Things that make you go.....

[FinsnFur]

  Dangit!! that woulda been a good shot!

Let's hear it, this should be interesting. Camera or rifle.

I had the kids down to the river this afternoon. An Eagle dropped down out of the sky and started flying in circles about 6 inches off the top of the water, in the middle of the Wis/Iowa channel out here on the Mississippi. His circles were maybe 100 to 125 feet in diameter, and he flew across the top of the water with nothing but utmost grace.

I knew what was about to happen. I'd never witnessed it live before though.
I motioned for the kids to get a fix on it before it all went down, and it was like he was waiting for the audience.
A quick tilt of the wings, he closes the 6" gap between him and the water's surface, and then just as fast he's back up and planed out at 6" clearance again with what looked like a good 12" fish in his meat hooks.

I thought I missed some fireworks when all the kids, all three in sync, let out a gasping ohhhhhhh  :shck:

He carried it off to a nearby island and appraised his prize.

Camera was setting on the desk waiting for me when I got home

[bigben]

man there is too many things to list.  I have had numerous times I have had gray foxs messin around on the forest floor that would have made a good photo or a nice pelt if I would have had something other then a bow or muzzleloader.  I was thinking on getting one of those binos with a digital camara in side.  does anyone here own one? 

[studabaka]

  Hmmm, so many choices...... I'll go with

Last December deer hunting. I didn't have a lot of time before dark, so I decided to go a couple hundred yards behind my house to a spot in the woods that was a little less thick and had a good trail and a couple rubs in it. I set up on the down wind side which actually meant I walked in a fish hook direction to get there. I expected them to come out of some thick cover and into/along the clearing from a point 45 degrees away from the path I used to walk in. I positioned myself behind a fallen tree to give me breakup/cover from where I expected them to come. Less than 30 min into the stand, an nice little 8 point buck comes strolling in from the exact opposite direction and comes to a stop no more than 10 yards from me and not a shread of cover between us. He reaches down and comes up with a mouthful of wet leaves and looks right at me doing my statue impression as he leisurely chews them up and gets another mouthful. As he chews the second mouthful we are staring into each others eyes and it's at that point that I think he figures out I just might not be a funky looking bush. Tail low and waging, he tilts his head side ways and takes a couple steps closer, tilts his head sideways the other way and takes one more step, snorts and takes 2-3 bounds and comes to a stop behind some cedars at the edge of the clearing. Stands there for 10 - 15 seconds and then snorts again and bounds off.

So I guess my 'Dangit' is pretty obvious. Maybe I should have just gone for it rather than staying frozen with my gun pointed in the opposite direction, but there was something about those big brown eyes and mouthful of leaves at that distance that kept me still and watching. I had hoped he would have grazed a few yards farther and I would have had an easy shot. When he bounded I swung on him and probably could have taken a shot through the cedars, as I could make out bits of tan through the green, but it just didn't seem like the thing to do.

Two months later, while walking back from a yote stand with RagnCajn in a nearby corn field, I looked down and found a four point antler shed. I smiled cause I was pretty sure I had seen that antler before and I'm looking at it now as I write this.

[stevecriner]

I love yote huntin and buck huntin so much i cant explain it. You know when people say there addicted . WEll if im in the house and the weather is right i cant hardly stand it. Buck or yote. Im a firm believer in if you dont go you dont get the trophy. I really truely think im addicted. It drives me so nuts to set and look out side. 100 degrees or 14 degrees it dont matter. And im totaly serious. I got to make myself not hunt,honestly.

