Creepy motionless man watching people from the woods.

That man is me.

Wait..don't email this thread to FBI or something hear me out, I am about to teach you city folks a lesson.

I like fishing and the kind of fishing I like is where no one will bother me. NO ONE.
When I come to a spot other people visit, I find cans of beer, garbage, cigarettes, plastic bags, honest to God I would jail those of you who throw garbage in pristine environment. It shows complete intellectual immaturity to throw garbage in such a place.

Long story short I go through great lengths to find strictly my own spot, I go way out of bounds, hiking for hours. So when I am about to go "off road" I make sure no one can see me entering the brush, and likewise that no one can see me returning to the trail. Since I go through great length to be away from other Anglers, I don't want to give people ideas where they too can go.

When I am returning to trails, this is the funniest and creepiest thing, I see half the time people walking on trails, often with their dogs. All I do is remain motionless by a tree, not even moving my head, only my eyes.

People are OBLIVIOUS

Dogs ???

You'd think a single dog would "feel me", spot me, smell me..nope, not a single one, even those who run through the brush all the time. I guess these city dogs are not really dogs but toys/pets.

Here is the lesson that I realized myself.

You are always being watched, bears, cougars, crazy woods people, guys who protect their fishing spot, wolves, bigfoot, hunters, trappers.

For all I know, when I am watching people on trails, something or someone is watching me watching them.

Creepy, but I believe it.

a reply to: TryAndStopTheFuture555

So very true, as a trained observer I agree that most people are so completely oblivious to their surroundings. Given that my career choice has led me to analyzing people through a camera most of the day, i've noticed a lot of people whom are so totally caught up in their daily life, there's no time to stop & smell the roses so to speak. There is the odd occasion where someone will in fact look up at the camera I'm using, it doesn't happen often though.

As for myself, having walked around most of my life with headphones on, drowning out the noise of the outside world, I've trained myself to be aware of my surroundings at all times largely as a means of avoiding hazards. The amount of times I've went to walk through an intersection, only to stop because my intuition tells me there's someone barreling behind me trying to cut me off is astounding. Or it could just as well be that someone is shadowing me and trying to mug me or whatever, the point I'm trying to make is anyone with the right training (which you can do yourself) can heighten their senses..it's largely a matter of stopping to smell the roses

a reply to: TryAndStopTheFuture555

Also on the topic of shadowing people (as if I don't seem creepy enough) it's too easy!

A few years back for a good laugh I shadowed my friend from his house to the class we were both attending at the time. He was completely oblivious! On the odd occasion he would look to one side or the other, which is easy to dodge by simply moving to the side where their gaze doesn't reach, or blending in with a group of people. Also you can follow closely, so long as you keep the same pace they are. If you are not making any movements that would otherwise be distracting, most people won't even notice your walking directly behind them.

Now for the obligatory statement that I do not condone the use of information I've provided for negative purposes. Someone can very well do what they please with it, however the reasons I know these things are because I was trained (both for my career and by my own hand) and not because I've thought of using it to harm people or anything like that.

a reply to: threeeyesopen

being watched in a city is a given, malls, banks, parking lots, traffic cameras, even watched in your own home if you are on fascist government list

What I am saying is that chances are you are being watched in woods too.

For example I once saw a woman go down to pee, there is no way I would exchange my fishing spot for 1000 peeing women, but the point is you never know who is out there

a reply to: threeeyesopen
What exactly are you looking for when operating these cameras ?

If you are in an area with people walking dogs on trails, I doubt you are going to places to fish that only you visit and know.

a reply to: TryAndStopTheFuture555

Great point. I agree. People go through their daily lives with coffee or energy drinks in Gangesdphones in ears, cellphones in the other hand.. .oblivious to their natural surroundings.

Thanks!

MS

What do you plan to say or do when someone sees you? What if a woman alone with her massive trained dog sees you spying on her from a few feet away, either next to or behind a tree? Dog bites can itch.

a reply to: sayzaar

That's a furry way of asking

What do you do for living exactly, I was curious too but didn't want to ask. My guess he watches a mall or bank.

