Your Most Interesting Wildlife Sightings!!
I think many of us GBers are or were outdoorsmen. I'm sure many of us have seen many really great things in the great outdoors. So share some of the things you were lucky enough to see.
I have many interesting stories but one was when I was 22 and in the Jim Bridger National Forest in Wyoming. I stopped my truck, got out and stood on a culvert that ran under the gravel road. It was still light but the light was fading pretty rapidly. The culvert was about 24 to 30 inches in diameter. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted movement. As I slowly turned my head to see what the movement was I realized not only was I looking at a beaver, he was swimming towards me. He swam right into the culvert I was standing on. I ran across the road, stood at the very edge of the other side of the culvert and got to watch the beaver swim out of the culvert all of 18 inches below the soles of my shoes. This same evening I jumped two elk, the first elk I had ever seen in the wild!!
Ok. I'm going to beat a couple of you to the punch!! The wildlife sightings I'm refering to have nothing to do with seeing a couple of naked chicks skinny dipping or other forms of human wild behavior!![:D][}:)][:D]
I have many interesting stories but one was when I was 22 and in the Jim Bridger National Forest in Wyoming. I stopped my truck, got out and stood on a culvert that ran under the gravel road. It was still light but the light was fading pretty rapidly. The culvert was about 24 to 30 inches in diameter. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted movement. As I slowly turned my head to see what the movement was I realized not only was I looking at a beaver, he was swimming towards me. He swam right into the culvert I was standing on. I ran across the road, stood at the very edge of the other side of the culvert and got to watch the beaver swim out of the culvert all of 18 inches below the soles of my shoes. This same evening I jumped two elk, the first elk I had ever seen in the wild!!
Ok. I'm going to beat a couple of you to the punch!! The wildlife sightings I'm refering to have nothing to do with seeing a couple of naked chicks skinny dipping or other forms of human wild behavior!![:D][}:)][:D]
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one job I worked at we saw a lot hawks, geese, and there was the groundhog. the groundhog turned out to be our mascot.
except I hadn't seen it yet.
other dude at work was telling me the groundhog runs around in the ditch on the side of the property. I had never actually seen a groundhog before; I thought they were the size of a chipmunk. he laughed at me. said no, the size of a small dog.
I thought he was putting me on. "groundhogs are like a chimunk, right?" "nope" "have to be" "nope" "a groundhog is the size of a chipmunk!" "nope, I'll show you"
he said we'll go right outside and look at the groundhog.
now I really thought he was pulling my leg. like we're going to go outside and there's going to be a groundhog sitting there waiting for us. ya right. been working there a year and never saw a groundhog or anything like it.
so we went outside. got halfway to the ditch and there was the groundhog, about the size of a small dog, right next to the ditch, looking at us.
o-kay....
that was cool.0 -
How about an eyelash palm pit viper two toed sloth and three toed sloth in Costa Rica, Wombat, short-nosed echidna in Australia, along with Northern death adders, king brown snake, frilled dragon, Merten's goanna, a pack of dingo's (who did not eat my baby) red-tailed back cockatoos, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, and a turkey walking down the road in Tasmania. Hoopoes in three countries. 0 -
Was camped on the Alaska peninsula one time and there was a little hill a few hundred yards away with alders growing on the sides and an open area on top about 20 yards across. All we could see were antlers milling around, there must have been a hundred or more caribou bunched together in that little area trying to take advantage of what little breeze there was to help with the biting bugs.
One time we were watching maybe a hundred caribou feeding on a little slope. We were laying behind a thin screen of alders and some of them were just a few feet from us. They weren't anything we wanted so my hunting partner snapped a picture and the camera spooked them. They stampeded down to the lakeshore where they split into two directions. One group ran around the end of the lake while the other group ran out onto a little narrow peninsula. They ran back and forth a couple times and then the whole heard jumped in and swam the mile to the opposite shore. When they got there feet on solid ground the stampede continued as if uninterrupted by the swim.
