While Fishing What Unusual Or Rare Animal Have You Seen ?

[plumworm]

Every creek that drains into the Mississippi River north of Ill. has a small railroad bridge over it. There are tracks on both sides of the river from pool #15 north.

[flipin4bass]

Not the rarest, but definitely the most majestic animal I've encountered while kayak fishing.

[bigbill]

Fresh water otters. At day break, first light.

[iabass8]

Every creek that drains into the Mississippi River north of Ill. has a small railroad bridge over it. There are tracks on both sides of the river from pool #15 north.

2x post

[iabass8]

Every creek that drains into the Mississippi River north of Ill. has a small railroad bridge over it. There are tracks on both sides of the river from pool #15 north.

Im not sure what that has to do with anything but

He and i are from the same area.Theres one catfish creek on pool 12. It is known as "the train bridge". Even more so than the actual train bridge that goes across the mississippi.

[fish365]

Have an abundance of bald eagles and osprey here in east tn. have seen more than one herd of deer swimming across the lake. my son in law took video on his phone of a turkey swimming across the lake.

[swagkid300]

I have been fishing for over 10 years in many different countries with my pops, the animals i have encountered are Kodiak Bears, Black bears, Grizzly bear, Bull Moose, Cougar, Crocodiles, Hippos, Lions, A lot of birds, monkeys, and an anaconda ( not an animal but....)

I might've missed a couple animals, but these are the ones i remember seeing.

[A-Jay]

I have been fishing for over 10 years in many different countries with my pops, the animals i have encountered are Kodiak Bears, Black bears, Grizzly bear, Bull Moose, Cougar, Crocodiles, Hippos, Lions, A lot of birds, monkeys, and an anaconda ( not an animal but....)

I might've missed a couple animals, but these are the ones i remember seeing.

 

 

WOW ~  Sounds like you fish quite a bit at the Zoo.

 

 

A-Jay

[lanzbass]

I have been fishing for over 10 years in many different countries with my pops, the animals i have encountered are Kodiak Bears, Black bears, Grizzly bear, Bull Moose, Cougar, Crocodiles, Hippos, Lions, A lot of birds, monkeys, and an anaconda ( not an animal but....)

I might've missed a couple animals, but these are the ones i remember seeing.

 

Sounds like your Pops loves you a lot to take you all those places...

 

Very interesting sightings !

 

Thanks for sharing

[WIGuide]

I see Bald Eagles all the time, and once saw a small school of topless ladies sunning themselves on a dock. 

[AQUA VELVA]

A weasel came out to the very end of a log not six feet from where I was wader fishing in a river. We just stared at one another for a minute while I wondered how far weasels can jump, and then, curiosity satisfied, it turned around scampered back down the log and into the brush.

[Alpha Male]

Up here in northern minnesota I cant go fishing without seeing a bald eagle or two. Lots of loons as well. But the wierdest would have to be a chipmunk. Yep, a chipmunk. He was making a, what I would guess, 100-120yard swin to an island in the lake. Took him about 15 minutes and my dad and I just kept watching and waiting for a northern to take him. But he made it and hopped up out of the water.

[RipSomeLips]

I went on a canoe trip in Canada, Ontario to be more specific. I had parked the canoe on a small island that created about 100 feet of water between it and the surrounding bay shoreline, I was standing thigh deep in water doing some wade fishing and I heard a crash in the thick woods coming down just to my right. I was thinking "BEAR...BEAR...BEAR, how quick can I get in the canoe and get away". Before I could really do much out of the woods sprang an otter! He saw me and was just as surprised as I was to see him. What an amazing rush of adrenaline.

[kickerfish1]

I have seen bigfoot, the lochness monster, a chupacabra, and the abominable snowman all on the same outing. They were the only ones on hand to see me catch and release the new world record bass. All 4 of them winked at me and dissapeared in to the unkonwn after I released it. Unfortunately the footage is blury and out of focus!

[Bluebasser86]

With the way things go some days, I feel like a bass is the rarest thing in nature 

[clayton86]

Since using a kayak I have seen a lot more deer, weasels/mink, beavers, raccoons eagles were always common even when on foot. With the kayak I got about 10 yards from a fisher we both just sat there and stared at each other for about 10 minutes. I missed several hits in that time as I dead sticked a fluke not wanting to move admiring the fisher. It was the first one I had ever seen I didn't even know they were around my area other then knowing there was a trapping season for them.

[Master Bait'r]

Oh man...  That's a good question.  

 

 

Loons are my favorite.  Getting up really early up in VT on a misty lake as the dawn breaks, those chattering woopy loon calls across the lake just give me chills...  

 

 

I don't think I've ever gone up to Quabbin without seeing a bald eagle, but once I got to watch one absolutely OWN a slightly smaller bird (I think it was a turkey vulture?) that made the poor choice to roost in a tree below the eagle's nest.  We were fishing and just heard the eagle scream- we looked over just in time to see it piledrive the vulture right off the branch and onto the ground where it then tore it to shreds in seconds.  At first I was like "Man that was a terrible idea, I wonder what that bird thought it was doing there?" and then I noticed...  The beach was littered with feathers.  I don't think the eagle was smart enough to bait the beach, but there certainly was a fair amount of carrion to attract new meals in any case.  I never get sick of watching them coast around the sky though, such majestic birds!  