Maybe the guy is NSA lol.

originally posted by: roadgravel
If you are in an area with people walking dogs on trails, I doubt you are going to places to fish that only you visit and know.

Ever scaled a small cliff to get to a fishing spot ?

I assure you it can be done. Where there is a will, there is a way. That's why you can never stop the terrorists, as long as you occupy and bomb their countries.

originally posted by: Aleister
What do you plan to say or do when someone sees you? What if a woman alone with her massive trained dog sees you spying on her from a few feet away, either next to or behind a tree? Dog bites can itch.

I am prepared for all outcomes.

When you go where you are pretty much not supposed to, the biggest threat are cougars, bears, falling and hurting yourself. I am armed with both lethal and non lethal apparatus. No dog is a problem.

Besides, I would show that woman my fishing rods, hopefully she would realize I am not a threat. But I do expect she would be angry her dog is out of commission temporarily, in which case I would tell her that she shouldn't have sent her dog to tear me apart, that is not nice.

staying absolutely still is one of the key aspects of successful camouflage. eyes are superb detectors of movement.

Do not look at somebody when you are trying to remain unseen. People can sense when they are being looked at. If you are hiding from somebody, do not stare at them.

originally posted by: TryAndStopTheFuture555
That man is me.

Or, that woman is me!

I thought about this same exact subject just a few weeks ago. I had foot and ankle surgery, and had to keep my foot foot up - "toes above nose". On the way home, my husband had to stop by a pharmacy to pick up a prescription. We parked, and he went inside. Because of the whole "toes above nose" thing, I was sitting in the back of our minivan. The windows are tinted black, so no one could see me. I stayed still and just watched for a good 20 minutes, due to hubby having to wait. Even in a busy parking lot, people are oblivious. People are driving by on the street, or having to wait at the stoplight, and people were acting as if they were absolutely alone! There was a man who was outside the entrance, smoking a cigarette, talking loudly in his cell phone. Without him realizing it, I was privy to his side of the conversation. An older woman came out with a child whom I assumed was her granddaughter. She was hateful to that little girl, dragging her to the car. I wish I had said something, but I wasn't thinking very clearly from the surgery. There were other mini-dramas going on, but the point is that, yes, you ARE being watched, all of the time. If you don't care if someone sees you pick your nose, so be it. But if you do care, don't pick.

I agree wholeheartedly on the littering issue. I feel the same way about people who use foul language in almost every sentence they speak. Immaturity and possibly a lack of education.

edit on 1/18/2015 by Lolliek because: Fixed a quote

edit on 1/18/2015 by Lolliek because: Couldn't fix the quote, so got rid of it.

edit on 1/18/2015 by Lolliek because: Grrrrrrrr! My whole comment didn't post!

a reply to: groingrinder

Very good point but how are you supposed to know if you've been seen in that case.

Some of my best fishing spots are hiding in plain sight. Many fishermen will pass up a spot because it is so obvious; thinking that spot has gotten hammered by other fisherman; not always the case. A record brown was caught behind the WalMart in Durango, colo.

I do like hiking the backwoods trails to find a nice spot however.

a reply to: mysterioustranger



Nuff said....

originally posted by: olaru12

I do like hiking the backwoods trails to find a nice spot however.

Right on bro right on.

just one thing.......stay away from my spot

if you go down to the woods today...

originally posted by: TryAndStopTheFuture555

Ever scaled a small cliff to get to a fishing spot ?

Actually, yeah. I grew up in a rocky area with lots of natural running water (ever see Deliverance's river sequence? 20 miles away from my house...). My favorite fishing spot for bream and crappie was down about a 20 foot climb to the base of a small waterfall. There was a pond around the falls that was quite deep. As far as I could tell, no one but my brothers and I went out there. So I guess I scaled a small cliff to get OUT of the spot, it was no good following the creek, too rough and ankle breaky.