Once in a lifetime thing that you've seen in the outdoors??

[danc]

Every once in a while I still picture this moment in my head, to this day. While tenting on Lake Nipigon, I had to get up in the middle of the night to releive myself. We were camped on a small bay and the moon was full. I grabbed my flashlight and left the tent to do my thing. I didn't need to turn the flashlight on because the full moon lit up the campground like it was mid day. While doing my thing I heard a solitary Canada Goose in the bay let out a weak honk. Cool, I thought. After I was done I turned on the flashlight to see if I could spot this lone Goose in the bay. Then all hell broke loose. Several hundred Canada Geese took off from the bay and flew right across the full moon right before my eyes, in the middle of the night. What an amazing sight that was. Silhouetted Goose after Goose flying in front of the full moon right before my eyes in the middle of the night for probably well over a minute.

 

Anybody else have a similar once in a lifetime experience to share??

[musky_hunter]

very cool...you get hit by crap during the fly by?

 

LOL....

[kemper]

Fishing a Lake O river a few years ago right at dawn I was startled by what sounded like someone sneezing - only when I turned around it wasn't someone at all, it was a massive buck and he had a lady friend with him. Close enough that I could have touched either of them with my float rod, I knelt down and ignored the river for ten minutes while I watched these two munch on some vegetation seemingly unaware that I was there (though I'm certain they were watching)

[backbay]

Partridge hunting when I was a teenager. It was late in the day, and late in the season: snowing lightly, great big flakes. There wasn't a sound, even as I moved through the cedars.

I happened to look up, and just above the treetops, right above me, a Snowy Owl glided by, silent against the grey sky.

I haven't seen one since, and remember it like it was yesterday.

[adolson]

I was fishing a little lake accessed by travelling 3-4k up another lake and then walking an old bush trail for 10-15 minutes. I caught and released 3 specks in about a half hour of fishing when I heard what sounded like lots of tree branches breaking. I figured moose or beaver but across the lake a wolf walks out of the bush to the water's edge. Then 2 more that I could see. They were much bigger than I thought they would be. They stood and stared for about 5 minutes and then took off.

 

About 10 minutes later, I have my 4th trout on the line and I hear rustling just to my left. I look over and one of the wolves is slowly creeping up the shoreline, maybe 50 feet from me. The nearest people were a mile or 2 away at best and I was kinda scared. Landed my fish then yelled as I threw a rock. The wolf bolted when the rock splashed in the water. I caught another trout a few minutes later and then packed up and left.

 

People with decades of bush experience say this will likely never happen to me again. I hope not.

[danc]

Awesome experiences guys. Hopefully we'll hear a few more.

[Skipper D]

oops !

 

 

Edited August 10, 2012 by Skipper " D "

[Skipper D]

I traveled around the country side for nine years doing custom harvesting for farmers , always trying to stay ahead of the weather when doing this kind of work and once you get to harvesting corn in NOVEMBER we would quit offten work around the clock to get a customer done . One night while doing so i had one of my younger brothers helping , as we worked into the night and would reach the end of the feild that butted up to the bush way out in the middle of no where , my brother kept noticeing the eyes that would lite up from the lights of the combine while i was turning on the end of the feild to head back to the other end , my brother made the comment that you would never get him out of the combine in the middle of the night with all those eyes out there , .......... lol while would'nt you know it , next time i was coming up to the bush end of the feild an alarm went off in the combine telling that the cleanning fan had stop working , the kid brothers going .... whats that as i told him to jump out and grab the tool box off the side of the combine and give it to me under the machine where by now i was laying on my back to replace the belt that drove the fan , while i am doing this he's there holding the flash light and he's using it to see if theres any eyes , then all of a sudden he starts yelling that some thing is coming right at us and he 's making a bee line to climb back up in the cab , i am laying on my back and i can hear this thing panting with running noise getting closer to me real fast and it rushed right up to me under the combine and went right for my face , i did'nt know it right at that time , but the farmer i was combinning for had come into the other end of the feild and parked his truck to see how i was making out and let his hound dog out of his truck , and there i was under the combine with this thing licking the hell out of my face and my kid brother freakying up in the combine , was i scared , well it happen so fast i realy did'nt have time , i was trying to figure out in my mine what was going on and til i knew i guess my heart was working pretty good . Sorry this was'nt about hunting or fishing guys but it did take place out doors in the middle of the night ............ lol .

