How Many Of You Guys Get Spooked In The Dark ??

[rzdrmh]

come on thunderhead.. i can see you grinning behind the keyboard right now, thinking about how you've spooked all this grown men for opening day. i know you're trying to keep the woods to yourself for opening day, but it ain't gonna happen, my friend. good story though.

sure, its easy enough to get spooked heading out. i've practically stepped on pheasants, and that will really get to me. i've had deer snort and grunt from across a fence row. i'd flip if there was a racoon in the tree i was trying to get into.

but once i'm in the tree, i'm good. don't know why - i'm just comfortable as can be - guess i feel like at that point i've blended into the surroundings as much as any other part of nature, and now I'M the one watching, looking, spooking. (well, hopefully not spooking deer anyway.. )

[szokr1]

Originally Posted by Tom (mich)

When I first started bowhunting, I used to hunt the Waterloo State Game Area in Washtenaw County. The spot I picked required me to park right next to a really old cemetary - you know the kind with headstones falling over, and moss growing on them, etc. While I don't routinely scare in the dark, I used to be completed freaked out walking next to that cemetary - telling myself NEVER to shine my light in there, as I'd be sure I imagined seeing a zombie....

Tom, I know exactly where you are talking about, I too have hunted that area! The walk out of the woods at night is a lot worse than walking in too.

Thunderhead, I have always had that slight feeling of being spooked in the woods at dark, and was hoping this would be more of a support group thread to aleviate my fears! Thanks to you, this story will get the best of me on a couple occasions!!!

[jme]

Mi Buckmaster - that was plain mean, mean, mean. I can't wait to try it. After an evening hunt years ago I was still in my ground blind when I saw the flashlight of my buddy and his 8 year old some walking out of the woods. I knew the path they'd take so I hurried and hid behind a big tree. As they walked by about 3 feet away I stepped out and said "Did you see anything?" Adam, the son, screamed like he'd been dipped in hot oil. Priceless.

Nah, for some reason the dark has never bothered me. One morning on the way to my stand a bird was in the brush and I must have stepped right next to it. When it flushed it went right up my legs, waist and chest. This caused me to be late since I had to go back and change my pants. Man that scared the heck out of me.

Here's a dirty little trick I like to play on my hunting buddies. It has nothing to do with the dark but it sure is fun. After a hard morning hunt, when the tired, discouraged guys congregate, and just as they put down their unloaded weapons, try this: Stare across the field or into the woods, open your eyes wide, jump up and say excitedly "A buck, a buck..." As the guys stumble over one another scrambling for their weapons, you calmly continue, "...walked across that field last year and went into the woods by the big Oak." My brother pulled this on me and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I've done it several times to others and the response is priceless.

[Thunderhead]

Originally Posted by dtg

Now I'm more concerned about walking up on a bear in the dark. I've heard one in the woods and people have seen them here in Northern Kent county, where I'm hunting. I know that Black Bear "USUALLY" don't bother people, but that "usually" bit doesn't cut it for me. Haven't there been some 4 people killed up in Ontario in the past 4 years? What the heck can you do to a bear with a bow, head on?

As very well you should be. Black bear are more dangerous than grizzleys according to an Alasken Guide friend of mine. Griz will takeoff when they see you as a rule,unless they have cubs with'em.
Black bears will stalk and kill you just for the fun of it. Remember that clip on MOOD awhile back of that Blackie stalking that guy with a camara in broad daylight and driving him into a river?

Just remember not to have any shaving cuts or open wounds while walking thru the still of night.
And always keep an ear open for a low, deep throated growl.
Once he gets a wiff of fresh blood, well..............

[dtg]

Originally Posted by Thunderhead

As very well you should be. Black bear are more dangerous than grizzleys according to an Alasken Guide friend of mine. Griz will takeoff when they see you as a rule,unless they have cubs with'em.
Black bears will stalk and kill you just for the fun of it. Remember that clip on MOOD awhile back of that Blackie stalking that guy with a camarain broad daylight and driving him into a river?

Just remember not to have any shaving cuts or open wounds while walking thru the still of night.
And always keep an ear open for a low, deep throated growl.
Once he gets a wiff of fresh blood, well..............

Ohhh, like this little tidbit is going to give that much need boost of confidence.......especially now that I've found a great hunting area that is wasy deep in the woods and hard to find.....ALONE!!!!!! I saw that video you're talking about....I don't think that guy thought that bear are pretty good swimmers. I've seen a big one swim across a lake I fish in Ontario. We thought it was an otter or beaver...until we got closer.

