No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers ***NO POLITICS
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter


Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting~The Pen and Quill

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum~ Fermenter's Forum


~~~ Dobbins' Products Catalog ~~~


Minnesota Trapline Products
Please support our sponsor for the Trappers Talk Page - Minnesota Trapline Products


Print Thread
Hop To
Page 3 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: charles] #7483737
02/03/22 06:25 PM
02/03/22 06:25 PM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 10,471
Iowa
T
trapdog1 Offline
trapper
trapdog1  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 10,471
Iowa
Originally Posted by charles
In my late teens, I was parked on a South GA logging road with a pretty young thing. A cat near us screamed the most blood-curdling deathly attack sound I have ever heard. It was July and the windows were down, but we quickly put them up.

Then what happened? grin

Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483739
02/03/22 06:26 PM
02/03/22 06:26 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,493
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Paul Dobbins Online content
"Trapperman custodian"
Paul Dobbins  Online Content
"Trapperman custodian"

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,493
Goldsboro, North Carolina
I would be in a beaver swamp on a nice quiet day enjoying what I was doing when all of a sudden an ear piercing loud noise would make me crap my pants. It would be two f-15s screaming at a very fast speed just above the tree top. The noise was there the same time they were. There was never advance sounds of them approaching.



Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483749
02/03/22 06:29 PM
02/03/22 06:29 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 5,772
central Illinois
yoteguts Offline
trapper
yoteguts  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 5,772
central Illinois
Had a few. We had a boat accident once where I was trotling with one dead and he sank. He had to cross all my lines. We dragged for him but couldn’t find him. I went out and pulled up lines in the dark. First line had a pair of rain pants on it. Made me jerk when they popped up out of the water under my face. I had him but he came out of his pants. We dragged some more and don’t hook him.
During the next daytime search I seen flesh up under a brush pile in the water. Go to investigate and it’s a large naked doll. Thought for sure I found a kid. Nervous two days. The next day he surfaced next to a crappie brush pile. Guys fished it for a while before they noticed him. Not pretty.
Was frog gigging one night and we heard a shot on the bank. Teen age boy broke up with his girlfriend. Walked down to the water and took his own life.
Mink trapping under a bridge once and found a pile of dead pit bulls. Like 9 of them. Came back a month later and there was a pile of foxes and skunks under the same bridge. ?




I'm itchin' to see a coyote twitchin'.

More trappin' and less yappin'.



Member FTA & USSA.





Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483884
02/03/22 08:03 PM
02/03/22 08:03 PM
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,551
MT
S
Slick Pan Offline
trapper
Slick Pan  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,551
MT
Scary and strange both. My friend and I were deer hunting in late November. The weather was eastern Montana cold(which was way below zero). Everything was frozen solid. My friend and I stopped on a bridge to take a break. We walked over to the bridge edge. Looked down on a creek/river that was maybe 20 foot wide and frozen solid. There was a (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) pheasant walking out in the middle on the ice. All of a sudden the ice cracked and the pheasant disappeared. We both looked again in disbelief and I think the feeling was we would NEVER go swimming in that place in the summer.

Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: Paul Dobbins] #7483918
02/03/22 08:28 PM
02/03/22 08:28 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
W

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
Originally Posted by Paul Dobbins
I would be in a beaver swamp on a nice quiet day enjoying what I was doing when all of a sudden an ear piercing loud noise would make me crap my pants. It would be two f-15s screaming at a very fast speed just above the tree top. The noise was there the same time they were. There was never advance sounds of them approaching.



In February 1980 I was snowshoeing across the river...breaking new trail. I am never comfortable when venturing out on new areas of ice.

Those who aren't used to breaking trail in deep snow may be unaware that your footsteps can cause large areas ( like a few acres) of snow to settle all at once. You can feel a slight drop and hear a disconcerting WHUMP......not loud but just enough to make you aware of it.

