Attacked While Hunting!

[DanChamberlain]

By a Kestrel! He landed on a branch about 30 feet away. I was in full camo except for my hands which were brown gloves. The bird wasn't looking at me, so I wiggled my fingers on my right hand in the leaves and that bird zeroed right in. Leaped off the branch and made straight for my finger!!!

When it was about 5 feet away, I moved my whole body and it flared and landed about 10 feet from me and sat there wondering what kind of bush could move like that.

I so love the woods!!!

Dan

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Nice story :thumbsup: and thanks for sharing! Makes me want to go out in the woods today just to smell it, but it's raining and the arthritis is acting-up a bit. I may get out anyhow!

By the way, how long did you & the bird stare at each other?

 

[roundball]

I so love the woods!!!

A very, very rare and unique experience for sure!
:thumbsup:

If you don't mind me also sharing, I had a similar situation sitting in a tree stand bow hunting, full camo right at dusk, an Owl landed on a limb, head high just a few feet away from my right shoulder.
I stayed still watching it out of the corner of my eye...in a minute it dove down towards the ground and his left wing tip brushed the toes of my boots that were sticking out over the front of the platform...nature at work.

 

[DanChamberlain]

The bird didn't stay long. When it determined that my finger wasn't a mouse it lost interest pretty quickly. It was odd, as I'd never seen a Kestrel in the deep woods before.

Another odd occurance happened one evening when I was sitting near a waterway. A mink was walking the shoreline, poking its head into every downed log and hole it could find. Happened I was sitting on a log and when it got to mine it started snaking its way toward my lap.

I debated letting it get all the way, but I was afraid it would find an opening in my pants and get in before I could stop it!!! That would have made for America's Funniest Home Videos!

It's strange, that full camo gives one such an advantage when studying small animals.

Dan

 

[Vaino]

After experiencing the following, I came to the conclusion that birds of prey are for real. We were grouse hunting one morning and Gary on my left shot and a few seconds later took off at a run and we thought he had just winged a bird and it was running. Not so....when the bird hit the ground a horned owl swooped down and started to fly away w/ Gary's bird w/ him in pursuit. Because of the added weight in the owl's talons, Gary overtook the owl and the owl dropped the bird. One evening at home I came out of the garage and just as my head "showed" from under the eave, I felt a thump at the back of my head and saw a smaller owl {don't know what kind} fly away. Went in the house and a small amount of blood was washed away from the back of my head. Evidently the owl saw this "fuzzy" something pop out and swooped down. Perhaps this was a good case for being bald....Fred

 

[ravenousfishing]

I dont usually think of Kestrels as woods birds either, but last spring I was working on a tree stand when I heard a commotion about 30 feet away. Looked around to see a Sparrow Hawk and Dove rolling around on the ground.After a few seconds the Dove got away and flew off through the trees in one direction and the Hawk the other. I assume this encounter started above the tree tops, but who knows. You never know what you might see.

 

[BrownBear]

We've got several kestrel nests in the cottonwoods around our place in the Southwest, so I've become well acquainted. They seem to thrive on brush and big trees, so long as it's fairly open. They'll get up above the cottonwoods or sit on the limbs to wait for prey among the brush. Two pair have figured out how to catch bats right at dusk, and the bats have started flying low through the brush. The kestrels go right in after them.

Weirdest two bird encounters for me were having a short-eared owl land on my head (hat fortunately) for a perch in a duck blind, and having a goshawk grab a snowshoe hare along with my arrow. Can't tell you how many times we had goshawks "jump to the front of the line" when we used to run snowshoe hare with beagles. The dogs knew enough not to try taking the hare away from the goshawks, but they sure complained a lot.

 

[Tyrone]

Well, almost.
On opening morning of this years deer season, I was sitting at the edge of the woods overlooking an empty field. In the dark before first light, I made out a black blob moving at me from 50 yards. Not seeing too clearly in the dark, I could see it moving slowly toward me while I'm trying to make out what it is. At thirty yards I figured out its a skunk headed straight at me. Trying not to move too much in case any deer were in the area, I was making motions that I hoped only the skunk would see. Finally, when it got about 8 feet away I shook a bush next to me and the skunk bolted in another direction. I was sure glad it took off and I wasn't going to be wearing a new cover scent!

