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Strange occurances in the woods

Jay_Disarray said:
just re-read this thread again, out of boredom. so im gonna comment and resurrect this thread so newer people can add to it also
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Ok here goes. I was bowhunting in a large public forest in Wis. one fall evening. I was probably in about a half mile from my truck. Acorns were falling around me all evening when I spied five deer feeding toward my tree. Ends up all does, two adults and 3 fawns. I decided to pass on them. It kept getting darker and darker and I didn’t want to spook them so I sat tight. They finally moved off after an hour after dark. I packed up stand bow and was ready to head back to the truck. As I started to leave I had wolves howling within 100 yards. I know wolf howls when I hear it and the hair on the back of my neck stood up…and right now as I think of it. I literally ran through the woods hollering loud as I could to scare them off. Got to the truck jumped in and locked the doors. I think I checked my shorts as well.
Haven’t hunted there since.
 
January 2017 we had a bad freeze in Louisiana, in the stand on a reserve here and everythings frozen solid but i was trying to fill my last tag so i figured id give it a shot (not a single animal seen or heard in 4 days of can to cant hunting). It was around 8am and had fallen asleep hard, woke up to a giant oak tree about 40 yds behind me come crashing down entirely, i woke up and nearly jumped out my stand, it went fromt dead silence and ice drops melting to sounding like the entire forrest coming down and it was close enough i felt it hit the ground. Other than that, another time, walking fast through the woods squirrel hunting with a shotgun and literally stepping on a burried hog. I peppered it twice in the face with my #6 steel shot when it tried to come at me and it ran off.
 
The_Fit_Ness_Monster said:
January 2017 we had a bad freeze in Louisiana, in the stand on a reserve here and everythings frozen solid but i was trying to fill my last tag so i figured id give it a shot (not a single animal seen or heard in 4 days of can to cant hunting). It was around 8am and had fallen asleep hard, woke up to a giant oak tree about 40 yds behind me come crashing down entirely, i woke up and nearly jumped out my stand, it went fromt dead silence and ice drops melting to sounding like the entire forrest coming down and it was close enough i felt it hit the ground. Other than that, another time, walking fast through the woods squirrel hunting with a shotgun and literally stepping on a burried hog. I peppered it twice in the face with my #6 steel shot when it tried to come at me and it ran off.
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No wolves for sure. Never had any experience hogs. I don’t think I would want hogs around without 357.
 
Many things come to mind form 47 years of hunting

I was 15 and out pheasant hunting with my brother we were working an edge between a swamp and big hardwoods and were about 50 yards apart trying to bust pheasants up between us. I stepped onto some thick brush thinking I might flush one, all of a sudden I stepped on a 5 point buck right on his neck. He back flipped me like a cheerleader doing cartwheels. He scared me so bad I spun back around on him and dropped the hammer on my shotgun and leveled off on him. Then realized what had just happened and lowered the arm. Brother said my feet were off the ground like nine feet above my head.
 
I’m on a backpack hunt in the Adirondacks, with one buddy, our camp was set up about 4-5 miles from the closest vehicle road, I had hunted all day, past my camp so I have no idea how far that was, and ran into my buddy on the only trail, not much of a trail mind you, that headed towards camp, so we were probably a half mile from camp/tent, about 30 minutes before dark, walking pretty fast to get back, when we noticed people coming… 2 women and one man, one of the women was wearing a fur coat, they were all dressed like they were at an opera or something, dress clothes, they spoke broken english, and were heading deeper into the woods, it’s like a half rain/snow mix also. I didn’t know what to say… they managed to explain to me they were looking for some pond, I basically told them to turn around and leave.. they wouldn’t.. so off we went towards my tent, probably over 4 miles from a road, and here these people were, dressed for a wedding, in snow/rain, going deeper, 30 minutes before dark. That was the last time I ever seen anything of those people, I have not a clue what the **** they were doing, or how they got out, I never will know, I can’t remember if it was the next day or a couple when we finally came out of the woods and had phone service, I contacted the local Forest Ranger and told him the whole story, he didn’t know what to think, he said he didn’t get any calls or reports of missing people… Full disclosure there is a half assed trail that comes from a vehicle worthy road, but let me tell you it isn’t much, with no lights and dressed like that, in those conditions… over 4 miles closer to 5 in… with mountains and swamps, creek crossings.. I remember not sleeping much that night in my tent lol.
 
