Critters – Mother Nature’s Children

Natures unexpected change of events and sometimes crazy unpredictable wildlife is just another reason hunting and fishing never gets old. Some of my most memorable outdoor experiences have been not actually harvesting an animal but adventures and things that happened on the pursuit! Being outside one on one with the beautiful outdoors and the creatures that live there can be calming, peaceful, exhilarating, exciting, and sometimes even scary, all in one! From furry friends to creepy ones that sting, interacting with mother natures children can be quite memorable.
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I have a respect for all critters large and small but that does not mean I like them all. I can handle house spiders and nonpoisonous snakes. I leave them be when I run across them in the field or in a blind. I have even played with daddy long leg spiders, they can be kind of entertaining on a slow hunt. I don’t mind running into an occasional rat snake, but truth be told scorpions and certain poisonous species of snakes and spiders give me the heebee jeebies. I will squish a black widow and brown recluse in a heart beat and I have had more than one unpleasant run in with rattlesnakes. Don’t get me started on scorpions, definitely add them to the undesirable list! Aside from mentioned poisonous bugs and reptiles….most critters I run into on the hunt are harmless and enjoyable!
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Raccoons, squirrels, rats, lizards, and owls are among some harmless blind friends I have ventured upon. I ran across the cutest fuzzy little baby barn owls once. The chicks had their nest in a blind I hadn’t used in a while. They made a hissing noise and scared me! I thought they were a snake and was very relieved to see I didn’t open the door to a den of angry rattlers! Needless to say I took it as a good photo opportunity got a few pictures and decided to leave them in there. I left and hunted in a different blind that day. I’m sure the momma barn owl appreciated me leaving them alone. That blind was a nice place for her to hide her chicks.
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Another furry friend from my past was Coon Baby the baby raccoon. Coon Baby was a regular at a certain feeder that I had a ground blind and tree stand at. I saw him almost every time I hunted at this particular spot. He would come right before the feeder went off and would chow down until the deer showed up. He really was fun to watch. I knew he had been in my blind because there were little muddy raccoon hand prints all over the wall. Coon Baby had moved on in and set up shop in the blind but was always gone when it was time to hunt. Well one day he decided to sleep in because I stumbled up on him snoozing in my chair. I had no clue he was in there until after all my bags had been placed inside. He hissed and peed and pooped on all the bags as he exited the blind. They little guy was terrified….. I scared the poo out of him literally! I had to keep telling myself raccoon poo was a great cover scent, while breathing through my nose so I wouldn’t gag for the three hours I had left before dark. Oh silly Coon Baby, I have a few more stories about him.
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Every time I go out into the field I remind myself that I am entering someone else’s home. Yes it might be my hunting spot but a handful of animals and creepy crawlers call it home. I am the intruder, the outsider, and I try to do everything in my ability to get on the animals level and become one with nature but respect that it is their home first.