 

[Britsmoothy]

Neat :thumbsup:

I had a sparrow hawk land on my felt hat and proceed to pluck the bright feathers out of it as I was sneaking through a wood. He flew off and never looked back, just as well really because if he told his friends what he'd just done they would never believe him :haha:

Brits.

 

[dalejrfan308]

I was attacked by a flock of Barred Owls once while turkey hunting. I blew an owl call just about daybreak to locate a gobbler and here they came! They were swooping down at me and making these crazy calls. They finally got over their little tizzy and flew off.

I had a wren land on my gun barrel while deer hunting this past fall, as well.

I too love the outdoors!

-Andrew

 

[jethro224]

Years ago I was bowhunting in a tree, no stand, just a tree, when a kestrel tried to land on my head. I was in full camo including face net. Just happened to catch movement out of the corner of my eye. The bird was coming in fast with wings cupped and talons spread. I ducked and he back-pedaled and that was it. I think it scared him worse than me. :haha:

A buddy of mine had a red-tail hawk steal a squirrel before he could get to it. Shoulda heard him cussin' that bird.

 

[mikee51848]

No birds, but I've had squirrels try to get too friendly! :haha:

 

[roundball]

A buddy of mine had a red-tail hawk steal a squirrel before he could get to it. Shoulda heard him cussin' that bird.

Saw the blur of a hawk come screaming down through the trees trying to snag a squirrel one day and at the last split second the squirrel bolted and the hawk missed...skidded to a stop in the leaves and stood there looking around for the squirrel...he was 10 feet up the trunk of a tree flattened out not moving a hair...man, there's nothing that compares to seeing nature live in action like we see when out hunting

 

[29caliber]

A few years back while hunting deer from a tree stand and in camo, I had a large owl flare some 2-3' from my face when he determined that I wasn't food. I didn't see or hear him until he flared. A face full of talons could have been bad news for me. Since that time, I keep an intent watch on any owl or hawk that lands near me while I'm in the outdoors.

 

[Capt. Fred]

I had the exact same thing happen. I had a face net on with just my eyes exposed. I saw the owl land about 30 feet to my right. Kind of forgot about it and started looking around again for deer. Just moving my eyes, not my head. I catch some movement to my right and the owl is about 5 feet away, feet extended, zeroing in on my right eyeball. I jumped and he flared just in time to avoid hitting me.

I also had a flying squirrel land on my leg once while standing in a deer stand. Damn near wet myself!

 

[Twoholes]

I was attacked by a horned owl a couple years ago. He came in at me and I put the compound bow up and he grabbed the cables and fought me. I was dumbfounded. He flew off about 30 feet, watched me awhile, then came back full bore for another round of "bow pulling", finally flying off. Had another one size me up this year in the same area, could have been the same bird. Beleive me, these things can take a man out of a tree especially if you dont se'em coming. Always wear your safety belt.

 

[vern faulkner]

I've never been attacked myself, but
we have a small miniature poodle that I reluctantly took squirrel hunting two years ago. She was molested and ravaged by a old boar squirrel and has never been right since. One hell of an ugly litter of pups too. :blah: :blah: :blah: Vern

 

[Maestro]

Once when I was in a climber tree stand, bow hunting in full camo, I saw a red-tail hawk gliding over the trees... I wondered if he would see if I stuck out my tongue. He turned and started swooping down at me! :surrender: I quickly started frantically waving my hands and he swooped back up! :shocked2:

Last year I was bow hunting on the ground and thought I kept hearing a gnawing sound... when I got home, I saw that my hawk handle (which was attached to my shoulder bag, which was on the ground next to me) had been "attacked" by a mouse.

Once, in spring turkey season, my hen decoy was attacked by a fox! He went right for the neck!

Yep, I love the woods, too! :thumbsup:

 

[biliff]

Haven't necessarily been attacked, but I did get mugged once by an eagle that swooped down and stole a stringer of dolly varden I had staked out in the sand where I was fishing.

 

[Billnpatti]

I was talking to a fellow down in Texas about varmint hunting. He was showing me how he could make the sound of a dying rabbit by sucking on the back of his hand. Did a great job of it, too. While he was showing me his call technique, I noticed some significant scars on the back of his hand and on his cheek. They seemed, somehow, to go together. I got real bold and asked him about them. He told me that one night he was sitting in a field calling to some coyotes with his "hand" call when he was struck by an owl. He said he didn't know who was scared the most him or the owl but he knew who ended with the most scars.