[Jimmie in Ky]

OH Man! So many wonderful memories I wish I had on film. The coyote that just plain would not stop coming until he was standing at my feet. The two huge bucks in a fight over territory that lasted for 15 minutes and destroyed a have acre of beans. The first time I saw a bald eagle fishing in Mammoth Furnace Bay. My son the afternoon he took his first buck and doe double within minutes of each other.My son's first turkey, I had to stick a pin in him to let some of the air out he swelled up so bad

But the one that sticks out most was a winter afternoon in the LBL. Barely a breeze and the skies were clear.One of those afternoons you just relish being alive . I am set up in a corner of one of the pasture fields on top of a ridgeline. The thicket below in the hollow is thick with briars honey suckle and treetops. One of those places where you expect most anything to come out.Back in the hills above Pisgah Bay. I am blowing a cottontail distress on one of Rich Cronks killer jr's. I am watching th hollow so close I don't pay much attention to the shadow that moves on the ground beside me the first time it passes.I was thinking damned buzzards! The second time it gets my attention and I look up just in time to see the rascal light in the top of a big elm just thirty yards away. It is looking right at me with it's head cocked to one side just a bit as if to ask just what the hell did I think I was doing. Then it let out that scream that is so piercing and unmistakable after you have heard it a time or two. I had just called in a mature Bald Eagle and the danged camera is in the truck Jimmie

[FinsnFur]

I saw one today that reminded me of this thread. Wished I would have had my camera.

Keep in mind I live in the heart of farm land up here. My village population is 701 and that's outnumbered 11 to one by cattle. Most of the town and villages in the area are real similar.

Anyway...one of the bigger cities in the area houses a population of 2500. It's 24 miles from where I live.

I have to pass through that city which is completely skirted by small population farming communities,  every other weekend on my way to pick up my children from the ex's.

Tonight I'm passing through and I see something, so eye catching in it's surroundings, it would have been a priceless postcard.

6 very small Amish children. I'd guess to range from age 5 to 9, walking along side the highway, single file, facing traffic, all dressed exactly the same with blue button down shirts and straw hats.
The only thing that distinguished one from the other to me was each of their staggering heights, as I looked at them in passing from behind.
The lead child, most likely the oldest as he was the tallest, was carrying a freshly killed red squirrel at arms length, grinning like a bird fed cat, while the remaining 5 children beat feet to keep up, with their tiny legs and short strides. Quickly slapping one hand on top of their heads to save their hats as the semi's roared by.

All of this, marching along side the state hwy in sync completely engulfed in blaring horns,  passing semi's, busses and other traffic, street lights flashing, smoke stacks in the background, cyclone fences, etc....was just too charming for words.
Ya had to be there....and I wished I'd had the camera.

How's that saying go?....You can take the boy out of the country, but ya aint gitting the country outta the boy. 

[Rich Higgins]

Jim.
Thank you.

[kyray]

Just came across this thread and it reminded me of an incident that happened a good while back.

Had an ole boy working for me back then that was rather peculiar. He worked hard all day long and probably never spoke over 2 or 3 words the whole time. He seemed never to get excited, or mad no matter how our day was going. Kept a big chew of tobacco in his jaw constantly.  One day I ask him what he liked doing in his off time. He replied with one word." Huntin."  So I ask if he'd  like to accompany me the next morning on a coyote hunt? He nodded his head up and down to signify yes, so we were on.

The following morning found us on the edge of a creek bank with good coyote sign running in both directions. I hadn't hunted this farm before, so I decided to stop there and make a small makeshift blind we could hide in and call the creek for a bit. We had just settled in  and I began to call when we both here something coming behind us, approaching the blind. I was sure it was a deer, because of all the noise it was making. We were straining to see behind us when all at once it pops out of the cover right in front of us. "What the hell", is all I can get out when this HUGE Ostrich sticks his head right in front of our blind and looks at us. I jerk my hat off and smack at it but soon realize what a mistake that was. Oh, he left alright, but with my hat in his mouth. Well, my quiet buddy spit that big chaw out and looked at me, grinned and said.....".By-Crackie, Now, that's somethin ya don't see ever day!"       kyray

[FinsnFur]

 

Oh, he left alright, but with my hat in his mouth. Well, my quiet buddy spit that big chaw out and looked at me, grinned and said.....".By-Crackie, Now, that's somethin ya don't see ever day!"
   

:roflmao: 

[yotesnightmare]

Cool subject..
One time at band camp, this girl had a flute    :shck:


just kiddin, she wouldn't let me take pictures.