Also, when it is cold you may think you hear something behind you. You stop and look back but there is nothing. Eventually you figure out it is only the tails of your snowshoes flicking ice crystals across the surface of the snow.

Well there I was........crossing untested ice with all sorts of noises emanating from underfoot. (Actually the loudest noise was probably my heart hammering in my chest.)

Well I thought I heard something behind me and looked around.........nothing !

I kept going. Just about midstream I hear a sort of swooshing noise that I THINK must be water under the ice. But NO !!!! All of a sudden two F4 Phantoms are about 50 feet over my head and they pull up into a vertical climb and hit the afterburners.

Now I'd like to tell you that I stood there in awe as those afterburners melted the entirety of North America with their heat........but in fact it scared me so badly that I fell down into that deep snow. I could hear my heart pounding over the roar of those engines.

I pretended to be making snow angels to cover my fearful thrashings in the snow.

They had sneaked in on me from downwind. They happened to be a couple of Air Guard guys from Anchorage that had hunted moose with me the previous September. They never hunted with me again !


Mean As Nails
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483944
02/03/22 08:52 PM
02/03/22 08:52 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
"American Honey"
Sharon  Offline
"American Honey"

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
grin You articulate that event well , Sir Ken. I could hear and see it in my mind.

Amazing stories from so many.

Years ago, I was riding snow machines on a high ridge line in the Montana mountains . On a full moon night with two other riders on theirs.

I love the full moon on the snow. A million diamonds sparkled where the moonlight lit up the landscape as daytime. It was late , just after midnight. The group of us friends planned on staying up and riding all night along that high ridge, lined with Alpine fir, Highland Hemlock and Doug Fir. All coated with snow, very deep , mid-winter , after a big storm that dumped several more feet high up.

The high peaks loomed bright against the sky as we tooled along for several hours.

At the end of the ridge, we turned around and went back where we drove earlier. Midway back, we came to human made tracks that crossed ours , walking on snowshoes , over our fresh machine tracks , to the drop-off ridge top, then turning and walking back into the deep treeline woods.

In the middle of nowhere. No cabins , no town nearby. Miles up from any valley into that rugged ridge top.

We stopped and stared in silence, and of course gazed intently into the deep shadows of the woods where the tracks arrived and retreated .

Without a word, we took off and powered away, hands on our guns, looking back frequently.

I would have rather seen any other tracks but those, in the middle of the night, only a couple hours old , crossing ours.

Not the weirdest of these here, but surely making my hair stand on my neck , seeing them.

What a great thread to read. But not at night . smile

Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483946
02/03/22 08:52 PM
02/03/22 08:52 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 17,458
Wheaton Ks
L
lee steinmeyer Offline
trapper
lee steinmeyer  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 17,458
Wheaton Ks
Two friends and I were out catching bull frogs one night out of a boat up on a long slow moving part of a creek. I was running the oars, and one in the front and one in the back. In Ks, you can use a net or catch them by hand, but no frog gigs. So the guy in the back, Randy is deathly scared of snakes. The one in the front, Jim is telling me witch way to go, and holding the light, getting ready to grab a frog. That was the minute that one of those stupid asian grass carp jumped right into the boat and started flopping on the floor of the boat. Jim missed the frog, and Randy knocked an oar out of the oar lock as he ran past me, then knocked Jim out of the boat, and he dropped the light. Absolutely the darkest night, and Randy is yelling at us from up on the bank. Jim is wet and muddy, but gets back in the boat. He retrieves the light, and shines it on the carp, then we start laughing. Neither of us could understand how you could be that scared of a snake, that you would about kill yourself getting away from the sound and about drown Jim while doing it! All because of an asian carp!


YOU CAN IGNORE REALITY, BUT YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING REALITY.

http://www.lptraplinesupply.com
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: Sharon] #7483953
02/03/22 08:59 PM
02/03/22 08:59 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
W

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
Originally Posted by Sharon
grin You articulate that event well , Sir Ken. I could hear and see it in my mind.

