Run ins with wildlife?

[Buffalo Skipper]

In the year 2 BH (before hammocking), I was out with the scouts camping on a friend's property, with our tents close to one another. The property was used most often used for hunting (mainly deer, but bears are rare but in the area, as well as wild boar).

In the middle of the night, I was awoken by a low gutteral sound, and I could hear something rumbling around outside, what I though was 10-20' from my tent. It kept me awake for a good 20 minutes, and I was certain was a boar. I was petrified stiff, but it finally wandered off and I eventually got to sleep.

The next morning I checked out all around the tents but could not find any evidence of the beast having rooted around. I looked for quite a while, when I realized it was probably the other adult scouter, snoring.

[cwciwatch]

Black bear? What did you do? Was it curious or was up to no good?

One of the problems of a tent and a hammock is that getting out in an EMERGENCY is not exactly easy.

I had an incident recently which makes me think I should sleep with my shoes IN the hammock.

A deer LITERALLY ran into my camp... scaring the hell out of me.

I screamed HEY BEAR and it ran away but at the time I just heard MORE noise.

It took me what seemed like FOREVER to get out of the hammock, get my shoes on, etc.

By the time I jumped out, the deer had ran away and was like 100 yards from my camp. I scared him WAY more than he scared me I think.

However, if I were to scream HEY BEAR that loud and it were a grizzly that would probably not be good news and might provoke an attack.

The best situation I think would be to slip on my shoes, get my bear spray in silence. Then try to get out slowly and assess the situation.

I should only announce myself once I can get the heck out of my hammock easily enough in case it were to charge me.

I had my brother with me when the bear showed up, we just yelled at him and he went away.

[2ply]

Many years ago I hiked the James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail at Black Rock Mountain state park here in Georgia. The trail leads to Lookoff Mountain with great views from the rocky out crop. I hung my hammock from some trees over a group of large rocks that made a table beside my hammock. After sitting on the rocks for a while I got up only to discover a large Copperhead was resting in a ledge under me. No problem, just got my hiking pole, scooped him up and walked him waaay down the trail to a new location. 30 minuets later here he comes back to HIS rock. OK, this time I scooped him up and tossed him over the side of the rock face....problem solved. 30 minuets later here he comes over the ledge top heading back to HIS rock. This time when I tossed him over the edge I made sure I put a little more umph in the toss and sent him on his way. I had no idea that they were homebodies and would return to the same location again and again. I kept an eye out for him the rest of the day but he never did return to his rock that day.

[Loki]

... makes me think I should sleep with my shoes IN the hammock.

...hmm-m "shoes IN the hammock", I like that idea!

[slowdown]

Had an Armadillo stick his nose right between my shoulder blades around 3:00 am on a group hang in the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest. When I rolled over and redlighted him he was standing on his hind legs looking up at me. The same night we had a bird making a strange call moving thru the trees that no one had ever heard before. We were close to a creek and my guess was one of the Night Herons but with many nights in the Florida woods I had never heard it before. Might have been a Chupacabra?

No. Not the dreaded Chupacabra!!! Nothing under a hang for me but plenty on the trails. This little lady was the most recent encounter on the Florida Trail. Sunning herself when I almost stepped on her.

[stevebo]

Many years ago I hiked the James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail at Black Rock Mountain state park here in Georgia. The trail leads to Lookoff Mountain with great views from the rocky out crop. I hung my hammock from some trees over a group of large rocks that made a table beside my hammock. After sitting on the rocks for a while I got up only to discover a large Copperhead was resting in a ledge under me. No problem, just got my hiking pole, scooped him up and walked him waaay down the trail to a new location. 30 minuets later here he comes back to HIS rock. OK, this time I scooped him up and tossed him over the side of the rock face....problem solved. 30 minuets later here he comes over the ledge top heading back to HIS rock. This time when I tossed him over the edge I made sure I put a little more umph in the toss and sent him on his way. I had no idea that they were homebodies and would return to the same location again and again. I kept an eye out for him the rest of the day but he never did return to his rock that day.

Great story!

[swankfly]

Many years ago I hiked the James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail at Black Rock Mountain state park here in Georgia. The trail leads to Lookoff Mountain with great views from the rocky out crop. I hung my hammock from some trees over a group of large rocks that made a table beside my hammock. After sitting on the rocks for a while I got up only to discover a large Copperhead was resting in a ledge under me. No problem, just got my hiking pole, scooped him up and walked him waaay down the trail to a new location. 30 minuets later here he comes back to HIS rock. OK, this time I scooped him up and tossed him over the side of the rock face....problem solved. 30 minuets later here he comes over the ledge top heading back to HIS rock. This time when I tossed him over the edge I made sure I put a little more umph in the toss and sent him on his way. I had no idea that they were homebodies and would return to the same location again and again. I kept an eye out for him the rest of the day but he never did return to his rock that day.

WOW, I will have to remember that when relocating snakes! I think after the second time, I would have probably relocated!

[FLRider]

Ichetucknee Springs Campground has been...I guess you could call it "good" to me?

My first hammocking trip there, I was woken by what sounded like a construction crew going at it in the bushes next to my site, or maybe a scout troop trying to bushwhack through there. I'm an hard sleeper most of the time, and this happened at something like 05:30. I muttered something unprintable and rolled over to see if someone was trying to steal my bike (I usually ride up there from Gainesville), grabbing my knife just in case.

Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a single armadillo, rooting for whatever they eat. I considered making a new pair of shoes but decided that it was too much work Before Coffee ...


My most recent trip there, I was awoken by a raccoon, a whitetail doe, and another armadillo, all from 03:00 to 05:00. The raccoon got yelled at (I've got a pretty good yell on me at need; don't think the other campers appreciated it, though), the doe got watched until she realized I was there and scampered off, and the armadillo got cursed at.


As I said, that campground has been..."good"...to me.

[Oper8or]

...hmm-m "shoes IN the hammock", I like that idea!

HA!! I actually do keep them in there. I keep my camp site sandles on my ridgeline. I love keeping them close in case I need them.

[Oper8or]

Try hanging a game camera on a tree near you and see what you come up with !!

Ever seen The Decent? Creeeeeeepy. Wait are you sure that isnt Shug?