Creepy experiences in the backcountry

Send the full number to me, I'll call him
I'm sure whatever you would report back from that conversation would be really entertaining but I feel like it would be bad karma. That guy was 100% committed to his alien finding mission and Frog is his #1 emergency contact. That's a bond I don't want to mess with by prank calling.
 
I hunt a very rural area of land in Michigan. One year a buddy and I heard some very faint screams while out in the blind. We couldn’t make it out, but it sounded like it could have been someone calling for help. We just looked at each other and kind of chuckled, thinking it was the dudes in the camper down the road drunk. Fast forward a couple days, and we heard their was a report of a missing man and female in our area of the woods. Snow got too deep and the search was called off. Once spring time thawed everything out, they ended up finding them both froze to death… makes me think about what I could have done to help that situation.
 
I hunt a very rural area of land in Michigan. One year a buddy and I heard some very faint screams while out in the blind. We couldn’t make it out, but it sounded like it could have been someone calling for help. We just looked at each other and kind of chuckled, thinking it was the dudes in the camper down the road drunk. Fast forward a couple days, and we heard their was a report of a missing man and female in our area of the woods. Snow got too deep and the search was called off. Once spring time thawed everything out, they ended up finding them both froze to death… makes me think about what I could have done to help that situation.
In a rural, remote area, not Backcountry...

It was about 8am and I had finished chores. I heard yelling from over the hill at my neighbor's property. At first I thought it was someone yelling for help. I listened and eventually decided that it was the neighbors 10 year old daughter and her friends playing loudly, although it was earlier than usual that I would expect that. And I distinctly heard "help!", a woman's voice.

So I run down to the road and I see a naked guy running down the road in workboots. I yelled and asked if he needed help. He said "get me away from my girlfriend! She's crazy!" Roger that! I waved him towards my gate and got my favorite pair of shorts and a shirt. Got my car and picked him up. I see a woman in a bathrobe opening and closing it and screaming.

He told me his girlfriend had gambling debt with some biker gang. They lifted the gate off the hinges and tied them up. This guy was pretty big and muscular, tough looking guy and he was choking back tears. He had duct tape residue on his wrists. We came to a gate and he gets out, jumps over the gate and I never saw him again.
 
In a rural, remote area, not Backcountry...

It was about 8am and I had finished chores. I heard yelling from over the hill at my neighbor's property. At first I thought it was someone yelling for help. I listened and eventually decided that it was the neighbors 10 year old daughter and her friends playing loudly, although it was earlier than usual that I would expect that. And I distinctly heard "help!", a woman's voice.

So I run down to the road and I see a naked guy running down the road in workboots. I yelled and asked if he needed help. He said "get me away from my girlfriend! She's crazy!" Roger that! I waved him towards my gate and got my favorite pair of shorts and a shirt. Got my car and picked him up. I see a woman in a bathrobe opening and closing it and screaming.

He told me his girlfriend had gambling debt with some biker gang. They lifted the gate off the hinges and tied them up. This guy was pretty big and muscular, tough looking guy and he was choking back tears. He had duct tape residue on his wrists. We came to a gate and he gets out, jumps over the gate and I never saw him again.
Now that is creepy.
 
Not exactly back country.
But I did get a piece on video.
It was two years ago ? I was going out duck hunting. And I believe it was around 3 am I get to the boat launch. My old motor was a real PIA to get running. Especially in cold weather. I believe the temps were at 8 degrees or about that and then the "high" was gonna be 14? Anyways I hunt ducks by myself for the most part. And knew that it takes me this long to launch the boat, this long to get to the spot ,this long to set up,yada yada. I'm there very early. I like to take my time and not get overheated when I've got 6 layers on,my long johns,pants,bibs,waders,jacket etc. etc. I pull up to the launch and normally there's 2 good bucks and a couple does in the parking area. Not that morning . It was dead quiet. You could hear a muskrat fart from 250 yards away.
I pull up hop out look around ,unhook the boat from the trailer. Look around and it's cold ,like you can see your water bottle freeze in real time cold. I don't see anything at all. Get back in truck a moment later,forgot to toss my lifejackets in and turn on a dime to do that. In that moment. I see a large orb or light across the mountain hovering 100 yards in the air . I'm probably 2 miles on distance to the orb or light or UFO.
I thought well maybe someones out with a drone. There is supposed to be a moderate meteor shower going on soon.
I'm sorry of big into topography and why and what is going on where. There isn't a road near that spot for 3/4 of a mile. So if someone was with a drone they had dedication to be out at 3 am in the freezing cold flying it up there on top of the mountain.
I take a video,and still got it. I thought it was odd. But I was ready to hunt; this was a fresh cold front and should be good for hunting.
Get launched out and the orb or light or UFO is still there . Ok well idk what's going on but it is what it is . Maybe I'm just too tired or not enough sleep. I drive slowly with just my nav lights on . And look around see if I can spot any birds rafted up before I drive through the area. I'm seeing some swans and boots and small divers. I turn to look at the object hovering and now it's 2 miles east from where it was. I'm my head I'm like ok well maybe it's just a drone. I check the birds on the water again ,by now it's probably 345 am . And check the object within I'd say 5 seconds and now the object is back where it originally was. Ok well that's odd. Go grab my phone in my deep chest pockets to video it. By the time I get my phone out and video it now the orb UFO has traveled right where I hunt . It's right above 200 yards above my spot where I'm headed 4 miles now from where it started. So it traveled 4 miles in a matter of 8 seconds or so and is hovering. It stays there and I continue to drive towards my spot more. I keep my eyes peeled for some downed trees and swans . I get a mile closer to my spot. Forgot to unpack my hand warmers and get a drink and I did get with that for a few minutes. And in that time the object went from my spot to almost next to me one mile away on top of the mountain instead of being over the lake now . I think to my self ,well someone is either gonna get a show when this coffee decides to cut right through me or the UFO is gonna see a second moon this morning . I get to my spot slowly but surely and the object stayed in it's place one mile away for a half hour then while I'm setting up decoys for an hour it had moved above the mountain across the launch I'd say it was there a few minutes then disappeared. I took a couple videos,but must have had a couple scrubbed for data saving purposes. I didn't experience anything else that morning. It was very very dark and probably could see more stars than I normally would .
I was the only one out there hunting after checking all launches and texting around . What it was idk.

The same area I was out at 4 am duck hunting again ,nobody around me at all, I can see from the roads systems if theirs headlights or anything. I was against a deadfall ,so I have perfect cover from being spotted by ducks the way I was set up but also I couldn't see behind me . It was just a root system . I heard a very close like 30 yards away,I can only describe as primate or bigfoot tv show type yell right behind me . Hair on my neck stood up. But also I was pissed ,if someone is messing with me ,they might be messing. Up one of my only times I could duck hunt that week. So I shined my light didn't see anything . But I yelled ,"I got a 12 gauge ,I'll blow your head clean off ,get the F out of here " I didn't see a thing . I sat back down 5 seconds later and then heard some really big heavy footsteps on the frozen ground running off . What it was idk but I was mad that it could have been kids messing around . I am very good at seeing lights or anything sort of reflection and didn't see any at all the whole morning. So the likely hood of someone doing it was low imo .

Sort of related sort of not. Being what I am I have received many creepy calls late at night or early morning. You never know who calls or why or what the deal is. This past week was someone wanting a guinea pig skeleton articulation. At 10 pm .

This isn't hunting related. But I was sleeping one night a few years ago, just me and my wife sound asleep at 2 am . And I was pulled three feet towards the foot of the bed. Just sleeping and all of a sudden instead of being on the pillow ,my legs are almost dangling off the bed. I felt the pull and was awake probably 5 seconds before it happened. Not sure why I was awake right before it happened but it was really creepy. Shined the light on the gun around the house and checked the cameras. Nothing at all on he property. I did immediately go back to sleep though. I'm surprised I wasn't kept all night with that.
 
