Heard the woods exploding around me in the pitch black. Sounded like Bigfoot and 12 elephant friends. I stood still as possible gripping my muzzleloader tight and waiting for death lol
30 minutes later the light showed up and I saw probably 30 turkeys had come thru the trees and landed on the hillside 100 yards away. Laughed like hell
Driving to camp one night in Zambia. Stopped on the “road” got out to take a leak. Got in and drove 200 yards when we came up behind a big male leopard walking in front of us. Must have stopped to pee right behind him.
Then in SW Cameroon came up on a male silverback gorilla sleeping. He woke and jumped up about 15 from me, flashed his teeth and said in gorilla “Oh [bleep]” and took off one way and I said “Oh [bleep]!” And ran the other!
Then the time a Black Forest Cobra slithered out of the grass and over the hood of the vehicle. The trackers jump out likes bomb went off
You sure that wasn’t Mooshelle in Cameroon ??? 😜
Last edited by chlinstructor; 10/24/20.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
Sitting on a stump and a Great Horned Owl decided he was going to use me a s a landing zone. I don't know who was more surprised him or I, at any rate that fugger had a good set of air brakes!
I had one that flew in and knocked my cap off as I was blowing on a rabbit squealer varmint call in my 16 ‘ tripod late one evening at dusk. I damned near jumped out of that thing. 🤠
Last edited by chlinstructor; 10/24/20.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
I literally ran into a big male black bear once, in my young and swift days, ran around a big boulder next to a rushing stream in the Adirondacks and there he was, close enough to shake hands, he ran off, I wasn’t particularly scared.
Once out in the open while doing a bird count on Camp Bullis a front came through, bolts of lightning all around not too far away, a couple close enough I saw them strike. I got to the lowest point I could find and waited it out.
Scaredest I’ve been was on the shore of Lake Erie years ago, wooded area, I was with a woman. I suddenly got the feeling that something real bad had happened where we were so I got us out of there right away. At the end of dirt road out was a house, inbred-looking family all standing on the front lawn, just staring at us as we drove away. Dunno if the scared feeling was all in my head.
At the park where I sometimes walk my dogs in the woods at night there’s a trail loop that I tended to avoid, I just felt like there was a bad feeling there, tho Ive walked it in daylight 100 times. Anyhoo some years back a guy in his sixties out geocaching at night was found dead right there. Dunno how seriously to take that either, just seems like some places have a bad vibe.
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
Nitwits coming up the mountain late and using their rifle scope on me to see if I was an Orange elk.
This!!! Apparently I resemble either a: 1.) Orange Elk 2.) Orange Deer 3.) Orange Pronghorn
I have been in thunderstorms in the mountains, tornadoes on the plains and had a mountain lion growl at me in the dark. Yeah, those things get your heart rate up, but seeing some halfwit staring at you thru the Tasco atop his brand new 30/06 makes me scared.
“My horn is full and my pouch is stocked with ball and patch. There is a new, sharp flint in my lock and my rifle and I are ready. It is sighted true and my eyes can still aim.” Kaywoodie
The first was when I was in Boy Scouts. We out camping, we had a game we called “Fox-n-Hounds”! It was done at night, with a small group going out into the woods, and several minutes later anothe group would go and search for them. If you found them (or one), you must chase them down, “tag” them, and they were removed from the game. It was a fairly moonlit night, I was chasing and getting close to one of the foxes. As he was passing beneath a large limb over the trail, a Bobcat silhouetted against the sky, jumped from the limb....landing in the trail right in front of my “fox”! About two seconds of shear terror!
The other, when I was stalked by “Bigfoot”....or that was my first thought! after an evening elk hunt until dark, we were walking a well used path back to the truck. The path carried us along a noisy little creek, which completely muffled any sound from the well used trail. As there was a little moonlight, I prefer “not” to used lights.....preferring my eyes to be adjusted to the low light conditions. I was 3rd person in line...when it happened! I’m not sure if I heard something or “sensed” something behind me. As I turned, it was less than 3 feet behind me, approximately 7 to 8 feet in height and about 3 feet wide at it’s widest point. I got out a guttural grunt in absolute horror while attempting the bring my rifle to action.....but, it was so close I couldn’t bring the rifle around. It was at that moment, I realized that it was a horse and rider. The rider was a young kid, asleep in the saddle.The other riders of the group all got a big laugh, while I was composing myself and verifying I hadn’t “soiled” myself!
There are many others.....but, it would use up too much internet! memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
Nitwits coming up the mountain late and using their rifle scope on me to see if I was an Orange elk.
