Ok we are coming to a close on summer; 
let’s hear about any close calls with nature while heading out to your favorite fishing spot. Like did you come across any bears, snakes, deer or whatever might of took your breath away or made you run :oops:. Come on!!! I know there are some good stories because we have FAOL members all across this country.
My friend check this out and it may satisfy all you curiosity, one off our own got closer then any of us ever want to!!!
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/showthread.php?37507-Soda-Butte-bear-attacK
flyfishfairwx,
Not trying to satisfy my curiosity at all I am well aware of what happen to Deb Freele and my prayers go out to her for a speedy recovery like I said to her in a PM. I was just asking if anyone had any good encounters with nature or should I say any good laughs!!! Or any great sightings of Deer, Bear, and Snakes or any animal while walking to their favorite fishing spot.
Here I will give you an example of one of mine just this summer. I was fishing on the duck river close to home and this one spot the current moves pretty good until it comes to where the river opens up and it becomes slower water, great fishing hole. Well I was fishing that hole and I noticed something in the water moving and it was coming at me, it was a snake then I seen more movement in another direction, another snake, well long story short I seen a total of 4 snakes swimming around me at one time. SEE Yaaaaaa!!! You guys can have this section of the river because…I am GONE!!! Call me whatever you want but I don’t mind snakes on dry land but in the water where you can’t see them or what kind they might be…NO THANKS!!! This fishing spot is yours.
I am not a fan of snake on the water either, first off it’s a Cottonmouth until proven otherwise, and Cottonmouths are just nasty ill tempered snakes. I was on the Hooch on my Fishcat a few weeks back pulled over to the side working a favorite spot, when a group of noisy teenagers went by in yaks. Then I look up and see a snake floating down the river behind them. My first thought was it was a rubber snake one of the boys had trying to terrorize some of the girls, it looked too good to be real It had very distinctive copper brown and black stripes, the flow of the stream seem to give it life, then it swam to the side of the river. Just glad I didn’t do something like try and catch the rubber snake, might have had to wash out the waders. The water is the Hooch is so cold the only snake I had ever seen on it struggle to get across the river, so I was under the impression that snakes did not like this river. I have learned there is a banded watersnake around here that looks something like a Copperhead but is not poisonous. It may have adapted to the cooler water.
Well, this summer a whole lot of stuff happened. I almost got bitten by a rattle snake while hiking down a main trail on the Deschutes. I helped my friend quickly land a 4# brown while the lightning was starting to surround us. I hooked a drunk guy who snuck up on me and sat down on a rock fifteen feet above me and I had to help him get the hook out. Finally, so far, escorted off the Upper Deschutes by a State Trooper with an AR-15 while they were looking for an armed and dangerous Felon. Just today they found him and had shot and killed him because he started to shoot at them. What’s next??? Lots of fish caught and good times had. What will Steelheading have in store, that is the next question.
Cheers
-Jake
About a month ago, I happened to be fishing with a moose, I didn’t realize it though, and when i decided to walk out of my fishing hole, I spooked him and caused a mini-jam up in the wind rivers from several cars on the road that saw him running through the field and across the road into another marsh.
This past weekend, I was fishing in some “lower” elevation and kept running into snakes. I think most of them were garden variety, but without a good look I used my fishing pole to make sure it wasn’t a small rattler. This past weekend I also ran into a skunk. Luckily he was on the other side of the river from me. My high country season is mostly over, as I try to avoid popular hunting areas during rifle season. And still I avoid even a few areas during bow season just to be safe.
Outside of that, nothing to adventurous this summer.
Last summer, I had a run-in with a bison herd. NOT fun. and also an elk herd, but they stayed away. The bison herd, I mostly avoided, but one guy took up residence on an island that i needed to use to get across the soda butte river to get back to my car. ANd not 5 minutes after I left one bend, the herd came over the ridge and into the water I was fishing to get a drink of water. My wife was not amused, as she was on the other side, and realized that I had no way to get back until he decided to leave. Also last year I hiked right onto a bedded down mule deer. He was not happy when I showed up, but ran off.
Often times, I have an antelope run along side my truck when I go to my favorite bass lake. That’s always interesting as they are so graceful while running.
Paul
OK I will buy that, just trying to lighten the mood in light of what happened to Deb… Should have read that in what you typed.
My personal totals from Nov 01 09 the end of the old season until now…on the rivers…
4 X black bears, 2 X Grizzly, 30 White tail, 100+ Muley , 1 x PO’d Momma Elk. One very sick German Shepherd Dog, 1 x Cougar last winter season, hope to get out more now that Fischer is feeling better, and the winter season is almost on us again…
Now hunting with son for his first Mountain Elk. Hope it works out soon I am too old to be Hiking with Guns, would rather, 6wts.