ruttinbuc Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 One of the great things about bow hunting and the season is the things you see and experience. Some of them are most memorable as you sit and watch Mother Nature and all in her domain. I had an experience while in the tree yesterday morning. Standing as still as usual in the critical time of first light I hear the flutter of wings as a red tailed hawk turns suddenly at the side of my face. He lands in a tree to my right not 5 yards away and sits there glancing my way. It was like he was talking to me as he chirped and made some pretty cool sounds. Just that fast he flew right back at me once again peeling off right in my face. He flew right around the tree and landed in another tree on my left closer than the first. Again, he was chirping at me looking my way. I just stood as still as I could, like I do when a deer thinks they have me pegged. After at least a minute standoff I say in a low voice, "Do you want a piece of this!" :boxing: He was off like a missile and gone in a flash screaming like they do. He didn't want no part of me. He simply didn't know what I was which explained his behavior. I wish I would have had video and audio rolling. Would have made a neat clip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 LOL--that's awesome Mike. Can't say I've ever had a red tail that close, but I have been attacked by a few owls and strafed by a Cooper's hawk over the years. Very cool. Something most PETA or HSUS members will never encounter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slash Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 That's great LOL blue jays are notorious for flocking around my stand when I'm in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Cool Story! Several years ago on the opening day of ML season I was standing on the ground with my back to a bush. Suddenly a grey squirrel practically ran over my feet and he was running at mach 1. I watched him run off and I turned my head back just in time to see a sharpshin hawk in hot pursuit about 3 feet off the ground. I think it sensed me and landed on a branch within reach. I breathless at how handsome the hawk was. He stopped long long enough to say, "Excuse me, I need to catch my breakfast", and he was off again. Moments later I could hear the life and death struggle just out of my sight. I will never forget it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earnhardts12000 Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 awsome storys i love mother nature sometimes not hunt thats so fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_lou Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I have never seen anything like a hawk hunting, but I have watched several squirrels jump from limb to limb only to miss. It's pretty funny to watch a squirrel recover from a 30+ foot drop. It takes them a minute but they go right back up the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger-Hunter Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Nothing too major, but I saw two does duking it out the other day about 25 yards away. First time I ever saw that live. Pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 (edited) Last year i had a Great horned owl come swooping through the woods. He ended landing in a tree 10 yards from me. It was just breaking first light and he must have seen me move. For 20 minutes he hopped from tree to tree getting closer, moving his head back and forth to figure out what i was. Finally it got the point it hopped onto a branch over my head bent over looking down at me. at that point i had to wave my arm and said get the heck out of here. Interesting way to start my morning that day. Edited October 16, 2009 by Shawn typos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I love moments like this too Mike. It's moments like this that make the morning successful even if you never saw another thing all morning. I've had a few Owls swoop in with their perfectly silent wings and land, inches from my face, and it is a wonderful experience. Trying to sneek up on a flock of geese in the dim light of the morning one time, I had a hawk swoop down, and take my tuque off. He hit my head pretty hard, and I'm lucky the hat was thick. I had a raccoon walk past me the other morning, as it walked the edge of the small stream 10 ft behind me. That was cool, and he never even saw me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 This past weekend, I was in my stand and a group of small birds came by. Not sure what type of bird they were. I'd never seen their kind before. Small, gray with a pointed head. Anyway, two of them began fighting and made their way towards me. I had my bow sitting on the front of my Summit with the arrow jutting out in front of me. Well, the birds circled me and then flew straight down. They split my arrow perfectly. Almost like in a dance, they were attacking each other and then when they reached my arrow, one went to the left and the other went to the right. Then right after passing the arrow, the collided again. The wind sheer from their wings actually moved my arrow a little. Considering I didn't see anything that weekend other than a bear:D, I'll always remember that one scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosierbuck Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I have had a few avain encounters while hunting. Once a small gray owl landed on a branch about 3' in front of me, and began to scan the same field I was scanning. Two hunters in one tree. After a few seconds, he must have heard or sensed me, as he s-l-o-w-l-y turned his head all the way around and looked at me. He then flared his wings and hissed at me. That was weird because seeing the