Run ins with wildlife?

**kwchannell89** · 08-20-2012, 09:09

Last summer I was staying at the Tricorner Knob Shelter in the Smokies. After walking 15 some miles I finally made it to the shelter and a group of guys were also staying there and asked me if I saw a bear on my way in. I said I did not. 5 minutes later I'm pulling food out of my pack and for some random reason I looked to my left and at least 10 yards away a bear is sitting in front of a tree staring at me. I look back at the guys that asked me the question and asked while pointing, "did you mean this bear?" This stupid 300 pound bear (I'm guessing) wouldn't leave after we try to scare him off. We eventually scared him off by throwing rocks around him (not hitting him directly) and pounding on the tin roof of the shelter with sticks. Here a few pictures of him before he ran off. The next morning I left the shelter and ascended up to Mt. Guyot (2nd highest point in Tennessee) and Old Black Mountain only to find fresh bear turd about quarter mile from the shelter. Darn thing kept hanging within the vicinity of the shelter. It freaked me out that he wasn't super scared of us. About 9 miles away or so at Cosby Knob Shelter it was shut down by the rangers due to bear activities. I was paranoid as heck the remaining 8 some miles hike back to the car. I kept looking around me as I walked.

**Shug** · 08-20-2012, 09:38

Met me a nice big Timber Wolf on the Superior Hiking Trail here in Minnesota. A glorious moment for sure!
Shug

**Fronkey** · 08-20-2012, 09:40

Originally Posted by Shug

Met me a nice big Timber Wolf on the Superior Hiking Trail here in Minnesota. A glorious moment for sure!
Shug

Wait... Was that right next to "the Ledge" or "The Falls" campsite? I didn't realize that happened so close. Man, that's cool!

Fronkey

**Shug** · 08-20-2012, 09:52

Originally Posted by Fronkey

Wait... Was that right next to "the Ledge" or "The Falls" campsite? I didn't realize that happened so close. Man, that's cool!

Fronkey

It was the Ledge.......lucky day for me....and the wolf))))
Shug

**Cannibal** · 08-20-2012, 10:56

My tarp lines have been molested by a raccoon with no morals.
My ridgelines have been used as amusement parks by squirrels....and a catapult for said squirrels by me.

I've had a bear on the other side of my tarp wall. A clearing of the throat made him/her run off like the devil was on his six.
I've camped on ranch land and had cows, horses, and one goat come see what I was all about in the middle of the night.
At home, my donkeys make several visits to the hammock at night. Hell of a thing to open your eyes and have a big donkey face hovering a few inches above your face...just staring at you.

This weekend, the donkeys learned that they could 'plink' the suspension of my hammock like a guitar string. I think they took great joy plinking it and watching me sit bolt-upright.

Those are just the ones I'm aware of. It would be both fun and terrifying to know what else has come through as I'm snoring the night away.

**XSrcing** · 08-20-2012, 11:06

Before I started hanging I would sleep under a tarp and one night I woke up to an army of little black moles crawling all over and around me. I squealed like a girl which made them scatter. But since they are blind they kept running in to each other and it became rather amusing.

**Caveman** · 08-20-2012, 11:17

When I first started sleeping outdoors I went to a buddies creek and we "camped." We had deer storting all around the camp (which at the time I had no idea what that was) and a coyote got a hold of a rabbit. If you've never heard a rabbit scream, it sounds just like a baby. It was an interesting night to say the least. I didn't sleep much

**pizza** · 08-20-2012, 11:56

A wolf came up to within 10 feet of me on the trail a few years ago. Also scared a bear up once on the trail. At Jay Cooke State park I had porcupine come up to me at the picnic table. Also had a raccoon harass me in my hammock at night. That's about it for my encounters.

**Fronkey** · 08-20-2012, 12:02

Originally Posted by pizza

A wolf came up to within 10 feet of me on the trail a few years ago. Also scared a bear up once on the trail. At Jay Cooke State park I had porcupine come up to me at the picnic table. Also had a raccoon harass me in my hammock at night. That's about it for my encounters.

I did really like hearing that wold encounter of yours. I'm hoping I get something similar happen to me in 3 weeks.

Fronkey

**Acer** · 08-20-2012, 12:24

2 yrs ago, had a bear in the campsite at 5pm of which we ran off,,then he came back at 2am and had to run him off as he was shaking the bear cables (GSMNP) trying to get at our packs and food,,,then at 7am he came back and we ran him off a 3rd time. Also had a elk,,walk within 5 ft of our campsite 3 yrs ago, in RMNP camped out..plus alot of times numerouls coons and small critters of sorts..I have been sitting in a tree stand deer hunting and hit on the back shoulders, by big owls and hawks a couple of times each..seems they can't distiquish what you really are when your all camo'ed up and not moving. Glad I have been harnessed in the tree each time that happens to keep me from falling off the stand in bewilderment.