Over the years I've had 5 encounters with Hawks. Three actual physical attacks and two close calls, the last one happenening the other night. The three physical attacks the Hawks grabbed at my arrow fletchings in my quiver attached to my bow and after realizing it wasn't a bird let go. This sure wakes you up in the stand. The other encounters the birds veered off at the last minute, the last one landed in the next tree and stared me down for a good minute before flying off. I'm in an apple tree with lots of branches, I don't see how they can fly through that mess at such speeds. Anyone else have these encounters?

Similar encounters but always with owls! Keep the bow above your head:)

Had one grab the beanie hat off my head but I was able to grab it back before he got away with it! Had a close call in that same stand the previous year. Both times he would land close by and give me the look like i was in HIS stand! Sure gets the old heart pumping!

Yes, I had a red tailed hawk come from behind me, it's wing tip hit me in the side of the face and it scared the hell out of me, I almost killed that bird for that but I didn't. I guess we both got a near miss that day.

I had a hawk come in talons first at my eye balls twice. Both times he hit my bow as I put it out in defense. After the second attempt he landed about 15 yards out and stared at me for a long time before leaving.

I've had owl encounters, now hawks though. JF

I had an encounter with a saw whet owl just a few weeks ago, flew by and struck my right shoulder.

Hawks and owls.

I have had a hat knocked off my head, and had an owl come at my face talon first but veered away when I brought my arm up for protection.

I've had close calls with owls and hawks both and it gets blood pumping

I had a young red Tail try to sit on my head once like what the h is this swung my arm at it. I saw talons also and panicked. I guess with me being still and all camo with hat and mask he liked my head as a purch? I thought to myself that it was freaky and glad he didn't spike my head or eyes. What was in that birds head was unknown? LOL

Cooper's Hawk?

several years ago I was trying my hand at varmint hunting with my brother-in-law. We were hiding in a downed tree top. He was doing the calling (dying rabbit squeal) and I was the shooter. All at once, without a sound a hawk flew into the tree top and took his hat off his head and scared the beggies out of both of us. Never tired that again.

James

Birds are amazing. Great video.

About three years ago, I had a hock come in and perch in the top of the tree where I had set up my climber… I was amazed at how hard a two or 3 pound bird could shake a tree that size.

Very happy indeed that he didn't hit that hard on the top of my head . I've got plenty of scars up there already!

Had Hawks come after my string silencers (beaver) Guess they look like mice to them

No I Haven't but an Australian Wedge tail eagle had a go at me.I had been hunting Feral goats in the hills and whilst going across the ridge a wedge tail eagle swooped at me several timesThe first swoop I saw its shadow flash over the rocky ridge and took evasive action The tallons just missed my head.After the fourth time I turned and took a shot at it with my 45/70 cal rifle .It took off back to its nest but kept watching.There were 40 to 50 eagles livin g in that valley and there were heaps of nests.Just protecting their chicks I would say.Yeah it does put the wind up you a bit.Not trying to blow my trumpet but Aussie wedge tail eagles are a lot bigger than your Bald eagle .They do pick up small goats and fly a hundred fifty yards or more with them .Their pinnion feathers are about 3 ft long. They have an awesome wing span of 7 1/2 to 8 ft wide.If any one think s being frightened by preditory birds is just being a girly boy than you have never been attacked.It could have dire consequences disfigurement or blinded. OSR

Watch the video. They are truly amazing creatures. I've had a couple come close but have never been "attacked".

hmm,, now I know to use my bow like a pimple ball bat and try to send one over the triple decker (grand slam) across the street if I ever see one coming in on me.

Never been attacked by a hawk or owl. They have been very close to me though.

I watched two redtails hunting for squirrels a few years back. One watched as the other jumped on top of a squirrel's nest. It actually pounced up and down several times, hoping the squirrel would come out. No squirrel came out, but if it did, he would have been in deep trouble. I was amazed that they were able to reason, or had learned to hunt in that fashion.

I had a hoot owl whack me in the head twice, I thwarted his 3rd effort by waiving my arms. It was pre-dawn, but I could see enough to know what was after me! Little bugger!

Here ya go runner a wedge tail eagle.

And another one Ya just don't want to be on the receiving end of one of these or any raptor full stop

Runner you are right we can't weigh them but others have An adult female bald eagle (the larger of the two sexes) weighs in at about 8 lbs on average.A wedge tail female eagle(the largest of the sexes ) averages at 9 1/4 lbs..Average wing span is Bald eagle 7 1/2' wedgeTail 8'.Now I am trying to find that African eagle. OSR

Love doing research both Australian wedge tail and American bald eagles didn't even make the top 5 in the biggest eagle stakes Some silly sea eagle took first spot. But I would never doubt a bald eagle just look at this. OSR

LOL! Never had any such encounters, just hawks screaming at me as I approach. I don't sit in trees though.

Hunting from the ground on the edge of a small clearing I saw what I think was a Sharp-Shinned hawk land on a tree across from me.I turned my head to one side and when I turned it back the hawk was coming on a line towards my head.At the last second he veered off so no damage done.I also had a Barred owl land in a tree and gave me a long look but didn't attack.I think they see some movement and investigate thinking there might a bird or mouse they can flush out.

I was with a group that was getting a demonstration from a falconer. He had a couple of eagles. He had a gold eagle that was very happy to be getting a workout. I got a little excited and clamped down on his arm. Even though he was wearing a cuff, he said that he thought he felt a bone crack and they took him to the hospital. A girl took over, she explained that we were lucky that eagles do not know that they could easily kill a human. I was involved with baby sitting baby owls. It seems that if a baby screech owl jumps the nest too soon the parents will abandon it. We fed them chicken. The little buggers would sit on my fingers. As they got bigger then would need two fingers, when they knew it was feeding time, if they had a hold of two fingers, they could really put on the pressure. It was sticking your fingers in a vice and crunching them together. I got hit by the wings of the worlds biggest and meanest screech owl ever, at the time it seemed that way. My bow was hanging on a branch. I heard the metallic call of a hunting screech owl all around me. Then he came in, grabbed the white fletching on my arrow and began to fly off with it. I was up on a permanent crotch platform, I missed half of the steps going down to get my arrow and fell the last six feet. I will admit the little bugger scared me a bit.

I had owls take my hat off, while varmint hunting at night. While you don't hear them coming, you sure as hell know they were there.

I was sitting in my stool under a tree last year & had a small hawk light in a tree 15 yds from the one I was under & stare at me. It flew off, came back & stared some more then flew right at me, just as I was going to duck it veerd off & flew away.

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