Several years ago I was walking back to my truck one night on an piece of private property that I thought I knew every inch of. About 200 yards from the truck I catch eye shine with my head lamp about 50 yards in front of me. As I continue down the trail right toward the eyes, I start to realize they are well above my height, 8-9 ft range, and not moving at all as I approach. As I get closer I see there is a large bush on the side of the trail and the eyes appear to be inside the bush, and still not moving. Now at this point my brain kicks into overdrive and all sorts of childhood nightmares start replaying and I come to the realization that I can either take my eyes off of this thing and get off the trail and try to bushwack back to my truck, or I can keep going straight at it. So I do what any good ole boy would on his own property and I take my rifle off my shoulder and flip the safety off and I keep walking, a lot more slowly. About 10 yards away I hit my limit and can’t take another step. I finally yell “What the **** are you!?”

What I didnt know is behind the bush just off the trail was an small little mound of dirt about 4 ft high and the old doe standing on top of it watching me wasn’t about to let me know she was there… until I yelled at her. She took off the other way blowing as loud as any deer I’ve ever heard before and I was still completely paralyzed in fear and frozen in my tracks. After finding my courage and getting back to the truck, I jump started my heart and had a good laugh at myself.
 
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About 15 years ago I was grouse hunting some public land in Northern Wisconsin with my two labs. We were about 1/2 mile off the road when the dogs stopped hunting and began just running around in a small area, the hair on their backs standing on end. The woods was dead silent. There was a humped-up spot on the ground the dogs returned to several times so I went to investigate. Beneath loose dirt and a pile of leaves I found the mutilated carcass of a coyote.

I doubt the carcass is what had the dogs spooked as they were no strangers to dead coyotes--I did a fair amount of trapping at that time. Between the silence in the woods and the odd behavior of the dogs, I started to get spooked myself. I called the dogs, turned around, and headed toward the truck. The dogs never hunted on the way out, they simply followed me, single file. Their behavior that day haunts me to this day--normally two dogs together are much more than twice as brave as a single dog alone.

The only explanation I have ever been able to come up with is wolves, but I really have no Idea what set those dogs off that day. I never returned to that spot
 
2 years ago in Rhode Island, during the rut, I was in a tree and I felt the entire ground shake. The trees everything around me shaking. It was like someone blew up a bomb under the ground beneath me. I swear I even heard something blow up. I honestly thought I was tripping out for a second.. Like did that just happen?! Am I losing it? I sat there feeling like the ground was still vibrating.. I’m definitely losing it.. 5 min later my fiance calls me and asks me if Im safe and ok.. apparently there was a small earthquake off the coast of Rhode Island.. the picture frames and glasses were shaking off the walls and counter tops at my house. Definitely the strangest thing to happen in a saddle.

RI earthquake news
 
When you spend as much time in the woods as all of us do you’re bound to have something happen wether it’s your mind playing tricks or just good old Mother Nature. I’ve seen a mountain lion. No it wasn’t a bobcat no it wasn’t a Great Dane it was a mountain lion in a state where they claim there’s absolutely no chance one would ever be here (massachusetts). I’ve had plenty of foxes fishers and bobcats yell at me. I’ve had owls sit in the tree next to me with the he look of “he looks tasty” I’ve been borderline knocked off of beaver dams by the beaver that didn’t want company that early in the morning. BUT. The only unexplainable happening that I have to share is one that occurs every year. ( yes I’m well aware I’m about to sound nuts). Every year I swear I see my grandfather. Usually right around the same place as I watched him from afar the last time we got to hunt together 10 years ago. I swear I can see this stubby little old man in red wool pants and a a camo orange jacket. And last year was the first time I saw him in the snow and when I hit the logging road there were no footprints. I’m sure it’s probably more than likely just my brain making it up because I really don’t believe in that stuff but who knows
 
sojourner said:
Go to YouTube and search for user howtohunt.com and listen to some of his videos. He is a hunter and guide. He speaks a lot about Bigfoot. I got sucked into it. Not sensational, but he has some interesting stories.