Had a grizzly feeding on grass working it's way down the slope right at me. Soon her three cubs stepped out of the alders.
Slowly worked my way up snapping pictures to within 30 yards of five desert bighorn rams. Of course they saw me but were totally unconcerned.
Hunting chukars I was walking along the base of a ledge and looked right up into the face of a mountain lion a dozen feet above. Nothing makes you hair stand up faster than having a lion grow at you while you are in that position. Thanks to my friend it is now a rug. Those are a few of the ones.0 -
I was elk hunting in the White Mountains west of Alpine, Az and a Big Horned sheep walked casually down an embankment and crossed the road. I didn't know there were any in that area.
A bull moose walking down the road in my lane in Utah late in the evening during the summer.0 -
Once turkey hunting a deer walked right over my legs 0 -
I've been fortunate as I've seen many interesting critters in the wild. When I was a kid several critters that are common to see today were few, very few, or just weren't here.
Wildlife in my area that have repopulated the area in my life time are many. Turkey, bobcat, beaver, otter, coyote, bald eagle to name some. Now, I've see all these in the wild here as well as many other interesting specimens. Deer were far from abundant here when I was a child, but you would see one from time to time. Ducks and geese are common now but not so many then, not even close. I've even seen flocks of sandhill cranes here, amazing.
One of the rarest sightings I have seen was 2 Whooping Cranes that were with some sandhill cranes in South Dakota. I spent quite some time watching them through my binoculars. There are taller, even, than the sandhills. I was fortunate indeed.0 -
Sat on a rattlesnake in Louisiana when I was 19. Not that interesting for you, as it was exciting for me! (no, I was not bitten, but I was traumatized [:0]) 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Barzillia
quote:Originally posted by fideau
I saw a pterodactyl fly over my house one day. Or maybe it was a buzzard. Or a crow. I heard an Owl hoot last night. Didn't see him though.
Owls are bad medicine.
Depends upon the tribe.0 -
While hunting Mearns quail in southern Arizona,My Brittany was in a narrow culvert,I was on top.He flushed out 2 giant(to my eyes) Mule deer.They were probably 10-15yards away on the other side,they just looked at me,finally stiff legged away.That was probably in the early 70's. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by roswellnative
Once turkey hunting a deer walked right over my legs
Had a young doe sniff my belly once We were out walking to a new sight and my Friend saw her coming and told me to freeze. Just when she got to us she stopped and sniffed. She did not run off but just headed on down the trail.0 -
While hunting Mearns quail in southern Arizona,My Brittany was in a narrow culvert,I was on top.He flushed out 2 giant(to my eyes) Mule deer.They were probably 10-15yards away on the other side,they just looked at me,finally stiff legged away.That was probably in the early 70's. 0 -
had a copperhead craw across my foot once. I guess I was moving kinda slow. 0 -
I was deer hunting in early fall about 30 years ago. A beautiful sunny day in the oak forest on our farm. As I was sitting on the ground leaning against an ancient old oak tree with my bow in hand two squirrels came so close I couldn't believe it.
They looked at me, smelled and touched my boots and then they quickly ran up my pants leg! I sat perfectly still, until I heard one say "LETS EAT ONE NUT HERE, AND TAKE THE OTHER ONE WITH US!"0 -
Hunting in South Texas, standing behind a ground blind watching trails in two directions. A bobcat walked out of the brush and down one trail, followed by a large doe. She was about 30 feet behind the cat, head down and ears up. The cat didn't think much of this. He kept turning and looking at the doe and once laid down in the trail. The doe maintained her distance but kept following. Eventually the cat turned and walked off the trail and the doe walked off in another direction. I would have gladly traded my gun for a camera. Keep your enemies close, I reckon. I've also seen ducks following a mink in the water. 0 -
I was turkey hunting one fall, and as I was scoping out a flock of them, this buck came between me and the flock and started stamping his foot at me and snorting. Meanwhile the flock took off in the other direction behind him. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Old-Colts
I've had a close encounter with a Cougar several times; once a few years ago in our woods behind our house (several encounters with this guy) and long ago down on my Grandfather's farm while deer hunting.
