Visit from the Pirtle Bears

**Gristlehead** · 08-12-2013, 11:27

I had a really nice hang setup and going on this weekend at our local scout camp (George W. Pirtle). Saturday morning just before daylight I thought I heard someone approaching my hang. I woke up and turned in the direction of the footsteps to find three large, hungry raccoon's. (Affectionately called Pirlte Bears). I flailed my arms about trying to find something to throw at them but I could only grab my stinky socks from the ridge line. So at this point with them now three feet from my head I growled... Two of them ran off while the third and I got into a growling contest...Which I obviously won.

I have never even eaten in my hammock let alone store food near it. I spoke with several others at camp and they thought that I may have looked like a play toy to the 'coons...

**mattyg** · 08-12-2013, 12:02

ive had small racoons climb on my suspension and bigger ones paw at my backside while in the hammock. ive never eaten in my hammock

**Shug** · 08-12-2013, 21:10

They do stand their ground. But I never see them backpacking in the backwoods......only near drive-up campgrounds. Also never see gray squirrels in the backwoods up in Northern Minnesota.
Hmmmm.
Carry forth,
Shug

**Gristlehead** · 08-13-2013, 08:14

Originally Posted by Shug

They do stand their ground. But I never see them backpacking in the backwoods......only near drive-up campgrounds. also never see gray squirrels in the backwoods up in Northern Minnesota.
Hmmmm.
Carry forth,
Shug

Interesting. I suppose I need to get off the beaten path. I was in a Boy Scout campsite, that is known for having an enormous quantity of the critters. The last time I had an adventure with the coons was at Beavers Bend in Oklahoma at you guessed it, a drive up campsite. We are going back to BB in the winter and are scheduled to do the Skyline trail. 12 miles of pure elevation torture, and the beauty of God's creation, hopefully we will not see the coons on that trip.

**mitchamaphone** · 08-13-2013, 08:46

At a high-use area of crown land, which means the critters were used to seeing people as a food source, a friend of mine had a racoon try and cart off an entire cooler off into the bush! Cheeky buggers...

**mattyg** · 08-13-2013, 10:48

food is easier to scavenge in campgrounds

**Jibbers** · 08-13-2013, 16:19

Maybe someone should try to train a pet raccoon to "scavenge" food for you. Then you wouldn't even need to bring your own food!!!

**Gristlehead** · 08-13-2013, 16:25

Originally Posted by Jibbers

Maybe someone should try to train a pet raccoon to "scavenge" food for you. Then you wouldn't even need to bring your own food!!!

Actually I have a boy scout who's mother is a Rescue Foster for wild animals and they have raised 8 raccoons over the last couple of years from bottle fed babies. Once they start to travel/scavenge on their own they place food boxes in the back yard to encourage them to look for their own food. After they are about a year old they move them to a safe haven, as they will never really be wild.

**used2fly** · 08-13-2013, 17:06

Dont forget our friendly skunks.I had a whole family desend on my car camping site in western MD after I disposed of some food improperly.I kinda like them though and thwarted their plans with a tin can alarm set up.Must have been 10 of them.