I listen to it now, but will not listen during hunting season. Too skeered!
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I liked one where someone had given him reloads with no powder in them, where he had been running into grizzlies all season thinking he had bullets in his rifle. the primers just jammed his gun up. he now shakes his shells to make sure they have powder before he loads his gun. his bear stories are great
 
My buddy was telling me about the time he was scouting TVA land and an old guy and his lady friend were driving a golf cart on the main game trail that hugged the creek bank. He couldn’t believe they were out there with a golf cart but he said hi to them and went on his way scouting. On his way back, in the middle of the game trail that he entered on but a little further down the way, he comes on that very same golf cart, and this old dude with his butt cheeks out and his old lady bent across the golf cart going to town. That’s some next level of weird stuff to find in the deer woods lol
 
Jtaylor said:
I was getting ready to climb up a tree last fall on some public ground when I heard rustling in the leaves. I was expecting to see a deer or squirrel but instead saw an old grey bearded, grey haired man carrying what looked like a beer in old 80s style camo coveralls about 40-50 yds away. He had no bow/gun, no backpack just a beer. I kind of shrugged it off for a second and continued about my business heading up the tree (it was a good spot I've seen deer at before). I felt the feeling of someone watching me and I looked in his direction and he had stopped and was just staring in my direction. I waved, he waved but just kept staring. I went about my business hunting the rest of the day and he had moved on I texted the wife about the situation, never saw any deer, etc. The most odd thing about the situation is the fact I was several miles back in the woods and it isn't exactly easy for me getting back there (not to mention a frail looking old man) there was no other vehicle in the parking lot when I arrived and he wasn't carrying a gun, bow, water, backpack, etc.
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The ghost of @Red Beard future.
 
Probably told this story on here before but can't find it so here goes:

Year or so ago I was hunting some local public, early October opening day muzzleloader season. It can be crowded so I got there hyper early to beat everyone else in. It's super dark. I'm the first guy there. It's all perfect. About 5 minutes down the trail suddenly, very close, less than 30 yards (who knows it's dark) comes this excited barking and growling, like a dog. There's some housing developments 1-2 miles away so I figured maybe it was somebody's pup who wondered into the woods. But it sounded irregular- really raspy and sharp, not like any dog I ever heard. And this thing kept barking and barking at me, close range! So I'm shining my headlamp around, trying to decide what to do, thinking great... I have some coyote or wild dog wound up at me in the dark, I can't see this thing at all, all I have is a single shot scoped muzzleloader...

Anyhow, I decided to keep walking down the trail, adrenaline pumping. The thing keeps barking but it eventually calms down. I never saw what it was.

I researched it later and determined it was a red fox distress bark. Must've startled the little guy out of his wits in his bed.
 
Seriously some funny stories! Def. made my work day haha. Not too excited now to get down in the dark after this evenings hunt however. I need to stop reading for now.

Tr33_n1nj@ said:
Several years ago I was walking back to my truck one night on an piece of private property that I thought I knew every inch of. About 200 yards from the truck I catch eye shine with my head lamp about 50 yards in front of me. As I continue down the trail right toward the eyes, I start to realize they are well above my height, 8-9 ft range, and not moving at all as I approach. As I get closer I see there is a large bush on the side of the trail and the eyes appear to be inside the bush, and still not moving. Now at this point my brain kicks into overdrive and all sorts of childhood nightmares start replaying and I come to the realization that I can either take my eyes off of this thing and get off the trail and try to bushwack back to my truck, or I can keep going straight at it. So I do what any good ole boy would on his own property and I take my rifle off my shoulder and flip the safety off and I keep walking, a lot more slowly. About 10 yards away I hit my limit and can’t take another step. I finally yell “What the **** are you!?”