 

 

Crackheads and junkies are the most dangerous though- way worse than actual animals.  I live in an area where much of the good fishing is abutted by, shall we say...  Low income housing?  It helps keep the pressure off, but when you do go the white bucket all stars may or may not chase you out.  I've also ran across makeshift bum camps too...  Not exactly where you want to be hanging out fishing normally, but I usually have my kukri machete poking out the top of my pack so they stay away for the most part.  One time though, I was in my rowboat with a friend working over a pond when some junkie passed out in a chair on the shore woke up and started screaming at us for being there- and of course we laughed which got him even more mad- he threatened to swim out to the boat and beat us up haha- that is, until I reminded him that we have two people, two oars, an anchor and that nobody would miss him.    

 

 

I've also been on a tight path carrying a kayak when I felt & heard a moose grunt and stomp just around the corner just out of sight (tight, twisty steep trail and very thick brush).  I turned to see if the guy behind me heard it and he was white as a ghost haha...  Yep he heard it too and felt the stomp in the ground.  Thankfully the moose ran the other way, but we got to see his tracks on the moss and rocks- he was a big 'un.  Thank God for small favors, eh?  

[shanksmare]

Since moving to Florida I've seen a few unusual animals. I see Ospreys, hawks  and alligators frequently, Bald Eagles a little less frequently. I've also seen Sand Hill Cranes, Caracaras, otters, white and brown pelicans and all sorts of wading birds.

[RoLo]

In central Florida, you'll normally see at least one bald eagle on nearly every outing, which depends mainly

on the lake you choose to fish (and how observant you are). I've read that except for the Pacific Northwest,

the Three Lakes WMA just east of Lake Kissimmee has the highest count of nesting bald eagles in the world. 

Some may recall the bald eagle images I posted here on BR, which were all taken on Lake Kissimmee.

Also very abundant but nonetheless appreciated are barred owls, a 'diurnal' owl. On one lake we often fish,

there's rarely a day when we're not treated to their comical monkey-like clucking or their song: "Who cooks for you?".

 

While on the water, Lois and I have seen whitetail deer, moose and black bear, but I believe my biggest thrill

came from seeing a mink (lifetime total of 3). Preoccupied with finding an aquatic morsel, mink tool along the shoreline

seemingly oblivious to objects offshore (i.e. boats). I'll set the boat adrift in the mink's direction,

and we usually aren't noticed until the boat is 20 to 30 ft away from the mink. But instead of bolting in fear,

they'll stand prop up their hind legs, sniff the air, then scamper off into parts unknown.  

 

Roger

[Frogfather]

My wife and I were fishing from a bank out in the brush of Ontario when she said, in a cute-cuddly voice "look at the beaver." Thinking nothing of it because beavers, deer, moose, bear, and coyotes are common for our area. I sent another cast into the water. The sound of claws slowly cracking loose stones on the path behind us made me turn. 15 feet away from me this animal stops, turns, and stairs directly at me. A Wolverine and a clean pair of shorts! 

 

He was walking along the path that was the only way out from the bank and he was big! About 50+ pounds. What really freaked me out were his claws. The sound of his nails crunching the gravel path still freaks me out to this day! They curled over his paws. Wonderful this cute-cuddly "beaver" is going to be my demise! We made as much noise as possible to scare it off. This fella looked at us and, like a Honey Bagger, he didn't give a, well you know... Slowly and casually, he walked into the brush.

[Crookedneck]

Bald Eagles are fairly common here. I saw an eagle fly about 50 feet over the top of a "friend" in a tournament one day. My "friend" must of had a bullseye on him because that eagle let a broad side loose. Worst smell I have ever smelled! My friend had to fish the rest of the day with no shirt. I got really sun burned....I mean my friend did. Every one laughed at my friend. True Story!

[G8RBob]

A 12+ foot gator, on the end of my line.  Toughest hook set I've ever had.  The amazing thing is that he dragged the boat for probably several hundred yards, without breaking the line.  I finally cut him loose.  At the Stick Marsh in central Florida.

[ostate_hayes]

Not very many weird animals

Probobly most significant time was I was fishin in a neighborhood pond in the middle of town and there was a giant tom turkey that I flushe out of a tree

Scared the heck outa me but I wishe I had my bow cuz it WAS spring turkey season! Haha

[J Francho]

Swimming deer, bald eagles nesting, otters, even got harassed by a beaver in my kayak. At ice out, there are a ton of unusual looking waterfowl here, probably just making a stop during migration. Once saw a fisher weasel fishing the canal. That was cool.

[jeremyryanwebb]

The bats go crazy flying around right before night time here in sc.  Ive alctually had one drop down and grab my zara spook off the surface.  He let go pretty quick thankfully,  I wouldnt have a clue how to get a hook out of a mad bat. lol