This is great. I feel like I'm sitting around the campfire hearing great stories.
As for me, I've flicked off scorpions, black widows (no bites, thank God). I've chased several bear, deer, raccoons, and other animals away from camp.
My best experience occurred in during my last solo hike September. I woke up around midnight hearing rocks banging around. Since I was the only human within 10 miles, it had to be Big Foot.
I wasn't that far from Willow Creek, CA, a well known Big Foot hang out.
"Well, you might be lazy, but if we were not all about comfort here this would be a tent forum!" - - Roadtorque
HAHAHAHHAOriginally Posted by beep
Heh!! If I'd been asleep in your camp, that'd made me warm a bit lower!!!
Beep i just read this...that was great...i think i almost pee my pants laughing
It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold
I would have paid good hard cash to see that ....
Still laughing 10 minutes later ...
Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage
William Shakespeare
"Insert witty and intelligent statement here"
Woke up one morning in the Pecos wilderness to a mule deer hanging out outside my tent ...
Pest wouldn't leave ... wanted part of my breakfast!
Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage
William Shakespeare
"Insert witty and intelligent statement here"
At the Fall Hot Springs Hang I was in my ENO doublenest and had let my hand hang out over the side. About 5;30am something with a wet nose sniffed my hand....I about wet my pants. I snatched my hand in and by the time I got my nerve up to look, whatever it was was gone. I know we had dogs around camp for the hang so it could have been one of them I guess. Sleeps with Skunks said she saw a deer during the night so who knows.
to be honest...everytime a bear came into camp or whatever it may be...i was the one to scare them off ,no one wanted to do it...and i'm not the only one that carries out of all the ppl i hike with...i just get picked all the time...i just do it anymore...saves time
so i get stuck doing the dirty deed all hours of the morning...thats why i yell fire in the hole befor i let one rip
don't want to scare anyone lol
It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold
I could tell my worst bad bear story and how scared I was, but I'm not sure I wouldn't have been more scared if (opening post) unknown creature raced into my bag and back out...well, you'd have seen how fast I could clear out from under/within myself.
However, my better story is my old dog Zeph, a Aussie Sheep Dog mix, who was generally pretty mild mannered when camping. Rope collar to my wrist to keep him near. Things like raccoons and skunks around the camp would wake him up and cause him to growl, but that's about all, and sometimes he'd even curl back up before all the wild life had migrated. One night, I woke hearing something snapping brush nearby, and the next thing, all dog and hair are slithering into my mummy bag (I believe I heard a slight whimper) and once in, he didn't try, and there wasn't room, for him to turn around. I just had a faceful of dog tail as I wondered what he had smelled and identified that I hadn't...
Like many on this forum, I'm an old timer with over 45 years experience in the bush. I have been blessed in my life with the opportunity to spend a lot of time outdoors as a professional environmental scientist and as an avid hunter/backpacker. I have had several night time encounters with uninvited visitors, which mostly didn't amount to much at all. But, here are a few campfire stories (since you asked).
The most memorable night time wildlife encounters for me started when I was in the Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1969-1970; we had cockroaches as big as small dogs, rats with an attitude, mongoose, and cobras (very rare) among our expected night time visitors. We slept on the ground with poncho liners pulled tight over our heads to keep the critters from getting at us. Rat bites were not unusual but thankfully infrequent. The experience tended to build character.
Years later camping in jungle environments in Thailand and on various Pacific Islands in the Marianas and Palauan Groups, the night time environment was all about rats and biting/stinging insects of all kinds. If you are camping on the ground (regardless of the quality of the tent), eventually a few jungle dwellers will get in to bite the hell out of you. That is one reason I am a committed hammock user today.
Back home I have been awakened once by a curious tarantula and in one rare instance by coyotes bringing down a large game animal virtually right next to my camp. I had my wife and young kids with me on the occasion involving the coyotes. They were not amused by any aspect of the experience. At Indian Gardens in the Grand Canyon I woke up one night (sleeping on the ground) surrounded by grazing Mule Deer. The deer that woke me up was feeding no more than 6" from my face. It was a night with a full moon. I was awestruck.
Here is an experience that I can only report as second hand; although I was there at the finish.
Once on a hunting trip in northern Arizona just before nightfall, my hunting buddy was stalked by a mountain lion. He didn't know the lion was on his trail until he walked out on a ledge overlooking a wash to take a short break. As he sat down he turned to look back up the trail he had just traveled. He was surprised to see the mountain lion at about 25' away looking straight at him. He made a thrust with his leg to scare the lion. But, instead of running, the animal began advancing towards him in an aggressive manner; ears laid back and teeth exposed. That is when he started getting very scared. At about that instant, I came up the wash to meet up with him as we had planned. When I called out, the lion lunged forward and in about two leaps jumped over my friend's shoulder, into the wash, and out of sight. My friend was totally shaken. I missed most of the show, having arrived only to see the lion jumping and running away. I had to physically assist my friend back to camp including carrying his rifle and pack. He just couldn't make his arms and legs work right for a while. That ended the hunting trip for him.
While hiking/camping the Trillium Gap Trail on Mt LeConte this summer I got up in the middle of the night to take care of business. I took several steps away from camp and began said business. I happened to look up and a pair of huge eyes were staring at me through the brush at eye level only ~15' away. I thought only women could stop mid-stream? It kept staring as I slowly withdrew and went to the other side of camp to finish aforementioned business. I never heard a sound. Tough getting back to sleep when your ears are now operating at Steve Austin levels. (Funt dunt dunt dunt dunt...)
2015 John Rock Spreadsheet.
"If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is STOP DIGGING "
I've spent quite a bit of time in the woods and have had a few un-invited visitors into the camp. Nose to nose with an Elk that was standing right in front of the tent. It's amazing how long you can "hold it" while waiting for a very large animal to stop browsing for food at your camp site. Many snakes, spiders, racoons and squirrels but we have had moose walk through our sites and deer grazing nearby.
The best encounter was while portaging with my son. He was about 7 and would grab his pack and the paddles and head out in front. Just before throwing the canoe on my head, he came back up the trail, ghost white and shaking. All he could say was "it's big, black and right on the trail". We thought bear so my buddy and I grabbed camera's and ran up the trail to see what it was. Turned out to be a moose with 2 calves standing right on the trail and not in a hurry to leave. After snapping a couple pic's (which I couldn't find) they turned and headed into the woods. To this day, I am amazed at how quiet they were for how big they are.
I do not wish to be disturbed - but I can't help it!
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks