Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Ever feel like you've managed to get too close to game?

That's the way I felt this day, when this...

Turned into this...

Which finally turned into this...

I've been too close to function: Last fall I managed to get into range of a few antelope. had some cows between us. By the time the cows cleared the 'lopes were about 20 yds away (9 of them). Took almost an hour to get a shot. Been almost run over by a blind antelope buck too. been charged by Bison milling around after a kill (that was the most exciting, with the 'galloping 'lope I was more worried about how I was going to explain the injury with a straight face )

Put a sneak on a bedded pair of bighorn rams once. When I got to "peak over rock" with my camera ahead of me, I was so close with the 200m lens that I couldn't focus. Likely about 8 feet. 1Minute

These elk I "stalked" were in Yellowstone.

Once I was walking up on a beautiful full curl Bighorn ram in Banff trying to get a good photo shot. I had a 200mm telephoto lens on - and the ram kept coming towards me (probably looking for a salt handout - as some of the tourists had been doing) and I, looking through the camera, staring at the ram - kept backing up. Finally I heard my nephew in the truck yell "Brian - STOP!" -I was glad he yelled - I was backing up towards, and was now within a few feet, of a steep cliff with a river below.

That, was too close!

Brian,

I'd have left DNA in my britches, along with last night's supper! Having never seen a live elk, much less been that close, my heart would've been on the edge of burst mode. Thanks for the fine pics and yes....there is some envy (grin). Great photos and I'll agree, it's way too close for my excitement tolerance.

Fantastic pictures,I envy you getting that close,3 years ago I was hunting a spot we call 5 oaks,it's a cluster of oak trees about 1 1/2 ft apart I had showered with scent free soap sitting in camo chair with my ghillie suit on and a nice 8 point buck walked about 5 feet from me,he knew something wasn't quite right,he's take a step or 2 and stomp the ground.Thanks for the great photo's.

Cool bulls Brian

Naw. The only time I ever felt I was too close is when a cow elk peed and I got splattered--dang uncouth elk anyway.....

I have been run over (more like run under) by elk twice. And I have been treed by cow elk twice (well, one time I was treed in the bed of the pickup).

Casey

That big bull Charger that was shot in Yellowstone quite a few years ago ran us up a tree the day before it was shot. Trouble was, there was no more room in the tree for me. I was i nback of the tree with the Gibbobn river not 3 ft in back me and that bull was charging into the tree. His antlers were on both sides of the tree and even with me.

Nothing exciting like elk or buffalo. Was standing on the top of a gulley where the dogs had bayed a hog. Looking for a shot when the bank caved off. Landed on top of a boar hog @ 350. All I could think of was to grab his ears and hang on until somebody came.

Me, the dogs and that hog had a pretty good rodeo for a bit.


BCR

It's pretty easy to get too close to moose around here, now if I could only get close to a tag....

Those photos remind me of an outing with my boss in RMNP a few years ago. I had a bunch of guys in town from back east so we took them to the park (early October) for the day. My boss had his camera along and wanted to get photos of elk, which were everywhere and still in the rut.

We were walking down a trail back to the trailhead and came across a good sized bull with 8-10 cows. He herded them up the hill above us, and they just stood there looking at us, they will let you get pretty close. He wanted close-ups, and would not listen to my advice about not getting too close to a bull with cows during the rut (typical boss mentality). He kept inching up the hill, and we kept telling him he was close enough. Well, you know how this story ends, luckily he didn't get hurt but watching him run down the hill and drop his camera was the highlight of the trip for us.

I was sneaking up on a bunch of pigs in thick brush and put my hand down for balance as I stepped over a log. The log woke up and shot out from underneath me with one heck of a grunt. Not a big pig, maybe 150-175 pounder, he spun around and was close enough I could have gone to fixed bayonets. Little pig or not he was ready for a fight at first but quickly decided escape and evasion was the best plan.

COOL!

I know a local guy who was bowhunting elk. He was set up and calling in a bull. The elk circled and came in behind him and they were separated by some brush. Then the elk came calling. It jumped over the brush and landed right on the guy. He wasn't hurt badly but he got some bruises.

Dick

I spent a few hours in a tree (more like a 10 foot tall stump)with a huge bull moose trying to push it over. He got tired of ripping all the bark off less than 2 feet below my feet and laid down at the base of the tree. He kept looking up at me, testing me. That was a LONG wait for him to tire of the ordeal. Every time he pushed against the rotten tree, it would crack, pop and lean WAY over. I was sure he was going to knock that tree over. I did get some pretty good pictures of him. Funny thing is, I had just killed a MUCH smaller bull the day before.....typical luck. Flinch.

Had a buddy once on Guam that took an evening short cut through the jungle. Got treed by some pigs. Saw him coming in just before work in the morning and got the story. His closing line was, "you know, it rained 7 times last night." 1Minute

Nice pics!!

That bull tried the same thing on me a month later (after he grew another sticker), but he wasn't in the park this time...

OK, 2 times for this guy.
First time, back in October of '81 or so, I'm on the south slope of Big White, sitting on a stump overlooking a cut block with about 4-6 years re-growth. I'm out for Mule and Whitetail deer. The wind is in my face, so perfect set up right?
Out comes mother bear and a really small cub for that time of year, about 150yds out. I sit tight and enjoy the show. They feed directly towards me. When they get about 50yds from me, I slide the safety off the '06 and begin to get slightly concerned.
Did I mention I have never shot a bear yet at that point in my life?
So at what I recall as 20yds, maybe less, but plenty close for intimate conversation, I decide that someone better end this soon. I stand up and wave my ever present cowboy hat and yell.
Mom turns and runs down the hill, thank you Lord! However, she runs over junior, who gets crossed up and heads up to me again. By now I'm quite firm with my comments to junior, who is bawling at the top of his lungs matching my volume. Momma bear is running back and forth at about 40 yds, shaking her head and popping her teeth very loudly. We continue our pleasantries for a bit, and finally they both leave and I have a story to tell.
A couple years and dead bears later, I know that I might not have been able to stop her if we had got to serious name calling.
Second time was a moose, but that wasn't as exciting...sort of. This is why we go out there isn't it?
Dwayne

Nice pictures. I have been that close my self a few times. Last year I shot moose standing 4 meters from me. Another moose was just passing on my right when the shot fell. I can gurantee you that she ran! Also had a really nice bull-moose on 5 meters or so last fall, but the tags where full, so I could not shoot.

But IMO it is not smart to stalk to close to the game befor you shoot. If you get to close, the game will discover you before you are able to shoot. If the animal is standing in thick bush 50 meters or so away, I don`t try to get closer. I just find me self a good position and waits. Sooner or later, the animal will move in one or another direction. It can take from 2 minutes to several hours, but if you just wait, you will get your chance. Try to stalk closer, and the game will run off in 70% of the cases. At least that is my experince.