BigGameHoundsmen.com

I was carrying my 40# pack and pulling a cart full of crap for a buddy who had broken his back the year before but, wanted to go deer/backpack hunting with me. He done most of the pulling but, I was giving him a break up a steep pull when I felt something hang on my pants. I jerked my leg thinking it was another briar and a copper head (the biggest I've ever saw) whip lashed out infront of me. He had hit my pants but, got stuck on them. I shook and shook and screamed, swatted, yelled, and said words (he's a preacher) that I shouldn't have. I finally stopped moving long enough for my buddy to beat him into submission and I peeled him off me. I shucked down to my skivvies and checked all over but, he missed any meat. My buddy was horse laughing and checked my white tighties and I told him, preacher or not I'd kill him if I messed in em and he told anyone. Oh, and this was in November but, it was a warm day.

I was leading two dogs out on a double leash one day when they got hung up on a "Wait a damn minute vine". (if you hunt in the east you know what they are) They tugged and I tugged and all the sudden the whole place went yellow. It was a cloud of yellow jackets. They covered the dogs up and of course they went nuts and twisted up tighter in the vine. I knew they could kill the dogs if I didn't get them loose so I waded back in with my knife and cut the vine but, got stung 26 times. I walked over 1 mile to the truck and when I was loading dogs a single dang yellow jacket hit me right between the eyes. What an A$$ HOLE!! Why didn't he just get me with the rest of em. He didn't need to wait to be a hero.

I carry a 4' PVC pipe with me alot when I'm running in the summer to flip snakes out of the trails but, I use it for other thing too.... like to keep bears in the tree this day. One morning I treed 3 nice bears in the same tree. It was perfect. Sun rising behind them, fog in the valley below, all standing stair stepped on the same side of the tree.. just a perfect picture. Anyways, 1 desided that he was coming down before I got my pictures so I ran up under him and I poked him with my pipe to get him back into position for my picture taking. When I did he blew swamp water and creek minnows all over me. From what I could tell and taste it was mostly black berries but, it tasted just like sh#t. He came down anyways. Alittle embarressed I guess and wanted to fight about it. I backed up and gave him a love tap on the end of his nose with my pipe but, my hands were slick (from sh*t) and my pipe flew out of my hands. I was now defenseless (not that I was to threating to begin with) but, luckly it must have stung him just enough to water his eyes cause he took one step back and the dogs piled on him. They took him off down the valley and I sat there and talked to his two buddies for about 15 minutes before they come down.

Last one. I was squirrel hunting (an armed hike really) with 2 four month old pups. They went off the ridge below me and went to booger barking. I figured they saw another stump or something and yelled for them. When they came flying up the ridge squawling there was a bear right on their tails. I yelled real loud and he stopped 25 or 30 yards out but, the pups came to my feet and with renewed confidence went to showing me what they had found, by barking like death on pads. The bear instead of running, like I figured he would and should, stood there popping his jaws and bobbing his head. I talked to him and took a step forward and he took 10 steps forward. I took a step back and he took 20 steps forward. I yelled at him and he popped his jaws and jerked forward, alittle to close to my comfort zone. I snapped the 22 up and put 2 shots into the tree beside him. He turned and ran with that. The pups took off after him and I told em they were on their own when they caught up to him this time. They came back after only 50 yards or so..... paper tigers. I walked down to see where they had found him and found a dead deer. I figure the deer must have been hit by a car since the road wasn't but acouple hundred yards away and he was eating on it. They must have just really pissed him off interupting his meal. And as far as him not running off. I don't think he was for sure what I was. I was in camo and (thinking back) I didn't really move side to side or make myself into a human figure. When I did move I simply moved foward. I guess he heard my voice and stopped but, didn't associate it with what he was seeing..... a bush.

A few yrs ago I had a hunter that was hunting with a muzzleloader and we treed a nice tom in pinion pine tree. This tree had big heavy limbs and two of my dogs were in the tree with the cat. So I climbed up and grabbed my dogs by the collars I slid back into a fork in the tree holding the two dogs in my lap I told the hunter to shoot. well he had to take his glasses off because they were steamed up so needless to say he made a bad shot only nicking the lion. The lion screamed and looked right at me and the dogs. He started down the branch at us the dogs were back peddling trying to get out of his way. He came right down until he was face to face with me and two barking dogs that I wasnt going to let go of. At the last minute he changed his mind turned and jumbed out of the tree. I set there with my heart pounding and watch him run down the hill. Maybe it is not the cats that have nine lives.