Hammocking in solitude: "What was that?!"

**MacEntyre** · 02-26-2009, 09:26

Originally Posted by Shug

...all I can tell you is that he was scruffy and had very blue piercing eyes.

You sure that wasn't FishinFinn?

**boarstone** · 02-26-2009, 12:54

I take nightvision monoculars....then I know....

**DavidWa** · 06-08-2009, 01:51

Originally Posted by RAW

So, when you guys are out hammocking . . . . do you ever have moments where a noise or something startles you?

I've always been a bit drifty , now in my later years I'm more forgetful. Sometimes this has a humorous aspect , other times it's a bit annoying. Recently I was grateful that my over site resulted in my not being out in the woods when I heard a night creature noise which I have never heard before. Which was a hair raising scary sound.

A few months ago I purchased two hammocks of different design. A WB BB and a Spear . I had made several day hikes practicing learning to hang the hammocks correctly. I had not done any hammock camping over night since earlier in the year it would still get down into the 30s at night and I did not yet have gear to hammock over night in the colder temps.

Memorial day weekend my family was away to check on the family cabin about 4 hours away so it left me the perfect time to over night out in the blackbird and hammock camp for the first time. I hiked about 30 minutes back into the woods behind the house before finding a spot to hang - only to realize after finding a good spot that I had forgotten the stake out pegs. No big deal, just cut some sticks or tie off the tarp to tree branches. Otherwise my first night actually hammock camping went quit well.

My family returned a day early from the cabin having found all in good order after the winter months and getting the yard mowed. So I asked my son ( 13 year old) if he'd like to hike back into the woods to give hammock camping a try. He agreed and off we went. It took us quit a while to find a set of trees where we could hang two hammocks close together.

Got the first hammock up only to then realize that I had forgotten the second hammock. Just too many little black bags to keep track of I guess. Nothing to do but head home. To late to hike back to the place we'd found as it was already near dark. But we were determined to camp out so we put up the hammocks in the neighbors yard. I have plenty of trees in my own yard but they are all to far apart to hang the hammocks . Our neighbor has three trees straight in a row which are prefect size and distance apart.

Anyway - we get the hammocks and tarps up. Go home for a while and go back out about 11 pm. to go to sleep. About an hour after getting into the hammocks I hear a creature in the woods making a scary noise I have never heard before.

And I have lived at the present location for 30 + years. From where we were hanging to the north is open field about 40 yards , then up a small hill to where an old tobacco barn sets, then its up onto the mountain and into the woods. The sound seemed to be coming from the general area where I had camped by myself the night before. ( glad I did not hear this sound then ) Not to far up the mountain behind the barn.

I suppose it could have been some kind of bird but perhaps some other type of critter. I best I can describe the sound as sounding a lot like a cat hissing.

But if it was a cat it had to have been a large one since the sound was coming from 150 yards or so distance and a 100 yards or so higher in elevation. And it was loud. Each hiss was a second or two in duration and it hissed several times. Dogs up and down the valley ( holler in local dialect ) were barking. Except for our own dog outside on the east side of my own house. She's a small dog and perhaps thought it best to remain quiet. My neighbors house where we were hanging is to the west from my house.

Then all was quiet for a half hour or so when it hissed several times a second time from what sounded like the same location. My son had not said anything so I finally called out to him to ask if he had heard the noise. No reply, he was sound asleep. I think if he had heard the creature he would have wanted to head into the house.

All was quiet for another half hour or so when I heard the sound a third time. This time though it was well to the west and sounded like it was back into the woods behind my mother-in-law's house. Which is 300 yards or so to the west, past 4 houses and open garden fields which are between my house and hers. Yet it was still quit a loud sound. Again the dogs were all barking.

So I've no idea what it was. I have no idea what a bobcat sounds like. Could it have been a bobcat ? Still I think it could have been some kind of bird. But not sure. I know last year twice at my mother-in-laws house as they drove into the drive way after dark the motion activated lights came on and she and my son saw something large and black and having a long tail move quickly off into the dark. I know the local DNR folks claim there are no panthers around yet I know many folks who live off into the head of the local hollers claim they see them from time to time . Both here in W.V. and from work associates who live in eastern Kentucky.

So I still have no idea what could make such a loud hissing sound in the night. I've always managed to camp out a few times each year all my life and I've never heard a similar sound . Still glad I didn't hear it when it would have been much closer to where I was hanging solo the previous night. And happy my son was a sleep or certainly we would have spent the night in the house.

So there you have it - my what was that scary noise story.

D

**Shug** · 06-08-2009, 07:38

That was a terrific and detailed story! Bobcats do hiss .... you might have just heard one........ they sure love eating rabbits.

**rigidpsycho** · 06-08-2009, 08:14

I do know that in parts of KY there are Bobcats, but I haven't heard of any sightings of panthers. I haven't actually seen or heard any bobcats when I am out in the Ky wilderness. I do know that black bears are making their way back into eastern Ky.

**CR0M** · 06-08-2009, 08:45

Being in the UK I find it hard to comprehend the paranoia towards people in the US, why are people perceived to be more dangerous than say a bear? just what is it you think they would do if they stumbled across your camp?

Here in Blighty if a person wandered close to my camp in the wilderness, they would ignore me, I would ignore them. Thankfully we have no predators of the animal kind either.

*goes to watch Deliverance again*

**Hetairoi** · 06-08-2009, 09:16

Originally Posted by CR0M

why are people perceived to be more dangerous than say a bear?

Because bears are more predictable than people.

**Cannibal** · 06-08-2009, 09:19

Originally Posted by CR0M

why are people perceived to be more dangerous than say a bear? just what is it you think they would do if they stumbled across your camp?

Cause bears don't have thumbs! A thumb can be used to hold a knife or grip a handgun. They can also be used to open the bottle of meds those people should be on, but I guess they forget.

Originally Posted by CR0M

*goes to watch Deliverance again*

Right after you go watch Hostel. I used to want to hike in Europe, but I feel better about the banjos now.

**CR0M** · 06-08-2009, 15:55

I'm never camping in America

At least in England the chavs/gangs are too lazy and stupid to step outside their urban pissing grounds, so the wilds are the best place to be I guess - the further from civilisation the safer.