Ever been in the woods...

[growalot]

When you hear a faint but familiar sound,but just can't place it? I have had the hair stand up on my arms a few times this past month...When I hear it I stand very still and scan the area....but only once saw something. The one time I was right in what I heard it was the "mew" of a deer fawn/ yearling and they walked past at a distance. The other sound I swear is a black bear...Today I bent over to pull a rock that was buried on it's edge on the path( a tripper) when I heard the faint distinct sound of a snake . I froze and slowly looked around to see a 2ft Garter snake 3 ft from me. I was a bit surprised...first I've actually seen in the woods. Now black bears are not small you'd think if I hear it I should be able to see it wouldn't you? With those dogs around my hearings been on high alert. I have gotten the sounds of most area animals down...there is the shuffle of skunks, rustling of mice scurrying of chipmunks, pounce  pounce  pause  pounce of squirrels. The swoosh of hawks hunting the woods, rustling of wing feather of crows flying through the limbs...the walk scratching of turkey and most of their many sounds. The Pileated  and redheaded wood peckers...most song birds... The black bear sounds have me stumped I know that is the sound I'm hearing...hhhmmm perhaps  a couple of trees or limbs moving in the breeze?...

Edited April 27, 2017 by growalot

[mowin]

Hunted bear in Maine a few times. Only once had two bears come in and challenge each other. The noise is something one would imagine two anger bear would make. 

Only other time I heard a bear, was in the Catskills turkey hunting. I was filming a buddy, and I called in a very large, and possibly hungry, bear.  It walked within 15 yards of me, and all I had was a video camera.  It caught my scent, and woffed like a dog half assed bark, but it was very loud and deep. Serious pucker factor.  Lol

[growalot]

This is a ..hhhmmm hard to describe ...not a moan or growl, not quiet a humph...I have heard it twice before once at camp when I was tracking (not shot) deer across the side hill and I looked up to see a black bear just ahead and parallel to me. Another time when going into my stand at camp and jumped a black bear in the dogwood brush near a big wht oak.. Actually 3 times...when I opened the truck door and the black bear I had come to hunt at camp was standing on it's hind legs on the other side of the truck.... After that encounter I was on my way out to hunt him when the woods behind camp erupted into trees snapping, screams ,growls , a gawd awful array of sounds that froze me in my tracks until it stopped. This is a relaxed sound like when the bear was in front of me and I believe unaware of or disinterested in my presence. Also when the truck bear dropped to all 4 after I opened the truck door and the light camp on..he was in no hurry to walk way...Thank God he did, my feet decided to stop working at that point...

[grampy]

I can't hear anything worth a crap anymore. Working around machinery most of my life has taken it's toll. It's very annoying at times, not being able to hear the little things. Will be shopping for hearing aids in the near future. Good that you can still hear that well grow. Especially at your age!............grin.

[growalot]

Ssshhhh....I have Mr B convinced I'm deaf as a stone...lol It's a beautiful thing

Edited April 27, 2017 by growalot

[Pygmy]

Bear sounds ;..." Hey Boo-Boo...Lets go find a PIC-a- NIC basket  !!  "

[moog5050]

I once hear what I thought was an angry bear - ferociously growling and snorting.  Turned out to be a hunting buddy taking a dump after a garbage plate late night snack.  Apparently more than just bears poop in the woods.

[Two Track]

I think i know the sound you are talking about.  Heard that out turkey hunting in the spring.  Made a few clucks and purs and heard nothing but an occasional leaf rustling sound, moved closer to the sound, moving down hill along a rock wall and then heard that sound.  Never heard that before and froze behind a large tree. My thought was maybe a bear.  Peered around saw nothing.  After a minute I backed up to the spot I was sitting at 20 yards away and all was quite.

30 minutes later heard a sound that I thought was just a squirrel moving behind me and it was a bear, uphill looking my direction.  I scared it off and it came back.  Scared it off again with my voice and I was one paranoid guy walking fast out of the woods.  It went the general direction I had to go to get out to the parking area.  I jumped at every bird and squirrel movement all the way back to the car.

[growalot]

TT Lord don't I know it...by the time I got to my stand in the dark a mile away I was soaked through and through...I sat in that stand 12 hours and never even saw a crow..It took that long for me to get the nerve to get back on the ground...If I didn't have to go so bad, I may have spent the night there...

[left field]

When I'm alone in the woods at night every chipmunk sounds like a saber-toothed tiger.

Last winter I went fishing for bonefish in Mexico. Standing alone in waist deep water, just around the bend from where this was filmed. I developed whiplash from how many times my head spun around at every little splash.

 

[DirtTime]

I think at one point or another every hunter has heard or not heard something that just didn't set well with them. Something that just seemed of of place. The only bear I have ever seen while hunting didn't make any unusual sounds or noises. While sitting in the NZ during the gun season about 13 years ago, heard some shuffling of leaves and watched a doe walk past me at about 40 yards, a few minutes later I heard the shuffling again. Watched a small black bear walk right past following the doe. I doubt the bear was hunting that doe, but it was still peculiar. Never made my hair stand up. 

Other times that really make the hair stand up are when all of a sudden everything stops. The wind dies out, the birds stop singing, and the floor critters shop moving. Everything just goes silent.

 

Walking into your spot in the dark and flushing any critter can put a stain in your britches.

 

The more time you spend hunting one area the better you get to know most of the sounds in that area. But, that doesn't mean critters you haven't seen or heard before won't come strolling in. Especially if you plant food plots. You just never know what critter will take a liking to your clover.

 

 

[rachunter]

Edited April 27, 2017 by rachunter

[ny hunter]

I am more afraid of snakes then anything else in the woods...Lol Have been seeing more....