Funny but interesting close encounters that happen while deer hunting

[bjrogg]

I’ve had most of my interesting encounters with nature while farming.

I remember one time while I was cultivating corn. A flight of about 30 Canadian Geese came in for a landing from my left right towards me. They were right at eye level in the tractor cab. All flying and flapping their wings in perfect formation. They flared and landed about 60’ to my side. That was truly a beautiful sight.

I remember watching a rabbit zig zagging with a hawk trying to intercept it. The hawk caught it in mid flight three times, but rabbit literally fighting for its life somehow made it drop it every time.

The rabbit ended up getting away. I’m pretty sure it didn’t survive the attack though. Was very terrifying to watch.

Both were burned into my memory both only a few seconds in time.

Bjrogg

[BowEd]

Yes BJ,hawks were my entertainment while making rounds in the tractor out there too.Might be why they are ingrained in my memories.If a person wants to know how the wildlife is doing.Ask a farmer.
While running a short errand to a small town next door here a group of 10 trumpeter swans flew over.They've been trying to reintroduce these in our area for some time now.I went to a release ceremony once here.Good thing to see.
I called the local DNR biologist about it.I know they like to keep track of these things.
They've just combined the 40 acres of corn here.It finally dried up enough here to go into the field.Quite a spectacle of deer out in the evening.My neighbor owns 80 acres that runs along a good 1/4 mile of my property he does'nt let anybody hunt till late january with a rifle and then just 1 deer.He's from out of state.Never has farmed himself.His land is all CRP and woods.No row crop.He lets' the land do what it wants to do.Full of invasive thorn trees/multi flora rose and some good trees too.It's a wilderness.Hard to believe but I bet there is 60 to 70 deer for sure living in that 80 acres.I'd like to shed hunt that area once.
A good thing but I do hear the farmer who combined this 40 acres complain a little.I've got elevated blinds showing up like sentinels along my property on almost all sides.Word gets around quickly.

[JW_Halverson]

I used to hunt a piece of property that had big boulders across the top of a hill. It created natural funnels for deer to come down the hill, cross the creek and make their way into the fields below. There was a shelf about 3/4 up the hill that the deer would travel across after filtering from the boulders on their way down the hill. I had a tree stand on the shelf with some big boulders directly across from me.
    One sunny but chilly November afternoon, I was entertained by a red fox hunting for squirrels. After a short unsuccessful hunt the fox climbed on top of one of the boulders, found a nice sunny spot, laid down and began to groom himself. Then he decided to take a nap in the sunshine. He must have been in a deep sleep because he didn't seem to hear to a doe approaching down the trail between myself and the fox. I slowly got into position for the shot paying attention not to alert the deer or the sleeping fox. As the doe walked through my shooting lane I made a double lung shot and the doe ran down the hill and collapsed. Just at that time I remembered the sleeping fox. I looked over and he was standing on the rock in the sunshine staring at me with a "what the hell was that" look on his face. I chuckled to myself and yelled over to the fox..."if you want to hang around for an hour you'll have a fresh gut pile for dinner".
      Another time hunting the same property I was in a stand one afternoon in early October. About 2 hours before sunset I saw a big Great Horned Owl fly through the woods and land on a big branch about 50-60 yards away. I've heard owls hooting many times in these woods but mainly later at night or first thing in the morning. This day was different, this owl was not hooting but he was making a very loud screeching sound. After a few minutes, he leapt of the branch and made a bee-line straight in my direction. Before, I actually realized what was going on he was right in my face, wings spread and talons ready to attack... I took my longbow and started hitting the owl as he was attempting to attack me. It was rather frightening as I was about 18' feet up a tree on a small platform with no safety belt. ( This was about 30 years ago and safety belts weren't used like they are today). I don't know what this owl's problem was but he flew around the backside of the tree and tried to attack again! At this point I figured he could have the hill to himself... I'm getting down. To my surprise as I was climbing down the tree a 6 point whitetail came up the hill and passed by about 20 yards out never noticing me climbing down the tree. So, not only did that owl ruin my hunt, almost knock me out of my stand for an 18' fall, he also cost me a shot at a buck. I continued to hunt that stand and was never bothered by the owl again. If anyone's ever seen a big great horned owls talons about a foot away from your face in attack mode, it can be quite intimidating.

Generally, though not always, that screech from a great horned owl comes from the young of the year. They use it as a locating call for their parents and to beg for food. If you were wearing camo, he may have not understood that you were human and was thinking it was a a squirrel or something moving in the leaves. Young owls aren't exactly members of the chess club when it comes to sheer brainpower!  And yeah, I've seen those talons, it's when I cannot see the talons because they are buried in my sleeve (or arm) that bothers me, LOL! Yeah, young great horned owls do some stupid things.