I dont know how many times I remember as a new hunter hearing them and getting ready...a deer a comin' any minute......what a squirrel?? how the hell?? I thought for sure the buck of the century!!! with that sound.
Amazing how quiet large animals can be.Bear hunt in Canada,small grey birds kicking around the leaves all day near my tree stand.Just before dark, I'm starting to pack things up and turn to curse the noisy little bastards and I see them scattering as a 275 lb bear comes strolling right under my tree stand like he was walking on marshmallows.I was so awed at the size and lack of noise as he passed I forgot to shoot.Fortunately he came back to the bait and I let him have it.Dont like the idea of hunting over bait but it really is the only way to hunt them in that area.The scrub oak and whatever else was so dense that standing about 20-30 ft away from my friend with flashlights in total dark we could barely see each others lights.