Predator Encounters

[Okwaho]

Tell me what happened and what you did.:scared:

[Ken]

Tell me what happened and what you did.:scared:

This beautiful young woman started a conversation with me. :tongue_smilie:

Later on, I married her. :gagged:

She tried to kill me slowly for years. :smash: :chair:

I escaped.

[Okwaho]

That's the most frightening story I have ever heard.
I'm glad you survived.

[trax]

I think he meant four-legged predators, Ken. But then again, you didn't specify how many legs she had....

[Ken]

I think he meant four-legged predators, Ken. But then again, you didn't specify how many legs she had....

The two-legged ones are more dangerous. Honest. :gagged:

[Sourdough]

Yea, The four legged ones you can shoot, and you can mount them. The two legged ones you can't shoot, and you you can't mount them either. The four legged ones you can legally sell for profit. The two legged ones cost a fortune to get rid-off.:)

[crashdive123]

Yea, The four legged ones you can shoot, and you can mount them. The two legged ones you can't shoot, and you you can't mount them either. The four legged ones you can legally sell for profit. The two legged ones cost a fortune to get rid-off.:)

Nope, not gonna say it. Kids on the forum and all:blush:

[nell67]

Thank you Crash,now how much you wanna bet SOMEONE is gonna say something about that??? LMAO!:lol:

[Ken]

.....The two legged ones .... you can't mount them either.

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[crashdive123]

Nell - you must be psykot.....sychot....psychot....a mind reader.

[RBB]

Please forgive me for returning to the original point of this thread.

I was grouse hunting on Hawk Ridge, following the ridge line between the Roper Road and the Seven Bridges Road. This is a beautiful area with lots of cliffs and large Norway pines.

I had a sudden premonition, the hair stood up on the back of my neck, and I ducked behind a downwind pine. With a sigh of wind and a shadow over the sun, two of the largest timber wolves I've ever seen noiselessly appeared.

Watching wolves walk is always a treat. It is like their legs and heads aren't attached. The head is going in one direction, nose pointing, always testing the air, ears swiveling - while the legs are going in a direction of their own choosing.

Both wolves stopped their forward progress for a bit, going back in forth a few feet right in front of my tree. They were uneasy. They could sense me, but I had the wind, and they couldn't smell me. Finally they quit moving all together, and the b!tch wolf gazed at the dog wolf as if waiting for him to make up his mind. He finally looked at her, and turned around and headed back the way they'd come. In lock step, she followed.

[Ken]

Okay, back to the point:

When I was about 17, I was snorkeling off Noman's Island. I had a stringer tied to my belt with a striper on the end. I saw the fin -- then the shark.

Shark was probably about 4' long at most. From my perspective, it was Jaws. I cut that stringer loose and made my way back to shore with as little splashing as possible.

Fortunately, nobody can tell when you pee yourself in the ocean. :gagged:

[SARKY]

I have 2 stories, both occured in Maine. The first was in the dead of winter during a cold weather class. During the land navigation portion I normally roam away from my group and observe them from afar as to not influence them. Well as I was moving away an up hill from them I came around a rock out cropping and was face to face with a Fischer (smaller than a wolverine but a lot meaner and nastier) . Well it didn't like me in it's space and started, well growling isn't quite the right term, I backed out of there as quick as I could (ever try to walk backwards on snowshoes?) All I could think about was the teeth....the teeth!

The second incident was when I was out coydog hunting. I shot one but only wounded it , and it took off into a bramble. Well I went into the bramble to finish it off with my pistol. Pretty soon I'm crawling through this bramble on a trail which is closing in around me. It finally got to the point where I had to pull myself along by grabbing the trunks of small trees and pulling myself forward. I was almost through when the last trunk I grabbed was warm and furry. I looked up to see a huge bull moose looking down at me with this "just what the hell do you think you're doing" look in it's eyes. All I could think was please don't stomp me into a blood puddle Mr Moose. I let go of the moose and slowly crawled back the way I came. Never did find that wounded coydog.

[FVR]

I was 17 and a buddy an I went to the NJ Pine Barrens to ride out bikes.

We rode and rode and rode and when we were heading back a pack of wild dogs, about 8 started chasing us. So we both hit the gas and made it back to the truck, loaded the bikes in the bed and just as we were shutting the doors, wild dogs all around us.

