The hunt

[Tracker0721]

I know a lot of guys say the hunt isn't all about the kill, but I never hear any good stories on here of a hunt unless it ends in a kill! I've been hunting for years with my bows, shot my first buck with a rifle at 13 and haven't hunted big game with one since. Unfortunately with that said I still haven't connected with a deer with my bow. Been too stubborn to sit in a tree, too righteous to watch a bait pile, too emotional to shoot a doe, too impatient to wait out the stair down. But with all that I have loads of great memories. So I dedicate this topic to the hunt and not the kill. The time you got busted by the unseen doe while stalking the buck; the stick that sent the pigs screaming; the rustle in the brushes that sent the turkeys packing. I'll start!

I'd been hunting all morning in the frosted valley two mountain tops away searching for elk. Rumors were floating around the area of the elusive forest ghosts being chased into the area by wolves and after calling for hours with no response I had begun heading out. But then I met a bear hunter. He smiled as he declared "your hunting elk." And I nodded and admitted I'd been calling but hadn't heard anything. With that he gave me a grin and told me to head back to the other drainage where he'd just come down from. A 6 point bull was tearing up everything and running in the direction of the bowl I'd just been sitting in! We chatted a bit more and then I boogied for my jeep, I had a friend who owned land just on the other side of that drainage! So here I am 2 hill tops over, 75 yards from my jeep and creeping down an old logging road. I have a diaphragm cow call in my mouth, arrow on my string, and a hopeful feeling in my chest. Every few steps I stop to listen, look and feel. A most is hanging in the thick woods and the temperature feels to be dropping. I notice a small trail on my left and begin descending into a drainage so thick I can barely see 30 yards! The ground is quite loud, covered in dried leaves and twigs fallen from the fir trees and bushes. I decide to start cow calling as I walk to cover my interruption of the quiet forest. Dropping only 100 yards and almost at the drainage I hear something above me. Fear creeps in as I think about all the bears that'd love to eat a crazy, injured, half mute, sick elk as my calls were quite terrible. As the sound got closer I started looking for somewhere to hide. I spotted a fallen tree and got into the hole left by the overturned roots. Whatever was coming was big. It sounded like trees were snapping in half! Then it stopped. I quit calling and wait. Then a deep, hollow "meow/grunt" filled the air. And another. And another. So I called again. The elk started coming closer. The rest of the way down the hill he called to me and I'd respond. But then below me in my wind I heard a high pitched meow! I swung around but couldn't see it so I copied the call. Then a couple of barks came from above me. I'd never heard elk before, never hunted em, and now a few miles from hole I had 2 within 100 yards of me. A wind was hitting my side the whole time, no way they could smell me, I didn't make a sound either nor did I move faster then a tortoise. But the woods went quiet. That bull was behind some trees but just across the draw. First elk encounter was cool, but I wanted meat. I wanted the kill. Lost calf sounds began flowing from my mouth and I started a wandering path up towards the elk, but when I got to a good vantage point there was no elk in sight. So I sat on a stump, tucked back into a stump, and bawled like an elk. Literally- I was so out of breath blowing on that call. It musta been 4-5 minutes straight of high pitched short meows. And all the sudden I heard them right back. 3 in a row, above me, and suddenly more. And with every meow that fearful cow called right back! I could tell she was moving around a lot above the drainage but she wouldn't commit. Wouldn't move down to my ambush. And then with a series of meows she went quiet, and vanished. I hiked all over the hill memorizing those calls and will probably never forget my first elk encounter. A kill would've been amazing, but just getting to hear elk was awesome for me!

So what's your story of a hunt worth remembering without a kill

[Danzn Bar]

I have had so many good hunts seeing only a deer or two in the distance..................seeing a red tail hawk chasing a squirrel in the trees and seeing a raccoon in the early light of the morning.......I have many rewarding hunts like this that were good for the soul.  Sometimes when you don't see much game you have time to think about life........
DBar

[JW_Halverson]

I had run into two fellers hunting grouse and they had two of the strangest dogs you ever saw.  One was obviously part standard poodle and the other was a shepherd mix.  Not what you expect when hunting birds.  Friendly enough fellers and two fine furry four legged types, so I suggested we try another Walk-In area a mile or two down the road to round out everyone's game bags.

Unfortunately, on arrival, we jumped a mule deer buck and the shepherd mix tore off and over the hill chasing the buck.  We spent the rest of the day looking for that dog and notifying all the farms in the area that we were on the lookout.  Sundown came and they had a 2 hour drive home ahead of them.  They both had work in the morning and were absolutely heartsick having to leave with one of the family somewhere out there.  I told them I would be back in the morning and pick up where we left off. 

