Not scared of the dark but would hate to step on a cactus or other thorny briars, or rattlesnake, etc. I use a flashlight to see the trail in thick areas unless the moon is full. Deer don’t seem to move very far when you walk upon them as has been my experience. Hog on the other hand scatter and squeal and will run over you trying to get away. They spook in all directions.

Not to say I haven’t jumped a few times when stepping on a stick and it slaps your leg (snakebite or stickbite) or flush a covey of quail. Haha.

Not scared of the dark but I sure don't want a tree limb in the eye or, as I am a big fellow, when I fall I tend to hurt things! Use a Dewalt headlamp to keep my hands free.

Don;t mind the dark unless I am walking down the road and hear what may be a cougar made me stop and think. The next time I heard it it was like 300 yards away. Relief.

Back seat of a 1957 Chevy. Enough said.

With your teacher....it was her car....

Skunks and snakes if early season, and in the rocky mountains you never know.

ha Ha another testosterone driven thread. I bet 90% of yall would tee tee in you panties if you were in the dark, no light, in unfamiliar territory.

Even on your lease with out a light. wet panties.

Only 2 things that really worry me in the woods at night. Feral dogs and rabid animals. There are lots of stray dogs that get dumped around me I've seen a few of them pack up before. They can be pretty dangerous as they are hungry and usually not afraid of people.

I've never encountered an animal with rabies, but after reading a few stories about bow hunters and rabid coons, it got me thinking about the possibility at least. I carry a .45 ready to go at all times in the woods. Not because I'm necessarily scared, but rather prepared.

I can sit in the dark and listen for a long time without moving or fear, but walking around i have a fear of falling over things so i use one of the little lites on my cap

I’m wondering if some of you guys who have concerns with running across skunks have first hand experience with this.

I don't have concerns with skunks, but have walked up on them and had them walk upon me. I just stand or sit still and let them go on their merry way,

Never concerned conceptually however several times have been in pitch darkness walking to a stand and heard unusual sounds like breaking branches and rustling leaves. Especially with only my bow and I must be honest the hair was standing up on my neck for several minutes but I then continued.

Why would y'all not have some type of light? You can get a nice headlamp with white and red light for like 20 bucks. keeps your hands free and you got it if you need it rather navigating certain terrain, you drop something small, or you see a little girl ghost.

Yes but I run and don't get sprayed. Almost did opening morning. I saw that tail raise a few feet from me in my light and I hightailed it to the blind. I don't know how close you need to get to trigger them though but I don't want to find out.

I’ve been sitting in the dark up against a cedar hunting hogs and had a skunk walk right up to me. Prob got within 2 foot of me stopped and looked at me and then turned and walked away.

I had a lease just east of Woodson that we built a shack on for our shelter. We would leave the door open until bed time. Went in the shack after an afternoon hunt and inside was a skunk. We waited around for hours for it to come back out but it wouldn’t. I finally went in with a broom and gently nudged the skunk. It looks up at me and started slowly walking out from behind the bunks. Looks up again like it was trying to be friends. I ever so gently nudged it again toward the door and it slowly walked out and wandered off.

There's a place on the ranch where I like to go star gazing and it's about as dark as you can get. It's screened from all outside light by the mountains, very peaceful! When I was seriously hide hunting we would get back to back with shotguns down in the sand washes and call, no light but with the color of the sand you could see anything approaching. Having a big old tom bobcat jump from the side of the wash and land about 5 ft from you can be a little interesting. I've always had night eyes even when a child, I would see things other wouldn't. Several years ago I was with two deputies and a trooper looking for two individuals who broke into a store in Coahoma TX. The deputies walked the tracks to the west but found no one so they turned to the east and kept looking. I went back to the west but with no light and found both of those kids about 300 yards down the tracks, then I turned my light on. Walk a while or give the eyes time to adjust and it's surprising how well you can see, turn a light on and you lose it immediately. Your peripheral vision give a much better definition than looking straight at something.

This topic is why a lot of elk hunters are just that...hunters and not killers. You gotta be where the elk are near dark, and that can be 5+ miles from camp/truck. guys are just scared to death to do that.

Was terrified of the dark as a kid. Not real sure why, but just was. I'm not too bad now that I'm older, but down in the Trinity river bottoms can get a little spooky at times. I've heard things down there that I can't even begin to tell you what they were. My dad and my brother-in-law can attest to some of those weird creepy sounds.

I had a good friend who happened to be an old timer that asked me to get a skunk out of his live trap for him. I searched the web for advice on how to do it without getting sprayed and it worked. The general idea was to very slowly cover all but the open end of the trap with a tarp and then reach around and slowly open the door so the skunk can walk out on its own. They reportedly don’t see very well and are not easily upset unless you quickly surprise them. But I remember reading that when they do become upset, they will start patting their feet on the ground. That’s the message to you to run!

One of my favorite spots to hunt on Ft hood I have to walk down a narrow road with a thick wooded creek bottom on one side and a really old homestead cemetery on the other. I love to take people back there at night it freaks them out even when I’m with them. Personally I don’t see what the big deal is.

I trapped one too, well the kids did as they left it set. I came on here and got the same advice you received. I ended up just using the old scatter gun. No smell either.

I've never understood why people are afraid of cemeteries either. Everyone there is dead and will not rise up and get you. People need to check their imaginations or quit watching goofy horror movies.

This is me! been close too many times. Just glad you can see that white stripe when they move.

people would be suprised how far ya can see the glow of a cigerratte let alone a flash light.... RECON 101... Reason kept me flash light off while hunting hogs at night
prickley pears & briars tend ta sneak up on ya in d dark...