Hanging last night in the Virginia mountains and felt something move under my back

**JSH** · 11-22-2015, 21:37

I'll post a trip report in few days but a group of us backpacked into the Blue Ridge west of Lexington Virginia this weekend. Everyone hung food etc well away from the camping area. Me too. About 2 AM this morning I woke hearing some rustling just outside my hammock. I had my winter cover on my Warbonnet and my tarp was tied down close due to the wind that was blowing.

My initial reaction was there must be a deer outside. I'd hung in an old apple orchard between two apple trees and had seen deer scat as I set up yesterday afternoon.

I laid there a few seconds then felt something move quickly from my butt up my left side to my left shoulder area. It was not a blow but more pressure of something moving. I'd hung my hammock and tarp low last night because of the westerly wind that was anticipated.

I let out a bellow that woke some of my camp mates. Whatever it was kept moving because in several seconds I heard movement away from my hammock.

It really spooked me. I've read of others in the forum and thought I'd never experience anything like that. But can say that I have now and didn't like the experience very much. I had left my pack on the ground although all cooking was done 250 yards away. Going to start hanging it from now on. No food in it but still.

**SilvrSurfr** · 11-22-2015, 21:41

I've had a couple of things bump my hammock, but that doesn't stir me (they're probably too small to be predators). However, I still have nightmares about a porcupine who walked into my camp a few years ago. He just strolled in and didn't stop until he was five feet from me (and I was yelling at him). He walked about 20 feet away and stayed there until I finally fell asleep.

In the morning, he was still there. I think I was set up on a game trail or something - lucky I didn't see more critters!

**JSH** · 11-22-2015, 22:14

Porcupine isn't a lot of fun. Glad you had a good outcome.

I'd hung everything low last night because there was a real blow going on when I set up.

But in the wee hours this morning I have never experienced anything like this. I was hanging between two old apple trees and kind of thought there might be a chance for a deer to be picking around in the fallen apples.

That was my first thought this morning until whatever it was walked beneath me.

If I hadn't hung my hammock low I might not have felt the critter but that sensation really spooked me. All's well though. But I'm not going to mess around in the future with anything that might lure critters. My food and cooking bag were suspended about 150 feet away in a tree but the future will have a real bear bag, nothing with food odor around me and my pack in the air on a tree or something nearby.

**obxh2o** · 11-22-2015, 22:19

Any folks use the same campsite before you? Could have been a habituated creature.

**Shug** · 11-22-2015, 22:19

I too had a vivid dream that a warthog pushed me up in my hammock. Felt very real. I was camping solo in the snow and woke myself hollaring out. But alas...only a dream.
Always curious what comes to check us out in the night.

**kunzman** · 11-22-2015, 22:26

http://youtu.be/3SOM076AXgs

**WalksIn2Trees** · 11-22-2015, 22:59

I've had squirrels climb over my suspension and couple of times run across my ridgeline. I had a coyote come within 50ft of my hammock. I talked to it, and it stopped, tried to figure out where I was, then took a new track to give me wide berth. One night I heard something really big cracking through the trees... I suspect a bear, but it never came near me, I had trouble sleeping for a few nights after that one. I've heard raccoons, and they worry me as much as the bear did, but I never go invaded by them. Also have heard a fox trotting around in the dark. Most animals, I'll make a noise to warm them I'm there, better that, then have them be surprised

**u.willie** · 11-22-2015, 23:36

I get that you hung your food away from where you camped, and that you ate away from where you hung also - but - you were hanging between two trees that are known to all the animals to provide food (apples). Not just deer eat apples. Foxes, skunks, coyotes, raccoon, bear, and maybe more eat them to. I'd guess it was one of the smaller critters like a skunk or something if you were low to the ground, hunkered down under the tarp.
I wonder if where you were hanging (between two apple trees), had anything to do with the animal walking around under your hammock?

Were you able to fall back asleep?

u.w.

**mtb_huh** · 11-22-2015, 23:37

I thought it was a good idea to stake a tarp in the ground below the hammock to alert me if a critter was right under me. Well...it became very annoying as a couple of chipmunks kept scurrying back and forth on it, almost as if it was a game. Last time I did that.