Next morning I drove up with a heavy heart, none of the farms or ranches in the area had called me overnight.  I took my time getting out my blaze orange vest, loaded the shotgun, put some apples and granola bars in the pockets and snatched the binoculars off the dash of the pickup.  Before walking out into the field, I jumped in the bed of the pickup and up on top of the cab.  Binos to my eyes, I scanned the miles and miles of wide open South Dakota prairies 360 degrees around me.  Normally, a sight that would warm my heart and leave me breathing deep and clear.  Nothing, not a hint of the dog to be found. 

I hopped from the cab into the bed and down onto the hard, dry prairie.  As I walked around to the driver's side reaching to slam the door shut and about crapped myself inside out.  There sat the lost dog in the driver's seat with a content look on his face.  I could tell by the twinkle in his eye that he relished surprising me in that manner. Asking him how he did it would yield no answer. We've all known dog's like this.  You know, the ones with a streak of cat in 'em.

I never pulled on a bird that day, never so much as kicked up a longtail pheasant or chuckling sharptail basketball on wings grouse.  Nope, I just hopped in and drove for home and a phone.  I still think it is one of the three best days hunting I have ever had. Twenty years later, I smile when I remember the sound of that feller's wife crying for joy when I told here I just needed her address and I would deliver the dog in two hours.  So yeah, maybe not truly a hunting story, not sure if it meets the criteria, but there it is.

[lebhuntfish]

About 15 years ago on opening day of Missouri's firearm deer season my dad, brother and myself walked out towards our usual hunting spot on our families farm. We crossed the fence went down the first holler and into the hayfield. The hayfield is about 300 yards accross to the edge of the tree line. It was starting to lighten up with the sun coming up over my right shoulder.
We got together and made a plan to walk over to the tree line slowly and spread out about 50 yards apart. We had the wind in our face and I was excited about this plan. This is my favorite holler to hunt even now.
We all made it accross the field and within 10 yards of the edge of the field. When I caught a strong buck smell in the air. I stopped, when I looked over at my brother to my left, he had his rifle shouldered. I thought, my brother is going to get a buck! Now I started hearing deer moving all over the ridge accross the holler. I saw movement and could catch a glimpse of a deer every now and then. Then I felt a breeze hit the back of my neck. Oh crap! Suddenly there was a ear shattering screech of a big deer blowing. It sounded like a whole heard ran off through the brush. I finally seen the buck! Bounding over the brush, tail high and the HUGE rack!
I talked to my brother, his eyes were as wide as saucers when he said, that buck was bigger than the ones we see on TV! I immediately made it my mission to find and take this deer. I hunted hard that season. Making all day sits from daylight to dark every day of rifle season. I caught a glimpse of him two days before the end of the season in hot pursuit of a doe running accross the hayfield at about 400 yards. Season closed, first rifle season I didn't fill a tag, even a doe.

II seen him 3 more times while bow hunting a stand on the back side of the holler where he was first seen. He busted me once while I was trying to draw on him and left the country.

I left him alone for a couple of weeks, while never setting foot in the holler he was first seen in. The middle of December finely got here and black powder season opened. I couldn't hunt opening day  but I got a phone call from my grandpa. He said that he seen a giant buck bedded down with a doe in my favorite holler just off of the North West hayfield. I was excited to say the least!
II hunted all day the next day and seen over 15 deer. The big guy never showed. I went every day after work until finally on Friday evening he showed up right at dark. He was 50 yards, I had a 50cal in line with iron sights shooting a 325 grain bullet in front of 150 grains of powder. It was so tempting just to shoot at him through the brush in the almost dark woods. But I was raised better and I knew that it wasn't an ethical shot. So I sat there and waited till I couldn't hear him any more then sneaked out. I say the entire next day in the same spot. Only seen one doe. The last day of blackpowder season. I hunted with a friend on a different spot till about 10 o'clock. I actually shoot a doe wit him. (this is the only deer i had even shot at but I figured I would try to get some meat) 
I Took her home and I headed straight back to try one more time. I decided to try and sneak down into the holler farther than before. I had a good wind, about 20mph. I only moved when the wind blew. It took me 30+ minutes to go the 40 yards into the holler. Something told me that the big buck was bedding down in there out of the wind today. After setting for about an hour I remember something my grandpa told me about old deer. Sometimes you need to talk to them softly. So I put my grunt call to my lips and just made 2 really soft grunts. Suddenly a large branch turned around, it wasn't a branch it was the monster! He was beaded 40 yards straight accross the holler from me. Strangly enough I was as calm as I could be. I got my gun ready to raise. He stood up in the brush, done an about face and took a couple of steps. He stopped and looked at me just about the time I got my gun to my shoulder. I froze, and he looked at me for what seamed like forever. Finally he took 2 or 3 more steps turned to his right, stepped out into the best and only opening giving me a perfect broad side shot. I leveled the sights and just looked at him in awe. He finally walked up the hill into the thick brush. He was never seen again.

