Your favorite uninvited visitor...

[hdbint]

I've got several.

Had bears on two different trips to New Mexico in Cimarron Canyon. One trip, the group next to us left food out in plastic containers. Its tough to sleep at 4:00 am with bears in the next site ripping it apart. Needless to say they had a mess to clean up.

Second time, a year later - same area, was a bear just wandering through the camp ground after dark. I met him at the front of my truck (at about 5 feet). I almost accidently......He headed away and acted more annoyed than scared. I about had a heart attack.

Had a skunk in Texas wander down a trail I was hanging over in a net hammock one night. Heard something and smelled skunk. Just laid as still as I could. I assume he winded me as he went back the way he came at a high rate of speed. Luckily, I didn't get sprayed...Lesson learned, don't hang over a game trail no matter how small it is.

My favorite critter story is from fly fishing in South Dakota. I was up the canyon a good mile or two and alone (spooky factor had set in for some reason and I was already on edge). I was walking up on the hill looking down on the creek for holes to fish (the grass/brush at the creek was over my head). Found what looked to be a nice hole and made my way down into the grass. About halfway through it, something jumped up right in front of me and took off, I about jumped out of my boots and ended up on my back with tackle scattered everywhere. I was on the ground before my brain registered "Doe". I think she laid there as long as she could hoping I'd pass her up. I about stepped on her. I often wonder who was spooked the most out of the deal and get a good chuckle out of it now.

[canoebie]

While still a ground dweller, I awoke to something crawling down my left arm camped in a tent on the Manistee river in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. Flicked it off, tuned on flashlight, black widow spider. Put it outside, attempted sleep, realized I wasn't feeling well and my neck hurt. Put hand where there was pain and there was oozing from my neck. Had been bitten.

Long story short, felt like the flu times ten, fixed breakfast for 12 men, paddled 15 miles, drove 4 hours home, went to urgent care center. Gave me Valium, antidote not very effective and I was ok. Took 5 days to recover. Haven't slept in a tent since. As a friend of mine said, there was David, necking with her in the tent and the b***h bit him. Yup, me and all the other males, least she didn't totally consume me.

[JNanson]

While sleeping in a tent out side of Mt. McKinley AK. We heard something outside our tent I thought is was a Grizzly or maybe a wolf. I looked out of the tent it was a moose! Man are those things BIG. Just laid there with my wife and it went away.

[Doctari]

I set up in the back yard so often the squirrels are completely used to my set up, so they use my tarp ridge line as a short cut & every now & then, my hammock ridge line is the preferred route.
Naturally the birds often perch on my set up. Once a House Wren checked out my Black Bishop bag as a nesting site, she went elsewhere thankfully.

[Arson]

Jesus!!!!! All these stories!!!!! I'm never going outside again!!!!

While still a ground dweller, I awoke to something crawling down my left arm camped in a tent on the Manistee river in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. Flicked it off, tuned on flashlight, black widow spider.

Canoebie, I just got back from the Manistee on a two day trip with a guy who is terrified of spiders. I could only get him to go because I assured him I've never seen a spider there.
I think I'll skip telling him your story if I ever want to go there with him again.

[canoebie]

Jesus!!!!! All these stories!!!!! I'm never going outside again!!!!




Canoebie, I just got back from the Manistee on a two day trip with a guy who is terrified of spiders. I could only get him to go because I assured him I've never seen a spider there.
I think I'll skip telling him your story if I ever want to go there with him again.

Black Widows are in all lower 48 states, venom 100 times more potent than a diamond back rattler. Fortunately, there isn't much of it. It set me back, I have a whole new appreciation for the practice of keeping things zipped, protected and enclosed, I used to hang things out all the time, now if I do, I shake them very well. Most times I keep them sealed. It was no fun.

[RootCause]

Black Widows are in all lower 48 states, venom 100 times more potent than a diamond back rattler.

I am very glad to report this, from the University of MN, verified in 2009:

Northern Widow Spider Bite
The northern widow spider is infrequently found in the Upper Midwest. This species is one of the three closely related "black widows." Black widow spiders are shy and prefer secluded locations <snip>

Brown Recluse Spider Bite
The brown recluse spider,Loxosceles reculsa,is common outdoors and indoors in the southern and central United States. It is uncommon to extremely rare in the Upper Midwest. Only one specimen has been recorded in Minnesota (1953, Lake County). Only two specimens have been recorded in Wisconsin in the last 25 years.

I've never been afraid of spiders, Canoebie- but your story might push me down that road!

Winter camping, anyone?

[canoebie]

I did a fair amount of research after the bite. They are not only shy, they are primarily nocturnal. The night of the event was unusually warm in September and I had left my tent open and my sleeping bag hung over the tent and forgotten about it until after dark. I am convinced she was in my sleeping bag and I pinched her when I rolled over between my neck and shoulder. She bit strictly as a defensive reaction. I did not kill her. I released her like the tree hugger that I am. I now am really diligent about zipping up my hammock, keeping my clothes packed in my pack etc. especially after dark. No need to be paranoid. Need to be cautious. Needless to say, I have not camped on "Black Widow Ridge" since.

Now at home, I vacuum all spider webs, spiders, etc. I have 0 tolerance. I still shake them out of the vacuum container outside. Gotta give them a chance to keep making a living like everything else on the planet. I do tell the story to folks I take on canoe trips, primarily as a motivator for keeping their gear organized and put away. Makes my life much easier.

[koaloha05]

A too curious Badger. Not in the hammock but under the hammock which had me in it wishing I had hung a bit higher.

[Hawk-eye]

I set up in the back yard so often the squirrels are completely used to my set up, so they use my tarp ridge line as a short cut & every now & then, my hammock ridge line is the preferred route. .....

That reminded me ... I didn't see it but the blonde (wife) saw it. I had set my tarp up in the wooded area behind the house and went back in the garage to get something when one of the local squirrels (all evil according to my dog Spencer) decided to do just as you described. Unfortunately for him he really didn't have a good grasp of climbing on sil nylon.

Kathy told me he took a A over head tumble hitting the ground ... after which he started chattering at the tarp and running around it before heading back up a tree and away from the tarp!

Now would that have ever made a great "Shug'ish" video!