Amazing stories from so many.

Years ago, I was riding snow machines on a high ridge line in the Montana mountains . On a full moon night with two other riders on theirs.

I love the full moon on the snow. A million diamonds sparkled where the moonlight lit up the landscape as daytime. It was late , just after midnight. The group of us friends planned on staying up and riding all night along that high ridge, lined with Alpine fir, Highland Hemlock and Doug Fir. All coated with snow, very deep , mid-winter , after a big storm that dumped several more feet high up.

The high peaks loomed bright against the sky as we tooled along for several hours.

At the end of the ridge, we turned around and went back where we drove earlier. Midway back, we came to human made tracks that crossed ours , walking on snowshoes , over our fresh machine tracks , to the drop-off ridge top, then turning and walking back into the deep treeline woods.

In the middle of nowhere. No cabins , no town nearby. Miles up from any valley into that rugged ridge top.

We stopped and stared in silence, and of course gazed intently into the deep shadows of the woods where the tracks arrived and retreated .

Without a word, we took off and powered away, hands on our guns, looking back frequently.

I would have rather seen any other tracks but those, in the middle of the night, only a couple hours old , crossing ours.

Not the weirdest of these here, but surely making my hair stand on my neck , seeing them.

What a great thread to read. But not at night . smile







Was there a bloody hook hanging on your handlebars when you got back home ?


Mean As Nails
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483973
02/03/22 09:16 PM
02/03/22 09:16 PM
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 284
Montana/Florida
G
Gene Dziza Offline
trapper
Gene Dziza  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 284
Montana/Florida
Grizzlies too close.

My brother and I got charged by a young bull moose once. I couldnt believe how fast he could move. He had been sparring with another young bull. He gave up pretty easy because if he really wanted us, he would have had us. When I suggested that to my brother, he said there was no way he'd of got me, cuz when he turned around to run, I was already topping the hill. Lol

Another time I was bugling for elk, and two bull moose, (again), came thundering into the meadow, kind of prancing around with their hair standing up. The little meadow was a little wet and had tall grass and I just sank to my stomache and listened to them trotting around. I had never, and haven't since, had moose react to an elk bugle. But they sure acted like they wanted to whoop my butt.

I think the scariest was a naked old man in the woods when I was checking coon traps. His hearing must have been off because he was looking away from me. I walked within 30 yards of him before I spotted him. I just quietly sliped back the way I had come. I sure didn't want to see the front of him.

Meth heads and weirdos. Man, I could write a book on some of those experiences. I ran into a guy once that I thought must be hiding from authorities. I texted his vehicle info to my wife because I was a long way from my truck. He was asking me questions that didnt make any sense. I thought he was just scoping me out. I saw where he got his vehicle out of sight of the road for the night. I should have called law enforcement that time. He had a woman with him that was wearing a dress. I thought it was a really strange place to spend the night and it was cold. One time I came out of the woods to my truck about dark and could hear voices. When I got to the truck, there was nobody there, but a dog growled from across the road in the woods. They were hiding on me. I didn't like that at all. I made sure they could see my handgun. I started down the road a short ways and saw a man walking through the woods toward the road and he dropped flat on his belly when he saw my truck. I spoke to a Forest Service detective the next day and he made contact with them. He told me they'd be moving on. I don't know what it is, but I've had a lot more experiences with weirdos. I had two guys try to come into my camp once, about 2:00 in the morning. I let their flashlight come close enough for them to hear me rack my 12 gauge and their light went out immediately. They were sneaking. There's just no mistaking that sweet sound. Then a couple minutes later I heard their peice of crap car start up and rumble down the road. I was camped close to a road and they had stopped by in the day and one was asking my wife stupid questions while I stood on the other side of the truck with a shotgun. Sure enough, at 2:00 in the morning I got woke up by their peice of crap car and here comes their light. Like I said, I could write a book.

