View Full Version : Has anyone ever been attacke dor harassed by wildlife in a hammock?
I have heard tent stories of mice and raccoons and the occasional, yet terrifying, bear intrusions, but I haven't heard of any hammockers getting messed with yet.:-?
Sorry for the typo above. Fast mind... fat fingers.
i have not........
but last year, a kid along hazel creek in the GSMNP had an incident with a bear..............he was sleeping in a hammock----the kid and not the bear.....
I was hammocking on the hill above my back field a couple of years ago when I heard hooves approaching. A deer, I thought (there is a small herd in the neighborhood), and decided to see what would happen. Well, the deer actually bumped into the hammock, and was he/she ever surprised. I said, "Would you please get out of here?" and the deer snorted and ran off.
bigcranky
05-25-2016, 11:38
When we used hammocks, my wife was a wildlife magnet. Flying squirrels landed on her hammock more than once, and she had a bear walk under her hammock, snuffling around camp one night - it brushed against her back, moving her and the hammock.
Needless to say, she's more of a tent person now. :)
imscotty
05-25-2016, 12:48
Swarms of mosquitos have tried to attack, but so far the netting has kept most of them out. I purposely got the double layer Warbonnet because I understand the bloodsuckers can sometimes penetrate the single layer.
When we used hammocks, my wife was a wildlife magnet. Flying squirrels landed on her hammock more than once, and she had a bear walk under her hammock, snuffling around camp one night - it brushed against her back, moving her and the hammock.
Needless to say, she's more of a tent person now. :)
OMG!! That's exactly what I was envisioning!! I am a tenter, but my husband hammocks and I have been weighing the options and considering going above ground, but it feels like you would be such an easy target for just anything that wanted to mess with you. Imagine if Peachpeak had been in a hammock. Would the bear have totally ignored him or would he have been a kabob?
This was the entry from my thru a few years back...Bearfence shelter in SNP
Right before dark another SOBO thru named Nancy Drew showed up. He earned that trailname from other hikers by solving some mysteries back in Maine. He set up his hammock 50 yards above the shelter. He did not stay up there very long. About a hour after dark we were all rousted by Nancy Drew, he was having big time bear trouble.(bears #12&13) The half grown young bear had climbed the tree that one end of his hammock was tied to. When he got out with his flashlight the big momma bear was 10 yards away and stood up on her back legs. At that point he decided to come for help. Several of us with lights and a smoking stick from the fire went up to his campsite. I waved the smoking stick around and the others gathered up all his gear and we retreated to the shelter. I re stoked the fire while Nancy Drew set up inside the shelter.
Yep. Tents are fine. :eek:
SteelCut
05-25-2016, 14:40
Not sure what difference a tent makes over a hammock. If something wants to get you a tent wall makes no difference.
SouthMark
05-25-2016, 15:08
OMG!! That's exactly what I was envisioning!! I am a tenter, but my husband hammocks and I have been weighing the options and considering going above ground, but it feels like you would be such an easy target for just anything that wanted to mess with you. Imagine if Peachpeak had been in a hammock. Would the bear have totally ignored him or would he have been a kabob?
Yep those thin silnylon tent walls cannot be penetrated by bears. Of course the can sit on them and collapse them on you as one did mine years ago.
True, but a hammock just looks and feels way more exposed to me. Like a bear burrito. At least in a tent, there is the illusion of a wall dividing you from what's outside. The illusion is comforting.
I know... I will booby trap my tent! I will put jingle bells all around it so when I hear the bells ring, I know I have a visitor and I should start yelling, and hopefully I will discourage any further examination.
SkeeterPee
05-25-2016, 15:13
Not sure what difference a tent makes over a hammock. If something wants to get you a tent wall makes no difference.
Along these lines I was questioned for leaving my tent's vestibule open recently. I am think if the bear can see you are you in any more danger than if he just sees a tent? That nylon is not going to keep him out if he wants in. Agree? or do you close up?
I close up. Not to keep anything from seeing me, as much as me not wanting to see anything. No glowy eyes in the dark for me please. I do have a dog with me this time, so I am sure she will smell any visitors coming long before they get close enough to touch. Maybe the barking will deter any confrontations.
I set up too close to a wasp nest one time and got 3 stings.
saltysack
05-25-2016, 17:46
Does the wife count?
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I think the young man attacked by a bear in the smokies was in a hammock. He had some major facial injuries.
That attack was last year.
During my AT hike I discovered I had shared the night with a mouse in my hammock. I'm just glad I discovered it after getting out in the morning. If I had discovered it during the night I probably would have had cardiac arrest.
Trailweaver
05-26-2016, 00:47
Early in my backpacking career I set up camp, got settled in, and shortly after dark began hearing shuffling in the leaves beside my tent as well as heavy breathing. I called out, and got silence for a bit, then more shuffling and heavy breathing. It continued all night - me wondering what the heck was there, and "what the heck was there" continuing to nose around the tent and breathe heavily.
In the morning I discovered a gigantic, hungry dog that had followed other hikers into the woods. I had a bit of rope, so I fed him what I had and hiked him out to the trailhead. The ranger at that park said he was a frequent hiker (the dog), and would follow anyone into the woods.
I never felt afraid, but did just wonder what in the world would stay the entire night right next to my tent. I didn't know if it was man or beast, and could tell it wasn't a small animal, but I certainly wasn't going to investigate in the dark.
Just two years ago, the same kind of thing happened again, this time on the AT, and I thought "well, I'm too far away from everything for this to be a dog," but again, I wasn't going to get out of the tent at midnight to find out what it was. This heavy breather brushed against the tent, walked around, but ran off when I yelled. It came back in a little bit, and continued throughout the night. Next morning. . . fresh bear tracks all around the campsite. It had rained in the night and the tracks were very clear.
Beanstalk
05-26-2016, 04:00
I have......On my very first night on the AT ever ( in NH), night overtook me before I got to a shelter. So I walked into the woods beside the trail and set up my hammock. In the middle of the night, a noisy bear came bowling down the hill slammed into the hammock ropes....Fortunately it did not crash into me bodily, and the hammock did not come down ( which is a very solid commendation for Hennessy Hammock workmanship )..... There followed some very scary moments thinking I had probably reached the end of the line, but the bear kept on going...
In retrospect, I don't think this was intentional harassment or an actual attack....It was a very dark, stormy night and I think the bear probably just couldn't see its way. It was probably as freaked out as I was....Life is fraught with peril........
Bnstk
rocketsocks
05-26-2016, 05:04
Well there was this one time in Mexico. :D
Last week we camped south of the bear box area in GA- heading to Neels Gap. A bear came into our camp, snuffled around, hung out under the food bags which were about 12 feet up. It left eventually. My friend repeatedly zipped and unzipped her tent to make noise. Never heard of that strategy, but it seemed to work. Bears are not stealthy creatures, What a ruckus they make.
Good to know. I hope a barking dog will send them running too.
saltysack
05-26-2016, 11:25
Good to know. I hope a barking dog will send them running too.
Black bears in the south are hunted with dogs....the scent of a dog should be a deterrent alone....that said I sleep with my food when my dog is along without an issue....
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Great post to jump into, especially as I await the delivery of my first hammock...
Strategic
05-26-2016, 14:19
Don't let these stories freak you out about hammocks. I've been using one for years and never had a close wildlife encounter, even in serious bear country like the NJ sections. I guess it all depends on how and where you hang. I hang fairly low, since I also use my hammock as my camp chair, so not much is likely to walk under me. I also look pretty closely to see that the site I'm hanging in isn't in a place where it's likely to be disturbed by anything, including wildlife. It's seems to work pretty well. Meanwhile, I sleep like a baby. There's nothing more comfortable on the trail than sleeping in a hammock.
I guess that's true. I'm in my tent on the PMT right now and couldn't sleep to save my life and my husband is in his hammock just beside me and he is noting his head off. 😶
goathanger
05-28-2016, 08:02
I have had close calls with raccoons, squirrels, deer, and coyotes while hanging in the woods behind my house, but haven't had any issues on the AT yet. Only heard snorting and firepit rocks being jostled, but haven't ever gotten out of the hammock to investigate. Just growl/yell until the noises stop. Kind of unnerving sometimes, but no problems.
Mice are A-holes.
Sometimes a bird will poop on my tarp.
Rough estimate, I have slept outdoors in a hammock about 500 nights. Other than bird poop and the hum of insects outside my bugnet, I have not had any overnight wildlife encounters.
Just read, never post, but I actually have a story to contribute. Last weekend I wanted to test some new gear in the rain so I spent the night near rocky run shelter in Maryland. At about 3:30 I woke up to some squeaking and rustling near my hammock. I swung my arm over the edge to take a peek out and smacked a raccoon that was under my hammock. He bit my hand and when I pulled my arm back he came with it into the hammock. I ended up fighting with him in the hammock for a while trying to get him off me. He bit both hands, left bicep, and right forearm. Once I got him off I packed my stuff up and high tailed it up the trail to my car. Ended up getting 8 shots at the ER. Luckily he didn't rip up any of my gear, I had a brand new quilt. I think he was just passing through when I startled him, all my food and items that smell were in a bear bag.
Smithereens
05-29-2016, 04:43
I got woke up early one morning while hammocking.... SOMETHING was playing with my butt... turned out to be a large coon. My stupid dog was snoozing not two feet away and didn't wake up until I yelled.
Vs. tenting... Was also woke up in the wee hours by a big, wet nose loudly sniffing the top of my head, shoving my head actually. I was so out of it I just reached up, grabbed the nose and shoved it back as hard as I could, rolled over and went back to sleep. After daybreak when I got up, It dawned on me what had just happened, bear tracks all around my tent... I was pretty close to becoming dinner. Never did get as freaked out about that as I should have....
tmoore, glad you are okay and not too freaked out by the incident (from the tone of your post). Your story wins the prize for this thread.
I've enjoyed your stoties.
I will not define it as attacked or harassed just insects doing what all of life forms do…look to eat. Setting up under trees that were dripping sap biting red ants had made a long line up the trunk of one tree onto and into the hammock. Have found lizards, beetles, cockroaches, spiders, including brown recluse and black widow, caterpillars(some have irritating hairs like the Gyspy Moth), a garden snake, long biting centipedes, etc in a hammock after having left it open. In the tropics, like Hawaii, in thickly forested steep terrain I much prefer getting off the ground because the abundance of cockroaches, some centipedes, and ants.
Yep those thin silnylon tent walls cannot be penetrated by bears. Of course the can sit on them and collapse them on you as one did mine years ago.
I think it's all in the illusion. I set my hammock up on a cool night in October and left the tarp way up in porch mode. I could see almost all the way around myself. It was really unnerving at first, but I got over it. If something wants you, it's coming in. I like the hammock in winter, I can get out quick if I want. I'd feel trapped in a tent.
Of course there is the video out there of the guy whose camping partner pranked him. Pretended to be a polar bear and started scratching one side of the tent. Dude in the tent slit an opening through the other side and ran off. Bear pranks could go really bad in the woods... some people have knives, some people have guns. Don't screw with people.
SouthMark
05-29-2016, 11:41
I think it's all in the illusion. I set my hammock up on a cool night in October and left the tarp way up in porch mode. I could see almost all the way around myself. It was really unnerving at first, but I got over it. If something wants you, it's coming in. I like the hammock in winter, I can get out quick if I want. I'd feel trapped in a tent.
Of course there is the video out there of the guy whose camping partner pranked him. Pretended to be a polar bear and started scratching one side of the tent. Dude in the tent slit an opening through the other side and ran off. Bear pranks could go really bad in the woods... some people have knives, some people have guns. Don't screw with people.
I never even put up my tarp unless there is a chance of rain. I use a netless hammock and love the openenss.
Greenlight
05-29-2016, 11:49
Bears don't eat people. Black bears especially. There is always the odd exception, but unless you're on foot and startle a bear, or get between a momma and the cubs, the bear doesn't want anything to do with you. I know, the feelings are mutual. I would suspect that you're as safe in a hammock as you are in a tent.
OMG!! That's exactly what I was envisioning!! I am a tenter, but my husband hammocks and I have been weighing the options and considering going above ground, but it feels like you would be such an easy target for just anything that wanted to mess with you. Imagine if Peachpeak had been in a hammock. Would the bear have totally ignored him or would he have been a kabob?
Setting the tarp up high that reminds me I've had bats flying and landing under it. They are really neat to look at up close less than three ft from your face.