This!!! Apparently I resemble either a: 1.) Orange Elk 2.) Orange Deer 3.) Orange Pronghorn
I have been in thunderstorms in the mountains, tornadoes on the plains and had a mountain lion growl at me in the dark. Yeah, those things get your heart rate up, but seeing some halfwit staring at you thru the Tasco atop his brand new 30/06 makes me scared.
One of the main reasons I quit hunting public land in Colorado during Rifle Season.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
Almost fell into 2 open wells, many miles and years apart. I had to buttstock a doe with my flintlock after I missed the shot. There were 2 does, one ran around me, the other ran into me. More funny than scary, but unique.
3 bear close calls, wet your pants type, boat & water, although I was use to chitty water....how bout diving.....the time with the 3 sea lions... ..or out of air at 83 feet ?? ...the best one I got is them silver dollar eyes about 9feet in the air ..then IT running off breaking trees like sticks ...good lord...
LOL.. I was walking for Ruffed grouse in upstate NY, I was walking the outside the edge of a big pasture With a big dip in the middle of the field up on top that was a good 2 miles back from anyone. I was on top of a raise to check out the fox that normally den up there and happened to look into the shallow dip in them middle of the field and saw a big red picnic blanket... No basket. They where having fun... it was hard not to shoot a squirrel or something just to make them jump, but I left it alone.
Originally Posted by hanco
Walked up on some people fuucking in the woods. This big ole nekked fat girl jumped up, scared hell out of me.
End of day, last drive in the late flintlock season, it was t along me longer to get to the watchers than I thought it should. I was thinking I might be lost.
Saw tracks in the snow, and thought they belonged to the guy I walked in with, so I just followed them. Getting dark a few minutes later when I got to thinking, "He had Rocky boots, those aren't his tracks".
Then I realized, they were mine!
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
Had fresh grizzly tracks across my driveway just outside my gate this morning. Makes me a bit edgy when it's just me, but when my kid is with me I'm a whole lot more so lol. Things seem to come into focus more when you head back to the truck and there's sign on top of yours
Back in the old days I used to hunt with my dog during elk season. I hunted alone in grizzly country and never worried too much as I knew my dog would be a better backup than most hunting partners. Was tracking a small group of elk into one of my favorite parks when we came upon a fresh bear track. I wear size 12 boots and the track was a good 3 inches longer than my boot. I decided to let that bear alone. I've met many bears face to face over the years but the size of that track impressed me. We were a long way from the end of the road and I knew that even if I killed an elk that day that bear would have it before I could get back to pack it out. I wasn't scared but never saw a bear track like that one before or since.
Came across an outdoors drug lab while scouting deer sign in an wooded sand dune area NW Michigan. While leaving same deer hunting area at dusk following dozens of rounds fired nearby and bullets flying overhead encountering a fellow dressed in black with military ammo vest and an AK. DNR Conservation Officers confiscated his Airstream trailer which was parked nearby shortly thereafter.
I l shot a Cape buffalo in the lungs in Zimbabwe. It took off and we followed the trail. It was nearly dark--night falls very fast in the tropics--and there were big black boulders of basalt all around that looked like they might be buffalos. Just as the PH was opening his mouth to tell us to return to the truck, I saw one "boulder" that stood upright about 30 feet away. It was so dark I could not tell if it was facing us or facing away. I shot center of mass and absolutely nothing happened!
It was then I realized I had not chambered a round when we started, and, of three in the magazine, only one shot was left. 30 feet from a wounded buffalo. That was scary. I fired the last shot and the buff fell over, scrabbling around on the ground.
The PH said, "Reload and shoot again." Oh, ya' think I should?
Don't blame me. I voted for Trump.
Democrats would burn this country to the ground, if they could rule over the ashes.
after an evening elk hunt until dark, we were walking a well used path back to the truck. The path carried us along a noisy little creek, which completely muffled any sound from the well used trail. As there was a little moonlight, I prefer “not” to used lights.....preferring my eyes to be adjusted to the low light conditions. I was 3rd person in line...when it happened! I’m not sure if I heard something or “sensed” something behind me. As I turned, it was less than 3 feet behind me, approximately 7 to 8 feet in height and about 3 feet wide at it’s widest point. I got out a guttural grunt in absolute horror while attempting the bring my rifle to action.....but, it was so close I couldn’t bring the rifle around. It was at that moment, I realized that it was a horse and rider. The rider was a young kid, asleep in the saddle.The other riders of the group all got a big laugh, while I was composing myself and verifying I hadn’t “soiled” myself! 
memtb
