Close Encounters

[WBouldin]

Just got back from a mulie hunt in Elko here in NV and though I didnt bag a buck I did run into a erie situation. On the 3rd morning me and my buddy Steve were trying to reach a ridge to glass from and as we walked through some heavy timber we heard disturbance off to the left. We turned to look and I immediately locked eyes with a big cat at full sprint right at us. I panicked and practically $hit my pants while reaching for my spray which I soon realized was in the truck along with my Glock. The cat was charging and Steve threw his arms in the air to look bigger and yelled as loud as he could. The cat stopped at 15 yds and glared at us for what felt like an eternity. I reached over to grab a nearby stick to throw but in an instant the cat was charging again. Now this is the wierd part, you would think the cat would do one of two things: run around us or the obvious jump on top of me or Steve. Rather than those two the cat simply ran between the two of us so all three of us could live another day. I have never heard of a cat stopping in full charge then splitting the 5 yd gap between two guys. Maybe it was retarded or blind or i dont know but you cant make this stuff up and I am still dumbfounded at his behavior.

This encounter was by far my scariest and It made me wonder if any of you had ever had a run in with a bear, cat, or other hunter that was a little on the scary side and made you think twice about looking over your shoulder every now and then. If you got a similar experience please post it because it makes for great story especially knowing that you are still alive to share it.

 

[Oak]

Are you sure it was a cat? Or was it this...

 

[drahthaar]

Oh jeez Oak, are you trying to get a 16 page thread going on that thing?

Saw that on some other forum, that thread is probably about 25 pages long now, some hillybilly swamp dude from LA claims its the real deal. LOL.

Wish I could get something that good on one of my cams.

 

[elk_hunter]

LMAO, nice pic Oak. Yeah, definitely odd...by any chance were you guys sampling mushrooms out in the NV desert there?

 

[mdunc8]

That sounds like loads of fun. Where do I sign up for that hunt? Mine involves me in a tent in Yellowstone and a grizzly, but I don't like to talk about it cause a little pee usually comes out. With that said, have all the bears gone to sleep for the year? I'd like to take a trip into the backcountry for a little snowboarding, but I don't want a repeat of that trip.

 

[drahthaar]

As far as the OP, no never seen such dorked up behavior from a cat. The most idiotic thing I have ever seen was a "little" 300 lb grizzly almost get mowed over by two dink bulls I scared out of a patch of MEFE. They ran right up a small creek chute, the griz stepped out just in time to take a swipe at one while getting hurdled by the other. I couldn't stop laughing, until he locked eyes with me. I just bailed down the hill and waited for my two buddies to find me. I still laugh at that whole thing.

 

[thecrittergitter]

Well, i have had one of those near chit your britches episodes last spring when I got charged by a Griz here in MT. Long story short, bear charged and it happened so fast that i just pointed my gun in that direction and pulled the trigger.............got chit azz lucky as hell and hit the bear right through the face, out the back of the neck. Luckily it just pancaked it right there on the spot. Then a second bear charged and i started backpeddling and jackin in anther shell. Not really sure why but the second bear stopped right before i pulled the trigger and bluffed. He turned and walked back into the thick timber. I tried walking up to see the dead bear and that damn live bear charged me again....once again, bluffed right before he about got shot. I figured i'd had enough excitement for one night so i turned around and got back to my truck before dark.

Don't know exactly how far that first one was when i pulled the trigger but based on the FWP reports, it sounded like probably between 15 and 25' or so.

Don't really wish that upon many folks but i could name a couple

 

[thecrittergitter]

That sounds like loads of fun. Where do I sign up for that hunt? Mine involves me in a tent in Yellowstone and a grizzly, but I don't like to talk about it cause a little pee usually comes out. With that said, have all the bears gone to sleep for the year? I'd like to take a trip into the backcountry for a little snowboarding, but I don't want a repeat of that trip.

Yea, amazing those effin things are "endangered"...............friggin BS. THat year i had to shoot that one, I saw more griz that spring than black bears! Endangered my azz.....

 

[elk_hunter]

Holy smokes TCG...that's scary chit right there! I'd need a fresh change of clothes too!

 

[Muley Crazy]

thanks OAK now I have one thing to add to my list of things that are going to try to eat me when im in the hills. It sucks being scared of the dark! I just bought a surefire head lamp that has 100 lumes to keep things like that away from me.

 

[Lawnboy]

Well, i have had one of those near chit your britches episodes last spring when I got charged by a Griz here in MT. Long story short, bear charged and it happened so fast that i just pointed my gun in that direction and pulled the trigger.............got chit azz lucky as hell and hit the bear right through the face, out the back of the neck. Luckily it just pancaked it right there on the spot. Then a second bear charged and i started backpeddling and jackin in anther shell. Not really sure why but the second bear stopped right before i pulled the trigger and bluffed. He turned and walked back into the thick timber. I tried walking up to see the dead bear and that damn live bear charged me again....once again, bluffed right before he about got shot. I figured i'd had enough excitement for one night so i turned around and got back to my truck before dark.

Don't know exactly how far that first one was when i pulled the trigger but based on the FWP reports, it sounded like probably between 15 and 25' or so.

Don't really wish that upon many folks but i could name a couple

Critter what did you expect was going to happen. You interrupted Ol man griz getting jiggy with it. You can't leave that part out. Anyone would be mad if they got caught with their hide down like that

 

[thecrittergitter]

Yea, well, when i heard em, i thought it was two blackies gettin jiggy wit it. Didn't find out griz part till too late

 

[Ultrahunter]

Fake or not that trail cam pic is creepy.

 

[wingman1]

Fake or not that trail cam pic is creepy.

That is freaky. I'm going to tell myself its too cold in Montana for a creature like that!

 

[Ben Lamb]

No hair-raisers like Critter, but we were out on Ear Mountain WMA this year taking a stroll. After about 3-4 hours of scouting, I met back up with my partners who asked me about the tread on my boot. After I showed them, they got kind of white-faced and said that I had a grizz following me for about 3/4 of a mile. I thought I kept hearing noises behind me, but everytime I stopped and looked, I saw nothing but sage brush.

If he was interested in long pork, he missed out on a plump one. I'm taking it to mean he was looking for a gut pile instead. That's a good bear IMO.

 

[noharleyyet]

Oak,


What's so scary about a Biafran speed skater?

 

[Oak]

Oak,


What's so scary about a Biafran speed skater?

Yowsers...

I figured that if it gave just one person the heebie-jeebies and made them think about next time they were walking out in the dark, it was worth posting.

 

[Lawnboy]

Are you sure it was a cat? Or was it this...

Ahh!!! My ex wife again. Were did you a that Picture Just kidding only married once.....hopefully

 

[bj3315]

How did my wife get on your camera?

 

[recoil junky]

It's Schmeagle, from Lord of The Rings!!! He's looking for the "precious".


RJ