Not exactly back country.
But I did get a piece on video.
It was two years ago ? I was going out duck hunting. And I believe it was around 3 am I get to the boat launch. My old motor was a real PIA to get running. Especially in cold weather. I believe the temps were at 8 degrees or about that and then the "high" was gonna be 14? Anyways I hunt ducks by myself for the most part. And knew that it takes me this long to launch the boat, this long to get to the spot ,this long to set up,yada yada. I'm there very early. I like to take my time and not get overheated when I've got 6 layers on,my long johns,pants,bibs,waders,jacket etc. etc. I pull up to the launch and normally there's 2 good bucks and a couple does in the parking area. Not that morning . It was dead quiet. You could hear a muskrat fart from 250 yards away.
I pull up hop out look around ,unhook the boat from the trailer. Look around and it's cold ,like you can see your water bottle freeze in real time cold. I don't see anything at all. Get back in truck a moment later,forgot to toss my lifejackets in and turn on a dime to do that. In that moment. I see a large orb or light across the mountain hovering 100 yards in the air . I'm probably 2 miles on distance to the orb or light or UFO.
I thought well maybe someones out with a drone. There is supposed to be a moderate meteor shower going on soon.
I'm sorry of big into topography and why and what is going on where. There isn't a road near that spot for 3/4 of a mile. So if someone was with a drone they had dedication to be out at 3 am in the freezing cold flying it up there on top of the mountain.
I take a video,and still got it. I thought it was odd. But I was ready to hunt; this was a fresh cold front and should be good for hunting.
Get launched out and the orb or light or UFO is still there . Ok well idk what's going on but it is what it is . Maybe I'm just too tired or not enough sleep. I drive slowly with just my nav lights on . And look around see if I can spot any birds rafted up before I drive through the area. I'm seeing some swans and boots and small divers. I turn to look at the object hovering and now it's 2 miles east from where it was. I'm my head I'm like ok well maybe it's just a drone. I check the birds on the water again ,by now it's probably 345 am . And check the object within I'd say 5 seconds and now the object is back where it originally was. Ok well that's odd. Go grab my phone in my deep chest pockets to video it. By the time I get my phone out and video it now the orb UFO has traveled right where I hunt . It's right above 200 yards above my spot where I'm headed 4 miles now from where it started. So it traveled 4 miles in a matter of 8 seconds or so and is hovering. It stays there and I continue to drive towards my spot more. I keep my eyes peeled for some downed trees and swans . I get a mile closer to my spot. Forgot to unpack my hand warmers and get a drink and I did get with that for a few minutes. And in that time the object went from my spot to almost next to me one mile away on top of the mountain instead of being over the lake now . I think to my self ,well someone is either gonna get a show when this coffee decides to cut right through me or the UFO is gonna see a second moon this morning . I get to my spot slowly but surely and the object stayed in it's place one mile away for a half hour then while I'm setting up decoys for an hour it had moved above the mountain across the launch I'd say it was there a few minutes then disappeared. I took a couple videos,but must have had a couple scrubbed for data saving purposes. I didn't experience anything else that morning. It was very very dark and probably could see more stars than I normally would .
I was the only one out there hunting after checking all launches and texting around . What it was idk.

The same area I was out at 4 am duck hunting again ,nobody around me at all, I can see from the roads systems if theirs headlights or anything. I was against a deadfall ,so I have perfect cover from being spotted by ducks the way I was set up but also I couldn't see behind me . It was just a root system . I heard a very close like 30 yards away,I can only describe as primate or bigfoot tv show type yell right behind me . Hair on my neck stood up. But also I was pissed ,if someone is messing with me ,they might be messing. Up one of my only times I could duck hunt that week. So I shined my light didn't see anything . But I yelled ,"I got a 12 gauge ,I'll blow your head clean off ,get the F out of here " I didn't see a thing . I sat back down 5 seconds later and then heard some really big heavy footsteps on the frozen ground running off . What it was idk but I was mad that it could have been kids messing around . I am very good at seeing lights or anything sort of reflection and didn't see any at all the whole morning. So the likely hood of someone doing it was low imo .

Sort of related sort of not. Being what I am I have received many creepy calls late at night or early morning. You never know who calls or why or what the deal is. This past week was someone wanting a guinea pig skeleton articulation. At 10 pm .

This isn't hunting related. But I was sleeping one night a few years ago, just me and my wife sound asleep at 2 am . And I was pulled three feet towards the foot of the bed. Just sleeping and all of a sudden instead of being on the pillow ,my legs are almost dangling off the bed. I felt the pull and was awake probably 5 seconds before it happened. Not sure why I was awake right before it happened but it was really creepy. Shined the light on the gun around the house and checked the cameras. Nothing at all on he property. I did immediately go back to sleep though. I'm surprised I wasn't kept all night with that.
If something pulled me 3 feet down my mattress at 2am I’d come up swinging I want to say! And the adrenaline would take a while to burn off I imagine, curious what your wife’s reaction was?… but damn, those are in fact some creepy experiences. Thanks for sharing!
 
Creepy, but unrelated to the outdoors.
When we lived in TN we had a new house built on the land we lived on. About 4 or 5 years after the house was built both the wife and I would be shaken awoke from our occasional afternoon nap. At first this got us into some heavy arguments because I told the wife I knew it was her and she denied it. Then it happened to her and of course she said I woke her.
Neither of us ever felt scared, or frightened when it happened. But we were both 100% convinced whatever was shaking us awake was not human. It never happened at night.
And no, neither one of us were drinking or stoned before nap time:)
It has never happened again since we moved out of that house.
 