II told myself that I had just done something that most people will never understand. I had just let the biggest buck of my life walk away. But I had wone the war. I could have killed him easy enough, I beat the old weary monarch at his own game in which he is the master of. Hide and seek....

 To this day, I still hunt this holler. I've never shoot a deer sitting there.

Patrick

[Stringman]

Fun stories! Keep em coming!

When a good one comes to mind, I will try to write it down for you fellers!

[Ranasp]

(warning: very long and detailed post that probably isn't interesting to much anyone.  You've been warned)

   So I went on my first hunt just this month, and not only was it my first hunt but it was a bowhunt for deer.  A friend and I were taken to Osceola by an experienced hunter.  He had set up camp, set up a blind and a tree stand and told us where to plant ourselves, we brought the firewood and the food.  (and some wine, because who wants smores without some wine to wash them down? )  We had a lot of fun making plans, listening to advice and asking questions.  Also got to hear a pack of coyotes go up in song a few times and Barred owls hooting.  Earlier our guide had come across a buck's skull, decayed enough to have very little flesh but new enough that the rack was nearly untouched.  According to the teeth he was a young buck, but the rack was a good 8 points and perfectly shaped.  That brought us to talking about what's typical and non typical (I brought up the unusual buck pictures I've seen on this site) and how to judge the age of a doe and buck.  Eventually we go to our tents, probably much later than we should have.

  I found out a few things about myself and camping out.  The biggest being I'm never camping out again without a sleeping bag that's rated for use in Alaska, because I was FREEZING.  I already knew that I don't sleep when I'm too cold (apparently my body thinks I'm going to die from it so I keep jerking awake, plus being on a slope didn't help matters) and it dipped below freezing, proving my rated to -30 sleeping bag useless.  Around 3:30 I gave up and crawled out of the tent and started up the fire again.  I was thinking of the firestarting thread on this forum, and was grateful that I had some nice coals still active so I didn't have to give that a try.    I sit and watch the moon rise while listening to our guide saw logs all night as I tend the fire.

    Around 5-something in the morning I hear an alarm go off, some rustling around, and...Snoring.  I made the mistake of thinking he knew what he was doing, but it turns out he had no memory of shutting off his alarm at all, so by the time we got going the sky was already getting light.  Fortunately he wasn't too mad about it and headed us out to our positions, pointing out where he would be.  On the way to the blind (my station, and the furthest out) I kept seeing these bizarre looking green lumpy fruit on the ground.  "Hedge Apples!" I'm told.  Never seen such a bizarre thing, practically glowing green in the early light, nearly the same color as the leaves on their trees.  He then points me to the blind, it's on the other side of a small creek that's recessed about 7' into the ground, with a small barbed wire fence on the other side.  An obvious deer trail runs right over the fence, like I was told it would.  Even I, a complete novice, could picture how deer would walk up to the fence, hop over, and probably pause to look around.  I'm perfectly set up...And freezing.  In the excitement and rush to get out, I forgot my chair.  I hold still as long as possible while sitting on the ground, shivering and trying to flex muscle groups to keep warm.  It would be a miserable experience, except I got to see the woods wake up around me.  Leaves softly pattered to the ground in waves as light breezes rustled the tree tops.  Birds start calling...And cows start making some horrific noises.  Apparently a farm is nearby, and the cows were displeased with waiting to be milked or fed or whatever cows get angry about.  Birds wake up, and every noise grabs at my attention but I feel pretty safe in guessing that they weren't deer moving around.

   Suddenly I hear a "Whump-THUMP!" and I know better than to jerk around to look no matter how tempting it is, so I slooooooowly lift my head and cast my eye around, looking for that horribly noisy deer that must have jumped the fence.  Suddenly I see movement, and "Whump THUMP!" again as a couple of hedge apples decide to give in to gravity.  I silently laugh at myself a bit, and continue to keep an eye out, practicing on moving as slowly as I can while my legs keep seizing up and trying to shake off the chill.  (Apparently three layers of clothing isn't enough for me.)

