What ws your worst experience with wildlife on the AT?

[Kerosene]

Two more:

August 1979: A family of porcupines literally attacking the Kid Gore Shelter in central Vermont. They really wanted to come into the shelter and check out any salt left on the wooden seats by perspiring backpackers. We stayed up half the night successfully fending them off with lights and small rocks from the top bunks.

June 2007: In an attempt to lighten my load, I "hung" a food cache near the Fox Creek road crossing north of Damascus. Apparently I didn't do a very good job, because it wasn't there when I arrived from Atkins a day and a half later. I finally found evidence that something (raccoons?) had grabbed it and dragged it away under a dense thicket of bushes. All that was left was an extra pair of socks, a lollipop, and a gel packet! Fortunately, I was already about a day ahead of schedule and a NOBO thru-hiker donated me a dinner to get me to Damascus without starving.

[saltysack]

Try Pulling a tick off your sack!!!


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[Josh Calhoun]

i was chased by a mean ass beaver. i also climbed a tree and petted a porcipine. true story

[A.T.Lt]

Yessir .....

I wished I had had a shotgun.

That happened to me at the West Mountain shelter in NY...worst night of sleep ever on or off the trail!

[canoe]

i was chased by a mean ass beaver. i also climbed a tree and petted a porcipine. true story

but was she pretty?

[turtle fast]

On the North Country Trail I as followed by black bears while night hiking. On the AT I has to stop for rattlesnakes and a raccoon I think was rabid. Chased by a skunk in a rainstorm.

[Sarcasm the elf]

On my last hike I had a spider in my pocket...and it wasn't happy to see me.

[leatherwheels]

My father and I were hiking near 13 falls in NH several years ago. Something came charging at me through the brush and tall ferns, all I could see was a shot of black fur every couple steps it took. Finally a good size black lab jumped onto the trail in front of me. He was panting with his tail wagging a hundred miles a minute. At that point I proceeded to insert my heart back into my chest. The dog never jumped up on me and the owners turned the corner a few seconds later.

[canoe]

My father and I were hiking near 13 falls in NH several years ago. Something came charging at me through the brush and tall ferns, all I could see was a shot of black fur every couple steps it took. Finally a good size black lab jumped onto the trail in front of me. He was panting with his tail wagging a hundred miles a minute. At that point I proceeded to insert my heart back into my chest. The dog never jumped up on me and the owners turned the corner a few seconds later.

That is funny

[leatherwheels]

Thanks Canoe. As much as it freaked me out for the short time it was happening, it is a great trail memory

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Perhaps it's time to break out my "trail attack" photos again!

084.jpg The troll tree that threatened Snacktime in PA
dscn0578_1[1].jpg The shark-fall (not my pic, so not sure where this is)
DSCN3800.jpg The mini-jaws that threatened my foot at Harriman Park
Blueberry Patch, GSMNP 2011-12-31 279.jpg The newest threat: the attacking Gator in GSMNP

[canoe]

great pics. esp the first two.

[Odd Man Out]

In SNP we were camping somewhere near Old Rag. There was a fire circle where we cooked supper. We tented in a clearing about 40 yards away. After supper, we went back to the tent area to put stuff away. We then went back to the camp fire to enjoy that to find a skunk warming himself by our fire. So we sat on a log, in the cold, in the dark for about 10 minutes watching the skunk enjoy our camp fire. He eventually wandered off and we reclaimed the fire circle. A short while later we heard footsteps in the woods behind us. Then to the left, then to the right. The footsteps sounded quite close, but it had gotten quite dark and the we could not see what was there. My friend gently leaned over to pick up his flashlight. Shining the light we saw that we were completely surrounded by about 8 deer, standing in the cold and dark watching us enjoy our campfire.

[Seatbelt]

It's been many years, but back in my much younger days, oh about 1976 or so I was a we lil park ranger working at a national park out in the west somewhere. The chief park ranger was a guy named Michael Kelly.

Anyway there was a killer grizzly that summer and it killed two ladies that were camping out in the backcountry. We wanted to close the park but the superintendent wouldn't hear of it until a couple more folks were killed.

A hell pilot Don Stober, Kelly and I started hunting the bear from the air finally cornering it. The bear got Stober, but I was able to pull the bazooka from the helo's arms locker and throw it to Kelly using it to kill he grizzly as it charged us.

I haven't been back west since that time. After the incident I left the park service and be some a tier 1 spae shuttle door gunner for NASA

That's quite a "once-in-a-lifetime" story! Amazing for a 5 year old.........

[Drybones]

I've never had a bad experience with wildlife, I don't consider a bee sting worth mentioning, the wife was within 6" of putting her foot down on a 4' rattler though, that's why I'm so nice and let her hike in front, also clears out most of the spider webs, just wish she was taller.

[Sir-Packs-Alot]

Bitten by Rattler in Georgia AT near Cowrock in 1990, Charged by a moose in Glacier National Park in 2004. The worst "attacks" of all ... of course ... have been the sleepless nights with the loud snorers on the ATmoose, MT.JPG

[flemdawg1]

Stung by Yellow Jackets at start of trail by tracks north os Duncannon.
Had a raccoon take my pack 100 yards up the trail while spending the night at Iron Mtn Shelter.
Had a mouse/rodent fill up my boots with acorns at Spring Mountain Shelter.
Bluff charged by baby bear cub in SNP. (actually it ran in my direction and jumped in a tree, scared me though)

[colorado_rob]

My only "bad" experience with wildlife on the AT is seeing ELEVEN bears in three days in Shenandoah NP and not getting one single decent pic! Those puppies move out FAST when you get anywhere near them. I got 3-4 pics showing a small clump of brown fur tearing through the woods away from me. Sigh.

(PS: "eleven" include 5 total sightings, 2 solo bears, 3 times seeing a mother and two cubs).

[Drybones]

Stung by Yellow Jackets at start of trail by tracks north os Duncannon.
Had a raccoon take my pack 100 yards up the trail while spending the night at Iron Mtn Shelter.
Had a mouse/rodent fill up my boots with acorns at Spring Mountain Shelter.
Bluff charged by baby bear cub in SNP. (actually it ran in my direction and jumped in a tree, scared me though)

Those little bandits do some interesting things, they ate a cigar and candle that I left on a table and chewed my plastic mug up one night on the Pinhoti. I was camping on a large island on Philpot Lake in VA and returned to camp and must have interrupted the little fellow while he was eating my loaf of bread, he tried to carry it with him but left a trail to follow when a slice fell out every 20 or so yards. I followed him until he ran out of bread and I lost the trail.

[waasj]

Got stung by a yellow jacket 30 feet from the car after completing the Standing Indian loop. Not sure if that counts since I was off the trail, but that's all I got at this point. Shelter mice don't count as wildlife .