backs of his wings while looking in his face made the whole head turn trick even more odd looking. Another time, and in the same tree I might add, a black capped chickadee landed on my arm and hopped down to where there was a tiny gap between my sleeve and my glove. He then proceeded to stick his head in the gap and pluck several hairs out of my wrist and fly away. A third story-sitting in a tree line on the ground facing East waiting for the turkeys to fly down, a rooster pheasant flew out of the sunrise and flared his wings to land right at my feet. I could see the muscles in his chest working his wings and it made the feathers iridesce as they moved. He landed and composed himself, then walked off to one side and disappeared. I don't remember killing any animals on these three hunts, but I remember those birds. HB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpcNape Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 About three years ago, I had something similar happen with a red tailed hawk. The hawk landed in a tree next to me close enough to touch. At first it kind of scared me. But after the initial shock I was intrigued watching him try to figure out what I was. He was chirping and making all sorts of noises. After a while he just floated off the limb and soared high. It was awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted October 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Great stories, guys! There are many memories. I had a Cardinal land on my bow in my lap one time and what a fuss he made when he discovered me. I also watched as hawks swooped down on squirrels and chipmunks. I had a big owl land on a dead tree directly in front of me to sit for quite a while until he turned his head and spotted me. I never knew an owl's eyes could open so wide! There was the pileated woodpecker who let out his shrill call so close I almost had a heart attack! He was another bird that stayed there awhile trying to figure me out. Another time I watched as a red fox was sneaking through a field. He jumped and pounced and the next thing you know a rabbit was 100mph running for his life. The fox knew he was no match for the little speedster and watched in dismay. Then there was the fox who stalked along and old stone row trying to stalk up on a flock of snow geese. He got pretty close until he was spotted by one. The noise and the geese filled sky was incredible as they fled the danger. The fox had that bummed look of dismay as the rabbit hunter. :bummed: This guy here was bound and determined to get in the tree I was in one morning . He would climb up, look and then run back down. Scoot around the tree and try again! He did this about five times. I got my camera and took his mug shot. He took off at the flash and ended barking in a nearby tree for quite awhile. Needless to say the alarm was out...:death: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance.and.shoot Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 that's an awesome picture for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WvBowhunterKE Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Nice pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Kind of like this guy that's been hanging around my stand looking for a handout ... as he scuried up and down my tree .. I've also got some video of a young 5pt. that's been showing up on a daily basis .. And we won't forget the Turkeys .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kid Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 The almost same thing happend to me last night i was sitting out behind the house and all of a sudden i looked to my left and seen this hawk coming my way, and its getting closer and closer, it literally was flying right at me and i didn't want to move b/c i didnt know if it would have thought i was a small animal or not so i just kinda braced and closed my eyes for the best,, it literally flew so close to me that i could have snagged him very cool but also very scary!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camoman1 Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 Even if I dont see many (any lol) deer while out....as long as I see something memorable I am happy. Ive had some hawk close encounters and been over-run by chickadees numerous times. Had them sitting on my arrow, and on me many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryder Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 I have a family of tree rats just about 5ft in front of one of my stands. They are pretty fun to watch when they first get up in the morning. By far the coolest was when I saw my first bobcat! That was cool as heck! Of course for years the Iowa DNR denied they were even in the state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaBowhunter00 Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 Last year I was actually sitting on the ground up against this big oak tree, when a gray squirrel hoped out in front of my feet about 2 feet away, didn't even know i was there, and not two minutes later I could hear chipmunks running around on the same tree I was sitting up against, and then I felt one actually hop onto my head. I don't think he expected my hat to collapse under his little feet, but he got out of there in a hurry, made me laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sskybnd Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 last weekend i was wearing my leafy suit and some kind of little blue bird, kept flying right in front of me, no more that a foot and would hoover like a humming bird, thought maybe he wanted to land on me, he did this about 4 times,than flew off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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