 The sun eventually moves up and casts some light on the blind, warming it enough that my breath slowly fades from view.  As the sun sneaks up on me so does my exhaustion.  I'm awful at sleeping upright though so each time I begin to nod off I jerk awake, annoyed with myself and the sensation of falling to my death.  Eventually I'm distracted by a nosy squirrel that comes muttering down a tree a few feet from the blind.  I can see it looking at me, grumbling to itself and trying to figure out if is should give the alarm call.  I watch it and pretend I'm a shrub.  The squirrel moves around some more trying to get a good view of me, but eventually gives up and wanders off.  Victory to me! 

   Every now and again I check my phone since it's on silent and I can't tell when I'm getting a message from the guide.  Sometime around 11 he says he's heading back to camp, all the deer are bedded down for midday.  We head back and while walking into camp I see a bald eagle soaring.  It's a gorgeous day, and we eat lunch.  Unfortunately the reason our guide headed back to camp his his back went out so he was laying down and taking a power nap while he was at it.  We cook some food despite the wind gusting all over the place and do a bit of target practice.  We go back out and are in our positions by two pm.

  This was the harder half for me, because this time I remembered my chair and now I'm off the ground, sun shining on my blind and I've eaten.  I don't exactly doze, but I spend periods with my eyes closed and just listen to the leaves falling around me.  At one of these points I hear a "shhh shhh shh shh" in a repeating pattern, like someone walking through leaves.  My eyes snap open but I don't move because it's really close to me and I don't want to spook what's making the noise.  I pinpoint the noise to be directly to my right, just over the fence and I try picking out what's making such a racket.  Finally I see it...A little grey bird with a darker head, hopping through the leaves and kicking them up, every now and again flopping to the ground to dustbathe.  Soon it's followed by its friends, and that must have been a really good spot because they were there for a good hour and a half.  During that time I see a hawk fly by and the squirrel comes back to mutter a bit more.  Soon enough the sun starts going down and I'm once again shivering.   I hear a Barred Owl call out a few times and the birds pack it up for the evening, as does the squirrel.

    I'm getting demoralized, I haven't seen a single deer even though I'm practically on a deer highway, and I'm shivering so hard I figure I wouldn't be able to hit anything anyway.  I knew I needed to pack up the blind which I was unfamiliar with and wasn't looking forward to trying to do that in full dark.  Finally I have enough and send a text to my friend in the tree stand "I'm done." so she knows what I'm up to and put my phone away.  Right then I hear more rustling.  Figure it's more birds or that stupid squirrel again, but I keep still and just move my eyes in the direction of the noise and see a BIG buck walking right at me.  While I have my bow on my lap and I'm sitting like a doofus!  Funny enough, I'm not shivering at all and I don't even remember what cold is.  He's standing on the other side of the fence on my right but the way I'm sitting I'm completely square to him.  I'm watching his eyes and body, although I note that he has a beautifully shaped rack with three or four points from what I can see.  He was moving with a "swissshhh, step.  Swwiiisshhh, step." Very deliberately but kinda noisy walking and rubbing his face on branches.  I'm just barely moving my head to keep him in view as he walks to the right of me, I can't move my feet because of the leaves (and here I'm thinking I should have brushed them away, why didn't I do that?)  I can't lift my bow because he's sure to see that much movement.  When he's almost right next to me he turns his head and I can see his his face fully on, like I said the right side was perfect but the left was almost half the size and mashed out sideways!  How funny that we were talking about atypical deer last night.  A tree blocks his view of me long enough that I can twist my torso while keeping my feet on the ground (why didn't I clear out those leaves?!) He ambles away from me then circles around so he's directly to the West so he's downwind and facing me.  He's still trying to figure out what's up with the blind, licking his nose and sniffing the air.  I figure that he smells the camp fire on me because he finally stomps the ground twice and walks away a few steps...Then makes two huge bounds, stops, turns around and looks around as if he's hoping he flushed something out, but doesn't really seem concerned and walks off.  Unfortunately the goober went in the exact opposite direction from my friend in the tree stand so neither of us got a shot off, but I stayed put until it really was dark and packed up everything glad that I got to see a deer after all. 
 
   What's really funny is that my friend in the stand thought that I was the one making all that noise and couldn't figure out why I was moving so weirdly.  Then she figured it out just before he flashed his tail in her direction with those jumps he did.  When I got home and looked up Hedge Apples only to find out what the wood is normally called...Osage Orange.  Made me laugh.

   If you read through that mess, congratulations. 

[JW_Halverson]

Ranasp, that was a good read. 

You either have too much insulation on and sweat like a pig in a sauna or else you chip your teeth shivering.  If you wanna be comfortable, stay home in bed!   

