How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
11-27-2007, 10:32 AM
#11
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Eureka, MO
Posts: 1,519
RE: How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
I have had a few owls swoop down at me. I had one this season while it was still dark flying directly at me and all i could see was a blacl blob flying at me. Then it perched up in a tree staring at me prolly 4 ft away. Finally I waved my hands and it flew away.
A couple years ago i was rifle hunting in a homemade ladder stand and had a fox squirrel climb up each rung of the ladder until he got to the platform and he just sat there on the platform sniffing my boots. Thats was pretty cool! I could have kicked him off, but it was a lot cooler just to watch him try to figure me out. Then he just hopped back down.
Last week, I shot at a squirrel and hit the branch he was sitting on so what does he do? He comes to find out what just shot at him. He crawled down a tree about 5 ft away and just sniffed the air and starred at me.
A couple years ago i was rifle hunting in a homemade ladder stand and had a fox squirrel climb up each rung of the ladder until he got to the platform and he just sat there on the platform sniffing my boots. Thats was pretty cool! I could have kicked him off, but it was a lot cooler just to watch him try to figure me out. Then he just hopped back down.
Last week, I shot at a squirrel and hit the branch he was sitting on so what does he do? He comes to find out what just shot at him. He crawled down a tree about 5 ft away and just sniffed the air and starred at me.
11-27-2007, 10:40 AM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 3,606
RE: How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
funny you posted this Sunday i was out and this squirrel came along through the trees and was about 2 feet away on a branch getting ready to jump on to my stand. i quick moved my hand so he wouldn't jump. I don't what would have happened if he did jump. I probably would have freaked out. he scampered away after that . I guess my camo is working good
11-27-2007, 10:45 AM
#13
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 401
RE: How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
2 years ago bowhunting i had a a coyote come within 8 feet of my stand and then about 30 secondslater i had a wolf come within 8 feet of my stand chasing the coyote. I alsohunt in Wisconsi, and where hunt wolves were not common at all. Now there are are maybe a couple wolves in the area. Only one person has gotten a picture of one crossing the road and there have been very very few sightings on wolves around where hunt.
11-27-2007, 10:46 AM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Minnesota
Posts: 9,445
RE: How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
I've had lots of interesting encounters!
1. Coon above me in the tree and it walked on top of my head (hat)
2. Squirel walked on my head also
3. Hawks and owls have swooped at me, i brought my bow up in time. Both times there claws hit the bow, that one scared me the most!
4. I've had bear climb up my tree 7 different times. The closest one was about2 inches away from my foot and leg. I let him do what he was doing, after that he crawled back down and got zipped at 10 yards! Bear are very curious animals, 95% of the time they don't mean no harm when doing this.
1. Coon above me in the tree and it walked on top of my head (hat)
2. Squirel walked on my head also
3. Hawks and owls have swooped at me, i brought my bow up in time. Both times there claws hit the bow, that one scared me the most!
4. I've had bear climb up my tree 7 different times. The closest one was about2 inches away from my foot and leg. I let him do what he was doing, after that he crawled back down and got zipped at 10 yards! Bear are very curious animals, 95% of the time they don't mean no harm when doing this.
11-27-2007, 10:52 AM
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dover, PA USA
Posts: 5,497
RE: How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
Here's the definition of feeling helpless..........forget your climbing stand and hunt from the ground anyway. 1/2hr after first light an honest 500lb black bear walks to within5 yardsand then makes a complete 360 degree circle around you at that distance the whole time giving you the "Hairy Eyeball".[:-]
My mind was racing between draw the bow, make some noise, don't make noise, maybe if I move? Oh god nevermind don't move he'll think your prey, maybe if I stab him with the arrow........ultimately I probably would have decided on "curl up in the fetal position and cry like a little girl"
That's about as sexy of an encounter as I ever hope to have. Everything else is pretty mild, Turkeys trying to land on my treestand platform, and the usual squirrels, chickdees and one cardinal that landed 6 inches from my face almost flipping me over.
Oh and I almost forgot the FAMILY of skunks (like 6 of them) that camped out at the base of my tree at last light and had me trapped there for well over 1hr until they left.
I was sitting up there in the pitch dark thinking "This stinks"
My mind was racing between draw the bow, make some noise, don't make noise, maybe if I move? Oh god nevermind don't move he'll think your prey, maybe if I stab him with the arrow........ultimately I probably would have decided on "curl up in the fetal position and cry like a little girl"
That's about as sexy of an encounter as I ever hope to have. Everything else is pretty mild, Turkeys trying to land on my treestand platform, and the usual squirrels, chickdees and one cardinal that landed 6 inches from my face almost flipping me over.
Oh and I almost forgot the FAMILY of skunks (like 6 of them) that camped out at the base of my tree at last light and had me trapped there for well over 1hr until they left.
I was sitting up there in the pitch dark thinking "This stinks"
11-27-2007, 11:12 AM
#16
Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southeast Central Illinois USA
Posts: 6,969
RE: How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
Mostly squirrels and small birds. One of my best hunts was when I shot a coyote with my bow on the ground at 10 yards. He didn't seem to know what to do when we spotted each other. Luckily for me I was carrying a nocked arrow while still hunting.
11-27-2007, 12:43 PM
#17
Site Bouncer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,099
RE: How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
Over the years I've had quite a few opportunities to see different game from my stand anything from Turkey to Coyotes to the usual Squirrels, Raccoons, Possums and such.
A couple of ones that stand out were, once while in my stand I had a very big Red tail Hawk cruse right by me from behind. I never saw or heard him coming, he passed at about 10in from the tree/my head right at eye level over my right shoulder. All I could hear was the wind ruffling over his wings as he passed....it was cool!
The other happened just a few weeks ago. I was up in my stand for the Illinois gun season and I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye, it was a female Bobcat at about 20yds away. I picked up my binoculars for a better view and what do I see? two more!It wastwo kittens and momma. The kittens played like normal house cats would for about 15min. It was fun to watch them interact.
I watched it all through my binoculars (probably missed a slammer buck walking across the field[&:]) until I caught the attention of the momma. She stared at me for a few minuets, through the binoculars she appeared to be right in front of me and I could see all of the detail inher fur, ears, tail, etc.. It was by far the best experience I have had with "other" animals while hunting.
A couple of ones that stand out were, once while in my stand I had a very big Red tail Hawk cruse right by me from behind. I never saw or heard him coming, he passed at about 10in from the tree/my head right at eye level over my right shoulder. All I could hear was the wind ruffling over his wings as he passed....it was cool!
The other happened just a few weeks ago. I was up in my stand for the Illinois gun season and I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye, it was a female Bobcat at about 20yds away. I picked up my binoculars for a better view and what do I see? two more!It wastwo kittens and momma. The kittens played like normal house cats would for about 15min. It was fun to watch them interact.
I watched it all through my binoculars (probably missed a slammer buck walking across the field[&:]) until I caught the attention of the momma. She stared at me for a few minuets, through the binoculars she appeared to be right in front of me and I could see all of the detail inher fur, ears, tail, etc.. It was by far the best experience I have had with "other" animals while hunting.
11-27-2007, 12:50 PM
#18
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Norwich CT
Posts: 504
RE: How close do you get to other (non-deer) wildlife?
Been within 20ft of a moose,(bullcalf), that bluff charged me! It was cool while it was happening, but it took a good hour to stop the shakes after he left!
