Scariest/Creepiest Time in the Woods

It wouldn't say scared, but those Eastern Screech owls make some scary sounds. Watch a badger once was neat.

I had that happen to me once. Just about getting light and I could see it coming from about 50 yards. It kept coming and I threw my hands up to protect myself and it then flared off. I guess it could just make out my face and thought it was an edible critter.

Screech owl, coyotes, coon making a ruckus, bobcats making a ruckus, snakes, deer ticks and poison ivy are about the creepiest things I've encountered. Pretty tame.


There was one morning a friend of mine and I were going hunting for geese during the early season. The foliage was still up and mostly green. It was Pitch Black we were walking through the woods and he says something to me like something's following me. I told him nothing was following him and there's nothing to worry about, we kept walking, he then Sprints past me and screams something's following me! All I had was my shotgun with no shells not even in my pocket! It was a good thing too, when we finally figured out what was following him there was a stick that had hooked to his backpack and every time he took a step he heard the brush rustling and thought something was after him! It was the funniest day I think I can remember in the woods!

The most I've ever been scared was by a rabbit. Not in the woods, but right in my back yard. I had some 10' sections of black corrugated pipe laying on the ground. 2 sections were connected. I picked it up at the seam and pulled it apart. There was a rabbit inside the pipe at that exact spot that I was unaware of. When the pipes separated the rabbit came flying at me and kicked off my chest before bolting away. I'm sure we both suffered a cardiac event that day. I guess it was because I wasn't expecting anything to be in the pipes, but that startled me so bad I was bent over gasping for air.

Several years ago, in scenic Martin Co., I was sitting in my most productive stand ever. Once daylight happened, I looked to my left and there was a %^&*@&# owl sitting about five feet away staring directly at me. After nearly soiling myself, I eased the 12g across my lap and was ready to fire if needed. It eventually took off. I would have blasted it if I had any indication that it was heading my way.

Went deer hunting in northern California one afternoon about 20 miles from my house. Parked and walked out on a logging road that wrapped around the back side of a ridge through very heavy timber. I went a half mile or so and saw no track or sign of any kind, no squirrels, nothing. I turned around and headed back to the truck. The road hadn't been used in years, and there was tall grass growing in the middle of the tire tracks. As I got closer to the truck I realized something just wasn't right. I looked behind me and there was a mountain lion stalking me at about 40 yards. Let's just say he got a rude welcome. 

When turkeys were first coming into our area I was coon hunting in a area called 7sections. Walking along in the dark and started hearing what sounded like sheets flipping in the tree tops. Scared the crappers out of me and my brother, wasn’t until years later we figured out what it was.
Another time while bear baiting I noticed a bear laying a short distance away flat out on his belly watching me out of the corner of his eye.
Scariest was a pack of wolves followed me the half mile walk back to my truck, letting themselves be seen. Talk about hair standing up on your neck.

2 things for me

Jumped a deer hunting in Big Oaks one year, pitch black, sat down by a fallen tree on the ground, something big starts moving in front of me. I sit dead silent, I had already stowed my light in my bag.

It got pretty close, best guess within 10 feet. Then it started blowing, about messed myself, but it did feel better to know it was a deer lol.

Another time I was getting in my tree stand at a reduction hunt at Summit Lake, my stand was set up in a grass field about 10 yards from a tree outcropping. As I put my foot on the bottom wrung a coyote let's loose in that outcropping. Never climbed a ladder so fast in my life lol.

Twice I was startled, but not scared.

#1 A female friend wanted to turkey hunt. She came from a big family, 1 sister and 3-4 brothers and she acted like she was a Tomboy. (I had known her for about a year at this point - we went trap shooting and fishing together.) So we both went to a turkey hunting seminar and talked to the lady that was putting on the seminar after it was over. She said to carry a handgun and put it in your lap because if a Mountain Lion or Bobcat got past the muzzle of the shotgun that was your only defense. She made it a point to tell us that it wasn't legal, but that's what she did. Come turkey season, I did some scouting and found some birds. So, the next morning we are talking softly as we were walking in on this 2-track when a deer blows in the weeds on the other side of this female friend. I keep on talking in a low voice and when she replied she was on the opposite side of me, putting me between her and the thing that made the noise. She didn't know what it was. I didn't say anything, after all, she was carrying 2 guns but I was LMAO inside. On the way out there were Mt. Lion tracks over our boot prints...... I'm not allergic to poison ivy or poison oak. When the sun came up, guess where we were sitting? Yep, in some poison oak. She was allergic to it too. That was the last time she asked to go turkey hunting. LOL

#2. Trout season was open for a few days so I drove to a trout stream, got my hip waders on and slowly fished the stream. Ran into a deadfall that I couldn't get around and couldn't walk up on the bank, so I walked back to where I entered the stream. Just as I went to step on the bank I noticed a rattlesnake where I was going to step. I went further back out into the stream rather quickly, it went further into the brush in the opposite direction just as quick. I kept looking and found a place to get out of the stream a ways away from where I entered.

And no, that wasn't in Indiana, it was in California.