Edited August 10, 2012 by Skipper " D "

[spincast]

Camping at Mew or Pog Lake on May 24 weekend. It was oneof those winters where all of the great lakes froze over during the winter in the early '90.s As we drove into the park there were still big blue-green skabs of ice hanging under the rocks wherever the sun didn't shine on them. The weather was more like mid April then mid May with sunny days and below freeing nights. We just pulled into our site. I was scoping it out and had been looking at the river that ran behind the site. I turn around and at the end of the path to our site, broad side staring at me is a she wolf. We just look at each other for at least 60 seconds, neither moving. It was like she was looking at me saying "what is one of you doing here in this weather?". I was just enjoying the view. After that she ploped off into a rock pile. I went to see if she was still around later, but she was gone. I am positive she had cubs somewhere nearby

 

Another time I was up at a lodge with a friend. We were down at the farthest end from the lodge on a small lake. We were the only people there that weekend and it was peaceful and quiet. Its just after dawn and that great time of the morning when the birds are singing and silence otherwise rules. We are enjoing the atmosphere (even though we have ony caught one fish so far). Suddenly we start to hear a plashing sound. We look around and about 200 yerds from us is a cow moose with her calf. The plashing had been their feet in the shallow water as they stepped into it each time. Over the next 30 minutes we watched them as they wound their way around the lake. They would enter the woods for a few minutes then re-appear, plashing along the shore line.

 

The last one was 2 years ago; we were up in Gowganda. 3 of us in a boat all casting to shore for bass. Suddenly we hear this really strange sound building up behind us. We turn around and see this:

.

 

we watched in awe as the wind whipped the water into this spout, and it then travelled along the water at about a 45 degree angle toward us, getting closer as it came along.

 

We were so gob smacked it took us at least a minute before we grabbed our cameras, and no one even thought to get a vid, which would have been cool becuase the sound that accompanied it was like a 1000 hands slapping the water as the wind made a perfect circle at the base. After a couple minutes it started to die down, eventually becoming just a circle of waves on the water making that slapping sound and then disappearing completely.

 

 

 

 

[crappieperchhunter]

Not as outdoorsy as some others mentioned...this happened in my back yard. I was out puttering around in my vegetable garden. Concentrating on my chores I started to hear a humming sound...but never gave it any thought. The sound got louder so I finally stood up to see what the hell was making all the noise. My whole backyard an area approx 50 feet by 70 feet was full off bees! The swarm was about 7 feet off the ground and about 10 feet deep. They where everywhere. I stood very still and just watched them. After a few minutes they swarmed into a neighbors spruce tree and made a huge lump/mass in one of the trees. I was told later the queen bee was probably in that mass and they where protecting her.

 

Left for my sons soccer game shortly after and when we came back from soccer the bees where gone.

 

It was a once in a lifetime experience that I'm sure I will never forget.

[trevy727]

My father and I used to fish a lake about 2 hours north of Kenora every year. We'd take the tent trailer and stay over night and fish 2 days and come home.

One time, on our arrival, we were just starting to set the trailer up and dad told me to be quiet and look. I looked over on the bridge and a bobcat was walking towards us about 50' away. It seemed to not notice us and came to within 25' before turning and heading into the bush.

 

On another occasion coming home from the same lake, it was dusk and there were many scattered rabbits along the road. As we'd come up to them, they'd bolt into the bush. Well one rabbit bolted across the road in front of the truck and behind it came a huge cat. I still swear it was a cougar but my father insists it was a linx. I remember it being orange ish and having a long tail.

 

One last time coming home from the same lake, we had my sisters boyfriend with us this time. Driving along and saw something strange on the road in the distance, got the video camera out and crept up to see two linx play fighting in the middle of the road. We recorded them for about two minutes before they wandered off into the bush.

 

Living in the north was a fantastic place to see many moose, bears and the occasional big cat and wolf. I truly miss it and hope to return to Kenora for good in the near future.

 

My sisters ex has the video of the cats, I'll ask him if he can send it to me sometime. Maybe I can post it.

Edited August 10, 2012 by trevy727

[bushart]

Living for years in Northwest Ontario I had my share of adventure in the wilds

 

1/ Seen that cougar cross the road ahead of us near the train tracks headin to Lac Seul

 

2/My boy and I were huntin partridge on my buddy's land one day---we walked a long ways in--got some birds and were headin on the trail to the truck (still some ways away)

 

I pointed out a fresh deer track that was spread open showing it was really on the move--ok

 

get about another 100 yards at a corner in the trail---out pops a timber wolf--then 2 then 4---yup we had 8 of the boys stopped lookin at us blocking our way to the truck.

 

Now my boy was still young (teens)---I said ok this is what we're gonna do----I yelled at the wolves thinking they may spook----nope--need new idea

 

We had single shot 12 ga's---I fired a round into the ground---surely that would send them on their way----nope

 

So I said we'd take turns shooting over the wolves heads---never at same time leaving at least one loaded gun (remember single shots)--told him not to shoot at the wolves if we did'nt have to-----we did'nt

 

So breaking branches over their heads for about 4-5 rounds sent them into the thicker stuff allowing us to pass

 

And of course when braveheart gets 20 feet from my truck--I let out a howl-----they howled back---right behind us

 

So I once in a while remind my boy that very few of his friends--or people in general have been thru something like this.

[kyle7273]

 

A very interesting thread, a few of my experiences come to mind.

 

Dust Devil

While driving near Lucknow a few years ago a large dust devil about 6-7 feet high slowly crossed the road in front of us. It then travelled right up a driveway for more then a hundred feet before it died away right at the house.

 

Whooping cranes

While fishing at a small remote lake in Grey county Ontario. I heard very loud coming from across the lake. As they moved closer I was able to see 3 Whooping cranes doing some sort of mating dance. They would do it for a while then move to another location and do it again. The sound was so loud it seemed to reverberate for miles.

 

Fighting deer

Many years ago back in New Brunswick I was in the back yard stacking firewood with my father. We started to hear a loud commotion in the woods just beyond our yard and soon recognized the grunts of a couple whitetail bucks. They were snorting and going on and then all hell broke loose. There was the sound of sticks and bushes breaking, then the sound of their hooves running around. Because it was after dark it was hard to see what was going on but they would run out onto our back lawn then the unmistakable sound of antlers crashing and rattling. They would retreat into the bushes then come running back out and clash again. This went on for 5 or 10 minutes.

 

Swarming eels

While fishing a large lake in New Brunswick over 20 years ago, I noticed a disturbance on the surface of the water quite some distance away. I motored over to see what it was and it turned out the be a large ball of American Eels. There must have been dozens if not hundreds of them. The ball was about 5 or 6 feet in diameter. It should be mentioned that there are still plenty of eels left in NB and small commercial fishery exists. So it’s not uncommon to see them but this ball of them I had never seen before. Since they mate out to sea I still don’t know what they were doing. Perhaps there was something large in the middle they were feeding on and they were all trying to tear it apart.