Last edited by Gene Dziza; 02/03/22 10:18 PM.
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483977
02/03/22 09:18 PM
02/03/22 09:18 PM
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 16,988
Fredonia, PA.
Finster Offline
trapper
Finster  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 16,988
Fredonia, PA.
25 or so years ago. A black bear momma and her two cubs ten feet away while I was archery hunting on the ground. Thank God the wind was blowing the right direction. I pressed my back into the tree so hard, I still have marks.


I BELIEVE IN MY GOD, MY COUNTRY AND IN MYSELF.
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: white17] #7483979
02/03/22 09:22 PM
02/03/22 09:22 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
"American Honey"
Sharon  Offline
"American Honey"

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Originally Posted by white17
Originally Posted by Sharon
grin You articulate that event well , Sir Ken. I could hear and see it in my mind.

Amazing stories from so many.

Years ago, I was riding snow machines on a high ridge line in the Montana mountains . On a full moon night with two other riders on theirs.

I love the full moon on the snow. A million diamonds sparkled where the moonlight lit up the landscape as daytime. It was late , just after midnight. The group of us friends planned on staying up and riding all night along that high ridge, lined with Alpine fir, Highland Hemlock and Doug Fir. All coated with snow, very deep , mid-winter , after a big storm that dumped several more feet high up.

The high peaks loomed bright against the sky as we tooled along for several hours.

At the end of the ridge, we turned around and went back where we drove earlier. Midway back, we came to human made tracks that crossed ours , walking on snowshoes , over our fresh machine tracks , to the drop-off ridge top, then turning and walking back into the deep treeline woods.

In the middle of nowhere. No cabins , no town nearby. Miles up from any valley into that rugged ridge top.

We stopped and stared in silence, and of course gazed intently into the deep shadows of the woods where the tracks arrived and retreated .

Without a word, we took off and powered away, hands on our guns, looking back frequently.

I would have rather seen any other tracks but those, in the middle of the night, only a couple hours old , crossing ours.

Not the weirdest of these here, but surely making my hair stand on my neck , seeing them.

What a great thread to read. But not at night . smile







Was there a bloody hook hanging on your handlebars when you got back home ?



grin Yes sir, just about ! Along with a heck of a blood trail from my 1911 !

I still think of that every time I am outside late on winter moonlit nights....

Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483981
02/03/22 09:24 PM
02/03/22 09:24 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
W

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
grin


Mean As Nails
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: Boco] #7483983
02/03/22 09:24 PM
02/03/22 09:24 PM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 2,092
NB, Canada
MySide 🦝 Offline
trapper
MySide 🦝  Offline
trapper

Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 2,092
NB, Canada
Originally Posted by Boco
My reflection in the creek.

I second that motion


All for the Greater Glory of God
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7483984
02/03/22 09:25 PM
02/03/22 09:25 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,879
Central MN, sort of old
MnMan Offline
trapper
MnMan  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,879
Central MN, sort of old
I cannot think of anything in the woods that has ever scared me EXCEPT: When I was six years old and new to Minnesota, I always had visions of it being a wilderness with wolves and bears behind every tree. Well one evening I was visiting the neighbor boy at his house and I stayed pretty late so had to walk the path through the woods in the dark in order to get home.
Well, with the fear of being attacked in my mind I cautiously proceeded in the dark to pick my way along slowly expecting to be eaten by a bear at any moment. Just as I got alongside a big Oak tree, my evil troll of a big sister leaped out from behind it with a loud roar. She had been sent by my parents to get me and saw me coming. I believe I must have broken the all time standing high jump record when this dark screaming figure leaped out at me from behind that tree. Since then nothing has ever compared to that episode so I have no fear in the woods at night, alone, and unarmed any more since my sister is no longer with us, rest her soul. I doubt she has ever laughed so hard the rest of her life either. This happened 69 years ago and it is still as viivid in my mind as the day it happened.