Chased the Jersey Devil one night....though we had him cornered........

While hunting wild hogs in S. Ga in the hog tunnels, realized my bow was bigger than the tunnel. Reached for my bowie, left it at camp. The boar stopped his charge at 10 yards, I was shaking all over but ready. Yeh.........LOL..........ready to have my arse handed to me by a 250 pissed off boar. Never have forgotten my bowie after that.

I will still go in hog tunnels. The thrill is just awsome, even when you put your hand in warm hog crap.

[wildography]

Working in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, CA, I had quite a few Black Bear encounters; I've been bluff charged by Black Bears about 20 times or so. I eventually learned that (with Black Bears - NOT Grizzlys) if you act like you're going to rip their head off if they don't leave the area... they usually take off running.

I've also used the tactic of raising my arms up high & wide and backing up quickly.

With most predators, including humans, if they THINK they are going to get hurt or killed if they mess with you, they will leave you alone. With Grizzly bears, the best tactic is keep a big space between you and them AND either don't let them know you are around or make noise so they DO know you are around.

Also, I found, with Black Bears, that they tend to get annoyed if you constantly talk to them. (grin)

[swampmouse]

As a kid we hunted packs of wild dog regularly. they are just dogs that get loose and form up into packs which turn on peoples domesticate animals, cows, hogs, ponies, children if in wrong place. Used small caliber 30-06 to tag and bag them at night. Used dead chickens for bait or go to the dump.

More recently, coyotes. Really no problem just shoot them when they cross. Often too aluff to worry about. Skiddish when they get wind of someone.

[Okwaho]

When I was about 12, I was on my way to school one spring morning. I was on the school properties by the portables when something large and black came from around the corner about 15 feet in front of me. The black bear and I stared at each other for a good 20 seconds until it finally started, slowly at first, coming at me grunting. Seeing as I really didn't know what to do, I crouched low to the ground as if in a pouncing position to defend myself seeing as it was unlikely I could outrun a bear. When it was about 6 feet from me, it suddenly stopped and had the expression on its face "Oh whats the point?" Turned and went the other way toward the street. Animal control was called later.

[wildWoman]

I meet and greet them, they do their thing, I do mine. No more spectacular or scary than encounters with non-predators.

[doug1980]

Well not much of a predator but.... When I was 8 my friend had a Bluetick Hound that had just given birth. Well he told me to go check them out while he got ready to come out a play... I shouldn't have done that, she came out and leaped on me. I protected my face with my left arm. I remeber hitting her in the face trying to get her off me and she finally let go. I looked at my arm and didn't see anything because I was wearing a sweater but seconds later I seen the blood. I ran to the front door but no one answered, luckily a guy passing by seen me and drove me home. I ended up with 60 stiches on my left arm and the doctor says the teeth scaped the bone. Had one puncture wound and about 3" down I had a gash about 4" long. Guess from one of the canine teeth. Later we found out that my friends parents heard me yelling but didn't open the door, they were ordered to put the dog down.

Another story is I was camping in the Everglades with my Boyscout troop when i was 12. We were all playing man hunt so it was dark. Well I was with three others and we were hiding until a wild boar charged us. Luckily we all out ran it but that was scary.

[Ole WV Coot]

Wild dog packs. Shot a few, not much if you are armed. Biggest problem was domestic dogs, everyone has a few and unarmed it got tough sometimes to get one with a line hammer or safety strap without the owner catching you. "My dog doesn't bite" are the first words you hear when you call and tell them chain or put up the dog or no visit. Had a kid turn a chow loose while I was up a ladder and was told he was gonna let him nibble on me. I warned the kid but had to lean down and tap him with a hammer. Kid started crying and ran for Daddy and had to tuck him in for a nap also. I was only bitten twice in 32yrs which ain't bad. A mean dog is tough in his own back yard.

[SARKY]

I've had 2 run ins with feral dog packs while out deer hunting in Maine. The first time I dropped my rifle and climbed a tree. I was stuck there until they got tired and left. The second time I had my Ruger mkII with me and plunked 10 of them before the rest of the pack (8 more) got the message and left. At least Maine has a law that you can shoot any dog running free during deer season.

[Stairman]

We were tent camping at Juniper Springs and while sleeping heard something in the garbage.I figured it was a coon,sat up and shined the light at it.It was a huge black bear.I woke the wife and daughter and they sat up to see it.I unzipped the tent and threw a flipflop at it hollarin,git on out from here!It ran off and I was relieved.

