Who has had a hunt runied by critters this year?

[Thumper]

Who has had a hunt runied by critters....

How about most of a season......

The previous year the squirrels were giving me fits with their danger warning chatter. I over came this by carrying in a coffee can of corn and putting some up in the forks of trees along my route in and out. The chatter stopped and I was good to go, some of the squirrels would even munch on the corn I placed on my platform while I was hunting. We became buddies.

The next summer I went to clean and check on my platform stands and found a Great Horned Owl Nest with two fledgelings. I left them alone and moved a tripod in to replace the platform stand. I was working on the ranch 3 or 4 days a week and started checking on the owls to watch them grow up, would even arrow a couple of rabbits and leave them for the parents to feed the fledglings. Then one day the platform was empty and the fledgling were on the ground in a cow trail. Their parents had worn a circle in the dirt keeping the varmints at bay. Fire ants cause them to have vacate the platform so I sprayed the tree with yard guard above and below the platform, it killed all the ants. Built a square open box with 2x6's to serve as a nest to keep them from falling again. Now an adopted part of the family I made sure the parents got two arrowed rabbits a day and would watch them feed the fledglings until they feathered out and started flying on their own.

Biggest hunting mistake I ever made, they'd fly the whole pasture looking for me and land right next to me while I was bowhunting. They'd then go catch a quail or rabbit and come back to eat them within arms reach. I thought it was great at first but every squirrel, blue jay, and quail in the pasture was going nuts with the danger chatter. I had to move to another pasture.

[Dusty Britches]

I never leave my bow in the stand. I would never leave my rifle, either, so why leave a bow?

But, yes, some birds ruined a doe hunt for me. The landed hard on my tin roof of my blind as I was drawing my bow and the does took off.

I've had hogs bust hunts.

And I've had cows bust hunts for both deer and hogs.

[pigstika1978]

Who has had a hunt runied by critters this year?

Hogs and dogs on the always unwanted visitors during deer season "hog doggers". seriously?!?! They can't wait till deer season is over?!?!

[SwampRabbit]

***** ***** ******!!!! Cows.

FIFY

[tfrye]

Cows are the devils demands... Ruined many a good hunts

[twobittxn]

How about most of a season......

The previous year the squirrels were giving me fits with their danger warning chatter. I over came this by carrying in a coffee can of corn and putting some up in the forks of trees along my route in and out. The chatter stopped and I was good to go, some of the squirrels would even munch on the corn I placed on my platform while I was hunting. We became buddies.

The next summer I went to clean and check on my platform stands and found a Great Horned Owl Nest with two fledgelings. I left them alone and moved a tripod in to replace the platform stand. I was working on the ranch 3 or 4 days a week and started checking on the owls to watch them grow up, would even arrow a couple of rabbits and leave them for the parents to feed the fledglings. Then one day the platform was empty and the fledgling were on the ground in a cow trail. Their parents had worn a circle in the dirt keeping the varmints at bay. Fire ants cause them to have vacate the platform so I sprayed the tree with yard guard above and below the platform, it killed all the ants. Built a square open box with 2x6's to serve as a nest to keep them from falling again. Now an adopted part of the family I made sure the parents got two arrowed rabbits a day and would watch them feed the fledglings until they feathered out and started flying on their own.

Biggest hunting mistake I ever made, they'd fly the whole pasture looking for me and land right next to me while I was bowhunting. They'd then go catch a quail or rabbit and come back to eat them within arms reach. I thought it was great at first but every squirrel, blue jay, and quail in the pasture was going nuts with the danger chatter. I had to move to another pasture.

This is just awesome. Have any pics?

[AdamTex]

How about most of a season......

The previous year the squirrels were giving me fits with their danger warning chatter. I over came this by carrying in a coffee can of corn and putting some up in the forks of trees along my route in and out. The chatter stopped and I was good to go, some of the squirrels would even munch on the corn I placed on my platform while I was hunting. We became buddies.

The next summer I went to clean and check on my platform stands and found a Great Horned Owl Nest with two fledgelings. I left them alone and moved a tripod in to replace the platform stand. I was working on the ranch 3 or 4 days a week and started checking on the owls to watch them grow up, would even arrow a couple of rabbits and leave them for the parents to feed the fledglings. Then one day the platform was empty and the fledgling were on the ground in a cow trail. Their parents had worn a circle in the dirt keeping the varmints at bay. Fire ants cause them to have vacate the platform so I sprayed the tree with yard guard above and below the platform, it killed all the ants. Built a square open box with 2x6's to serve as a nest to keep them from falling again. Now an adopted part of the family I made sure the parents got two arrowed rabbits a day and would watch them feed the fledglings until they feathered out and started flying on their own.

Biggest hunting mistake I ever made, they'd fly the whole pasture looking for me and land right next to me while I was bowhunting. They'd then go catch a quail or rabbit and come back to eat them within arms reach. I thought it was great at first but every squirrel, blue jay, and quail in the pasture was going nuts with the danger chatter. I had to move to another pasture.

What an awesome story to have though, that was a great read!

[LonghornTX]

Cows see me in the pasture on a normal day and they walk up to get range cubes. Cows see me in the pasture wearing camo and I must be a grizzly bear bent on eating all of them. Their solution? Stampede across the pasture. Happens a lot.

[Sean]

I found him Jeff, he says he thought it was spaghetti noodles.

[JackFlash]

Had 4 donkeys escape from the neighbors goat herd last year, that thought they owed the feeder! Ran them off with the slingshot and got a few indignent looks like, How dare I do that!

LD

I got a donkey terrorizing my place right now too....I really don't wanna hurt him but..................feeders are expensive and the corn is not for him.

[btoptrip]

First bow hunt of the season a few years back I sat in the stand for 7 hrs with plans to hunt till I saw a deer. About that time one of the largest bobcats walks down a lane about 50 yds away from me. 5 mins later 2 does came out right where he walked and wouldn't cross the cats path. They would walk up to it and spook blowing the whole time. Needless to say no deer that day. I should have shot the bobcat.

[tradtiger]

Had one chance at a doe this year out of half a dozen hunts. Decent sized doe was coming to hand corn and almost in range, almost clear of branches for shot, when she stopped and looked across pasture. Up from the creek crossing came a horse; doe snorted, wheeled and split. No more chance for a doe until next year's bow season (AR county).

There have been funny moments, though, over the past couple of years. Started out using a bucket-type on demand feeder with a plastic toggle hanging down. Deer never did figure out how it worked, but the horses and cows sure did. Was hunting once and a particularly greedy cow just got the end of the toggle in her mouth and opened wide while lolling her head back and forth, with corn pouring into her mouth. Sometimes, the horses would run the cows off and kind of jostle each other for position beneath the bucket.

Strictly hand corn now....

[xman59]

most recently i have had a few bobcat pictures,, then swamp thing rabbit shows up, he and the birds eat well and the bobcat has not shown since,,, i think he's afraid of the rabbit,,,, my guess is he tried to breed the bobcat and he didn't like it,,,,, freaking huge rabbit!!!!!

[TopNoc]

Cows see me in the pasture on a normal day and they walk up to get range cubes. Cows see me in the pasture wearing camo and I must be a grizzly bear bent on eating all of them. Their solution? Stampede across the pasture. Happens a lot.

I've noticed this, too. It's like the camp freaks out the cows for some reason.

[Electrican]

I found him Jeff, he says he thought it was spaghetti noodles.

Or was it linguine noodles.