Bird Attack!

[WapitiTalk1]

Have you ever been targeted and attacked by a bird while hunting? As the readers of this post will see that haven't experienced it, it happens more often than you would think

[2MANY]

Clucked in a few grouse and killed em with a stick.
Been attacked by bees.
Never attacked by a bird.

[Lefty]

A blue bird freaks out on my truck mirror every spring during bear hunt .
Some sort of shorebird use to attack me in the spring walking pout in a friends pasture. Watched a crane attack a white-tail fawn and doe

Now red squirrels,..

[six]

Not a bird, but a flying squirrel. Treestand hunting for Whitetail. It was dark thirty and I was waiting for the deer to move off after they cleaned up all the acorns. A flying squirrel landed on my leg for a millisecond. He landed, I jumped outta my skin, He flew away.

[Ponyboy_jonas]

Never been attacked but I've had a bird land on my knee once while bow hunting whitetails.

[Backyard]

Was still hunting this north facing slope one day, staying at a steady elevation. And I keep hearing a hawk in the trees above me sounding off, he sounds pretty pissed that I'm in his area, but I really don't pay him any mind thinking it'll pass. Just about the time that the screeching stopped, I'm looking straight ahead (east) and I make out the profile of a hawk bearing down on me at breakneck speed. All the time he's right exactly at eye level making it seem almost unreal looking to the point that it really doesn't register in my head what it was and that I'm about to get nailed by some talons. Then, at the last second I realize it and whip my bow up to cover my face just as he wizzes by. Freaked me out! He took another couple of passes like this until he was satisfied that I was far enough away from his home turf before letting up. He was still there screeching at me again a few days later when I was doing the same hill but he didn't swoop me that time. Still had me on edge tho.

[WapitiTalk1]

Was still hunting this north facing slope one day, staying at a steady elevation. And I keep hearing a hawk in the trees above me sounding off, he sounds pretty pissed that I'm in his area, but I really don't pay him any mind thinking it'll pass. Just about the time that the screeching stopped, I'm looking straight ahead (east) and I make out the profile of a hawk bearing down on me at breakneck speed. All the time he's right exactly at eye level making it seem almost unreal looking to the point that it really doesn't register in my head what it was and that I'm about to get nailed by some talons. Then, at the last second I realize it and whip my bow up to cover my face just as he wizzes by. Freaked me out! He took another couple of passes like this until he was satisfied that I was far enough away from his home turf before letting up. He was still there screeching at me again a few days later when I was doing the same hill but he didn't swoop me that time. Still had me on edge tho.

There we go!

[WapitiTalk1]

I had a hunting bud in WA state that was accosted two years in a row on a trail almost at the same spot! The hawk kept coming at him... had to fight him off with his bow just like backyard did. Not sure what they see or think they see? Crazy birds.

[Long Range]

Last year i had one very close call with a hawk or owl.
My hunting partner and I had finished our evening hunt without seeing any elk that night. On our climb out we topped a very tall ridge overlooking the entire drainage and the sun was giving us just enough light that you could still see your hand.
So I let out a locate bugle (Just curious if anything would answer). All at ounce Kevin grabbed my arm and shouted look out. From the corner of my eye I could see this bird swooping down for supper. I dropped to the ground and the bird missed.
Now this could mean one of two things, One- I need practice calling or Two- this hawk was hungry for elk

[ishy]

I've had a kamikaze grouse actually come after two of us while bear hunting in the spring. Sucker was pretty comical and we can't walk past that spot without talking about that year. It would get all puffed up and then charge! We almost had to take it out in self defense, but we were able to escape.

[Fridaythe13th]

Yes, bow hunting WT just setting in the tree stand enjoying the fall evening and something caught my eye and I look just in time to see an owl less the 10 feet from my face. must have thought I was a squirrel. I'm not sure who was more scared me or the owl.

[WapitiTalk1]

I've had a kamikaze grouse actually come after two of us while bear hunting in the spring. Sucker was pretty comical and we can't walk past that spot without talking about that year. It would get all puffed up and then charge! We almost had to take it out in self defense, but we were able to escape.

Bluff charged by a grouse, classic!

[ishy]

I've heard of one other very aggressive grouse, but in the grouses defense it was unintentionally released by a buddies wife in their house because she thought it was...you know normal box stuff-not a grouse! But by the time she realized what was going on it was too late. I guess the kids loved the challenge of catching that bird.

[Swede]

I have had hawks and ravens (if I remember right) fly at me, but never in hunting season. It was only while they were nesting.
When I was working, I and another fellow found a Spotted owl nest with fledglings still there. Later on another friend, that wanted to see the nest, reached up to touch the little bird. He got hit by an adult's talons on the hard hat. That was back in the 1970s before the Spotted owl was considered much of anything other than a dumb bird. I had one follow me from cruise (tree measurement) plot to plot all one afternoon, as I went about my work. The first time I saw it I was startled. It was about 10 feet away and just a little above my head level. It was staring, with its big eyes just watching me. The bird followed me all around, but we never bothered one another. After I got used to it, I enjoyed its company.

[Stick]

Many times. One of the most memorable was getting a red tail hawk out of a trap. Threw him up in the air so he could fly away. Sorry sucker went up about 50 feet then turned around like a comet and dove right at me. Had to fall flat on the ground to escape. He then flew off. Boy, what thanks I get!