RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

hunting with my uncles, dad and cousins i was watching the grassy patch next to my stand i saw some thing that was brown moving. then i heard a squak from whatever the brown thing was then a shot. no more than that shot went off deer were everywhere scared thecrap out of me but i did get a doe that day in what i think was deer mass confusion there must have be 20-30 deer. next time i hope to be ready for two of them maybe three.

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

One evening, back around 1989, I was archery hunting from a treestand. I was watching over an isolated apple tree, waiting for deer. I was after either a doe or buck. It did't matter. I'd taken a few deer from this spot before. It was a good spot.

There is only one gravel road into this spot and from my tree standI could see any vehicle that would come down the road. You could hear the gravel popping under the tires for almost half a mile as they'd come down that road, also.

It was getting late, as I heard a rustle behind me. I slowly turned to see 3 does working their way in. For some reason, they never came around in front of me, to the apple tree. They worked their way past me on my far right. I couldn't get a shot. They milled around for a while ,slowly, on the other side of some brush.

I waited in the tree to let them get out of sight. It was getting dark fast and I didn't want them to spook them as I got out of the tree.I was hoping to get another chance, some other day, if I didn'tgive up my location tothem.

For some strange reason I had the feeling I should leave the area. It was a fear. I had the urge the whole time I was watching the deer I fought back the urge the whole time, hoping to get a shot. It was weird.

The deer were long gone and I decide it was time to get the heck out of there. I lowered my bow and left go of the other end of my rope. As soon as the rope hit the ground I heard a loud growl. It was really loud and higher pitched than a bear. Out of a reflex I guess, I let out a growl of my own and growled back. I was trying to sound bigger I guess and sound like I wasn't afraid and just mocking whoever did that. It growled right back, answering my growl. I was scared.

My first impression was, that it was my buddy joking around. But then I remembered he was at work and I came alone. I then tried to think if anyone had come down that road while I was there, and maybe they were hunting and joking around. There'd beennocar down that road, since I've been there and no one was parked there. As I was thinking of this, it growled again. I usually come early to this spot when I hunt and usually wait several hours, to let things settle down. I'd been here for at least 4 or 5 hours.

Then It growled again. Whatever it was, it knew I was in that tree. I got out a small flashlight to try to see what this critter was.But the beam was real dim as the batteries were almost dead. I couldn't see a thing. It growled again!

The growl was really loud. You could feel it vibrate in your chest. Kinda like when a turkey gobbles at really close range. What ever it was, it sounded like it was ...saying the growl... Raaaarrrrrrr. Like if you ask a little kid to growl, how they would sound, but very loud. It was higher pitched and didn't have that snarl type sound like a bobcat or cougar would have. It sounded like it was being said, if you know what I mean. It was much louder than a person, unless they had a megaphone.

It wasn't afraid of me either. I started climbing higher in the tree. I was even considering spending the nite. I was totally scared. I was probably about 25 years old at the time. I'd never felt that afraid.

After A while I thought that maybe it had left and decided to start working the treestand down the tree. I made it down a few feet when it growled again. I hurried back up where I was before. I didn't know what to do. It knewI was there and wasn't leaving. It was really dark and I couldn't see a thing. I didn't know what to do. I waited a while longer. It growled a few more times.

I decided to make a break for it. I started yelling " Get outta here, go on get! Just leave me alone, get outta here" and stuff like that the whole time I worked the treestand down the tree. When I got to the bottom, I put the dim flashlight in my mouth and unhooked the treestand, grabbed my bow and ran for the truck. I tried not to listen to what was going on around me and just consentrated on my own yelling and getting out of there. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. I ran to the truck with slobbers running down my face, from the flashlight in my mouth ,and all out of breath. I opened the truck, threw my stuff in, jumped in and locked the doors, started it up and got out of there.

I had never been that scared. I don't know what it was but I won't hunt there to this day. Maybe it was just a bobcat but I don't think. It would have caught my scent and wouldn't have stuck around with me growling and yelling at it. It was very, very loud. I've ruled out another hunter also. Thisplace is way off the beaten path, up in theLaurel Mountains. I would have seen and heard anyone coming down that road. No one did in the 4 or 5 hours I was there. And no person could be that loud. I've even entertained the idea of Bigfoot. I'm a believer it that sorta stuff anyway. I've read alot of stuff on it ever since and some of the stories are similar to mine.

I felt a fear in me while I was watching the deer and had the urge to leave then. I can say, that it has affected me and the way I hunt.I always get a little nervous as evening comes, when I'mout hunting.I usually don't stay in the woods that late anymore.

I have no idea what it could have been. This is a true story. I can't explain it. Your guess is as good as mine. And yes, it has made a bit of a wimp out of me.

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

Maybe not the wildest, but certainly the funnest.

My father, brother and I were at our property hunting the muzzle loader season just after X-mass several years ago. I was slowly working my way thru a section of downed pines on the edge of our piece while they were working up frominside thestand of lodgepole pine I was working toward to meet up with them. They must have startled a doe on their way thru and she came barrleing thru the pines at a full run but somehow she didn't see me as she dashed thru the stumps and deadfall. (or maybe I'm that good :)) But when she came around the last rootball in front of me, she finally did see. That doehit the brakesso fast and so hard she stumbled and slid on her backside, just like on a cartoon,about 3 or 4 feet before she stopped all of 5 paces away.She sat thereonher butt like a dog doesa good few secounds, with the funniest look before frantically gettingon her feet, scrambling first one way then the other then back again,before finallyrunning off. Itwasn't that I wastoo startled to not have my rifle up and ready to shoot, but after seeing that whole episode I was laughing too hard and figured she earned the chance to run off anyway. (Dad was pissed at that, though I should have taken the easy shot while she was sitting there, but that's where he and I differ.)

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

Windwalker7, wheredo you reside?

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

Westmoreland Co. PA

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

panthers yes they are around and they are black so you wouldnt be able to see them call me crazy but i have seen them

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

Is it just me or is this a rerun that has already been posted? Like last year?

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

Exactly. I would never point a weapon at anyone unless I was prepared to shoot. What would you have done if he had raised his rifle and started to point it at you?

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

Windwalker,
Thanks for sharing. That was a good story. I know what you mean about that creepy feeling you get in the evening when you're far away from the truck.

RE: Wildest thing that happend to you in the woods.
 

So you shoot at something you couldn't be sure was a deer? (brown thing)
Do yourself a favor and don't post stories of 30 inch bucks and gutting it with a stick. Also, don't tell another story of how unsafe you are by shooting at something that you don't know what it is. 99% of guys posting on here are probably safe hunters. You are an accident waiting to happen, and when that accident happens it reflects on all hunters in a way. How old are you? Did you take a hunter safety class?