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Last year there were plenty of tracks but no deer visible. I decided to wait it out,all night if I had to, to see what was going on. After 20 minutes of total darkness I heard a deer snort so close to me that I felt I could touch it with my gun barrel; The sound was so loud that it sent the hairs on my neck in the full alert position. The curious thing was that I had no clue a deer was anywhere near me before the snort. I was quickly educated in how stealthly a deer is and how well they can see in the dark.

I was walking through a shin deep swamp last year to get to a tree stand I had 100 yards inside the woods on the other side. Something was in the water walking with me. I would take a couple of steps then stop, then it would take a couple of splashy steps and stop. It was pacing me about 50 yards away along the tree line. I carry an unlight flashlight in my hand for these such instances. When I shinned my light towards the noise I couldn't see any eyes shining back at me. Gave me the creeps sumpin fearce. Best I could figure it was a pig, their eyes are not supposed to reflect light like a deer or coons.

I'm surprised nobody posted about having late night run ins with wild pigs. Twice I've made it to my stand and while at the base of the tree had a pig grunt within 15 feet of me. One was a ladder stand and I shimmied up the steps in no time, the other was a climber and I hadn't tied my bow to the rope yet. I made a hasty knot and jumped in the climber then raced up to 8 feet before slowing down.
That's one thing about getting to your stand in the dark in pig country, I never feel safe until I've climbed 8-10' up the tree, then its like "ahhh I made it"

Well, I guess I can say I haven't ever been scared when going to or from the stand. There was a few times where I flushed a pheasant, covey of quail, or whatever. It startled me, but I wasn't scared. Thats why I hardly ever use a light. In my hunting areas, there are plenty of predators and animals, but nothing that'll hurt me, so there isn't anything to be afraid of.
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Personally, when it is dark, I run to my stand or from my stand squeeling like an excited schoolgirl. Seriously though, I do have a twinge of anxiety, when it is dark, I don't know why, but I do. It kinda sounds like it is just human nature. I do not feel so alone now.

bag em' and tag em'

I am not really afraid of the woods after dark but one time when comming in from hunting i walked out of the woods after dark and i saw that my neighbor (who is one of the worlds worst poachers and kill crazy in my opinion) was riding his 4-wheeler on the property line which is a fence between his place and ours, you could see him comming since he was spot lighting into the woods where i was walking down a steep hill (on our property). well being nervous that he may have a rifle (even though it was bow season) and that by me moving around where he was spot lighting, i was afraid he would shoot at me thinking i was a deer. so in watching him i was paying more attention to him instead of where i was going and i fell and slid strait down the hill on my stomach with my bow in my outstrecthed hand. I dont remeber flipping over but came to a stop setting on my butt facing the same direction as i had fell . any way i got up and away from that spot as soon as possible, i had done a complete summer sault and bent the stabilizer on my bow , plus i had a bruise later from my crotch to my knee for a month or so, each time i loked at that bruise i wanted to go rough my neighbor up.

Not scared at all of the dark. What scares the heck out of me is driving on some of these Pennsylvania roads in the fall. More deer fur in the grill! The wife hit a deer last fall, got the car fixed and she hit another one a week later, all within a quarter mile of the house.

Annie:
Let the Game Warden rough up your neighbor for you.
Sounds like that poaching turd could use a little legal attitude adjustment.
If he ever does shoot at you while you are hunting legally, don't be afraid to shoot back. From you reaction, it sound like this guy will shoot at anything he can hear, and that could very well get somebody killed. No way is this jerk worth getting yourself hurt by diving on the ground.

Keep 'em all in the Bull.

About the only time that I got spooked was first thing in the morning, about an hour before first light. I was moving toward my ground stand, about 100 yards away. I always take the last 200 yards slowly and with no lights. I had stoppped for a second in the trail. The wind was blowing and there were low clouds scudding across the sky, just like in all of the horror movies. I was enjoying it though, because it was warmer than the week before, above freezing.

Then, something that felt exactly like a finger tapped me on the sholder, twice. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Then I realized it was a tree branch, tossing in the wind. But, that first "tap-tap" nearly made my heart explode.

Chubber