5 Disturbing TRUE Hunting Horror Stories
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Two hunters in Belmont County, Ohio, were shot at by an unknown assailant, later identified as serial killer Thomas Dillon, who killed a young man near their location days later.
- ❖The disappearance of hunters Mo and Larry in Barber County, West Virginia, remained an unsolved mystery for decades, despite extensive searches and a later excavation of a hog farm based on an anonymous tip.
- ❖British soldiers in Sarajevo discovered evidence of 'war tourism' where wealthy Italians paid Serbian militias for the chance to shoot at UN peacekeepers and Bosnian civilians.
- ❖A Belgian grandfather, a former hunting guide in the Congo, developed an intense fixation on Congolese spiritual practices after his business partner mysteriously disappeared, suggesting a horrifying truth he couldn't articulate.
- ❖An Arkansas hunter was severely injured when a deer, believed to be dead after being shot, suddenly revived and attacked him before disappearing, baffling wildlife officials.
Insights
1Serial Killer's Hunting Ground
Two friends, hunting turkeys in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1992, were targeted by a shooter who fired two bullets at them. They fled, leaving their gear. Years later, they realized their assailant was likely Thomas Dillon, a serial killer convicted of five murders in Ohio, who operated in hunting areas and killed a young man near their exact spot just days after their encounter.
The narrator and his friend Josh were shot at in 1992 (). Thomas Dillon was convicted of five murders in eastern and southern Ohio in 1993, using a long rifle to hunt people from a distance (). Dillon killed a kid 'four or five days later after our hunting trip, in almost the exact same spot' ().
2Unsolved Disappearance of Hunters Mo and Larry
In 1960s Barber County, West Virginia, two hunting partners, Mo and Larry, vanished without a trace. Despite multiple search parties, no bodies or evidence of foul play were ever found, leading to years of community grief and speculation. A later police investigation, prompted by an anonymous tip, involved digging up a hog farm in a neighboring county, but yielded no answers.
Mo and Larry went missing when the narrator was 12 (). Search parties found no trace (). Families declared them dead in absentia years later (). A county sheriff later dug up a hog farm in Tucker County based on an anonymous tip, but found nothing ().
3War Tourism: Sniper Safaris in Sarajevo
During the Siege of Sarajevo in 1993, British UN peacekeepers discovered that wealthy Italian civilians were paying Serbian militias for 'sniper safaris'—the opportunity to shoot at UN soldiers and Bosnian civilians for sport. This was confirmed by a captured Serb sniper and later corroborated by an Italian journalist's investigation, revealing a disturbing black market for human lives.
British soldiers encountered a new sniper in a high-rise (). After an engagement, they captured a Serb and found an Italian passport on a dead sniper (). The captured Serb, through a translator, revealed that the Italians were paying Serbs for a 'chance to shoot at UN soldiers and Bosnian civilians' (). An Al Jazeera article later confirmed an Italian journalist's evidence of 'sniper safaris' for €100,000 ().
4The 'Zombie Deer' Incident
An Arkansas Game and Fish Commission employee recounts a baffling hunting accident where two experienced hunters shot a buck, waited the recommended 30 minutes for it to die, but then it suddenly 'leapt to its feet and gored the man closest to it really, really bad.' The deer then fled and was never found, leaving investigators with no explanation for its apparent resurrection and aggressive behavior.
Two hunters shot a buck and waited 30 minutes (). The 'dead' buck suddenly attacked, goring one hunter (). The buck then ran off and was never found, despite a lung shot (). Wildlife officers were left with 'unanswered questions and pretty damn creepy ones at that' ().
5Colonial Trauma and Congolese Spirituality
A Belgian grandfather, a successful hunting guide in the Congo, underwent a dramatic personality shift after his business partner, Franchis, disappeared in the jungle. He became obsessed with Langola tribal spiritual practices, importing 'meni' statues (portable graves), creating an ancestral altar, and seeking Simbi water spirits, suggesting a deep, unarticulated horror related to his partner's fate.
Grandfather Leandro became a hunting guide in the Congo (). After his business partner, Franchis, went missing, his personality changed dramatically (). He imported 'meni' statues (), installed an ancestral altar (), and sought Simbi water spirits (). The narrator believes 'something horrifying beyond reason happened' to his friend, driving his grandfather to ancient religion for comfort ().
Lessons
- Always remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings, even in familiar or seemingly safe environments, as unseen dangers can emerge unexpectedly.
- Exercise extreme caution and adhere strictly to safety protocols, such as waiting periods after a kill, but be prepared for unpredictable animal behavior.
- Recognize that some mysteries may never be fully solved, and the human mind can resort to unconventional beliefs when confronted with inexplicable trauma or loss.
Notable Moments
The chilling realization by two hunters that they were targeted by serial killer Thomas Dillon, who operated in their hunting grounds.
This moment highlights the terrifying randomness of violence and how close ordinary individuals can come to becoming victims of notorious criminals without immediate awareness.
The discovery by British soldiers in Sarajevo that 'snipers' were actually wealthy tourists paying to shoot civilians.
This reveals a profound and disturbing aspect of human depravity, where war and human suffering are commodified for perverse entertainment, challenging perceptions of conflict and morality.
The inexplicable 'resurrection' and attack by a 'dead' deer on a hunter, followed by its complete disappearance.
This event defies conventional understanding of wildlife behavior and biology, creating a lingering sense of the uncanny and the limits of scientific explanation in nature.
Grandfather Leandro's dramatic shift from a fun-loving hunting guide to a reclusive man obsessed with Congolese spiritual practices after his business partner's disappearance.
This illustrates the profound psychological impact of unexplained trauma and loss, leading individuals to seek solace or answers in belief systems far removed from their original culture.
Quotes
"Holy crap, we got shot at by a serial killer and we could have been two of his victims."
"The two Italians hadn't been mercenaries, which made sense since the Serbs weren't exactly flush with cash. Instead, it was them that had been paying the Serbs for a chance to shoot at UN soldiers and Bosnian civilians."
"I think something horrifying beyond reason happened to my grandfather's friend. Something that only ancient religion and superstition could bring him comfort."
"So, apart from something akin to try not to shoot one of them their zombie deers, there was nothing much I could say in terms of safety or prevention."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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