I've heard of some folks being swooped by hawks in the past. Well it finally happened to me this evening! I was sitting on stand when I noticed a small (Coopers?) hawk land on a branch of a tree about 50-60 feet away. It takes off, and I say to myself "it looks like he's flying straight towards me". He was! When he got about 8 feet away, I moved so he would see me, and he veered off at the last second. Pretty cool. I had my brown woolen hat on, so maybe he saw grub?
That's awesome! I saw a Red Tailed hawk snatch a chipmunk at 20 yards this year ... it was amazing! I have seen them from farther away, but that was the first time I aw it that close ...
Had an owl divebomb me hunting in a swamp in West Michigan. Right at dark sitting in a big pine tree, I saw him flying straight at me. As he got closer and closer, I finally realized the crazy SOB wasnt going to stop! I stood up to scare him off and he flew by me about 2 feet away...I almost fell out of my stand!
Very cool! I've had it happen three times this season with kestrels. Once last year with a saw whet owl. I was a bit concerned tonight when the bald eagle perched across the pond from me
The fun stops when you see them talons come out and it's hard to run when your 30ft up a tree. Year before last I had an owl snag my coyote decoy on a cold Dec.evening. The decoy was set up fairly close since I was hunting with my shotgun.
that happened to me when i was wearing one of those leafy hats...i almost pissed my self because i didnt see him until the last second
That's crazy scary!!! I've had it happen several times!!! Two springs ago I had a red tailed hawk drop over the edge of the timber and snatch my hen decoy right off the stake!!! The hawk didn't hold on to it long...must not have felt heavy enough...also saw a red tailed hawk grab a mallard hen out of a flooded bean field...those talons are wicked!!! Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
I watch osprey catch fish down here a lot. I was in Scotland this year and did some falconery with Harris Hawks and hunted rabbit and pheasant with them. Unreal how cool they are.
Hawks don't bother me. They are pretty easy to deal with. Sure they have some size, but not all that formidable. Had a great horned owl take the hat right off my head one year. Thankfully it was a very bulky hat. Those critters are LARGE!
I had one come about 5 feet or so from me on a fly by this year. I was sitting on an old ATV trail an she was flying right on it and scared the crap out of me. At first i saw the brown streak out of the corner of my eye and thought i jumped a deer. I think it was a Marsh hawk but i could be wrong.
dang same kinna thing happened to me last weekend,cept it was a falcon , he was dive bombing the red squirrel population, perched about 30 feet away ,then drop down to my height , then made a b line right at me ! at the last minute, [i knew i was going to lose this game of chicken] ,i waved him or her off bout 2 ft away felt the wind on that one , IT WAS PRETTY KWEL!!!!!!!!!!!!