[laughingbeetle]

All hail the powers of the mighty flipflop!! (the images going through my head!!:lol:) Seriously though, I am glad the bear took off!

[crashdive123]

We were tent camping at Juniper Springs and while sleeping heard something in the garbage.I figured it was a coon,sat up and shined the light at it.It was a huge black bear.I woke the wife and daughter and they sat up to see it.I unzipped the tent and threw a flipflop at it hollarin,git on out from here!It ran off and I was relieved.

May have been this guy. Seems as though he has taken up residence at the Juniper Springs campgrounds.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/JuniperSprings030.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/JuniperSprings033.jpg

[laughingbeetle]

Oh Wow!! No, I wouldn't really want to run into him at night. And if he ever got into my stash of coffee we would all be in trouble!! Caffinated bear vs. Caffine craving beetle! Somebody's going down!!:saberbattle: :lol:

[crashdive123]

Saw this bear on the first N. Florida gathering we had. I was just taking a small bag of trash to the dumpster. It was a quiet night. I had a headlamp on, but didn't have it turned on. As I approached the dumpster there it was. Talking to one of the campers that had been there a few weeks - he said the bear would come in every night, slide open the side door of the dumpster, climb in, throw out a bunch of trash, climb out and rumage through it. As we were watching - he finished his "foraging" and started wandering through the individual campsites.

[oly]

I've been charged by Badgers while Rabbit hunting, not a wise choice on there part.

[laughingbeetle]

Well, maybe I would share the coffee... The biggest predator I have ever encountered would be a bobcat. We came, we saw, we went our seperate ways. Other than a slightly elevated heart rate, no worries.

[Stairman]

They caught the bear in a trap the next morning.The ranger told me that when they trap them they tag em and relocate them in a more remote part of the Ocala Nat Forest.This bear already had a tag and traveled almost 40 miles back to the campground.Sadly he was put down.

[laughingbeetle]

That's too bad... ::(:

[edr730]

Funny story about the moose Sarky, I think that one would spook me. I've never had anything where I felt really threatened, at least not how I've felt in a strange city in the wrong place, but I've had some encounters. Coming out of the woods one night, with my wife, I ran into a bear. She was behind me and carrying the flashlight. I heard something ahead and told her to turn off the light and we waited. I told her to turn it on again, after a bit, to see what was there, but she didn't see anything. I took the light looked around then down in front of us. It was a big bear five feet away. I gave her the light, dropped to my knees and pulled my bow back aiming for his kill area at point blank range. He didn't do anything more, so I got up, let down my bow, kept my bow ready and blew out of my mouth a little. He just turned around and walked back where he came from, we followed him out of the swamp. I could usually see his red eyes ahead of us off to the side.
I tried to head off a big beaver once as he made his way for the river. I caught up with him, ran in front of him, and tried to make him head back. He didn't like that idea and decided he'd just charge me instead while he made a few grunts. I had a stick and wasn't afraid of him, but decided that if he was that intent on going forward then I'd get out of his way.
Sometimes we'd go after coon in a tree. I have a video of my Dad at 70 years old going up to a tree stand, 30 feet high, made out of a steel door, to get three of them off the platform. I told him to be careful, but he grunted and said they couldn't do anything to him. When he stepped on the platform all three faced him. He kicked the first one off and it fell thirty feet and ran off. I thought the coon was pretty tough because that was a long drop on it's belly. Another tried to go up the tree, but he knocked it back to the platform with a stick. The second coon jumped and ran off too. The third one decided he might fight, but changed his mind when my Dad made a couple threatening moves toward it. He jumped too.
I've been bit by a couple big dogs. I went to a friends house to borrow something, he wasn't home, his wife said that what I wanted was in the garage, but the dog was in there. The dog was part lab and part great Dane, a big dog. I told her that was ok, I'd get it anyhow. When I went up and started opening the door he growled. I just scolded him and started coming in with my right leg. He didn't like my leg in there and I guess he thought he'd warned me so, he latched onto my leg and wouldn't let go. After a couple seconds of smashing the door against his head he turned me loose. I was lucky to have had some overhauls on and all I got was a bruise and a couple drops of blood, but I thought I'd learned a lesson. A couple months later this dog of my friends and my dog got into a fight. They fought now and then and we never held it against each other, but we were getting a little tired of it. When they were fighting and rolling around I decided to quickly, knock them around a little to break it up. I was always taught never to do this, but I had the urge to do it anyhow. I guess I shouldn't have used my hands because my dog chopped down on my wrist and bit hard and didn't let go. It didn't hurt much by I knew it was deep. I decided to move real slow after that and kinda just went with the fight and where ever it took me. After a little of that, my bother-in-law started using his boots on them and he broke it up and I was loose. I left a blood on the walk home about every two or three feet. They were only punctures and didn't bleed as much as a cut or tear. I talked my brother in law into sewing me up, since it was my right wrist, and after it started to turn red and look bad, I put some bag balm on it and it got better. Since then, I treat a bad tempered dog like any other wild animal, I carry a stick.

[trax]

I've walked down trails unarmed with a timber wolf walking beside me about 20 yards back into the bush off the trail. I've walked right up to black bears who thought drill rod grease made a lovely treat and were eating it right out of the pail. No problem either time. Once I chased a fisher across a lake for about a quarter of a mile just for fun. I ran out of breath before it did, so that was the end of that. When I quit chasing he slowed down but kept going. When I was about 11 I tracked a lynx in the dark from our back yard back into the bush until I totally lost him, but it was dark out. I took a .22 that time. I almost ran over a badger one time, it wandered out in front of my car and I slammed on the brakes. Another badger, it's mate I guess, had waited by the side of the road and when I came to a stop got up and acted like it was going to attack the car. "Now there's an aggressive critter" I said to myself. Being in the car, I wasn't terribly concerned because basic arithmetic says 2400 pound car goes over 40 pound badger one time, nothing left over.

Up north on one of the rez's that I visit quite often there's a serious problem with dogs that have gone wild, but there can be 50 of them wandering around on the roads and as soon as you hear one shot, man they vanish. The band will pay $25/dog if you go out and shoot them, but you have to get them out of town somehow. Mostly they eat garbage but they bother me more than any other animal in terms of the chances of being attacked. A couple of little kids have been killed by a pack of them. The good news is when a pack of those doggies meet up with a pack of wolves. Put your money on the wolves.

[canid]

i hiked up into the hills below ishi/lower lassen the other day. it's boar, mountain lion and occasional black bear country, but most common are the coyote.

the area is wild enough that they are not too shy, and they will follow behind or along side you at a safe distance and just watch you, as if wondering what you are up to.

'hey kids, come look! that there is the rare an elusive human. the wild ones used to live around here, but they mostly stay around the valey since the dogs and cows started domesticating them and our populations increased. don't get too close. they won't come too near, but i've heard hey can be mean if they feel threatened.'

beautiful animals, and this and last year seem to have been good to them. they're big, look strong and healthy. in the bad years they starve off untill their populations dropp low, they are skinny and stagger around half dead looking.

either way i think they are incredible animals, far more resourceful than wolves, strong survivors, humble and i can't believe people being afraid of them.

black bears make me nervous, but don't give me to much trouble. mountain lions stand my every hair on end, but i rarely even know they are there. i just have the sense that i won't know they are there untill one lands on my back.

[trax]

either way i think they are incredible animals, far more resourceful than wolves, strong survivors, humble and i can't believe people being afraid of them.

canid, I agree and disagree. Coyotes resourcefulness seems to come more from being good scavengers, they generally are willing to live closer to humankind. As far as it goes, if you've got a pack of both around, don't count on the coyotes lasting long. As far as people being afraid, I've seen lots of verified reports of coyotes going after children, never seen any of wolves attacking people. Maybe don't need to be afraid but certainly cautious.

[Okwaho]

Ive had my occasio9nal run ins with a certain wild dog pack on the outskirts of my city when I used to go there very summer. I was on their pack grounds, at first they were very cautious aand aggressive, but after awhile I guess they sorta accepted me or something and I could go up and pet one and it licked me :)

[AKS]

Ive had my occasio9nal run ins with a certain wild dog pack on the outskirts of my city when I used to go there very summer. I was on their pack grounds, at first they were very cautious aand aggressive, but after awhile I guess they sorta accepted me or something and I could go up and pet one and it licked me :)

Just tasting you to decide if it wants to eat you:tongue_smilie: later.:lol::lol:

[Riverrat]

The biggest problem we have in this area is wild dogs. People from the city come out and drop them off. Not bad the last few years, but it is getting worse again now, price of food going up and some people can not afford to keep them. They will attack anything when they get hungry enough or they get into a pack. They will kill deer and just leave them lay, not eat anything and keep on to the next. I had several run ins with them a few years ago...those you shoot.

[Sourdough]

One or two deep coves out of Whitter, Alaska. We are living on a 21' Glasply, and went ashore in a 10' black zodiac dingy, with paddles, no kicker.
The water started boiling with about 8 killer whales, right beside the dingy, they are real big up close. Scared yes, hurt no.....Guess we looked like a sick seal flapping around to them, and LUNCH........

[crashdive123]

I was scuba diving on the north shore of Oahu. My dive partner and I were exploring a large lava tube. We were in about 25 ft when I hear this noise. It was my partner banging on his air tank with his dive knife. His eyes were like saucers:eek:. He was pointing - I looked - there it was, about 2 feet from my face, staring at me. A large moray eel. At the time I would have sworn it was about 25 feet long (they don't get that big). In reality it was probably about 5 or 6 feet long, but I couldn't see the entire body. Oh yeah.....this was about a week after seeing the movie "The Deep".

[Okwaho]

I was scuba diving on the north shore of Oahu. My dive partner and I were exploring a large lava tube. We were in about 25 ft when I hear this noise. It was my partner banging on his air tank with his dive knife. His eyes were like saucers:eek:. He was pointing - I looked - there it was, about 2 feet from my face, staring at me. A large moray eel. At the time I would have sworn it was about 25 feet long (they don't get that big). In reality it was probably about 5 or 6 feet long, but I couldn't see the entire body. Oh yeah.....this was about a week after seeing the movie "The Deep".Wow that must have got your heart going. Eels must look freaky right up in your face.

[Batch]

I came across this thread while doing a search.

I have encountered many predators in the wild. Panthers, bear, bobcat, wild boar and coyotes have all taken a precursory glance and usually make their exit. No problems.

When I was a kid I had a couple of scary encounters with alligators. Once they were building a housing community near my home and they had dug a pond for grading dirt and dredged a small channel to the canal. Since we knew the canal had a big gator, we decided to swim in the new pond. I was half swimming and half walking when I bumped a log and stood on it. The gator quickly put me on my ear as it took off from out from under me. Turned out to be a huge gator.

The other time we were building a tree fort on an island and I was swimming a sheet of plywood across a wide canal. I saw the gator when I was smack in the middle of the canal and he was coming straight at me at a good clip. I tried to stand on the plywood, but, it would just sink deeper in the water. Finally, the gator must have just realized what I was and he kinda put on the breaks and then carefully skirted around me and on down the canal. I made it to the island and crossed the shallow creek and walked the long way home.

I jumped off of a 5' high bank onto a small gator 5 or 6 footer. Well, gators are quick and bellyflops in a few inches of water are painful.

We fished the banks a lot and it wasn't uncommon for you to walk up on a gator on the bank and that pitch black ground would errupt in a flash of white mouth and hissing followed by the gator sliding into the water with a tremendous splash.

Had a huge gator go down as we approached it in the everglades. It must have just went down and we stopped and fished where it was. Well, it drifted up next to the Tracker Pro 17 and I swear when I saw it it looked as big as that boat. It saw us around the time we saw it and it exploded on the surface trying to get away. Scared the shift right out of me and I took a knee in the boat. My brother-in-law said he almost jumped out of the boat.

I have many more gator encounters. Including stumbling upon a 9 footer in the middle of a field of grass.

I go in the water and drag big gators out all the time. But, when you haven't yet established who is the predator yet. A surprising encounter can get both of your blood pumping.

I also was free diving a reef once and had a school of bait fish come straight at me. At first I thought it was cool. A school of fish in perfect synchronicity swimming around me leaving the space of my aura between me and them. Then I realized that something had to be chasing these fish into me. I raced to the surface, my heart beating the theme to Jaws. Boogied my but to the shore. I never saw what it was and am grateful for that.

I have swam with small sharks. I have caught and eaten many sharks and an eel (I caught and released).

[red lake]

One of our drivers was chased into his truck by a polar bear last year.