Since we all spend a ton of time in the outdoors, we've all witnessed some pretty amazing sights. I've seen more cool stuff than I could ever have imagined, but witnessed something around the first of October that I have never seen before.

I was fishing at that killer private lake with the owner. The lake is down about 6 feet and we got up close to this point. The entire lake is surrounded by American Pond Reed about 12 feet tall and where the lake had dropped, the reeds form a canopy. Well, there were a bunch of coots way up under that canopy on the point and as we got real close, they all started flushing and flying out of the reeds.

All of a sudden one of them crashes down into the water right off the bank. It was upside down and not moving. Then it started to kick it's feet and I looked at Mike and said WTH? he said "I think a snake got him or something" to which I replied no way, he musta hit a limb on that brushpile on the bank and broke his neck. After about a minute, up comes the snake's body and the coot's head. the coot broke loose and flew off. The snake slithered back up through the brushpile and under the canopy where the coots had been.

Biggest danged Diamondback Water Snake I have ever seen. I won't say how long he was because I'm not sure (men are notorious for not accurately judging length, anyway) but he was far and away bigger than any I have ever seen, previously.

A freakin' snake takes a full grown coot down in flight! Now that was something to see. I guess he'd have eaten it if he could have subdued it, but the snake was holding the coot's head under water and would have succumbed long before the coot.

Let's hear some of yours.

A couple weeks ago on Falcon, right in town by the bridge. Saw a falcon chasing a little bird through the stickups. When the little one cleared the brush the falcon hit him in mid air knocking him into the water about a yard from a set of double power poles and 10 from us. He was flopping around in the water so we headed over to see it on the troller as the falcon circled back around and lit on top of the poles. When we got to the poles the bird had climbed out of the water and spooked. The falcon swooped down and took him out of the air and back to the top of the pole and ate him. Pretty cool to see up close!

I had one almost come into the boat on Ray Hubbard. it was only about 2' long, but I was flipping grass up in a hidden pond on the very far northwest corner of Ray Hubbard. I pulled my beavertype bait up out of the weeds and the snake came outta nowhere chasing it to the boat as fast as I could reel... only about 6" of the tail was in the water.. I kicked at him when he was almost to the topcap and it retracted.. I had to reel and actually swing the rod to keep the stupid thing from eating the bait!!! It seems some of them have advanced their use of eyesight more than the bioogists are aware of!!! Scared the heck outta me as I thought he was coming in the boat. Nice adrenaline rush on a hot day!! LOL!

Freed a coot from a alligator snapping turtle once on lake conroe. Turtle had him a mouthful of foot. Poor coot was so tired from trying to fly and stay on top water He didn't leave boat deck for twenty minutes.

Man so many awesome memories are running through my mind right now... I can't pick just one. Thanks for enticing the reflections!

Saw two Osprey in a mid air fight and one did a barrell roll to escape.

Was out on Belton one time a few years back and we were running from the ramp to our spot, we were not going really fast or anything, just cruising along. Both of us were standing (center console) drinking coffee. I am just looking around and at about head level maybe 20-30 feet to the side of the boat was a bald eagle, flying along with us as we drove. It cruised along with us for a bit and then turned away. It was pretty awesome.

OK heres mine, fishing on Lake MCarty oustside of Albany, me and my wife in my little bass buster, cruisin the shore line throwing topwaters, we see a big bullfrog sitting on a rock, my wifes say look at that snake heading for the frog, it grabs the frog by the leg and the fight is on, they start thrashing in the water, next thing you know a big explosion in the water from a bass, the frog goes one way the snake another I throw my tiny torpedo in that spot land a 5lb bass. Thats my story!

I was camping in northern AZ at the edge of a big open meadow. I didn't like to use a tent and the nights were mild enough that Memorial weekend that I didn't need one. MAN am I glad I didn't. I sat up in my cot and looked across the meadow just in time to watch a cow elk give birth not 75 yards away. It was real early in the morning and a little misty, and I wondered if I had really just seen what I thought I'd seen, because there wasn't any sign of the little guy for awhile. But after about 20 minutes the little bugger started trying to stand up. I sat in my cot and watched him finally stand and nurse, then he and his momma walked off into the pines. I will NEVER forget that morning.

OK one more, me and my wife are shore fishing on Fort Phantom, my tells me she has to pee, I tell her to just squat down and pee because no one can see from where were fishing at, she desides to back up under some trees next to the shore, I tell her thats not a goo idea beacuse there could be snakes in there , she tells me to shutup and just keep an eye out, she drops her pants down and squats to do her bussiness, finally finishes ad as shes starts to pull her pants up and stands she rocks back on her heels and steps on a water sanke about 4 feet long this snake unwinds like a clock spring you just see this poor snake just trying to get to the water, shes screaming and I'm laughing my butt off, shes like what do I do,I tell her to get off the snake so he can get to the water, she steps off he slithers away, they never listen.

Eagle needs glasses

Once while fishing in Canada with my two BIL I looked up and there was an eagle circling above us. Got our attention as it circled lower and lower and all of a sudden put its wings back and here it comes, looking like it's heading right for us. It hit the water about 20 feet from our boat and started flying away with a piece of driftwood about 3 or 4 inches wide and a foot or so long. Got about 30 feet up in the air and dropped it and flew off. I always wondered if that eagle looked around to make sure none of his buddies were watching.

I saw a redfish about 30 inches long in Galveston about 10 years ago, with a rattle snake hanking out its mouth. It was washed up on shore near San Lewis Pass. I dont think the snake killed the fish by biting it, I think the fish dies from more than it could swallow and couldnt swim. But who knows.

Fouz, I bet you can relate to this one.I am walking up quail one day.Going down a field along side this deep narrow brushy draw that comes to a point at the top into the field.I hear some commotion in the draw and spot a covey acting real skiddish.I follow them in my most stealthy manner as they are heading to the top of the draw where I plan to ambush them.As I come near to the top of the draw its all set up perfectly.Then as I come to the very tip of the draw I look over and there is a fox no more than 20 feet from me doing the same thing as I am.Then he looks up and we stare at each other for a minute and he takes off as all the quail flush and I don't even get a shot.

Saw a fox eating a comorant here on Amistad the other day. Bird was still flopping around while the fox was eating him....never loved foxes more....