What the closest face-to-face encounters you've had with animals while hunting?

[74Bronco]

With my youngest son (15 at the time) on the Montana Idaho border hunting mule deer. Not seeing much, but walking a trail and stepping out at overlooks to take a peak. We are being very quiet as its solid trees. At an overlook, and he says he wants to go up and look on the other side of the ridge. He takes 10 steps, stops dead in his tracks and says mmmph lmmph. I say if its a buck shoot it. He literally has gone 4 vertical feet up from me, maybe 10-12 feet total, what can he see? He turns around again ready to shoot and says muffin lynn. I can't hear for shit. Finally I put together mountain lion. I prepare to defend myself and him, take 2 steps, and there, standing on a rock outcropping 30-40' away is a mature mountain lion. As soon as it sees me it takes 2 of the most athletic leaps you can imagine never to be seen again. We were a fair bit noisier on the way back, but it was a reminder they are probably more afraid of us than we are of them.

Many years ago, before there was ever a rumor about wolves in ND I was pheasant hunting a tree row near a lake. I got to the end, and up stands a wolf, looks at me and trots away. 3-4x bigger than I ever imagined. It was huge. It hadn't snowed for a few days and all I could find for tracks was the ones leaving. It may have blown in on his old tracks, but kinda weird regardless.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

In 2019 spent 10 minutes in a stare down with a mature buck at only 5 yards in a cattail swamp. Yup, 5 yards!

I heard him coming grunting the entire time so i sorta rose up slightly and nocked an arrow. As i looked up from nocking the arrow he just materialized out of the head high cattails and our eyes locked instantly. He froze dead and i didn’t dare move an inch. We stared at each other like this for 10 minutes waiting for the other to say uncle. Well, he eventually had enough and went from statue to a blur of brown fur and cattails and was gone. I was left there to deal with the ensuing adrenaline dump.

Never saw him again but it’s one of my top hunting experiences in 38 years of hunting.

 

[Justin (Raz) Rasmussen]

A grizzly bear chewing on my arm…..


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Do you happen to be one of the dudes who stuck their arm down a griz's throat? I've heard of at least two that did that an lived to tell the tale.

 

[Justin (Raz) Rasmussen]

Dang near stepped on a cougar crouched and ready to pounce on me as I rounded a tree. We were both real surprised to see the other.

 

[MNGrouser]

Way less exciting than most of yours, but my closest by far. The first time ever turkey hunting we were set up at first light with my back to an oak tree. gun rested on my knee for support. Buddy calls in a flock of about 8 hens. I sit stock-still but eyes scanning for something with a beard. One of the hens walks in front of me and has to duck her head down to get under my gun barrel.

 

[prm]

Twice I’ve elk walk by close enough to touch. 6 inches max.

 

[canthitbombz]

Almost too many to count. Countless birds landing on me, Had a squirrel run down the back of my shirt while i was in a tree stand once. Sitting on the ground waiting for " Mid-day madness " and had a badger walk across my feet. I have pulled hair from 2 separate Elk also.