can't we all just get along?

**cliff355** · 09-22-2009, 07:32

Originally Posted by Ken

Bobcats are extremely shy of man.

I think this particular Bobcat was goofy. That is the problem with beasts armed with teeth and claws that "avoid man." Like any other population of men or beasts there are a small proportion that are lunatics and do not behave like they are supposed to.

**TinaLouise** · 09-22-2009, 07:45

growling, I'd tend to think of something in the dog type family. Not cat!!! Either way though, you're still faced with some animal, at night, that's a threat to you. I'm guessing that your light wasn't close enough to the animal to show up what type animal it was??? Were you able to look for any animal tracks the next morning? And I'm also guessing that you left your hammock and then retrived it the next morning? Since you didn't mention it, your hammock was untouched by the animal? Do you think if you had not disturbed this animal, it may have just passed you by?? Still, hard to know anyways, animals will do what they do. And if it was a dog, it could have attacked you if you scared it. Do you keep your treking poles near-by when you're asleep in your hammock? Sounds like you did the best thing, stayed calm, backing up and going inside. You didn't fall down and you didn't run (things you should not do when faced with unknown growling animal)

**SmokeHouse** · 09-22-2009, 07:51

Animals in the wild have a very strong since of smell. you must have been up wind from it and when you got out of your hammock you surprised it. one option is buy a small air-horn. They are in the boating section in most stores. A loud burst of noise most likely will scare it away.

**keys?** · 09-22-2009, 08:03

Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

It is a small point and mostly moot... but _I_ would refer to a cats guttural sounds as a "snarl" rather than a "growl". Which would lead me to the canine/coyote side of the animal kingdom. Cats I have watched tend to crouch down into the grass rather than stand up in it like a dog does. Just my musing.

I never saw it's legs, the grass is pretty tall where it was at, but I guess it very well could have been a coyote. Those sounds I've heard in the past sound like a large cat. Plenty of field mice around here though, could have been a large, angry tomcat.

Originally Posted by TinaLouise

growling, I'd tend to think of something in the dog type family. Not cat!!! Either way though, you're still faced with some animal, at night, that's a threat to you. I'm guessing that your light wasn't close enough to the animal to show up what type animal it was??? Were you able to look for any animal tracks the next morning? And I'm also guessing that you left your hammock and then retrived it the next morning? Since you didn't mention it, your hammock was untouched by the animal? Do you think if you had not disturbed this animal, it may have just passed you by?? Still, hard to know anyways, animals will do what they do. And if it was a dog, it could have attacked you if you scared it. Do you keep your treking poles near-by when you're asleep in your hammock? Sounds like you did the best thing, stayed calm, backing up and going inside. You didn't fall down and you didn't run (things you should not do when faced with unknown growling animal)

Apparently I was a threat to it first! I'd say it was about 50 ft out and all I had was a headlamp, I honestly didnt stick around to investigate. Yes, I left my hammock behind, I hated to do it, but I did. I rescued it this morning, no apparent activity to with it, lol at least I didnt find it taking a nap in it or anything

**Shug** · 09-22-2009, 08:03

Whoa Sarahgirl,
On a recent trip my buddy Wandern'Fool had a small airhorn. At around 3AM we had a coyote or two come in camp so he sounded the horn and off it went.
I think his wife got it at a sports store.
Be very vigilant and sound the horn........
Shug
Airhorn.bmp

**Cannibal** · 09-22-2009, 09:15

Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

ahhh ... we don't have croc's and about a dozen of your poisonous snakes pal!!!

...and spiders that will kill you, and jellyfish that will kill you, and the most prolific hunter in the oceans...that will kill you, etc.
Scary place down there to be sure!

Sarahgirl, don't be scared; be aware. Know your enemy and all that. Animals are animals and they will for the most part (barring illness) behave in a set pattern. There are very, very few scary things on the AT; the bears are only scary to you right now. Once you walk past a few of them that fear will pass to respect and admiration. Not too many animals are 'out to get you' and most will run away very fast after the blast of an air horn as people here have already pointed out. One thing to remember when you're in your hammock on a nervous night on the AT; the very loudest sounds come from the smallest creatures. I swear to the higher power of your choice that a squirrel sounds like Godzilla coming through the trees. A bear, you'll not hear it until it's going through somebody's food bag. It's true, I bet others back me up on that one.

I would put a lot of money against it being a cat in this case. Cats are stealth hunters (in addition to being the one animal out here that genuinely concerns me when I'm hiking) who will always attack from behind. A cornered cat, or one caught off-guard, is a dangerous beast but given an escape route (like a wide open field behind them) they will take it 9 times out of 10. The canines are much more likely to stand their ground and fight, which is funny since the cats would generally be more dangerous and lethal.

If you want some revenge on the coyotes you can come out here. We've found evidence of them bedding down on the back of our property. My plan is to take my AirSoft Sniper rifle and spend a few evenings on top of the horse stable. I figure I can make their little spot wickedly unfriendly, plus it gives me an excuse to buy that night scope I've had my eye on.

**Coffee** · 09-22-2009, 09:17

Originally Posted by sarahgirl

The good news is I've got my support system switched out on my clark (thanks to grizzes helpful video), and it works great, bad news is I had company early this morning. After hanging out a while (a nice cool night and lightening storm to boot), I decide to get up and call it a night, as I'm getting out of my hammock I flip on my light and there they are two glowing eyeballs staring right at me, and at that moment this thing starts to growl.

I live in the country and hang in an area surrounded by tall grass, which is nice yes, pretty to look at, but makes me feel like prey. It never took it's eyes off of me as I was backing away toward the house.

My dad and I were just talking last week about bobcats, and how a while back he'd seen one on our land. I don't know if this is true, but there's been two instances where I have been sitting outside and heard something in the process of getting destroyed, it's a horrible sound. I know we've all probably had these occurances, I just had to voice the fact that I got scared. I will have to overcome this eventually, because someday very soon, I won't be able to run to my house, and there will be larger even creepier things out there.

Hiking with Cannibal earlier this summer, we came up with a couple things that help he sleep way better outside or put into words why I do. Any animal that is going to attack you, you are not going to hear get close. So any noise I hear I don't worry about. The other is that with all the people that hike and camp outdoors, if getting attacked was a real problem you would hear more about it.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I know doesn't apply everywhere. Cool story. It would make me a little jumpy, but also want to look around more and try to see it.

**Off-road** · 09-22-2009, 09:21

Originally Posted by gunn parker

I'm so glad I live in Australia, you guys have way too many bity things over there.

Ah yes.....salt water crocks are harmless and not very aggressive.
Aren't they herbivores?

Anyway...i live in an area with a relatively high population of both Bobcats and yotes and can tell you they are two of the most elusive animals you'll ever encounter.
I seriously doubt you'll ever hear where a healthy specimen attacks a human in the back country.