Not outdoor-related but this one definitely changed my perspective on a few things in life.

When I was 19, I used to live in an old hospital that was initially squatted for many years and eventually legalized and converted into cheap living space, communal style. My girlfriend at the time came to see me right after I moved there and we were fast asleep one night when out of the blue she woke me up by gently stroking my forearm. I was about to ask her what's going on, but before I could get a word out, she said "did you just touch my arm?"

I was immediately wide awake, turned on the lights, nobody in the room of course. She's getting freaked out, I'm trying to tell her it was probably a mouse or something even though I knew perfectly well it was a human hand that touched me.

We eventually fell asleep again but this was just the intro to 4 full months of strange occurrences right around the time it started getting dark. Glasses would shake, objects would disappear and reappear in places where I definitely didn't put them, I'd see dark shapes darting around the room out of the corner of my eye, strange pressure in the air, people outside my window disappearing in mid-air before I realized, wait, there's no scaffolding there, etc.

It got so stressful I would chronically stay up all night and distract myself with video games pretending nothing was happening until dawn came and things would always settle down. Thought I was going crazy. One of my friends didn't believe any of this and would just make fun of me so I told him to come over and just sit with me one night. Within an hour he was pale as a ghost asking me what the **** is going on. Eventually started dating another girl and she was very sensitive to this stuff as well, so at least now I knew it wasn't just me.

I found out one of my neighbors had lived in that room at some point in the past so I figured I'd ask her whether she'd ever experienced anything strange there, without going into any details. She said yeah, she'd see dark shapes darting around the room. Well alright that does it. I had another two months on my contract but I found a different room on the other side of the building and got out of dodge. Lived there for another 3 or 4 years with zero issues.

Turns out the first room was in the former terminal ward. No clue how many people died right where I slept but I imagine it must have been in the hundreds.

The place had gigantic windows from floor to ceiling and they were wide open during summertime so I don't think carbon monoxide poisoning explains this one.

I don't know what to call it, ghosts, echoes, energy.. whatever it was, it was real, restless and full of rage. I'd like to go back to that room one day with a different approach, no longer rooted in fear, and see how it feels two decades later.

It's made me realize that when it's time to go, it's probably best to attempt to do so on your own terms and fully at peace with what's happening. In a sense, it's also instilled a certain fear in me that perhaps what comes after this life isn't very good.

Picture from the old days (1936).

1754301921678.jpeg
 
Had my first creepy experience in the backcountry this past weekend.
Weekend family camping trip with my family, brothers family and our parents. My brother and myself set out Saturday morning around 4:30am trying to make good time on a longer trail so we could scout for elk. We were only about 1/2 mile from our actual campsite on an old logging road when we heard something off to the right of us pretty close. We were hiking with our red lights on and being fairly quiet. My brother thought it sounded like hooves so we stopped and listened, didn’t hear anything for about 30 seconds so I decided to take a couple more steps and then I heard said animal moving again so I switched to white light to see if I could see anything. The forest was pretty dense but I could see one eye. Being that my brother said it was hooves I chalked it up to a moose which is honestly terrifying in itself but decided in my head that it was also a moose and that we should keep moving. We both started to move and probably got about 5-10 more steps and again the animal was moving so we both started looking in the direction of the animal and then I seen both its eyes and the realization that the eyes were to close together for it to be a moose set in.
There was some comfort in knowing it was a bear but at the same time experiencing that from about 25 yards at 4:30 in the am is enough to get the blood pumping.
Every experience I have had with a bear in the backcountry is they always run away but this has always been in daylight. When it’s night time and they don’t run is a little scary.
 
I hunt a very rural area of land in Michigan. One year a buddy and I heard some very faint screams while out in the blind. We couldn’t make it out, but it sounded like it could have been someone calling for help. We just looked at each other and kind of chuckled, thinking it was the dudes in the camper down the road drunk. Fast forward a couple days, and we heard their was a report of a missing man and female in our area of the woods. Snow got too deep and the search was called off. Once spring time thawed everything out, they ended up finding them both froze to death… makes me think about what I could have done to help that situation.
Wow! Yeah, that’s one that you could carry with you for a long time.
You know, I wonder sometimes, particularly if someone is venturing into woods/ wilderness with which they are unfamiliar, why more people apparently don’t think about or bother to carry some sort of signal device. A small flare gun would not be overkill IMHO. You just never know.
 
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