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  1. #1
    s2164059
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    Interesting first night...half night

    As the forum name suggests, I'm writing my introduction after my first night. But first, a quick introduction.
    I was sold the instant I heard about hammock camping as I hate sleeping on the ground on my Ontario back-country camping and canoe camping trips. I purchased the Hennessey expedition as an intro and joined Hammock forums to get some questions answered.

    My first night experience.
    The weekend after my hammock arrived I tied it up between two Black Walnut trees in the forest behind my home. I couldn't believe how fast and easy it was to set up on the first try. I decided to leave it up and try sleeping in it that night - the temperature was supposed to drop to about 6c so I thought it would be a prefect opportunity!

    That night I grabbed my sleeping back and mat and headed out to slumber. After half and hour of "A Bridge to Far" on my portable player I couldn't keep my eyes open so I tucked in for the night...already amazed at the comfort and warmth inside the hammock.

    The first 'event' of the night took place in the minutes before sleep when a stubborn walnut that the squirrels had missed fell onto the taught tarp, jarring my awake until I guessed what the culprit had been. Soon again I was slipping into sleep.

    I slept extremely well but was awoken again around 2:30am...I know what time it was because soon after being awoken I was in the house heading to my own familiar bed. I didn't take long to realize what had awoken me because the heavy 'sniffing' was coming from a snout that was prodding my left side. The coyotes that frequent the forest hadn't even come to mind as I was setting up...at 2:30am I remembered quite well. I grunted and clapped my hands to scare it away and heard the creature scamper off. I laid there quietly listening to hear if it had gone. I quickly heard the sniffing sound again on my right side. This time I put my flash light against the mesh and peered out to see a second coyote investigating a few feet away. I frightened this one in the same fashion and again waited a few minutes trying to decide what to do next. I was deciding that it was unlikely I would be able to fall back asleep when I heard the tell tale sound that the pack had found a rabbit some way off. If you've ever heard this sound it makes a pack of six or so coyotes sound like 20 hounds of hell. My mind was quickly made up and I slept soundly the rest of the night...in my bed.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Bradley's Avatar
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    Welcome . . .

    Your decision to move in was likely a good one,
    east of you, the coyotes have been getting more aggressive around humans.

    Years ago they came into my flap-door tent one night,
    they scared off easily enough, then.

    There are ways to ensure a good night sleep in the wild . . .

    Given the chance I would bear spray them . . . lesson one don't mess with a human.
    Bradley SaintJohn
    Flat Bottom Canoe
    Start A Biz

    The Transition from Ground Sleeping to Hammocks
    is the Conversion from Agony To Ecstasy,
    and Curing Ground-In-somnia.

    "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show you great and mighty things . . ." Jeremiah 33:3
    ΙΧΘΥΣ

  3. #3
    Senior Member Backtrack's Avatar
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    Aug 2010
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    Thomasville, NC
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    Welcome to the group! I have had a similar problem on my last AT section trip. I heard them far away from the ridge line where I was hanging. Thirty minutes later after I was asleep I heard one right beside my tarp. I grabbed my .380 and it was in the process of running off. Man it gave me cold chills!

  4. #4
    New Member
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    did you have any food, gum, toothpaste, etc in or near your hammock? Just curious. If not, that is pretty disturbing!!

  5. #5
    Senior Member timabababaluka's Avatar
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    I feel ya. I had three encounters with coyotes within a one month period if time--all of which left their mark. Granted, I was in a car each time, nevertheless, I do not share the love of coyotes that the auto-body shop guy has .

    All kidding aside, I don't fret much over the coyotes. The black bears and mountain lions that are found throughout the Sierra Nevadas, however, are another story altogether. Other than soiling myself, I really don't what I'll do when that encounter takes place, and while small arms certainly would make me feel better, I have my doubts as to their efficacy. Best to take the standard precautions, do what I do, let the critters do what they do, and hope we can all see eye to eye (that and always take a slow buddy along (as my pappy says: "Ya don't have to be faster than a mountain lion--just faster than the guys you hike with (that probably would have been funnier if we weren't hiking together at the time--and if I wasn't just 6 years old)).

    At any rate, welcome to the forum, and great first post. It makes you think.
    You're gonna need a bigger hammock

  6. #6
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Terrific post .... they are like drunken teenagers with four legs!
    Shug
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  7. #7
    Senior Member Knotty's Avatar
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    I don't know if Ontario is east enough but i read a good article about coyotes in Outdoor magazine that explained that eastern coyotes are a more significant threat than those in the west. Essentially the eastern coyotes have adopted wolf like behavior, working in packs, aggressive towards humans, etc. Some incidents here in NJ support that article.
    Knotty
    "Don't speak unless it improves the silence." -proverb
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