So there I was, in the deep woods, digging up my target, when I was startled by a loud sound...

[EladSwerdna]

It sounded like a short burst of afterburn from a turbine engine. It scared me, because it sounded close and I realized this sound does not belong in this forest. What could it be??

I looked up and saw.... an air balloon with people looking down on me, just above the tree tops! They yelled hello and I yelled it back. They floated away and after my heart returned to a normal pace, I continued my dig.

That same day, something scared me even more so. I was kneeled over a hole, and I was chopping away at some very large roots. I finally cleared out the hole, located the target, and stood up.

I heard a familiar sound from behind me - a loud SNORT. I turned around expecting to see the usual doe with its calf, but "HOLY SH*T!!" I yelled, because instead it was 3 full grown bucks, all with impressive racks. They were about 50 ft away, and staring at me like I was on the menu. I raised my lesche shovel into a defensive posture, at which time they thankfully ran away.

If they would have combined their attacks I probably would have been trampled by them and left for dead!

Now, thanks to my new found forest paranoia, when I have my head down in the hole, I am always checking behind me for sneaky and curious beasts!

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[jabbo]

Wow, thats a scarey story.

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[fowlercharles]

I will help add to your new found paranoia by asking if there are any piney woods rooters/ tuskers/ razorbacks/etc native to your patch of woods?. If so, of any of those varities, a Sow with a bunch of little ones will do you some harm if she can get to you.You will need to already be up a tree when she gets there or you will have some real problems. Been there and done that only one time in 40+ years of detecting (lot'sa woods time too) but it does happen. Me and my Buddy were able to get up a tree , but only barely before the sow got to us. My buddy wanted to shoot her as we were both carrying pistols, but we decided it best to leave her go back to her little ones.We thought she would never leave and she stayed under us snorting,. grunting and burying her snout in the leaves and slinging them into the air. She was ready to do some WA. After she had finally gone on back to her little ones, across the branch where we could hear them, we figured she had swam the branch to "come to us". We had not walked up on her , but heard some noises for a little while in the bushes and then never really saw her until she came charging into the opening where we saw she was almost on top of us. If you have any of these critters in your digging area be sure to always keep your eyes open for those "convient" trees that will have plenty of low limbs and hand holds for a quick ascent. You won't have time to worry about where to put your detector, so just leave it lay because you will need both hands for climbing. Hope that helps you some with your new paranoia, and I didn't even mention rabid Raccoons, speed demon armadillos, snakes, hornets, yellowjackets, ants, and a lot of other critters. You will get the picture if you think on it some! LoL, and HH, Charlie

 

[DirtSurgeon]

HAHA, the same thing happened to me with the balloon thing only they landed in the field that I was detecting in, about 20 feet from me. Just a little awkward. I got the same reaction from the burner, scared the crap outa me. We have local baloon rides so they are common to see but I never had one just about land on my head like that. Had a porcupine walk by me one time too. That was cool. Wish I had a camera at the time.

Happy Hunting,

DS

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

Hunting at a beach a few years ago no one around hear a woof sound looked up to see a mother bear with two cubs standing on their hind legs not more than 50 ft away looking at me

What do I do now.... dropped the detector and picked up some fist size rocks yelling and sceeming threw the rocks at them.
The two cubs took off like a shot out of hell back into the bush with the mother woofing at them on her four legs back into the bush.
I soon moved away from that area and hunted further up the beach.

 

[Snoopy36]

Yeah our kangaroos here are pretty menacing. Not to mention our drop bears and hoop snakes...

 

[EladSwerdna]

Damn.... now I am going to be even more nervous after hearing those stories! Perhaps my metal detecting season will have to end early this year.

 

[EladSwerdna]

I will help add to your new found paranoia by asking if there are any piney woods rooters/ tuskers/ razorbacks/etc native to your patch of woods?. If so, of any of those varities, a Sow with a bunch of little ones will do you some harm if she can get to you.You will need to already be up a tree when she gets there or you will have some real problems. Been there and done that only one time in 40+ years of detecting (lot'sa woods time too) but it does happen. Me and my Buddy were able to get up a tree , but only barely before the sow got to us. My buddy wanted to shoot her as we were both carrying pistols, but we decided it best to leave her go back to her little ones.We thought she would never leave and she stayed under us snorting,. grunting and burying her snout in the leaves and slinging them into the air. She was ready to do some WA. After she had finally gone on back to her little ones, across the branch where we could hear them, we figured she had swam the branch to "come to us". We had not walked up on her , but heard some noises for a little while in the bushes and then never really saw her until she came charging into the opening where we saw she was almost on top of us. If you have any of these critters in your digging area be sure to always keep your eyes open for those "convient" trees that will have plenty of low limbs and hand holds for a quick ascent. You won't have time to worry about where to put your detector, so just leave it lay because you will need both hands for climbing. Hope that helps you some with your new paranoia, and I didn't even mention rabid Raccoons, speed demon armadillos, snakes, hornets, yellowjackets, ants, and a lot of other critters. You will get the picture if you think on it some! LoL, and HH, Charlie

Wow I see doe with their babies all the time and never once thought the mom would attack. That gives me a new appreciation for my track record with them.

Lets see, this year I've been bitten by mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, swarms of horseflies and I am also thinking that one time those squirrels purposely dropped acorns on me.

I've come across HUGE rat snakes, massive yellow jacket nests and even stumbled upon an angry bullfrog.

Also, I have contracted poison ivy BAD and also been stabbed by giant thorns 100s of times.

What's next I wonder??

The upside is that I have a small museum of artifacts and coins to show for my effort. So it was defintely all worth it!

 

[therover]

No animals, no ticks, no poison ivy !

Then again, no cellar holes, no relics, no exploring.

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Don't dress like a doe especially during rutting season as your dead meat

 

[Woodchuck]

WHO KNOWS WHAT EVIL LURKS IN DEM THAR WOODS! BEWARE OF THE JABBERWALKY ! I here ya

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[EladSwerdna]

May I ask Sir..whats a hoop snake ???

I was actually wondering the same thing.

 

[fowlercharles]

DOE Deer with SOW HOG! I too have seen many Does with their Fawns, but I am talking about feral/wild HOG! They are bad news in any form but the Sows with little ones will kill you dead and then likely eat you to boot.

 

[fowlercharles]

from what I have read, originate from the stories told around the campfires long ago to scare young kids. A Hoop Snake was suppose to be a "Black Runner"/Coach Whip" type snake that would put it's tail into it's mouth forming a Hoop, and go "Rolling" through the woods chasing people. I think I probably heard than yarn myself one time around a campfire. I am sure there are other versions.

 

[dld]

That's why I like beach hunting.
No animals, no ticks, no poison ivy !

Then again, no cellar holes, no relics, no exploring.

just JAWS