I was standing near a large tree in a tree line between 2 fields. It was a pretty large pin oak and there was quite a bit of underbrush. I was shooting a stone and waiting on the rtk to give me acceptable results. I had been standing there for close to 5 minutes or so when I see something out of the corner if my eye. A bobcat walked from one field to the other and crossed about 10' from me. I have never seen one in the wild and definitely none that close. I was just glad he did see me or at least didn't act like he did. Didn't look my direction or even slow down. To be honest, I'm am completely ok with that!
Matt
:good:
Holy crap. That is very cool.
Were you near Louisville?
Over 25 years ago I walked up on a buck deer that must have been sound asleep in some tall grass (6' high or more). I was almost close enough to touch him when I first saw him. Scared the crapola out of both of us. He leaped up and went crashing off towards the creek as I stood there in a state of shock. His rack must have had 30 points (like the song) or maybe I was just seeing triple. He looked REALLY BIG to me.
If he had turned on me it would have been very, very bad. I was all alone and absolutely no one had a clue where I was at that point in time. No one would have missed me for more than 24 hours. It was at least 300 feet to my pickup and I had zero weapons handy.
Last Wednesday I was out on this 22 acre topo in the woods (read: the kinda job that makes it all worth it), standing still, waiting for the robot to run a set of angles, and here come TWO foxes strolling right up within about 6 feet of me. The first one saw me and picked up the pace just a bit. The second one didn't seem to notice me at all.
A tad "specialer" than the routine pig sightings out there.
I was about an hour west of Louisville in Breckenridge County.
Images from those moments stick with you for a very long time. I used to think having a big buck or coyote walk by like that was the most awesome feeling. About 15 years ago I had a bear walk into a clearing below me. He was curious what I was doing on the hillside so he ran up to check me out. At about 5 feet he turned and ran around me. Exhilarating doesn't cover it...
I spent too many days in the Hardinsburg Courthouse a couple of years ago. I had the distinct "pleasure" of getting to survey 18 miles of Rough River Lake.
:good:
Several years ago I had a basic surveying class out running a mile long level loop. Part of that loop crossed an open field adjacent to an eight foot high airport security fence. I noticed a bird setting on the fence and told the students to ignore it and keep working. The entire class, about 15 people, passed within 30 feet of a hawk. It never moved and watched our progress intently.
Later the students asked why it allowed us to get so close? My response was that it was waiting for one of you to stir up a field mouse. They also wanted to know if things like that happened frequently while surveying. Told them "Often enough to make in interesting."
Better you than me. I try to stay away from there. I hate dealing with lake properties.
I was on a crew laying out cemetery plots in Ohio. The cemetery had to bush hog an area for us to set the pins. A hawk flew out of a tree and picked up a baby robin that had fallen out of a tree about 20' from the instrument. Later on in the day we saw the hawk get a rabbit that jumped out from in front of the tractor.
Matt
Definitely one of the perks. I've been blessed to see all manner of critters. My all timer favorite was watching a pair of coyotes cruising along the edge of a hay field while the farmer was cutting hay and I was turning angles. Put the scope on those coyotes just as they broke for the center of the farmers field and his dog tagging along behind the tractor. Thinking I was about to watch the dog get massacred, was treated to a half hour of romping play between the dog and two coyotes as they tumbled and tussled in the fresh cut hay. Puts a big smile on my face when I recall watching that scene in amazement. Later talked to the farmer who said it was routine and they were great buddies.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
Was out surveying with my bride one day and this big Bard Owl lands in a tree about 50 feet away. I was able to set the gun up and get a picture of it thru the optics with my Blackberry. Really cool picture. I have it hanging on my wall in my office. (The picture, not the owl).
Greg
Well, there's at least 18 miles of it that now has a good survey. But I would agree with you, most of the subdivisions that joined the lake looked like equine excrement.
Senior rights is a beautiful thing.
A couple of weeks ago I was measuring the width of a gravel road over a 36" culvert with my pocket tape. As I bent down to lay the end of the tape on the edge over the culvert a full grown mountain lion popped out of the culvert and headed up the wash!
This was in a "mountain" subdivision near Durango Colorado. There were a couple of homeowners walking their dogs and when I told them what I had just seen they said the dogs had been acting strange for a couple of days. I have only seen mountain lions about four times in 60+ years in Colorado but this is the second close encounter with one.
Last Wednesday I was out on this 22 acre topo in the woods (read: the kinda job that makes it all worth it),
Quoted from someone earlier in this thread.
Thought about a spin-off topic (pictures of any instances that y'all are describing), but knew I'd burn too much time digging this pic up.
Well, I came back and read the newer followups, specifically the one about the owl, and couldn't resist.
Early morning, walking in by myself to hunt an original monument that had eluded me during my traverse/ deed stake. Notice a gaggle of crows going crazy in some adjoining pines, but it's strictly business, right?
Come out of the woods a oouple hours later and see the neighbor, GIANT binoculars and walking (what I thought) towards me.
I approach and say 'hey' (had introduced myself before starting the initial traverse), waiting for the questions.
Well she says, 'you know how to get rid of crows?'... thinking to myself: what... hmmm, oh that's right. crows were going crazy.
She points out a momma and baby owl in the crook of a pine and getting harangued by a bunch of crows.
I ask her if she minds me coming back. Run to the truck and get the digital camera. Got this shot (missed a double up on the mom and baby by just a minute).
Oh well. Check out the eyes (hope the upload does it justice).
Baby great horned owl, I believe.
In 1995-96 I staked the centerline and all surveying associated with the new section of US 60 from Hardinsburg to Cloverport in Breckinridge County. We stayed in the old Hardinsburg Inn downtown for over a year. We saw several bobcats during that year. I live in Breathitt County and have some living on our property that we see often. I get photos of them in my stealth cam every now and then. I also saw several in McLean County on a survey there.