Critter Strategy?

[subcanis]

I was out hanging night before last, and I have to admit, in the wee hours I got a little creeped out. My back yard borders a state forest, so whenever I need a night out I pack up and walk out the back door. I'm almost always alone, and this isn't any sort of campground so I'm definitely encroaching on critter turf. It's late fall here in CT and it's been a dry year as I'm sure you all know so if a mouse steps on a crunchy leaf at 3 AM it sounds like a kodiak.
Anyway, it got me to thinking, I'm not really sure what my strategy is to deal with visitors, small or large. Firstly, I've decided I'm going to try some earplugs. Haven't felt the need before, but it sounded like Mother Nature's superhighway out there and the little sleep I did get wasn't quality, so there's that, but I'm never really sure what to do. Mostly I'll clear my throat or make some noise, sometimes I'll hop out and hope my stomping around a bit will scare em off. I've seen other posts.
Some folks say to lay silent, others to make a ruckus...truthfully, I'm not sure what's best. If you don't know what it is, or if it poses any sort of a threat, how do you react? Just curious how other folks deal.

[Chesapeake]

Well, whatever you do, don't sit up really fast and turn your light on while looking over the side of your hammock.... You might get a face full of pissed off coon or opossum like I did the other night. It put holes in my BRAND NEW WBBBXLC.

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[OneClick]

Mostly I'll clear my throat or make some noise,

I'll do that on occasion if it's a loud or strange noise. I'll clap really loud too just to let them know I'm here. But I don't experience this much. I think it's the state parks and other mod-high use areas that have the critters. They're used to people feeding them whether it's intentional or not.

I'm always camped well away from trails and actual camps. I usually hear deer blowing/wheezing at me in the middle of the night. Very creepy sasquatch sound.

[dakotaross]

You sure its an animal? I love sleeping wide open, meaning porch mode, not pulled down on top of me. Countless times I wake due to "sounds" only to peer out with a light and see that nothing is there. Leaves actually get louder at night, and so do bubbling streams.

[TrailSlug]

I'm with the OP on this one. We have a lot of coyotes running around at night and they inevitability get a rabbit in the middle of the night. This "catch" is a little disturbing.

[Campdavid]

White noise app for my phone. I like to set it to rain falling or mountain stream and put it in my ridgeline organizer. Drowns out those creepy little sounds. However it's not enough to block out the sounds you NEED to hear (like Sasquatch tearing through your site).

With the screen off it draws little power and it can be set with a shut off timer.

[Billy Goat]

I've heard lots of critters in the wee hours close by on a regular basis. Even had a bear sniffing around our tent one time when I was a ground dweller. It is often unnerving, as you say, a mouse stepping on crunchy leaves certainly can sound like a herd of rabid zombie buffalo charging to slaughter the poor unsuspecting humans snugged up in their bearitos. I have since learned to just kinda let it go. When I hear them close I will shuffle around a but and make some noise. Generally whatever is out there shuffles off, if it is fairly close. But in the deep of the woods, particularly when it's darker than dark, noises and critters are farther away than they sound. It wakes me up, I go through the noise routine, and then in 15 minutes or so am back to sleep. I have taken to peeing a perimeter around camp when I set up. It seems to keep most things away.

Cheers,
the Goat

[johnspenn]

I carry one of those hand-crank air raid sirens. Hang it on my ridge line, and when I hear a rustle... WHOOOOO WHOOOOOO

Not really =) It would be funny though!

I'm with you on the amplified sounds at night. It can get plumb creepy out there!

[cneill13]

If I hear animals creeping around which happens pretty much every time I camp, I bark like a dog and that works 90% of the time.

For the other 10%, I toss a cherry bomb at the noise. That works every time.

Your neighbors won't appreciate it though.

Carl

[subcanis]

[QUOTE=Chesapeake;1711669]Well, whatever you do, don't sit up really fast and turn your light on while looking over the side of your hammock....

POINT TAKEN! I never turn on my light though. Yowch, that's too bad...brandy new too, huh? Time for some good ole possum stew.

I'm with the OP on this one. We have a lot of coyotes running around at night and they inevitability get a rabbit in the middle of the night. This "catch" is a little disturbing.

We've got a ton of coyote. The dog chases them all the time. Do they mess with campers?

You sure its an animal? I love sleeping wide open, meaning porch mode, not pulled down on top of me. Countless times I wake due to "sounds" only to peer out with a light and see that nothing is there. Leaves actually get louder at night, and so do bubbling streams.

I'm always in porch mode unless its excessively foul, and yes, these are critters...at least mostly...probably

I've heard lots of critters in the wee hours close by on a regular basis. Even had a bear sniffing around our tent one time when I was a ground dweller. It is often unnerving, as you say, a mouse stepping on crunchy leaves certainly can sound like a herd of rabid zombie buffalo charging to slaughter the poor unsuspecting humans snugged up in their bearitos. I have since learned to just kinda let it go. When I hear them close I will shuffle around a but and make some noise. Generally whatever is out there shuffles off, if it is fairly close. But in the deep of the woods, particularly when it's darker than dark, noises and critters are farther away than they sound. It wakes me up, I go through the noise routine, and then in 15 minutes or so am back to sleep. I have taken to peeing a perimeter around camp when I set up. It seems to keep most things away.

Cheers,
the Goat

Does the peeing thing work? I heard it attracts 'em. but not from any sort of reliable source.