I was about 16 or 17 and had cleared the leaves out from under a huge white oak tree. I sat on the ground with my back against the tree and waited for a deer to show up.....so anyway I hear this animal walking in the leaves behind me moving in my direction...I waited for it to pass me and then I could tell it was off the leaves and on the ground under my tree behind me....my imagination took over and I pictured a wild dog grabbing me by the throat with me sitting there with a scoped 308 across my lap...I couldn't bare it any more and slowly turned my head to the right to look behind me...all I could see was a huge eye ball not two inches from my face it was so close it was blurry....it wa an old nanny doe...she did about 15 back somersaults snortin and wheezin and I ended up on my hands an knees about 20 yards from the tree with rifle on the ground 1/2 way to the tree....she only ran off about 50 yards and stood there snortin and stomping her feet...I got up got my rifle and sat back down at the tree shaken but not stirred..so to speak...she circled me until dark snortin and stompin and actually half charging me to about 20 yards then whirl and run off about 50 yards annd then snort and stomp... Was truly a wierd day. SB
Two of the funniest things I recall while deer hunting was the first time I went out sitting in a tree row, my dad and I had some does working towards our tree with the wind not in our favor ( this was before I knew anything about scent control) and at about 20 yards the biggest doe just exploded into snorts and went crazy blowing 2 of em right by us at less than 10 yards. I jumped and just started laughing and laughing all the while my dad was focused on not spooking them anymore. For my first hunt it sure brings back good memories. Second was I fell asleep in my chair and promptly fell over. result at first was deathly scared and then I chuckled the rest of the evening. Most terrifying hunt/experience ever was after busting some does out of cover I sat down and did some bleats to calm em down. Seconds later I hear rustling coming back towards me. Renewed and happy now at deer coming back in. I soon saw that it wasn't a deer but a German Shepard that came within 10 yards of me on the ground. Knowing this dog was not tame and seeing other shepards behavior in the past I prayed and eventually got a break and ran back to the driveway. Maybe I am a wimp. But I have always despised unknown dogs that don't know me. I hope to never repeat that experience again. Unfortunately there is a monster buck roaming the same area.
I've had many great experiences in the woods. One of the most recent was this fall, hunting with a good buddy of mine. We had a Pine Marten pick its way by our stand foraging and scent checking for red squirrels. He ended up climbing our tree twice and I got it on video. These are stills from that video. He got within a foot of my stand. He new something was up, but he never really busted us. After he got down the second time, he continued on his search through the woods. He passed by later on that evening, headed back the opposite way. It was a very memorable encounter.
As I sat in my ladder stand by a swamp edge, I felt vibration, so I looked down to find a Fisher already 3 steps up towards me. We both looked at each other and it bolted! Another time, I had made a quick ground blind along a stream edge on a well traveled deer run. While sitting, I had caught a red tail hawk from the corner of my eye. He dodged me at the last second, with his wing knocking the hat off my head. That's an adrenaline rush with those big ass talons!!!
I have seen whitetail deer walk out in stomach high water and put their heads under the water to eat something growing from the pond bottom. I have no idea what they eat, but I have seen this behavior several times.
I honestly never knew deer could swim, until my uncle got a bad shot on one, it apparently was heading in our [dad and me] while we were exiting to the boat. He took off towards the lake, and started making a break for it. They look very odd while swimming. I couldn't identify what it was, so I asked my dad. He took one look at it, and started laughing. We got my uncle, and moored out to him, and I got to play cowboy with the rope, and his antlers, while my uncle put another arrow in him. That was not in the woods, but it was very memorable.
Yeah, near the Canadian Border. They're a blast to watch. Careful, in MN if the boat is under power, its illegal to shoot out of, and I'm pretty sure its illegal to shoot any deer that are swimming. They are crazy fast in the water though. I don't think two guys in a canoe could keep up. I've watched a doe and fawn swim over a mile in our lake. They arched way out into the largest part of the lake seemingly for the fun of it. I've also heard of whitetail swimming across Lake Superior just north of Duluth. The shortest distance across is 10 miles!