[Dedge]

The walk out to my stand in the morning has always spooked the crap out of me. I will be even more on edge this year. Thanks, Tom. I am hunting up in Bear coutry and am always spooked about them big buggers. Last year a woman that I work with told me a story of what happened to her brother. Left me even more spooked. He was hunting up in a tree stand and saw 2 cubs coming down the trail. Then to his surprise one of the cubs decided to climb the tree he was in. Well momma saw this and was not happy with what was going on so she climbed the tree and started taking swiped at him from under his tree stand. Then she figured she could get around the stand so he put an arrow right into her eye socket. The bear fell and took off like a rocket, so he climbed down and (I'm guessing changed his shorts) and went and called the DNR who came out to track it. Well last I heard they never found it. That was about 4 miles from where I hunt, so I was a little spooked.
This year I am going to take a hatchet with me into the woods in the morning. Don't think it would do much damage against a big bear, but certainly better than a bow in close quarters.
And my friends and I have an unwritten agreement that we never spook each other while in the woods, as to avoid getting a hatchet or someting equally nasty upside the head. You never know what a person will do when entered into "fight of flight" mode.

Dan

[Frozenfish]

I don't get that scared out in the woods. As I bow hunt in Davison and firearm hunt in Capac. My first year hunting I was in Whittemore (sp), MI bow hunting. As I was walking up to my stand I kicked up a grouse. I about **** my pants and took me a little while longer to get up that tree stand. I was scared ****less. But after I told my cousin about it he told me what it was...after the hunt. That is the only time I have been really scared. More often then not I am to tired to be scared!

[wecker20]

Originally Posted by Thunderhead

As very well you should be. Black bear are more dangerous than grizzleys according to an Alasken Guide friend of mine. Griz will takeoff when they see you as a rule,unless they have cubs with'em.
Black bears will stalk and kill you just for the fun of it. Remember that clip on MOOD awhile back of that Blackie stalking that guy with a camarain broad daylight and driving him into a river?

Just remember not to have any shaving cuts or open wounds while walking thru the still of night.
And always keep an ear open for a low, deep throated growl.
Once he gets a wiff of fresh blood, well..............

I heard the same thing. Black bears are getting more and more common and I'm amazed nobody has come up missing. When you start to hear twigs snapping behind you, the tall grass is moving but there is no wind, or the new aspen stands after a cut are seperating as though a body is moving through it, you'd better get up a tree and knock an arrow.

[PITBULL]

The only time I got scared, Really scared was when I was going out to my tree stand about 1 hour before daylight as I walked along I looked down and there was some guy laying in the trail. "whoa ####" I yelled. Then he sat up (that scared me almost as bad) and said he was just taking a nap.

[kbotta]

Man, now you guy's are getting to me. I have my own personal stories about bear(s) that the guy's rag me about. But recently (Last Sunday to be exact) I went hunting up on Pigeon mountain (WMA-North Georgia) and was in the stand about an hour or so before daylight. Then I heard it. That deep growl sound, right at day break. I heard it circle-ing below me, off the side of the mountain-but never seen it. There are a lot of caves on this particular mountain, wonder if he was heading to one. Never did see it, and not really sure it was a bear, but I believe it to be.
Great! There goes that spot

[dinoday]

Not usually, but I got it pretty bad one morning.
About 10 years ago I was heading out to my stand at the beginning of bow season. I had a pretty huge bait pile at the time and thought I knew my way around well so went out with no flashlight.
Of course I got a little off track and missed my stand a little.I figured out where I was and started heading the right way.
It had rained all night so the leaves were soaked and walking through the woods was pretty much silent.Footsteps didn't make a sound.No moonlight made it darn near impossible to see anything,but in the distance I could see the light spot from my bait pile.
I walked up that way,stepped into the clearing and the woods just exploded around me! I hear stuff running,branches breaking, stuff running past me,towards me...all over the place! Scared the livin' crap out of me
It was a herd of probably 10-15 deer that had been eating on my pile in the dark! They couldn't hear me beacuse of the damp leaves and I didn't hear them 'cause I was just worried about finding my stand!
I quit putting out the big bait piles after that....the excitment was a little too much

[Adam Waszak]

Not sure what it was but i think it was 2 bobcats fighting within 20 yards of my tree. That scared the @#$K outta me I was worried the loser was going to charge up my tree in retreat. That was the scariest noise I ever heard and it was pitch black at the time. We have a John Deere Gator for deer camp and a guy shot a deer and was going to pick it up after dark. I saw him coming down the trail so I shed my orange in the dark and waited till they got close and I ran across the trail hunched over and they slammed on the brakes and shined a light into the woods but i was right on the side of the trail and I jumped up and yelled My best buddy in the passenger seat screamed like a little girl and he dumped a beer all over his pants. He is one scared guy in the dark always has been

AW

[Jacob Huffman]

I never get spooked in the woods!!! If it's daylight that is ...lolGoing to and from the stand in the dark is always a hair raising trip for me.I hunt back in the swamp so I get to hear all kinds of fun things in the dark..I remember one time a turkey took off from its roost over my head.. ...yup had to change when I got back....

[huntman63]

reminds me of last year opening morning was walking to my stand in knee deep weeds and a pheasant got up right by my feet,talking about scaring the **** right out of me,it took minutes of standing there trying to get my heart back in my chest

[codybear]

Gee, Thanks Tom!!!!!!
I never had a problem before, but after reading that, I may need to take some extra toilet paper with me now but then again, I dont think I'll be waiting around to wipe I'll be doing that when I get home

I owe you one now


CB