Wildlife encounters while MD-ing

[NowandThenTreasures]

I am curious about and would like to hear some of the interesting, crazy, funny, scary wildlife encounters you've had while out enjoying this great hobby.
I've never been chased by a gator, croc, shark or a bear. I've never ran into a sea snake, blue ringed octopus, box jellyfish or water moccasin while sand fishing, and hope I never do, but I sure there's been plenty of close calls for some of you out there?
My stories are mild, I've just had fun seeing fish follow me around (little ones do nibble on me every once in a while) as I stirred up the sand looking for goodies. I've enjoyed seeing some sand hill cranes and bald eagles probably trying to figure out what I was up to swinging a stick.
What are some of your stories?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[ecmjamsit]

I was hunting along the Arkansas river and came across a diamondback rattlesnake with a head as big as my fist. It was so big I would not go within 15 feet of it.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Back in June I was detecting west of Winnemucca, NV, and caught a motion out of the corner of my eye. An 8" Long-Nosed lizard was racing at me as fast as it could go, with my dog Heidi in hot pursuit. A big shot of adrenolin at first, and then laughter. They have some big lizards in that country! The next day, while digging targets, we excavated a couple of 4" scorpions. Our buddy got stung by a smaller an hour later.
Jim

 

[Clad2Silver]

Never really had any dangerous or scary encounters but one time we were detecting and a policeman pulled in to let us know that a bear was reported to be in the area we were detecting. We left immediately.....

 

[GB1]

I've been chased through the woods by a wild dog

 

[WaterWalker]

Sharks in Guam, Snakes and Snapping turtles in Connecticut and Massachusetts, Birds in Iceland, Goats in Spain, Caught a duck with a fishing hook in its beak attached to 30 feet of line and 2 sinkers - Pliers used to remove the hook and the duck quacks with a lisp. Followed by and hit by salt water fish, bit by crabs, watched whales, seals and foul go by. I've been chased by angry bees and surrounded by feeding Blue fish and stepped into deep holes and over sharp drop-offs OOPS...

This hobby IS dangerous, kinda of scary isn't it?

 

[NowandThenTreasures]

Sharks in Guam, Snakes and Snapping turtles in Connecticut and Massachusetts, Birds in Iceland, Goats in Spain, Caught a duck with a fishing hook in its beak attached to 30 feet of line and 2 sinkers - Pliers used to remove the hook and the duck quacks with a lisp. Followed by and hit by salt water fish, bit by crabs, watched whales, seals and foul go by. I've been chased by angry bees and surrounded by feeding Blue fish and stepped into deep holes and over sharp drop-offs OOPS...

This hobby IS dangerous, kinda of scary isn't it?

I gotta bite on this one, what kind of shark encounter did you have in Guam?

 

[Jay Plunder]

A few months back I was minding my business swinging my AT Pro in the woods and and went to go under some branches and was completely enveloped in a banana spider web...which immediately turned me into a 5th degree blackbelt Karate champion. ...about 30 minutes later came upon a buried yellow jacket nest. I could have beat Usain Bolt in the 200 meter that day had 4 stings...I went home after needing to turn back and recover my detector.

 

[2Peas]

I've had Manatees and dolphins here in the gulf.
They'll still scare the life out of you when they pop up close.

 

[Irishgoldhound]

Ive been dive bombed by a bunch of birds in the bush. Got the hell out of there in a hurry. One thing that freaks me out is birds diving at my head.

 

[CaptEsteban]

I have seen sharks, snakes, & alligators in some of the waters where I was diving & searching. They never seemed interested in me . My scariest experience while metal detecting, was having a herd of wild hogs run by within 50 ft of me. Two of the bigger hogs stopped & stared at me for a few seconds before running away.

 

[smokeythecat]

Dug a signal with a live snake once. It was harmless and I left it be. Ran into a ground nest of yellow jackets, but I saw them before they saw me so I escaped. At the same place I heard this huff, huff, snort sound in the earphones, a black bear was checking me out, I moved very fast, onto my back in defense but I scared it away real good!

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

I was hunting the Gulf earlier this year in about 3 ft of water when I noticed a large dark amorphous figure slowly come toward me. It was about 3-4ft across and about 10 ft long, although all I could see was a dark blob. A rough storm had recently passed and there were lots of clumps of seaweed in the area. I retreated from the target I was digging as the blob stopped about 4 ft away. I took my detector and poked the blob with my coil, expecting the coil to go into the blob of seaweed, I believed. Instead, I hit and slightly pushed back a very solid object. IT WAS NO SEAWEED. I stepped a few more paces away and toward the shore. This was no blob of seaweed, I again said to myself. As I stood there with my eyes glued to the blob sitting just a few feet away and with both my detector and water scoop between the me and the blob, it suddenly and swiftly moved away from me and toward a group of people nearby. As the blob moved away so smoothly and effortlessly without a ripple, I came to realize that the blob was a Manatee.

