One with Nature

[Strapped]

Today while I was working, I came within like 15 feet of a red tailed hawk. We just stared at each other as I passed by him. One predator to another. It felt awesome. Like we had an understanding, I wouldn't mess with him, and he wouldn't mess with me.

Anyone else have an experience like this in the wild? Red tailed hawks are so smart. I love that I have a job where I can be so close to nature

 

[Blueshark]

Strapped, Red tailed hawks are awesome. A few years ago I was fishing in a stream and had a little female mink come hopping down the bank. I stood there in knee deep water just watching her 'work'. She jumped into the water and swam right at me. At 5 feet away, she noticed me and she flipped 180 degrees and beat feet FAST. She was beautiful. Nature is the best.

 

[Strapped]

That sounds awesome bro, fly fishing? I've always wanted to try that

 

[Anita Bonghit]

i love nature its so natural being in NJ its so hard to connect with it
just sitting around and taking everything in by my favorite steam is just sweet

 

[Iron_Lion]

I never really thought much of predatory birds until I saw my first bald eagle in my yard, it was an awe inspiring experience.

Check out this pic to see how bad ass predatory birds really are.

 

[wiseone]

About 4 years ago I was out early in the morning going to my patch......it was daybreak. I heard a snort and looked up to see a buck with a very LARGE rack pawing at the ground about 25 yards away and looking dead at me. Fortunately after regaining my composure I was able to slowly get away from the area he was at.
I also watched a bunch of barn swallows attack a copperhead that year that was getting to close to their nest. That is not a pretty site. Those suckers come in from all angles and will peck the crap out of ya.

The best was when me and my gf were at Great Falls, Md. We were sitting on some rocks down by the river and I was smoking a joint. Across the way some I started seeing folks pointing at us. At first I thought they could smell the weed until a freaking beaver walked right by us and into the water. How close? We could have reached over and petted him if we had wanted to.

 

[fukndenny]

man that guy is a pussy, i would of smacked the shit out of that bird clawing into me, fuk that.

 

[longearedfriend]

What kind of job do you do Strapped ?

 

[LazLo]

Buddy and me were sitting in our lawn chairs doing some bobber fishing by slow moving creek. Surrounded by corn fields the only trees lined the creek 20' on either side. Gray squirrel ran between chairs chased by red fox. Neither paid a lick of attention to us as squirrel ran up tree and fox sat there staring after it.

Cousin and me were doing some early May birding in rural areas. Fields had recently been plowed getting ready for planting. A red tailed hawk swooped to edge of road near field and scooped up snake. It was sweet watching the hawk fly off with a squirming, thrashing reptile.

Bald eagle sightings around these parts are only in Jan/Feb and rare.

I wear a lifeguard whistle on string around my neck when tending my sites. One blow from that sends deer, coons, muskrats and coyotes in the other direction. Lucky not to have bear or cougar in these parts.

 

[supermanlives]

a red tailed hawk tried to get my cocatiel but he was in his cage so the hawk swooped at the last second. he was no more than 3 foot of my shoulder. my bird seen it coming and was screaming his little head off. scared me for a second. i live in the city but theres alot of hawks as their is endless food for them ,pidgeons. when i was getting my ride smogged a few of us seen one take down a pidgeon about 60 ft away

 

[designer]

One time I was with some people that raised alligator babies from eggs and released them into the swamp. Baby alligators make a strange sound that I am told will attract any alligator to it's rescue. This means you can get attacked releasing them. My experience didn't lead to an attack, but a few birds did show up. There was an owl that stood on a nearby tree waiting for us to leave to eat the little gators. It didn't happen while we were there anyhow.

 

[Strapped]

holy shit, those are some badass stories. I'm a farmer longearedfriend

Wiseone - bald eagles are awesome. I one saw one chilling on a rail guard as I was driving. They are huge right!

damn supermanlives, that would scare the shit out of me. I have a lot of animals and would be mortified if a hawk got at one of them.

designer, I would kill for an oportunity like that. But nature is a real bitch. I'd like to be around to see some sea turtles hatching, but so many get snatched up by all the predators it's unreal.

 

[BlueBlazer]

I've had a lot of encounters with wildlife back in my backpacking days. One time I was hiking in Colorado and heard a tremendous hiss about two or three feet away. I looked up and on a branch just above my head sat a bobcat. Almost loaded my shorts friends.

Another time, I was camping and awoke to the sound of rutting. At first I thought it was a bear going after my food (tied to a branch of a tree). I looked around with a flashlight and caught a big buck with a nice rack. It was spellbound by the light, but when I clicked it off, he broke and ran . . . after leaping right over my tent. That was pretty cool.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

I never really thought much of predatory birds until I saw my first bald eagle in my yard, it was an awe inspiring experience.

Check out this pic to see how bad ass predatory birds really are.

That's why you travel through the back country with kids. The predators go for them first so you can get outta there.

 

[Jaymer]

I swear 1 stepped right on a turkey out in a open field today and as it flew off and I saw all those brown feathers it reminded me of that eagle picture, She/He/I all were startled, natures been killin' it lately.

 

[Yah`mon]

Ah gotta love nature, Check out this... live BALD EAGLE cam of some babies in Michigan.

Also.. interesting story about the buck...
My buddy's little bro got charged by a button buck this year.
Ran at him from 30 yards, knocked him on his ass, circled around and came back for another charge, but he was able to shoot it.
Now that would freak ya out, doubt it would ever happen with a mature buck. Young one was dumb and wanted to charge something I guess lol.

Also... in Alaska some area's the school kids have to get escorted to school, because Bald Eagles have attacked em before... and could easily kill a child.

Yah`mon

 

[Strapped]

wow bro, that's hard core. I thought that bald eagles were mostly scavengers, lol they must get pretty hungry in Alaska.