracy that way.

I had an encounter with a raccoon once, I DO NOT LIKE CRITTERS IN THE TREE, I AM!!!

Dave funny you should mention that. It made me think of an episode a long long time ago. I was on the ground standing next to a very large tree. Again it was archery season and I was in camo from head to toe. And you know how sometimes you hear something but not quite sure where it is coming from? I could hear this sound that appeared to be something getting closer in the leaves. As it was fairly thick i was standing motionless with my back against the tree. Listening and watching intently. You know, really focused. When all of a sudden this damn squirrel came over my right shoulder, sprinting down my chest, leg and onto the ground. I think it took about 10 years off my life and about two minutes for my heart to start beating again. I don't think I soild my shorts, but I bet I came darn close.

The evil side of me wants to say:

"If you're going to sit in a tree like a squirrel. Expect to see squirrels."


The nice side of me won't say that though.


Take your pick.

muley, im begining to think you are scared of heights lol.

Well all I know is when he was getting close - I was thinking about protecting my nuts.

sounds like he was close enough to show you his nuts:lolabove:

I once watched my brother-in-law kick an armadillo far enough and high enough to score a field goal from the 15 yard line.

We were bow hunting and stalking through open mixed timber in a wildlife management area. We were about thirty or forty yards apart. He would move up slowly about twenty yards and stop. Then I would move up and stop as we both scanned the terrain in every direction. Well, that half grown armadillo was meandering along and stopped right in front of Mike's right foot. We laughed so hard that we knew we'd have to cover another quarter mile before we had any chance of seeing a deer.

Aww man that was just mean. Poor little guy was minding his own business and the next thing he knew, he was flyiing through the air with the greatest of ease. I assume his landing however was something less than a perfect 10.

Armadillos are the roaches of the forest. It's not possible to be mean enough to them. :s2: Even coyotes look down on them.

Roaches of the forest? I would have thought of them like possum on a 1/2 shell!

A number of scientific studies have linked armadillos and leprosy in the Southern U.S. and Mexico. I don't fool with them. I can think of only a few four legged Southern creatures I haven't eaten - coyote, bobcat, fox and armadillo.

I hunt from the ground (usually against a holly tree trunk) and have been amazed how close various critters have come to me. I have had squirrels and birds come within an arm’s reach of me many times. It’s like they can’t see me or have no idea that I’m alive. A fox upwind from me trotted right past me, just 5 feet to my right. A doeling also came within 10 feet of me, saw me, and was staring eye to eye with me for a good minute or so (we may have bonded), but was just carelessly chewing on…whatever she was eating. She just continued to nibble around like there was no threat, just…moseying about. After she had passed me and I could see her full rear, I was very unhappy to discover that she had been shot in the leg that morning. I wrestled for a good bit on whether or not to shoot her (appeared to be a buckshot wound, and thought it she might pull thru it), and at the last possible moment before she went out of view, decided to put her down. That really sucked. I guess because I had such a close encounter with her, decided to let her go, and after that fact had to shoot her. I was pretty ticked when the POS that shot her came rumbling thru, looking for her.

Never seen an armadillo.

Once when I was fly fishing a creek. I was sitting on a rock in the middle of the creek eating my lunch. An otter came scurrying out of the brush and dove into a small pool just 10 feet up from me. It dove a few times, and finally came up with a fish. Then is scurried off.

I was frozen still watching it. It never knew I was there. Pretty cool.