 

 

 

Bobcat in the bushes

While bird hunting back in NB, I noticed a pair of eyes close to the ground staring at me from some thick brush. It was a grey foggy morning and the eyes seemed to be glowing. They never moved. I stood still and stared back for a very long time trying to figure out what they belonged to. I finally realized they were attached to a bobcat. We just stared at each other for probably 10 minutes until I finally relented and moved on. I had never seen one in the wild before and have never seen one since.

 

 

[Lip-ripper]

Try this one on for size... as they say a picture is worth a thousand words...

This was in front of my parents house, on the sandbars of Lake Nipissing...

 

 

 

[SmokestackLightnin]

 

Whooping cranes

While fishing at a small remote lake in Grey county Ontario. I heard very loud coming from across the lake. As they moved closer I was able to see 3 Whooping cranes doing some sort of mating dance. They would do it for a while then move to another location and do it again. The sound was so loud it seemed to reverberate for miles.

 

 

 

I would suspect that these were Sandhill Cranes. There are only about 400 Whooping cranes left in the world and most of them are in the midwest. Currently there are not reported sightings of Whooping Cranes in Ontario. I had 2 Sandhill Cranes fly over my boat last Saturday while fishing the Pickeral River, it's the first time I have seen them there.

[chris.brock]

lynx- Chapleau game preserve, me and a buddy, while lining a canoe upriver, saw a lynx come to the waters edge, take a slow look at us, then do a giant leap across the river, with each paw landing on individual small stones not getting wet

 

wolverine- me and the same buddy were fishing in a boat (Attawapiskat River), we heard branches breaking in the bush up wind from us, and out walked a wolverine, we got a good look at it before it noticed us

 

wolf pack- me and my fiancee, Chapleau game preserve, I just killed the outboard for another walleye drift, heard something, wasn't sure if it was an owl or wolf, I howled, the opposite shore came alive with howls, moans and yips, scattered thoughout the bush, we couldn't see anything, howled back and forth for awhile, then 3 pups came to the waters edge, 2 adolescent wolves also came out and splashed around looking for frogs, the big, deep voiced wolves never showed themselves, they were moving along the shore, out of sight

 

great grey owl- Haliburton, spotted it 15' up in a tree on the shore, big specimen, he looked very interested in my surface lure popping in the water

 

waterspout- humid summer day, Lake Erie, pretty cool to see, big but far off shore

 

dead body- Hamilton Harbour, summer evening, the water's very murky, saw I piece of clothing pass by the boat while we were motoring along, turned back to check it out, had to poke with the paddle to see what it was, then could see the head and hair in the water, 18 years ago but I still have a pretty vivid memory of that eerie sight

Edited August 10, 2012 by chris.brock

[bushart]

Try this one on for size... as they say a picture is worth a thousand words...

This was in front of my parents house, on the sandbars of Lake Nipissing...

 

 

 

 

 

Sure it's all good for them---but when I tried that they kicked me outta Wasaga Beach

[Luke V.]

Awesome Idea for a thread.

 

1) While fishing in AP on Cedar Lake with my Dad and little brother. We were behind a small island on a rather hot day, were not 20' from shore when a Black Bear comes out from the island walks into the water and swims within 30' of our boat. He continued accross the channel and onto main land. Was quite the sight to see.

 

2) Again while up at Cedar Lake. Camping on the main land. It was mid day, everyone was out hanging around playing cards and sunbathing. I was laying in the sun in the middle of the feild drying off. All you can hear is what sounds like a horse coming down the road. To our surprise it was a yearling moose. I dont think I have ever got up and ran so fast. He tried to run straight through our campsite and down into the water, but stopped turned and headed up and into the bush. This is something I will never forget.

[Headhunter]

Late 70's I was fishing the Hartley Bay area of the French... we were sitting around the fire, enjoying some brown pops on a clear, star filled night. Suddenly we notice this huge fire ball in the sky, we thought is was a meteor as it ripped from horizon to horizon...

It wasn't until we got home that we found out that a Russian Satelite had crashed in the Prairies... kinda a cool site...