My secret warmer upper?  A hot water bottle in the foot of the fart-sack!  You know, the old red rubber ones from cartoons?  They are WONDERFUL!  Make sure you have 2x the insulation UNDER you as you have over you in bed.  The ground sucks heat like a thermal vampire!

Also, years ago I started hardening myself to the cold.  When fall comes, I do not rush to get out cold weather gear.  I always wear the least I can get away with.  I just turned the heat on in my house this week, but it is set at 55 at night and 62 in the daytime.  You know how you tense up in the cold?  Well, practice relaxing the muscles to open blood vessels.  Alternate this with isometric excercises to burn a few more calories.  Or better yet, sit where big deer come by on a regular basis and keep a camo colored bath towel to mop the sweat off your face!

[Ranasp]

Haha I think I'll try the "too much insulation" route!  I'd rather be sweating any day than freezing, I'm comfortable in 80 degree weather, start feeling a little hot around 90.  You'd never guess I'm half Canadian.   

The one thing I had right was the pad I was laying on, it was really good at insulating me from the ground.

This Saturday I'm supposed to go on a stalk hunt, here's hoping I have another story to tell aside from "froze my butt off, got startled by Hedge Apples, saw a buck." 

[lebhuntfish]

On a spot and stalk hunt you might want to try layers. Wear a small pack, that way you can store your layers and put them on and off as needed. Also, make sure you have plenty of water. Maybe even a camel back for the water.
And good comfortable, waterproof boots! Patrick

[Adam]

I was once charged.  By a box turtle.  Really.  It was a real "Death in the Long Grass" type situation.  I was out turkey hunting and had just set up to do some calling in what I thought looked like a decent area.  A few minutes later, I hear leaves rustling off to my right.  I slowly turned my head hoping to see a longbeard.  Nothing.  Then I hear it again and see some movement on the ground about 25 yards away.  It turned out to be a box turtle.  A very angry box turtle.  He proceeded to begin walking my direction.  I didn't think much of it, but he continued coming my way for the next 15 minutes.  At that time, there was a fairly large branch directly between his position and mine that I doubt he could climb over.  When he reached it, he changed course and went around it, then turned back toward me.  He went probably 8-10 yards out of his way to do this, which is no small distance for a turtle, even for a Boone and Crockett one like him.  He was watching me the whole way.  Eventually, he got so close that he bumped into my leg.  I started wondering if turtles bite and decided I'd better not find out.  I picked him up and the little bugger let out a blood-chilling hiss!  I could tell he meant business, so I set him down on my other side.  I don't remember anything else about that day, but that was such a strange occurance that it stuck with me.

Another time, in the same place, I watched a squirrel climbing and I'm sure I heard it farting all the way the tree.

[Knoll]

Great reads, fellas! Hope there's more to come.

[Ranasp]

Adam, that's hysterical.  Although if it kept on going after you put it on the other side of you, I wonder if it was charging something on the other side of you and you were just in the way! 

[Adam]

Adam, that's hysterical.  Although if it kept on going after you put it on the other side of you, I wonder if it was charging something on the other side of you and you were just in the way!

That's probably true, but that wouldn't be as terrifying

[chamookman]

Wearing a stocking cap or balaclava, fresh dry socks and a pair of gloves can really help in the sleeping bag when temps plummet. You lose a lot of heat out of the top of Your head - makes a HUGE difference. Good luck - Bob.

[JW_Halverson]

I was once charged.  By a box turtle.  Really.  It was a real "Death in the Long Grass" type situation.  I was out turkey hunting and had just set up to do some calling in what I thought looked like a decent area.  A few minutes later, I hear leaves rustling off to my right.  I slowly turned my head hoping to see a longbeard.  Nothing.  Then I hear it again and see some movement on the ground about 25 yards away.  It turned out to be a box turtle.  A very angry box turtle.  He proceeded to begin walking my direction.  I didn't think much of it, but he continued coming my way for the next 15 minutes.  At that time, there was a fairly large branch directly between his position and mine that I doubt he could climb over.  When he reached it, he changed course and went around it, then turned back toward me.  He went probably 8-10 yards out of his way to do this, which is no small distance for a turtle, even for a Boone and Crockett one like him.  He was watching me the whole way.  Eventually, he got so close that he bumped into my leg.  I started wondering if turtles bite and decided I'd better not find out.  I picked him up and the little bugger let out a blood-chilling hiss!  I could tell he meant business, so I set him down on my other side.  I don't remember anything else about that day, but that was such a strange occurance that it stuck with me.

Another time, in the same place, I watched a squirrel climbing and I'm sure I heard it farting all the way the tree.

"Slow Death In Long Grass...Really Slow...Really, Really Slow"    -by Peter Hathaway Slapstick