SPIKEHORN11

Opening day I had a fisher come in but stay aways from the decoy. He was about 20 yards off. He just looked and then went on his way leaving his scent on the ground by rubbing his belly in spots.

fshafly2

About 7 years ago, I was hunting ina pop-up blind set up in a small field with a hen decoy out about 15 yds. A bald eagle landed in a tree on the field edge about 80 yds away, and focused his stareon the decoy. A modest breeze gave the decoy a little motion. After 15 min, the eagle swooped in and landed about 5 yds from the hen. He "swaggered" up to the decoy and then whacked it with a wing that spun her around. It was funny to watch his reaction, oh to have hada video camera! Anyway, he flew back up to his roost tree and stared at the decoy for the next hour until I left the blind.
-fsh

drhntr178

The morningI killed my first gobbler, years ago, I had a coyote attack one of my decoys on a dead run. He hit the decoy like a ton of bricks crashing into the ground. When the decoy didnt react like a real turkey he turned arouund and sped off like a lightening bolt. It happened so fast I didnt even know if it really happened except for the fact that my decoy was now lying in the ground with a bite mark in it.
The gobbler, who was still in the tree, was veeeerrrrrrrry close so I just left the deke on the ground. One hour later he was strutting right next to that decoy and became a meal for the earth's top predator!

I've also had owls swoop down inches over my decoys.

Strut&Rut

Well, let's see...

There was a red-tailed hawk that nearly landed on my head...

There have been numerous owls, one which diverted from my dekes at the last moment to nab a chipmunk feet from my tree...

A landowner's dogs visited more than once...

Of course I have deer investigate somewhat regularly, as well as cattle...

I've called in coyotes, 2 last year on 2 separate days...

One porcupine, which thumped my decoy from the backside (I didn't see it approach), and almost gave me a heart-attack...

Last year I had a hen dragging in a big tom (about 60 yards away), when they turned and high-tailed it back from whence they came. I was like, "what the...", when I spied a large male fisher cat swatting at my deke. He got to within 5 feet of my legs before I decided to throw a stick at him, at which point we played peek-a-boo for about 5 minutes, before he wandered off...

This year, I had horses investigate me while I was belly-crawling through their pasture on the year's first bird...

BUT, my all-time favorite...

About 10 years ago, in NY, a stray cat decided to adopt my mom. This larger than average female was overly-friendly, and decided to follow my oldest brother and me into the woods for a turkey hunting adventure. She walked nearly 400 yards by our sides, and when I switched my knit cap for the shade of my Bonnie, she decided to take a nap on that knit cap!! We called in 5 jakes and 2 hens that morning to the decoys, with a longbeard hanging up just out of range...with the cat 1ft from my leg...