Folks around here see them all the time. But I've only seen one in all my years. and then I was 17 in the High Sierras.
But have seen several Bobcats but that to was many years ago.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Smitty500mag
Probably not the most interesting but definitely the most surprising. Rounded a curve in Yellow Stone and suddenly we were beside this big guy lumbering down the road. He didn't even bother looking.
Camp Pendelton Casey Springs they are all over the place. I was fishing one of the springs and heard my trucks springs creaking. Had one scratching on the front fender. Lucky it was an old beater truck. Had to stay where I was till it was gone.0 -
i and 2 friends were in my boat duck hunting at a local state park where you draw daily for the blind locations. it was a very long narrow strip mine cut with 4 blind locations where you had to set up within 25 feet of the numbered stake. in the distance we heard the volley of 12 shots[4 hunters]. a little bit another 9 shots[3 hunters], another 9 shots so my buddies and i were getting ready. we spied a canvasback drake scimming the cut right above the water. i guess he saw us also as he veered hard right into a tree. yep INTO the tree and never exited the brush.. we idled over to and sure enough that drake smacked the tree and killed himself..we gave that trophy bird to the youngest of our group. not 1 pellet in it. made a gorgeous trophy canvasback mount 0 -
I have heard about monkeys having their way with a football but
have yet to actually see it happen!0 -
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Beat ya Joe. [:D]0 -
quote:Originally posted by Sam06
I watched 2 foxes screw on a frozen pond once.
But to answer the question would be hard. I have seen some crazy stuff in Africa and in the Jungles of Panama and Honduras.
Same with me, except it was snakes but the pond wasn't frozen.0 -
Spring time, was disking a fresh plowed field.
Squirrel was running along on top of one of the furrows when a Red Tail Hawk came down, grabbed it and took off.
That squirrel went straight as a board and then just went limp.
Only took a few wing beats and the hawk was gone.0 -
Not unusual in itself other than the way it developed: Got a phone call from neighbor a week ago asking if I could come over and help with an urgent problem. Grandson and I rushed over to his place next door and he came out of his shed holding a tiny fawn. He said he had seen an old doe jump our adjoining fence several days earlier, apparently broke its neck and died. He had heard a fawn calling for three or four days and nights. It finally emerged and he managed to eventually grab it. It was weak and extremely thin. Since he and his wife both work, he asked if I could try to nurse it back to health. I tried wildlife milk replacer and a goat nipple, but it wouldn't nurse. Through several phone calls, I located a state licensed wildlife rehabilitator about 40 miles away. Grandson and I rushed the fawn there in 37 minutes. The rehab woman instantly gave it subcutaneous fluids before we left. She called the next day saying she had used Pediasure, followed by squirting milk replacer into its mouth in the middle of the night. The fluids must have helped, because it tried nursing on the plastic syringe. She switched to a bottle and it took 8 ounces, followed by 6 ounces a few hours later. So I'm feeling pretty good that our combined efforts appear to have saved the life of a doe fawn that otherwise surely would have died.[:D] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by asphalt cowboy
quote:Originally posted by lkannes
When I was 18 I had an encounter with a wild cougar...oh never mind.
Blonde, brunette or redhead?
It actually had red hair, but upon closer inspection I was certain that was not the natural color. Interestingly enough I came upon one of her offspring about 10 years later but that is another story.0 -
I was at a friend's home one night and another buddy came in. He was visibly shaken and told us he was leaving work from Duke University, heading home on a curvy road that runs thru Duke Forest. He rounded a curve and almost hit an animal in the road which quickly hopped away. He said it was about 4-5 feet tall and had large feet and a tail. Scared the crap out of him and made him think he was hallucinating.
The next day we learned that a kangaroo had escaped from Duke Animal research.0 -
Watched 2 red tail hawks "get it on" outside my kitchen window this spring. That was a first.