Growing up in the suburbs, makes going out into the woods and staying the night, slightly stressful. It's hard to feel at home when the worst thing you've grown up around is squirrels and rabbits. I'm sure people who live in the country feel not so much a stranger in the woods and more relaxed in nature. I put aside my fears and do it anyway, hoping that the more I do it, the more comfortable I feel. I went hammock camping for the first time a few weeks back. I woke up to pee a few times in the night. Heard coyotes howling in the distance and small snaps in the surrounding Forrest but nothing bugged me or my friends. Hoping to feel more comfortable with the whole idea the more I get out. Thanks for the stories guys!
Greenlight
05-30-2016, 10:47
I love to listen to the coyotes. My son and I went on a winter overnight back in February in Morgan Monroe State Park (Indiana) and they were very active between midnight and 3 a.m. There's nothing quite like being snugged down in a 5 degree sleeping bag in a vast wilderness listening to their conversations across the hillsides.
Growing up in the suburbs, makes going out into the woods and staying the night, slightly stressful. It's hard to feel at home when the worst thing you've grown up around is squirrels and rabbits. I'm sure people who live in the country feel not so much a stranger in the woods and more relaxed in nature. I put aside my fears and do it anyway, hoping that the more I do it, the more comfortable I feel. I went hammock camping for the first time a few weeks back. I woke up to pee a few times in the night. Heard coyotes howling in the distance and small snaps in the surrounding Forrest but nothing bugged me or my friends. Hoping to feel more comfortable with the whole idea the more I get out. Thanks for the stories guys!
illabelle
05-30-2016, 17:31
Just read, never post, but I actually have a story to contribute. Last weekend I wanted to test some new gear in the rain so I spent the night near rocky run shelter in Maryland. At about 3:30 I woke up to some squeaking and rustling near my hammock. I swung my arm over the edge to take a peek out and smacked a raccoon that was under my hammock. He bit my hand and when I pulled my arm back he came with it into the hammock. I ended up fighting with him in the hammock for a while trying to get him off me. He bit both hands, left bicep, and right forearm. Once I got him off I packed my stuff up and high tailed it up the trail to my car. Ended up getting 8 shots at the ER. Luckily he didn't rip up any of my gear, I had a brand new quilt. I think he was just passing through when I startled him, all my food and items that smell were in a bear bag.
OUCH!! Glad you're okay!
I love to listen to the coyotes. My son and I went on a winter overnight back in February in Morgan Monroe State Park (Indiana) and they were very active between midnight and 3 a.m. There's nothing quite like being snugged down in a 5 degree sleeping bag in a vast wilderness listening to their conversations across the hillsides.
I enjoyed it as well.
I remember a warm, mosquito-ridden night at a Massachusetts campsite when I listened to coyotes howl mournfully through the night. Toward morning the howling turned into a mad chorus of barks, yips, and growls not far away, perhaps a feeding frenzy. Everything ended abruptly toward sunrise. I was in my hammock, and felt absurdly safe and happy to "attend" the performance.
tmoore, glad you are okay and not too freaked out by the incident (from the tone of your post). Your story wins the prize for this thread.
I was in his neighborhood and smacked him in the head, I wouldn't expect anything less. Now I know for the future to stay in the hammock and make some noise to scare any animals off instead of investigating.
saltysack
05-31-2016, 22:43
Just read, never post, but I actually have a story to contribute. Last weekend I wanted to test some new gear in the rain so I spent the night near rocky run shelter in Maryland. At about 3:30 I woke up to some squeaking and rustling near my hammock. I swung my arm over the edge to take a peek out and smacked a raccoon that was under my hammock. He bit my hand and when I pulled my arm back he came with it into the hammock. I ended up fighting with him in the hammock for a while trying to get him off me. He bit both hands, left bicep, and right forearm. Once I got him off I packed my stuff up and high tailed it up the trail to my car. Ended up getting 8 shots at the ER. Luckily he didn't rip up any of my gear, I had a brand new quilt. I think he was just passing through when I startled him, all my food and items that smell were in a bear bag.
No ship!!! Crazy story! Damn coons are vicious! My African grey parrot just had its leg ripped off by a damn Coon! $1800 later bird is doing great. To make matters worse my dog caught the Coon and gave him a good arse chewing!!! He was unscathed...
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