What I didnt know is behind the bush just off the trail was an small little mound of dirt about 4 ft high and the old doe standing on top of it watching me wasn’t about to let me know she was there… until I yelled at her. She took off the other way blowing as loud as any deer I’ve ever heard before and I was still completely paralyzed in fear and frozen in my tracks. After finding my courage and getting back to the truck, I jump started my heart and had a good laugh at myself.
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This one is hilarious because I've had deer get me like that before. Can't see the elevation change in the dark and you start freaking yourself out LOL. Too funny! "What the **** are you" hahaha I can just imagine a grown man yelling at a deer in the woods and having no clue its a deer
 
Marmuzz said:
Probably told this story on here before but can't find it so here goes:

Year or so ago I was hunting some local public, early October opening day muzzleloader season. It can be crowded so I got there hyper early to beat everyone else in. It's super dark. I'm the first guy there. It's all perfect. About 5 minutes down the trail suddenly, very close, less than 30 yards (who knows it's dark) comes this excited barking and growling, like a dog. There's some housing developments 1-2 miles away so I figured maybe it was somebody's pup who wondered into the woods. But it sounded irregular- really raspy and sharp, not like any dog I ever heard. And this thing kept barking and barking at me, close range! So I'm shining my headlamp around, trying to decide what to do, thinking great... I have some coyote or wild dog wound up at me in the dark, I can't see this thing at all, all I have is a single shot scoped muzzleloader...

Anyhow, I decided to keep walking down the trail, adrenaline pumping. The thing keeps barking but it eventually calms down. I never saw what it was.

I researched it later and determined it was a red fox distress bark. Must've startled the little guy out of his wits in his bed.
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Red fox alarm barks in the dark will really give you some concern if you haven't heard them before. We've had red foxes living in the wooded section of my property (they have a den there) for several years. This year they raised a litter of 3 or 4 young ones, and it's been nice to see them almost every day as they learned to hunt. A few nights this year they woke us up after midnight from a sound sleep. They were doing that alarm bark just outside the master bedroom exterior wall. A sharp, shrill noise every 15 to 30 seconds which went on for several minutes. Depending on the individual sound of the fox, it can sound quite convincingly like a sharp/shrill scream. I can imagine it'd be pretty unnerving to hear in the dark in close proximity when you're all alone somewhere back in the woods. Here's two separate youtube examples of what it sounds like:


 
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jonkytron said:
2 years ago in Rhode Island, during the rut, I was in a tree and I felt the entire ground shake. The trees everything around me shaking. It was like someone blew up a bomb under the ground beneath me. I swear I even heard something blow up. I honestly thought I was tripping out for a second.. Like did that just happen?! Am I losing it? I sat there feeling like the ground was still vibrating.. I’m definitely losing it.. 5 min later my fiance calls me and asks me if Im safe and ok.. apparently there was a small earthquake off the coast of Rhode Island.. the picture frames and glasses were shaking off the walls and counter tops at my house. Definitely the strangest thing to happen in a saddle.

RI earthquake news
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Not scary, but while I was hunting last weekend, there was an explosion nearby that shook my tree. Then a pine snapped in half 40 yds away, luckily falling perpendicular to me. Capped off the day with two more ground rumbling explosions.

Best I can figure, it was an active mining operation.

What's funny is my brother heard the tree crash and was worried, but thought it could have been that I shot a buck so he waited a couple hours until the hunt was over to check in with me.

We both saw a decent 8pt (same deer) that evening. He was acting a bit funny running all about, don't know if he was worked up over all the day'sracket or what.
 
I was scouting for deer back when I lived in Florida... went into Picayune Strand with my kayak to see if I could drag it through just to test what it would be like if I needed to drag a deer out on it... found that the water that's typically 4-6 inches was closer to 18 inches... figured whelp... might at well paddle this thing through... saw there was a gator a ways ahead of me but right on my way... not a huge concern... it looked small... ended up paddling by it and it was about a 6 footer... kept going in, did my scouting, and on my way out... I was paddling through the hole where I'd seen it (going south this time so I was facing the sun and couldn't see into the water) and was just thinking, "well I'm about through this area, he must have moved on"... when all of a sudden I HUNG MY KAYAK UP ON HIM... he flipped out and bolted... needless to say, I had a bit of adrenaline going..... kept going on my way... got to my truck and was happy to be out of my kayak... went to load it in the back of the truck and therefore teeth marks on the stern of the kayak.... WHOA.... didn't tell/show the wife about that one till after we moved to Minnesota..
 
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