Creepy experiences in the backcountry

[smoke]

Wow. Spent almost a week reading this thread. How did I not find this before??? Cool, creepy stories. Thanks to all who contributed. I have a few I feel like I can post. I’ll start with this one:

Preface: I’m a Florida man, born and raised. Judge if you must, I hear we have a reputation, and I aim to keep it that way. Tell your friends about us. Haha. Moved to California for work and have been here long enough. But the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, hunting and fishing in them, is unbelievable. It takes my breath away. It’s the closest to God I’ve ever been. I absolutely love it in the high country. Once you get past the altitude sickness and such…

Now, I’ll post an abbreviated version of this story to keep the word content to a minimum.

I was hunting in the mountains south of Yosemite National Forest. Still new to hunting these Blacktail/Mule deer hybrids (if that’s really what they are), and just getting in the woods in the mountains in general. Pack went from like 80 pounds to 35 pounds in a couple years. Just needed experience. And to stop “packing my fears”.

I’m new to archery hunting back in 2022. But had practiced for 2 years before toting a bow in the woods. I finally felt confident enough in my form and such, so I’m doing it.

I find beds, a few days old. Now I know deer have at least been there. Drop in elevation and circle around. It’s pretty dense new growth surrounded by a burn scar. I’m easing my way side hill to hold my elevation. And I hear movement.

I range, check. Nock an arrow, check. Check grip, stance, all the foundational things. I had that much time to think, yes. A blessing AND a curse. I see the small undergrowth trees start moving as they’re being pushed. I draw, level, and hold.

I’ve got my pin exactly where the “deer” is popping out. 40 yards. Then, a sheriff’s deputy emerges. My pin on his chest. My finger on the trigger of my release.

I almost shit my own pants, and I wasn’t the one that was about to get poked by a Montec.

I let my bow down, return the arrow to my quiver. Then I PSST to him. Scared the shit out of him, too. I motion him over. Then he reads me into the scenario.

He, along with several other deputies were on a SAR task to find a lady named Sandra Hughes….or Sandra Hughes Johnson….can’t recall completely. She was an avid outdoorsman but went missing during COVID. They found her camp. Staked it out, but never saw her. Her camp was only half a mile or so from where we were talking.

Unfortunate, and I never told that deputy how close he came to being a kebob.

Attached is a write up of her disappearance.

https://wegotthiscovered.com/true-crime/missing-hiker-sandra-hughes-disappearance-in-sierra-national-forest-and-reported-ghost-sightings-explained/

Edit: I have a few more to post. Just not tonight.

A fine story but, as an old hunter, I'd like to offer a bit of advice (which you may already now know), and please don't take this personally . . . BUT NEVER, EVER point a gun or a bow at an object unless you have positively identified the target first!

 

[JK47]

A fine story but, as an old hunter, I'd like to offer a bit of advice (which you may already now know), and please don't take this personally . . . BUT NEVER, EVER point a gun or a bow at an object unless you have positively identified the target first!

It was a fine lesson, indeed.

 

[JK47]

This was about 12 miles from the trailhead. Freemasons are everywhere.
This was a little further in and up the mountain. Illuminati are everywhere. And fighting the Freemasons for territory.

And I too was scared shitless the night I first saw those damn Starlink satellites.

 

[JK47]

Last year when I was chasing elk with my bow in Colorado, I had a pretty good freak out for a minute. I’ve read a couple stories that are very, very similar to mine.

It was starting to get dark, so I found the flattest place on this particular hill and pitched my tent. I use a Durston X-Mid 2. I didn’t use the inner mesh, just the rain fly. Threw my pad and bag on the ground inside.

I took my boots off and crawled in. I was sleeping pretty good. All of a sudden I felt like I was jerked off of my pad by my ankles. I had moved a foot or 2 from where I was initially positioned. Straight down off the pad, no side to side movement. My feet were touching the tent at this point.

Now, I don’t know if I slowly slid off my pad? And then jerked awake like a spaz like humans do sometimes? I was on a hill, but it wasn’t steep enough for me to just slide, or so I thought.

I’ll never know. I just remember feeling freaked for not knowing what actually happened, as I was in that fog from just waking. And I remember my ankles feeling like they were just grasped. Guess it’ll remain a mystery.

I kinda feel like I’ve come way too far, and accomplished way to much to be snatched out of my tent and eaten by an elk.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Last year when I was chasing elk with my bow in Colorado, I had a pretty good freak out for a minute. I’ve read a couple stories that are very, very similar to mine.

It was starting to get dark, so I found the flattest place on this particular hill and pitched my tent. I use a Durston X-Mid 2. I didn’t use the inner mesh, just the rain fly. Threw my pad and bag on the ground inside.

I took my boots off and crawled in. I was sleeping pretty good. All of a sudden I felt like I was jerked off of my pad by my ankles. I had moved a foot or 2 from where I was initially positioned. Straight down off the pad, no side to side movement. My feet were touching the tent at this point.

