Dang.
I hate hearing that.
Sorry for your loss.

I am very sorry that you and your family has to experience such a horrible accident. I wish I had comforting words to say but I am speechless. I will pray for you and your family...

Yup, no kidding was in Panhandle one hunt and scared the beejus outta me.

I've been spooked by hogs and birds where we surprised one another. Spiders are the only thing I hate to encounter.

I will use a red or green flashlight.

Thanks but I should have said it happened in 1995, not recently.
I was trying to get people to walk with a flash on so they could be recognized as a human.

In east TX I'd be more worried about feral dogs than anything else.

Had a standoff once with a badger. Badger ended up owning the trail and I went wandering off through the prickly pears to get around him. Its amazing how fearless those things are.

Yep. On my property recently.

Yeah
BTDT at 2 WMA's hunting during the week by myself,
and a few years ago after I'd killed a deer. Walked out to
it and leaned my gun against a tree and was digging
out my wallet for a tag, and 3 strays were there like
20 feet behind me waiting on me to leave so they
could start supper

I can say that they don't run until the first one gets
settled. You can't holler and make them leave with
the blood smell about

Not hunting yrs ago on the Rio in Co. Step outside the tent camper and hear the bear growl. Who cares about a light then?

^^ This. I hunt a known stand on our lease so no one else is there. I have 2 feeders and pass one walking in. I use my thermal monocular to see if there is anything in the woods, mainly hogs, where I'm walking. I trim all my branches ahead of time for a clear path to walk in from. I'll use a light if I'm with my daughter, as it does help her. Otherwise, I walk in as quietly and as dark as possible.

I have had the group of pigs and covey of quail startle me, for sure. Once though, I did have a very close call. When I walk in, I have a dirt road that is about 150 yards long to my stand, and another 200+ yards the other direction past my stand. I was about half way down the road scanning with my thermal walking in. I see something catch my eye about 4 feet above the road. About the time I realize it's about to hit me, I duck, and an owl takes a hard turn upwards with a gust of air and swoosh hitting me. A large owl was cruising about 4 feet over the road, and he and I almost meet head on. I'm just glad I had my thermal, otherwise the owl would have scared the poo out of me!!

I hunted a place that was next to Texas Safari. Walking to a bow stand at night and hearing an African lion roar will make you feel like a goose just walked over your grave.

^^Ruark said you first feel that sound in your scrotum.

Not much outside of a snake that I'm worried about here.

Out west, Black Bears and Mountain lions are about the only things to give any pause too.


Grizzly's, or Big African Cats, are a whole nother' story. A Lion or Leopard will make short work of a person

Skunks, cow with calf, and coveys of quail. Skunks will make you easy to smell and find and not to popular with your hunting buddies. Natural scent works well while deer hunting, but not good for much else. Cow with calf will run you over if you crowd her, especially with a newborn calf. Covey of quail will make your hurt yourself in the dark.

We have a bull on our place, that isn't scared of anyone and has a bad attitude, so I always stand clear of him. Luckily, so far, i haven't walked up on him, in the dark.
Other than that, I have walked into several groups of bedded hogs, with just a pen light and that will get your attention, pretty quick.

First time I jumped a covey of quail... it scared the bujesus out of me. My first shot was in self defence.

First time I stepped in a covey of quail, I unloaded my gun in all directions, reloaded and unloaded that, then as I was reloading for
third time I said, "who's there?"