Your Sounds Like Bull**** (but is true) Hunting Story

[1clearshot]

My bs-like story is from Nov-19-2016.

Short version for busy folks: saw a drop tines 10 point buck at 45yds standing broadside and I let him walk...

Long version: Got the permission to hunt in 5 acre backyard (8.4 acre lot) in Suwanee. 120yds downhill with creek bottom. Unlike previous four seasons, I had a spot I could go to freely and first deer harvest became very realistic goal.

I was about halfway down in the hill watching between left/ right edges of the creek bottom. Been sitting since sunrise and it was a slow morning. Just past noon and thought I'd wait 15 more minutes then take a lunch break. In 2 minutes I spotted a movement to my left and saw a small tree step out of the thicket at 90~yds.
The buck slowly walked towards to my right closing the gap between us.

I carefully raise my rifle and placed him in the scope. His antlers were just outside of his ears, tines were tall and almost straight. He stopped to raise his head and sniff the air, turned his head to show near symmetrical drop tines around his ears. He looked majestic, I carefully lower the safety.

He took few more steps and turned to his right and stood broadside to me.
This is where I messed up. I started to notice his pale grey coat, battle scars around his neck, and that he was sagging. It became obvious that he was past his prime. I put the safety back on and slowly lowered my rifle.

He took few steps back over to my right then turned around and took the exact path he walked in and disappear back into the thicket. Got the shaking of my life few minutes afterwards when I thought to myself "I could have shot him".

Have a little regret not taking him, but meant more to me to let him go than to hang him on the wall...

 

[leetheman81]

Well, back in the day when there wasnt no aids, no ak's, nothin to get you shot up, well you know...had a button b or a doe (i forget) creep up under me in a tomcat climber and couldnt shoulder my rifle. So, pulled out the g19 and front bout 12 feet above this happened...

 

[SAR 6114]

My story was awesome and sad. 16 years ago I was turkey hunting down by east Dublin. I parked my Jeep just into the woods and walked in to my spot about 150 yards. In and 15 minutes I heard something coming in behind me. I sat real still and waited. Low and behold it was a puppy about 12 weeks old. He walked right where I walked, sniffing the ground the whole way. He came right up to me. Covered with dirt and fleas he started jumping all over me like we had been friends forever. Well that was the end of the hunt that day. I took him back to camp, gave him a good bath and he became my best friend. I named him JAKE.

 

[shotgun 01]

My story was awesome and sad. 16 years ago I was turkey hunting down by east Dublin. I parked my Jeep just into the woods and walked in to my spot about 150 yards. In and 15 minutes I heard something coming in behind me. I sat real still and waited. Low and behold it was a puppy about 12 weeks old. He walked right where I walked, sniffing the ground the whole way. He came right up to me. Covered with dirt and fleas he started jumping all over me like we had been friends forever. Well that was the end of the hunt that day. I took him back to camp, gave him a good bath and he became my best friend. I named him JAKE.

I also found a puppy while turkey hunting. It was a yellow lab, and I too named him Jake. Found him a good home.

 

[300_whisper]

My bs-like story is from Nov-19-2016.

Short version for busy folks: saw a drop tines 10 point buck at 45yds standing broadside and I let him walk...

Long version: Got the permission to hunt in 5 acre backyard (8.4 acre lot) in Suwanee. 120yds downhill with creek bottom. Unlike previous four seasons, I had a spot I could go to freely and first deer harvest became very realistic goal.

I was about halfway down in the hill watching between left/ right edges of the creek bottom. Been sitting since sunrise and it was a slow morning. Just past noon and thought I'd wait 15 more minutes then take a lunch break. In 2 minutes I spotted a movement to my left and saw a small tree step out of the thicket at 90~yds.
The buck slowly walked towards to my right closing the gap between us.

I carefully raise my rifle and placed him in the scope. His antlers were just outside of his ears, tines were tall and almost straight. He stopped to raise his head and sniff the air, turned his head to show near symmetrical drop tines around his ears. He looked majestic, I carefully lower the safety.

He took few more steps and turned to his right and stood broadside to me.
This is where I messed up. I started to notice his pale grey coat, battle scars around his neck, and that he was sagging. It became obvious that he was past his prime. I put the safety back on and slowly lowered my rifle.

He took few steps back over to my right then turned around and took the exact path he walked in and disappear back into the thicket. Got the shaking of my life few minutes afterwards when I thought to myself "I could have shot him".

Have a little regret not taking him, but meant more to me to let him go than to hang him on the wall...

Damn man...thats a great story. Thats a lot of respect and restraint on your part.

 

[Psilloh1]

Great Story and True.. Rattled near dusk three years ago.. 3 bucks appear, all shooters I am like ENE, meany miney mo.. 2 start fighting.. When they break I smoke the winner.. So I Wait till my sons come in and go get him..

We go out to grab him and drag vs. pull up on mule to keep area pure and quiet. We walk up to grab him, and the other one comes back out grunting and raking trees and tries to charge the dead one and gore him 30 minutes after Dark..

We literately grabbed him, and ran dragging him, while my other son covered our 6, so we didn't get gored.. We talk about that to this day...


Pic of buck to follow.

Edited with Pic

 

[Gunny Jake]

These are great. Thank you for starting this.
A couple of years ago i was hunting an open power line. Sitting on a comfy chair behind a mound and looking downhill. Anything behind me could see I'm very undisciplined with regard to movement. I duck down behind the mound and drink coffee, eat fritters, sometimes nap and probably snore, etc., It was first light, chilly and foggy. An Owl. A Huge Owl buzzed my skullcap from behind and landed in a tree about 10 yards away. It sat there hoot hooting and looking at me for over 20 minutes. I have video somwhere of me flipping the owl the middle finger. It raised one wing back at me and said FoooooK You You You You and flew away.

 

[moosensquirrel]

So tonight I was hunting a tough to get to lock on stand in a hardwood flat on the far end of my property. I'd already told shotgun 01 to get his dragging pants and boots on because if I killed one, I was going to need some help to get him out.

About 5:50 I saw one little spike and two does. Then at 6:30 or so I look down slightly behind me and to my left and there's a big bobcat not more than 30 feet from the tree I'm in. This was only the third bobcat I've ever seen while in the stand so I get my phone out and start videoing. About that time a doe starts blowing. I look a little to the left and she wasn't more than 20 yards behind the bobcat. Now I'm not for sure but I think she was following the bobcat and may have been blowing at me because she looked at the bobcat and then looked up at me. Well she kept blowing and stomped a time or two. Then he left and then she left. Yes I have a short video of it lol.

It reminded me of a hunt I had two years ago. About 8:00 one morning I had a big coyote come up behind me and laid him out. Since it was still early I stayed in the stand and kept hunting. 30 minutes or so later a doe and her baby came in from the same direction the coyote came in from. She walked right up to the coyote, sniffed it, stomped and decided to move on before it came back to life. Yes I have video of it too lol.

This afternoon's hunt is what keeps me coming back for more. Most folks wouldn't understand or believe. What's your sounds like bull**** but true story?

As long as one prefaces the story with "now this a'int no sh*t", any dialog that follows is acceptable.