 

[giuhalftrack]

I was MDing a river beach and looking inside water i see a shrimp .. what ? on Ticino river ? in north Italy...
so we discover later that they are Louisiana Shrimps that someone have bring in Italy ...
a very bad eco-problem because they are now eating local fish eggs ...

 

[Megalodon]

I was night hunting for fossil shark teeth along the shore of Chesapeake Bay by headlamp. I was wading in about 18" of water and felt something live bump my leg. When I turned my headlamp on it, it turned out to be a northern snakehead fish about 30" long. It seemed to be attracted to the light and bumped my bare leg several more times. I know they are harmless to people. They are delicious and I briefly considered spearing it, but we had guests and I didn't know how they would feel about that gruesome scene. It would have easily fed all four of us, with leftovers...

 

[Bum Luck]

Sharks in Guam, Snakes and Snapping turtles in Connecticut and Massachusetts, Birds in Iceland, Goats in Spain, Caught a duck with a fishing hook in its beak attached to 30 feet of line and 2 sinkers - Pliers used to remove the hook and the duck quacks with a lisp. Followed by and hit by salt water fish, bit by crabs, watched whales, seals and foul go by. I've been chased by angry bees and surrounded by feeding Blue fish and stepped into deep holes and over sharp drop-offs OOPS...

This hobby IS dangerous, kinda of scary isn't it?

Don't have many huntin' buddies, huh?

 

[Megalodon]

Ive been dive bombed by a bunch of birds in the bush. Got the hell out of there in a hurry. One thing that freaks me out is birds diving at my head.

I used to get dive-bombed by mockingbirds, but only one at a time - and always at the very same spot on a 1.25 mile walking trail around the Navy-Marine Corps stadium where I used to walk during my lunch hour. I admired their ferocity.

 

[CASPER-2]

If its in the water - Ive seen it or dealt with it
sharks
rays
turtles
jelly fish - including a box - I wear gloves most of the time when i water hunt just so i can push jellies and man o wars aside
in the case of the box - Im glad i wear a mask and saw it - ii was like 2ft away - i pushed water towards it to get it away then went in the other
direction hoping he did not have any relatives near by
barracudas - had some intimidate me and one snap right in front of my mask in bad viz
had a huge school of blue fish mow right thru me - at least a couple 100 - was more affraid of what might be chasing them
been attacked by crabs - luckily i wear 7mm boots
had an electric eel go up my swim shorts - WHydah was there for that - i was lucky i had lycra bike shorts on - saved my goodies
by i still got a good zap
was attacked by a pelican - bit my shin and gave me a good cut
ive been hooked by fishermen that were in a no fishing zone a few times
was threatened by topless women more than a few times - jumping in front of me
trying to distract me

 

[RustyGold]

A dolphin came up right beside me and looked me straight in the eye. It was a ripped, very muscled dolphin. Scared me at first then I realized I had been given a gift. I kind of wonder if there was a predator nearby.

 

[Flipperfla]

Dozens of Gators, Sharks, Bears, Snakes, Monkeys (really nasty), one monster croc. Welcome to Florida. A few months ago I came eye to eye with a huge wild hog that probably weighed more than I did, that was a really tense moment. After that experience if I go in deep I carry bear spray. No pythons yet! They blend in so well you can walk within inches and not see them. Had to have a serious talk with the Wife, if we have a “issue” WE are going to have seconds to waste this MF before it gets me, so don’t just stand there and watch. She hates snakes but gets the point plus we always pack protection,emergency gear and comms. Very well prepared for adventure. In the one pix, the baby blacktip swam right by me while I was standing beside the boat while deep in the Glades last week. Just a note: There is a MAJOR ISSUE with the wildlife in Southern Florida. The Pythons have wiped out 99% of the wildlife. It might be a combination of Hurricane Irma, pollution, the red tide also to factor in , We have been reading about it but saw it first hand last week while in Everglades NP and the Keys. There were no birds of any kind, usually thousands everywhere. No raccoons usually the little bandits are everywhere raiding our campsites.....Zero. We would normally see 20-50 dolphins.....2. Talking to a Baitboat Capt. He said it’s the first time there was no bait run in 27 years. We ran out to Nest Key about 20 miles out which is loaded with birds.....nothing. Just quiet. Nothing. Very very eerie.