Yah, we took pics, but didn't really get anything out of my 110 pocket camera!

HH

[NAW]

I was riding some mountain bike trails for the first time in a bush on the shores of lake Simcoe. I had never ridden these trails before, but was pretty sure there was a nice little area that i could get to with a view of the lake. After about 30 minutes of bombing around the trails, I pop out right on the shore of lake Simcoe. Figure it's a good place to stop and have a drink of water.

 

That's when I hear the roar of a float plane taking off. Cool, a nice little extra peace of scenery right!.

 

I couldn't see the plane because of the trees. Once the plane came out from behind the trees, and realized that there was TWO planes, which where both flying low. One was taking off, and the other was just flying low. Both where about 300 meters up.

 

I thought these guys where stunt pilots or something, working on a routine. But the reality was, they didn't even know one and other where there.

 

The two planes crashed in mid air right in front of me. One plane was able to land safely. However, the other nose dived straight in to the water, killing both occupants on impact.

 

I swear had 911 on the phone before the plane hit the water. The sound of the plane hitting the water was like a bomb going off.

 

The sad thing is, the plane which crashed hard, was taking off from a family cottage. They had their family in a chase boat buzzing along behind them, getting a good view of the take off. They where first on scene, and where able to dive in and pull their family members (Grandfather and father) out of the plane before it sunk..

 

Horrible thing to watch, and something that I will never forget.

Edited August 10, 2012 by N.A.W

[mattp33]

When I was much younger, a few friends and I would go to this small canoe in lake in ontario. Well this 1 weekend we were there camping fighing and of course we were young and just of age so we were driking a lot! We were on a very small isolated camp site about 100 feet from the waters edge where our canoe was tied up to a large rock. The first night went off without a hitch and the next moring we were feeling kinda crappy as we were hung over. Needless to say the camp ground didn't get cleaned as there were way more important things to drink that day. As night fell and my buddy had passed out early for the second night I decided it was time to eat. As I am by the camp fire with my flashlight cooking my can of zoodles on an open fire, I can here noise in the bush to my right. I shinned the flashlight but saw nothing. Again I here it kinda behind me. look...nothing. Now I here it to my left, I very quickly shined my high powered 50million candlke power light to my right again, and there it is! The biggest grey wolf I have ever seen sitting in the middle of my spot light staring at me. As i looked all around I saw the pack that had circled around me. My drunk thoughts at the time is they are waiting until I eat to eat ME! I run to the tent screaming at my sleeping friend Jon "DUDE WERE DEAD MEAT! THE COYOTES ARE GOING TO GET US!" To my surprise he grumbles at me and says to to bed potter your crazy! I spent the next hour widdling a stick to a point with my finger nails watching this pack completly clean out all the food from out site including my can of zoodles!

 

I will never forget this night for the rest of my life! To this day Jon an I joke about my bravery that night!

 

That was fun!

 

thanks

[Broker]

Moose tracks - While at AP I was with a friend for a bike ride on a trail at around 8:30-9 oclock we were heading home, with only one route to get back to the campsite. On the way back I notice big moose tracks in the sand, i thought it was cool, carried on, came around a bend, and 2 big moose lay before me, a bull and cow. Standing nearly 20 feet away I thought this was quite neat, for the first 20 minutes.. Then I was like cmon, move over so we can get by as im getting eating alive by bugs. At about 10 I started making noises to try and scare them off but nothing, so i threw some rocks there way, then nothing, so i get on my bike and back up, and here galloping! The moose was chasing me down the road, they would stop and continue eating then get on the chase again, they dragged me back a whole KM and I was scared. I decided I would take a detour though the forest on my bike to get around them which worked. Boy was it hard to sleep that night

[cityfisher]

Living for years in Northwest Ontario I had my share of adventure in the wilds

 

1/ Seen that cougar cross the road ahead of us near the train tracks headin to Lac Seul

 

2/My boy and I were huntin partridge on my buddy's land one day---we walked a long ways in--got some birds and were headin on the trail to the truck (still some ways away)

 

I pointed out a fresh deer track that was spread open showing it was really on the move--ok

 

get about another 100 yards at a corner in the trail---out pops a timber wolf--then 2 then 4---yup we had 8 of the boys stopped lookin at us blocking our way to the truck.