Now, I don’t know if I slowly slid off my pad? And then jerked awake like a spaz like humans do sometimes? I was on a hill, but it wasn’t steep enough for me to just slide, or so I thought.

I’ll never know. I just remember feeling freaked for not knowing what actually happened, as I was in that fog from just waking. And I remember my ankles feeling like they were just grasped. Guess it’ll remain a mystery.

I kinda feel like I’ve come way too far, and accomplished way to much to be snatched out of my tent and eaten by an elk.

Maybe not the same but, I know everyone’s had that dream of falling, and just waking up right before hitting the ground. Or maybe sleeping well, and all of a sudden someone screaming in your face, or a loud noise, and waking up throughly startled, but in reality, no one screamed, or no loud noise was made. Maybe you experienced something similar? Of course, that could just be my undiagnosed PTSD.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rookieforever33]

Years ago when a buddy and I went to a party a couple towns over from us. It was in a wooded area we went looking for because legend had it incredible things happened out there. We were getting pretty drunk and met a couple pretty local girls. My buddy disappears with one and I didnt see him for 10 years. When I finally tracked him down he had a wife, 3 kids, and a minivan. I asked him what the hell happened, he said he had no clue, felt like 10 minutes ago we were looking for those woods.

 

[MarlinMark]

Sounds like a rookie move....

 

[JK47]

Maybe not the same but, I know everyone’s had that dream of falling, and just waking up right before hitting the ground. Or maybe sleeping well, and all of a sudden someone screaming in your face, or a loud noise, and waking up throughly startled, but in reality, no one screamed, or no loud noise was made. Maybe you experienced something similar? Of course, that could just be my undiagnosed PTSD.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would lean towards it being all mental, as you are saying. I definitely was startled. But the feeling is what was different that time. I’ve been startled awake and had those spaz out moments where I jerk awake, but it was different from that. Never had that happen before.

I’ll be back out there this September. I’ll report back if it happens again. Haha

 

[Scandiacus]

This was about 7 years ago in northern Michigan. My wife and I drove up to the cabin (a one room, off-grid thing we use as a hunting camp) to do some spring maintenance. After getting unpacked, I decided to go for a walk in the woods to stretch my legs after the long drive. The sun had just set, dusk was advancing toward night, and I always enjoy a nighttime stroll.

So I crossed through the valley below the cabin, and headed up the opposite hill to the south, following a familiar path past a grove of aspens and into denser woods, strolling at a leisurely pace while my eyes adjusted to the dark. After a while, I arrived at a large, spreading oak tree in a clearing on top of a steep hill, where the path splits toward a pine plantation to the southwest, and a low bushy area to the east. I took the path into the pines then, for some reason, got very curious about the other path. I had this feeling like there might be something I would like to see over there. So I hopped onto a deer trail that looped back around to the oak tree.

I had that cliche feeling of being watched as I approached the oak tree again, and as I passed under its long, low branches I heard the distinct sound of a black bear nervously huffing in the bushes up ahead. I couldn't see it in the gathering dark, but no problem, black bears are easily scared off. I stopped, raised my arms, and started yelling in its direction while I slowly started backing in the direction I had originally come up the hill. I fished my flashlight out of my pocket to light up the brush, but still couldn't see it. It must have run away - I thought.

That's when I heard the bear popping it's jaw, directly - DIRECTLY - behind my head.

I spun around yelling, "HEY BEAR!" (it's possible my voice cracked a little bit from the surprise - only a little bit). Nothing there. I drew my pistol, a puny little pocket 380, but it's what I had on me. Small comfort. I shined the flashlight in every direction trying to see the bear, or bears, but nothing.

Then the huffing noise came again, from the brush again. I spun to face that way. Then a bear huffed off to my right, behind the oak trunk it seemed. I still couldn't see anything, anywhere, as I spun in circles. Every time it made noise was from a new direction. I was surrounded.

I'd had enough. I wasn't interested in meeting an angry, invisible bear. Keeping my head and flashlight on a swivel, I backed my way down the hill toward the valley. I'd only gone about 25 yards when the bear sounds stopped.

A while later, as I walked into the cabin where my wife was reading by the light of a lantern, I realized what happened: The bear was up in the oak tree. As humans our directional hearing is really good at identifying sounds to the left and right, but not so much up and down. The bear was probably more or less right over head, and as I shifted around and it shifted around, the sound of it huffing and popping seemed to move around me. The odd acoustics of the woods only compounded the effect, and the dark amplified the psychological impact.

I wish I'd thought to look up in the moment. That bear probably ran up the tree to get away from me when it heard or smelled me coming up the path. It would've been neat to see it up there.

On the other hand, the bottom branches of that oak are really low. If the bear was on the bottom rung, then my view looking up might've been right into the face of an agitated bear just a few feet above me, and then I'm SURE my voice would've cracked.

Oh well. I still like walking in the woods at night, but I look UP at the trees a lot more now.

 

[Cathunt]

Few quick ones I'll try and keep brief...

My dad grew up in Key West in the 60's as his dad was a Navy sub guy. My dad loved fishing and swimming in the canals around the keys. One night after supper he went out to cast a line by himself and as darkness crept in he saw a creature he has only referred to as "frog man". The creature was black/extremely dark green in color, piercing red eyes and gills on the side of its head. It stood up bi-pedal, approx 6 ft+ when it realized my dad had seen it. My dad was 12-13 at the time. After 3-5 seconds of my dad staring at it/it staring at him, he tore out of there and didn't stop running until he got home. My dad is not a joking/pranking type and has drawn me pictures probably 5 times in my life of what he saw. Each time it's consistent.

I was whitetail hunting private land in Central Florida years ago in a section of the property that I was almost positive I would have to myself. There were only 15 guys on the lease and I hunted this corner of the property enough that I felt like if somebody wanted to get in that area, they would ask first.
It's 5 minutes before shooting light and I'm in and setup solid. All of a sudden here comes a Subaru coming down a fire break I'm sitting on, flying. I hit him with the flashlight on/off x10 like I've done tons of other times to let him know he's late, and back out. He ignores it and flies right passed me. Doesn't acknowledge me at all. Pretty close to where I've got my truck I hear, car door slam, trunk lid slam and crunch crunch crunch.
Safety off, what am I about to encounter I'm thinking. He walks right up to me, in my stand, right at shooting light. He said hey I'm gonna sit right back in there behind you about 200 yards.
Sure guy, whatever. Just hurry up and go away. An hour later, by 800 he's walking out and waves quietly and drives off. Never saw him before or after and never found out how he got a key to the property.


The other one I was scouting during summer for whitetails in an area where lots of people drop Airboats in and out. Absolute BFE. About 300 yards from the ramp I used to always see does moving in the evening through there. I go to get back to the ramp one day and I see a Mustang on the side of the road, emergency blinkers flashing. I slow down a bit and as I get up on the vehicle I look in the opposite ditch on other side of the road and there's a dude, in a dress, elbow deep in the muck. I was shook. I keep going and within 8 seconds I see the Mustang fired up and rolling towards me to try and catch up.
I'm a little bit like wtf is this idiot gonna do . We both come to a large dirt circle area and I decided this guy was not gonna catch me. I hammer down my truck and we do a couple a doughnuts around each other and I head back down the road, flying out. I never did see or hear anything about that guy

 

[eddielasvegas]

Few quick ones I'll try and keep brief...

My dad grew up in Key West in the 60's as his dad was a Navy sub guy. My dad loved fishing and swimming in the canals around the keys. One night after supper he went out to cast a line by himself and as darkness crept in he saw a creature he has only referred to as "frog man". The creature was black/extremely dark green in color, piercing red eyes and gills on the side of its head. It stood up bi-pedal, approx 6 ft+ when it realized my dad had seen it. My dad was 12-13 at the time. After 3-5 seconds of my dad staring at it/it staring at him, he tore out of there and didn't stop running until he got home. My dad is not a joking/pranking type and has drawn me pictures probably 5 times in my life of what he saw. Each time it's consistent.

I was whitetail hunting private land in Central Florida years ago in a section of the property that I was almost positive I would have to myself. There were only 15 guys on the lease and I hunted this corner of the property enough that I felt like if somebody wanted to get in that area, they would ask first.
It's 5 minutes before shooting light and I'm in and setup solid. All of a sudden here comes a Subaru coming down a fire break I'm sitting on, flying. I hit him with the flashlight on/off x10 like I've done tons of other times to let him know he's late, and back out. He ignores it and flies right passed me. Doesn't acknowledge me at all. Pretty close to where I've got my truck I hear, car door slam, trunk lid slam and crunch crunch crunch.
Safety off, what am I about to encounter I'm thinking. He walks right up to me, in my stand, right at shooting light. He said hey I'm gonna sit right back in there behind you about 200 yards.
Sure guy, whatever. Just hurry up and go away. An hour later, by 800 he's walking out and waves quietly and drives off. Never saw him before or after and never found out how he got a key to the property.


The other one I was scouting during summer for whitetails in an area where lots of people drop Airboats in and out. Absolute BFE. About 300 yards from the ramp I used to always see does moving in the evening through there. I go to get back to the ramp one day and I see a Mustang on the side of the road, emergency blinkers flashing. I slow down a bit and as I get up on the vehicle I look in the opposite ditch on other side of the road and there's a dude, in a dress, elbow deep in the muck. I was shook. I keep going and within 8 seconds I see the Mustang fired up and rolling towards me to try and catch up.
I'm a little bit like wtf is this idiot gonna do . We both come to a large dirt circle area and I decided this guy was not gonna catch me. I hammer down my truck and we do a couple a doughnuts around each other and I head back down the road, flying out. I never did see or hear anything about that guy

The CF guy just wanted to tell his friends he hunted whitetails that day.


Eddie