A few times bears have been within 10-15 feet. That wakes you up.
Mountain lions, they like eating dogs.
Rattlesnakes in the house for a while. Found out wife doesn't like snakes.0 -
My most profound experience was walking into a stream of migrating and mating salmon on Adak Island. There were hundreds of thousands of them. Bald eagles were their only predators there.
Soaking my Florsheims, I pulled up two or three salmon to take back to the barracks and grill.
It was a very spiritual thing watching and taking in the whole panorama. I could not help but feel awe.
I hand fed na bald eagle behind the galley too. Wasn't supposed to, but it made a helluva picture. I was squatted down and the eagle was almost the same height.
Walking on the beach on Midway, yeah, that Midway, a buddy and I came across a sea lion. My buddy took photos while I played "Butt Slap" with him. He was big and I wasn't about to let him get a hold of me.
Flying to SoCal along the coast, we flew over a pod of California greys migrating South. Close to a hundred I guess. ATC let us drop down to 5000. I took a couple of pictures. What was neat was their spacing. Columns and rows with amazing precision.
That's everything I consider remarkable.0 -
I live in the Red River Valley of the North about 2 miles from the river. It's a vast farming area so you don't automatically think of game animals.
Through the years I have seen wolf, coyote, fox, Fisher, pinemartin, bald and golden eagles, white tail and mulies, moose, elk, bobcat, lynx, cougar, black bear.0 -
I have had many that dealt with Elk, moose, bears, Bighorn sheep, deer, antelope, mountain lions,eagles and hawks, but a couple of the best were both Wolverines.
One was just getting to see one in Wyoming. Was Elk hunting in the head of Willow creek a tributary to the Hoback river some 30 miles SSW of Jackson hole.
It was mid late Sept, and an old fellow and I were riding a trail called the "Parallel " as it parallels both Willow creek and the Greyback ridge. We had received about 4" of fresh wet snow during the night, the ground and grass was covered, but the trail had melted.
I came across a single set of tracks coming through the snow out of a thick grove of firs and into the trail and in the mud it looked like a small bear and when his muddy footprints exited the trail back into the snow it really looked like a cub bear track, strange I thought, why would a cub that small be traveling alone.
We rode a few hundred yards, across a small open park and we starting around a small hog back ridge, when I caught movement on a small bench about 40/50 yards below me.
As soon as I got a clear view, I knew from the gait and coloring immediately that I was getting to see my first wolverine in the Wild.
The horses stood quiet and we watched him travel for probably 100/120 yards be fore the terrain and forest took it out of sight. Pretty neat sight.
#2
North slope of Alaska, on a drilling pad, between Kuparuk main base camp and Oliltok point, but to the west toward the Colville river, sometime in Late March or early April as we starting to get a lot of daylight
The road into our rig had to dodge a couple big Pengos (big frost heaves)
We had been moved onto this Pad a short time when this wolverine shows and is checking out all the boxes and rubbish skips. He finally gives up on find anything with us and makes his way to this Pengo a few hundred yard away.
Unknown to me at the time, Lemmings make their homes in these Pengos as when they push up, in the summer they actually thaw as they protrude from the permafrost making them a dry home.
This Wolverine begins digging and gets into the lemmings and it was hilarious to watch.
He would dig and eat awhile and then flop over on his back with his belly toward the the sun and sleep and then after awhile the process would begin again.
I watched this routine daily for two weeks, in which time he must have uncovered well over 100 yards of the top of that Pengo, big old black scar with tundra soil, accented with big old pile of wolverine scat dotting the snow along it.
When I finished my hitch, he was still digging, eating, and sleeping.
When I returned, the rig had been moved to a different pad, always wondered how long he actually stayed there and ate. He had found a veritable smorgasbord.
Mule0 -
I was coming back to my truck late one night from bullhead fishing and in the back of a pickup truck with the tailgate down I saw a beaver eating a snake. Must not have been good the beaver kept trying to spit it back out. OH wait were we supposed to be talking about 4 legged creatures? 0
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