 

Now my boy was still young (teens)---I said ok this is what we're gonna do----I yelled at the wolves thinking they may spook----nope--need new idea

 

We had single shot 12 ga's---I fired a round into the ground---surely that would send them on their way----nope

 

So I said we'd take turns shooting over the wolves heads---never at same time leaving at least one loaded gun (remember single shots)--told him not to shoot at the wolves if we did'nt have to-----we did'nt

 

So breaking branches over their heads for about 4-5 rounds sent them into the thicker stuff allowing us to pass

 

And of course when braveheart gets 20 feet from my truck--I let out a howl-----they howled back---right behind us

 

So I once in a while remind my boy that very few of his friends--or people in general have been thru something like this.

 

awesome...

 

one evening in haliburton during the deer hunt.. i was hunting a huge valley....i see a doe pass by in the distance... 10 mins later i hear howling of the wolves...very close... then 4 run on the same path that the doepassed on....20 mins later i hear howling/yipping/yapping until darkness comes.... Intense evening in the bush!

Edited August 10, 2012 by cityfisher

[Carp]

I used to bow hunt a property just northeast of Newmarket, ON.

 

One morning, an hour or so after daylight, I was in my tree stand and heard something coming through the bush to the open field. It was a big old whitetail doe running fast, but not full out. I could hear her heavy breathing and could tell she was tired. She followed the edge of the bush in front of me and around a corner to my left. A few minutes later, 3 Wolves (not coyotes) came out to the corner of the field where she has ran out. 1 was about the size of a full grown German Sheppherd and coloured similar to a Husky. The other 2 were about double the size and all black. They stopped and looked around and at each other as if to communicate or formulate a plan. The small one and 1 big wolf followed the deer's trail around the corner. The other big wolf doubled back to cut her off as she tried to get back through the bush where she came from. It was amazing to witness the intelligence of these animals and see them carry out a plan to get that doe, other than just trying to catch up to her from behind.

 

After a few minutes, the 2 that were following the deer came back out to the field's corner, looking around and listening for the doe. I never did see the other wolf again. He was still in the bush behind me somewhere, waiting for the doe to try and get by him. I made a soft doe call and they started coming toward me, but were really spooked, as if they knew something wasn't right. I was in the bush about 20 yards from the edge of the field. They skirted around the tree I was in, like they knew I was there, always keeping about 20 to 25 yards away. Then they walked behind a small bush......and disappeared. I was waiting for them to come out from the other side, but no such luck. There wasn't much around that small bush except a few twigs. The bush was barely large enough to hide them. Where the heck did they go ? I began thinking I had fallen asleep and was dreaming. Now I was the one who was spooked. Well, my hunt was over for the morning, but I waited at least an hour before getting down out of the tree to make sure they had left. Made lots of noise on the way out too. Never saw them again.

 

Probably won't ever witness this again in my lifetime, so it's a memory I cherish, even though it's a reminder of how vicious and cruel nature can be.

[solopaddler]

So many great stories!

 

Camped on an island on Agnes lake in Quetico park I emerged from my tent to find a massive wolf, pushing 1800- 200lb's standing 20' away staring at me.

 

I froze and we locked eyes for probably 30 seconds. No menace from the animal at all, then it slowly turned and walked away.

 

It was almost a religious experience.

 

Another time on the Frog river (big trib of the Winisk) I had three polar bears raid my camp at night.

 

That was most definitely not a religious experience LOL!

 

Only animal that truly gives me pause.

 

I've got a million more stories. Gonna stop now before I get too chatty.