I'm just happy to be here! Today I'm as young as I'll ever be and and older than I've ever been before!
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7484010
02/03/22 09:53 PM
02/03/22 09:53 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 7,631
Virginia
5
52Carl Offline
trapper
52Carl  Offline
trapper
5

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 7,631
Virginia
I have told this story before. I reckon I'll tell it again. I was scouting a woodlot for deer in late September near an industrial complex on the edge of civilization when I stumble upon an empty box. Upon closer inspection, said box showed that it once contained a marital aid device of the strap on variety, and a right sizable one at that.
I immediately went on full alert, rifle in ready position, carefully scanning in all directions. I proceeded cautiously forward through the bush, and arrived at the site of the contents of the box. It was strapped to a tree at a height conducive to its intended use.
Now what scared me most was the fact that it was attached to the tree at a height which indicated that the previous user must have been a tall fella.
Out of the woods I did scamper, tail tucked.
I have had better times in the woods stepping on venomous snakes.
I didn't know what bejeebers meant before then, but I can tell this with authority, they all got scared out of me that day. All I could think of was "squeal like a pig" and "purdy mouth." Or as they call it in East Texas, Thursday...

Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: 52Carl] #7484034
02/03/22 10:06 PM
02/03/22 10:06 PM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 9,915
Arkansas
J
J Staton Offline
trapper
J Staton  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 9,915
Arkansas
Originally Posted by 52Carl
I have told this story before. I reckon I'll tell it again. I was scouting a woodlot for deer in late September near an industrial complex on the edge of civilization when I stumble upon an empty box. Upon closer inspection, said box showed that it once contained a marital aid device of the strap on variety, and a right sizable one at that.
I immediately went on full alert, rifle in ready position, carefully scanning in all directions. I proceeded cautiously forward through the bush, and arrived at the site of the contents of the box. It was strapped to a tree at a height conducive to its intended use.
Now what scared me most was the fact that it was attached to the tree at a height which indicated that the previous user must have been a tall fella.
Out of the woods I did scamper, tail tucked.
I have had better times in the woods stepping on venomous snakes.
I didn't know what bejeebers meant before then, but I can tell this with authority, they all got scared out of me that day. All I could think of was "squeal like a pig" and "purdy mouth." Or as they call it in East Texas, Thursday...

Lol! There's a ditch I keep cleared of beaver in the Toadsuck community. Well one day while starting to set a different part of this ditch, I came upon a sight that was rather frightening. I'll never forget the look of that two headed beast. sick


James 1: 19-20
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7484106
02/03/22 10:59 PM
02/03/22 10:59 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,059
Ames, IA
MikeTraps2 Offline
trapper
MikeTraps2  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,059
Ames, IA

THE MONSTER

(Authors note: This story is exactly as it happened; there was no need to enhance it, as it is pretty unbelievable as it is. People have accused us of lying about it, or making it up. Well what purpose would that serve? I freely admit I was scared “spitless” and Arnold , well he was mighty concerned.)

The headlights of the truck slanted through the trees illuminating them in a ghostly fashion as we pulled up Walls’ driveway,. It was Thanksgiving Day 1992, around 3:30 AM., and as dark as midnight in a mineshaft, as there was no moon and heavy cloud cover. Arnold’s Truck rattled to a stop and we stepped out in to the chill night air. We gathered the buckets of trapping gear, and slipped our pistols into their holsters. We got ready to do the loop as we called it, down the hill, up the valley, around the field, and back across the valley to the truck. Arnold and I walked along, checking our coon sets, talking softly back and forth to each other as we usually did. This part of the valley is thick enough to stall a Tiger tank. The multi-flora rose and honeysuckle creating almost impenetrable walls of vegetation, so dense that even in the daylight you can only see about 20 feet. The only way through is a single deer path. Strangely the woods seemed to deathly quiet, I mean no owl hoots, no deer or rabbits breaking cover, not even a breath of wind. It was a very eerie sensation, and suddenly I felt the hair on the nape of my neck stand up….

The Darlington Valley of Delaware County Pennsylvania has a long history of strange incidents and occurrences. Many people have reported seeing strange things lurking in the seemingly ever-present mist of early morning and evening. Far more people have reported hearing horrible cries, screams and roars coming from the dark woods. So horrific were the sounds some people vowed never to again return to the valley.

My Dads close friend Melvin and his girlfriend had an experience neither of them ever forgot. Melvin and his girlfriend (I can't recall her name) were um, ah parking down in the valley late one night. As usually happens they were rather involved in what they were doing, when suddenly behind their car "The Monster" let loose with its audio assortment of mayhem. Even before the cries faded away, Melvin had the car started and was laying a smoky trail of rubber out of the valley. He told his friends that this was no animal he'd ever heard. Melvin was a good ole boy, born and raised as a hunter and trapper, so he knew the sounds of the woods. However his friends being young punks, of course teased him unmercifully, calling it Melvin's Monster. Well it frightened him so badly whenever he and his friends hunted the valley he would not get out of the car till it was light and would always be back at the car long before dark. No one believed poor Melvin or his girlfriend. Yet stories of "The Monster" continued for years afterward even up till this very day.

I had heard the stories of the "Darlington Monster" as a child from both my Father (who didn't believe a word of it) and my Mother (who always said, “There is something evil in that valley.”) I personally decided that it was probably just different animals making noises and citified people couldn't explain them and therefore were scared of what they heard. Foxes screaming, coons barking and growling, and numerous owl cries can unnerve the unknowing. Little did I know that I would get a first person interview with the legend itself.

We were walking along guided by our trusty $1.24 flashlight, its dim sickly yellow light barely illuminating our chosen path. Suddenly it front of us this thing, beast, monster lets out this sound. (No I can’t tell you exactly how it sounded, since I have never before or since heard such a sound.) It started with a rumble like distant thunder, rose up to a howling shriek like banshee with a toothache and tapered off to a mad dog howl. It was so loud it reverberated in our chest and we could feel it strike our faces. Arnold and I both looked at each other and said, "WHAT THE (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) WAS THAT??????"

If you think this was inappropriate language, all I can say is brother you weren't there! We drew our pistols and loaded them so fast, we could have beaten Butch, Sundance, or The Kid. This is all the more amazing considering the pistols were in snap down holsters and the bullets were in our pockets. We tried shining the light around but that did nothing constructive for our heart rates. All the more disturbing was there was now no sound, so whatever made that noise was still right there in front of us just beyond the light. (The floor of the valley was cover with dry leaves so even a slight movement would be heard.) I will be perfectly honest with you; if I had been alone I would have turned tail and run till I hit asphalt (the nearest road is over a mile and a half from where I was.) I had a million thoughts going through my mind, “What the (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) was that?, Why am I in this valley?” and “Why in the world do I have “Now I lay me down to sleep” running over and over in my mind?” Arnold suggested we should slowly move off to the right to our other sets out in the field. You can believe me when I say this was met with less enthusiasm than "The Charge of the Light Brigade" they were only riding into the Valley of Death, I was already there.

I informed Arnold I liked the tree I was backed up against and daylight was only 1 1/2hrs away so why not wait around for it. Arnold coerced me into following him by starting off toward the field with the flashlight in one hand and a fully loaded and cocked pistol in the other. I sure as (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) wasn't going to sit there in the dark by myself. I quickly covered his back trail, with my pistol fully loaded and cocked as well. To say we covered the 200 yards from where we met the monster to the edge of the field where our sets were at carefully is a masterpiece of understatement. We were so slow and cautious you'd thought we were tiptoeing through a minefield. Thank God no deer broke through the brush or rabbit scampered through the dry leaves, otherwise there would have been a hail of lead laid down. We finally made it to the field edge without any more loud scary surprises.

After checking our sets we had to re-enter the valley to get back to the truck. It was just light enough to see when we marched back into the valley. On the far side we heard the noise again. We continued back to the truck and got the (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) out of there. Did this experience change us? Well yes and no, we were back checking traps the next day in the same valley, but now we had fully loaded pistols in unsnapped holsters.

Arnold and I have talked about this incident many times since then. We know what we heard. Arnold and I between us have over 60 years of experience in the woods, from southern Virginia swamps to New York mountaintops to Midwest plains; we have been to them all. We firmly agree it was no animal that walks the woods (to many sound variations in a short time), or human (no way a person could make those noises).

So you may ask what it was then. Well we believe it was a demon or other restless spirit, the whole valley is known to be an Indian burial ground. It is rumored to be the Lenni-Lenape royal burial area, but I’m not sure of that. I am sure what I hear and what happened though, and all I can say is if I never hear it again it'll be too soon.


Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure

Theodore Roosevelt
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7484194
02/03/22 11:58 PM
02/03/22 11:58 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,516
La Crosse, WI
Macthediver Offline
trapper
Macthediver  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,516
La Crosse, WI
As kid growing up running around in the part of WI I did. We didn't have only an occasional bear, no wolves, no big cats. Didn't really even see a coyote to often and so moving around in the woods at night our biggest fear was startling a skunk and getting sprayed.
Anyway my dad made up for the lack of things that might actually eat us. He was great at tell ghost stories, alien encounter stories swamp monster. Great at sneaking up and terrifying us kids. I once threw cup hot coffee on him made me jump so hard.
I eventually got to a point where I became some what numb to things going bump in dark. Infact I'm probably little to comfortable to the woods in dark in general. Grabbed to many times in dark by the old man. As kid I learned people where really only thing to fear in dark. Now of course we do have loins and tigers and bears.. oh-my !

Fast forward 30 some odd years I'm going turkey hunting, walking out a farm lane two track in predawn darkness. I was familiar enough with that feild road to know there shouldn't be even a tripper stick. Track is on ridge top with hayfield on left and fresh seed corn field to my right. I'm just strolling along in dark no light of any kind turn on. I don't know if I walked up on a coyote or we walked into each other. But dang coyote let's out one them screamig kinda dealing like they do probably 10ft to my left. I probably looked like a bottle rock launching. I jumped so hard would thought I was 10 years old and my old man had got me again. I didn't scream like little girl though it sure would been the time to. In stead I actually yelled "You-Son-Of-A-Mother-Dog!"...lol it actually started with B not M
I guess I don't consider that really being scared didn't mess . myself. I always think of it as startled. Definitely got my blood moving though. Bugger must went maybe 20yd towards woods screams again. Did that maybe two more time before was probably in woods. I never turned my head light on so never actually seen the coyote.
I have always wondered who jumped higher that coyote or me.

Mac


"Never Forget Which Way Is Up"

Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: uplandpointer] #7484203
02/04/22 12:04 AM
02/04/22 12:04 AM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,879
Central MN, sort of old
MnMan Offline
trapper
MnMan  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,879
Central MN, sort of old
Trapstickman once claimed that he saw a ghost beaver coming for him. I have my doubts since he has been known to exaggerate once in a while.

[Linked Image]


I'm just happy to be here! Today I'm as young as I'll ever be and and older than I've ever been before!
Re: Scariest thing you ever saw in the woods [Re: MnMan] #7484207
02/04/22 12:06 AM
02/04/22 12:06 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,516
La Crosse, WI
Macthediver Offline
trapper
Macthediver  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,516
La Crosse, WI
Originally Posted by MnMan
Trapstickman once claimed that he saw a ghost beaver coming for him. I have my doubts since he has been known to exaggerate once in a while.

[Linked Image]




Looks like a blanket beaver to me LOL!

Mac


"Never Forget Which Way Is Up"

Page 3 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread