PDA

View Full Version : Food stolen by animals



rickb
09-25-2007, 06:43
This poll asks if you have ever had food stollen by an animal.

Lone Wolf
09-25-2007, 06:51
nope. i sleep with mine

Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-25-2007, 07:10
In addition to coons, mice and squirrels getting into my food, I had a skunk do so once while I was stopped for a quick snack and some skinny dipping. I wasn't about to attempt to run him off!

Furlough
09-25-2007, 07:36
No problems yet.

But one time that attempted food theft nearly occurred was not when I was backpacking, but camping with my sons boy scout troop several years ago. His patrols food was in one of those big Tupperware lockers. The first night out I put a bungee cord across the top just in case. Sure enough about 0100 I was awakened to the sound of a raccoon sitting on top of the box and plucking that bungee cord like a one string base guitar. He seemed pretty indignant that I got up to break up his recital.

Furlough

Gray Blazer
09-25-2007, 07:37
Had a bag of marshmallows stolen by a raccoon at Dry River Campground near Crawford Notch. Dang thing jumped up on the table while we were eating dinner, looked at me and grabbed the unopened bag and ran. Chased the sucker for 5 mins with a flashlight. My son (7 years old at the time, we had just finished a hike up Mt Washington and back) was very upset. Ended up borrowing some mallows from a Japanese family that didn't speak English. They prolly think all American families take other campers marshmallows.

Never had food stolen on the trail by an animal, just Warren. :D

BugGirl
09-25-2007, 07:43
A Commando Squirrel in the Grand Canyon got into my pack - I had missed one bag of gorp when putting everything up when we went for a mid-afternoon dip...unfortunately for the squirrel...it was a poor choice. Whether it was a combination of the heat or the plastic, he died in my pack...Just imagine my surprise when I reached in there to pack up for the rest of the day's hike...and hit fur. It's something I won't ever forget!

sixhusbands
09-25-2007, 07:52
While hiking in The Whites a few years back we had a bear take a backpack while we were less that 20 feet from her. The sow came up from the creek bed in the morning as we were breaking camp and grabbed the backpack and ran through the woods with the it for a couple of 100 yards. I did manage to get the bear to drop the backpack, but not before she ripped it apart. She got the goodie bag full of food and never looked back. I still question my sanity for chasing a full grown bear through the bush alone, but it worked.

Tipi Walter
09-25-2007, 07:59
Here's a partial list:
**While camping in a Chouinard Pyramid I had a stray dog take a one pound loaf of bread out of a pack pocket when I turned away for a moment.
**In Pisgah on Upper Creek I had a raccoon drag my loaded food bag away from camp while I was setting up at night and pulled all contents one by one down to the creek, eating half of the cream cheese.
**Up on the Hangover I had a stray hunting dog pull my dog's pack off a tree limb and eat contents.
**In the Conehead Forest I had a skunk stick his head in my tent while I was sleeping while finishing off a Sierra cup of lentils by the tent door. I heard a rattling sound and got up to stare at him face to face. It was comical.
**Had countless mice invasions to the hung food bag, holes, etc.
**Had a wild pony in Graysons try to get an apple from me and bit me in the buttocks.
**Had another wild dog steal a container of honey and shred it.

Jim Adams
09-25-2007, 08:11
never while backpacking but once while on a canoe trip, I had a red squirrel chew a hole through a hung water proof/airtight dry bag and eat the food inside. He jumped out of the chewed hole and bounced off of my chest as I was inspecting the hole....scared the hell out of me.LOL

geek

Flush2wice
09-25-2007, 08:42
Check out this thief:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkBOyY6KLvA&mode=related&search=

Footslogger
09-25-2007, 09:14
Hung a food bag at Moxie Bald shelter on our recent section hike. Chipmonk walked out on the branch and was able to shinny down the thin line to the food bag. Ironically, the foodbag made an excellent seat for the chip as it chewed through the silnylon and ziplock for it's prize. Fortunately it only got into one of the bags before we spotted it. Funny though that when we noticed the chipmonk and took steps to get the foodbag down it sat there ON the bag for quite a while before jumping off. Little bugger wasn't about to give up it's treasure.

Note to self ...allow more distance between the branch and foodbag.

'Slogger

Blissful
09-25-2007, 09:16
Here's a partial list:
**While camping in a Chouinard Pyramid I had a stray dog take a one pound loaf of bread out of a pack pocket when I turned away for a moment.
**In Pisgah on Upper Creek I had a raccoon drag my loaded food bag away from camp while I was setting up at night and pulled all contents one by one down to the creek, eating half of the cream cheese.
**Up on the Hangover I had a stray hunting dog pull my dog's pack off a tree limb and eat contents.
**In the Conehead Forest I had a skunk stick his head in my tent while I was sleeping while finishing off a Sierra cup of lentils by the tent door. I heard a rattling sound and got up to stare at him face to face. It was comical.
**Had countless mice invasions to the hung food bag, holes, etc.
**Had a wild pony in Graysons try to get an apple from me and bit me in the buttocks.
**Had another wild dog steal a container of honey and shred it.

I'm sorry but this is just plain funny. lol

Chipmunks were a pain in the you-know-what in New England. One nearly made off with my gorp bag. And they could care less if you pitch rocks at them to scare them away. They stand there.

ATSeamstress
09-25-2007, 09:41
Check out this thief:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkBOyY6KLvA&mode=related&search=

HA! Too funny! I remember many years ago at Panama City Beach, I had bought a sub sandwich from a street vendor. Before I could even take a second bite, a seagull swooped down and grabbed part of my sandwich, knocking the rest of it out of my hand in the process. Boy was I ticked at the time.

I've never lost my food on the AT, but I remember an incident here at home where I heated up some nice filet mignon leftovers and had just sat down to eat when the phone rang. I got up to answer the call, and when I got back, my two cats had the steak on the floor fighting over it. You can't even leave food unattended in your own home!

Gray Blazer
09-25-2007, 10:56
HA! Too funny! I remember many years ago at Panama City Beach, I had bought a sub sandwich from a street vendor. Before I could even take a second bite, a seagull swooped down and grabbed part of my sandwich, knocking the rest of it out of my hand in the process. Boy was I ticked at the time.

I've never lost my food on the AT, but I remember an incident here at home where I heated up some nice filet mignon leftovers and had just sat down to eat when the phone rang. I got up to answer the call, and when I got back, my two cats had the steak on the floor fighting over it. You can't even leave food unattended in your own home!

LOL. You reminded me of when I was sitting on St Augustine Beach with my hands on my knees holding up my PB&J sandwich of which I had just taken my 1st bite. A big ole seagull swooped from behind me and took the whole thing in his talons. I was pissed! :mad:

rafe
09-25-2007, 10:59
I had a sock stolen by some kinda critter at Calf Mtn. shelter in SNP. That morning I found one of my pole straps gnawed through. Weird.

max patch
09-25-2007, 11:08
Not on the AT.

In the Rocky Mtn Natl Park after we set up camp we took a stroll and came back to a couple deer snacking out of our unattended gorp bag which we had
left outside.

SGT Rock
09-25-2007, 13:09
I had a mouse or something chew up a zip-lock bag looking for food once (it contained a camera) but I have yet to lose any food to a critter yet.

Gray Blazer
09-25-2007, 14:07
I had a mouse or something chew up a zip-lock bag looking for food once (it contained a camera) but I have yet to lose any food to a critter yet.

Even Dixicritter?

Seeker
09-25-2007, 15:10
once when i was a kid, i went camping with a friend and his family, up in the adirondacks high peaks region. his dad hung the foodbag about 12-15 feet up in the air, between two trees. it was over the open spot in front of the shelter, away from any other trees. a smart bear walked around to the back of the leanto/shelter, hopped onto the roof, walked to the forward edge and (now about 7 feet higher than before), jumped out and got the bag. we happened to be coming back just at that time and were able to chase him off. only lost a few things.

another time, at scout camp, we had these big wooden compartmented cabinets (about 24"-30" on a side) with a drop front, on 2 x 4 legs, that we kept our field kitchen stuff in. the whole thing sat next to the fire pit under our kitchen fly. we picked up fresh food first thing every morning, but the smell stayed around. we woke up one night after hearing a crash. a large raccoon had knocked over the cabinet and was working on the hasp, trying to get in. we didn't lose anything, but only because there was nothing inside.

the last time was an industrious mouse. i was staying at the Kephart Shelter in the GSMNP (just SE of the Icewater Springs Shelter on the AT, near Charlie's Bunion). I had set up inside the shelter and laid a bag of GORP on top of one of those upright logs you use for a seat. i went down to the fire pit to talk with someone about dinner, then came back. i was not gone more than 3 minutes. In that time, a mouse spotted me, climbed the log, and chewed a hole in the bag and was happily enjoying my food.

never had a squirrel die in my pack. did have a slug die by accident once time, but that was another thread.

Jack, maybe that's how that groundhog got in your pack...

horicon
09-25-2007, 16:06
As of right know< none of my food has been taken by the animals. But there is allways the first.

hopefulhiker
09-25-2007, 16:24
In the hundred mile wilderness there is a shelter right next to a river or a big creek. I chose to camp up above the shelter near the trail.. I walked down to the river to get some water, I was gone just about five to ten minutes. I had left about eight oz of gorp on the ground in a ziplock.. A squirrel had somehow managed to empty that ziplock in five minutes! I saw the little fat cheeked critter run off.. I missed that food too in the wilderness....

modiyooch
09-25-2007, 22:45
I had a mouse to eat a hole in my jean's pocket (1981) for an empty candy wrapper that I had left in there. I'm glad that I took them off to sleep.

rickb
09-26-2007, 06:45
I had a bear break into my car while on a day hike up to Sunfish Pond.

The bear just pealed down the closed window and hopped in the back seat to get some marshmellos and snacks that I failed to put in the trunk.

When we got back and saw the damage, I was relieved that the New Jesey "thief" had not taken a wallet or equipment.

Pokey2006
09-27-2007, 00:27
Chipmunks in New England certainly are something else. Once in Vermont, I was breaking camp in the morning, and had just finished mixing some chicken salad to eat for lunch later the day. I put it aside while I packed up my backpack, planning to put it on top for easy access at lunchtime. Well, next thing I knew, a hole had been chewed in the ziplock, and half the salad was gone! I did manage to salvage enough for lunch, though.
Eliza Brook Shelter has a resident chipmunk that everyone was talking about in the register this year. He was a bold little guy. Wonder how many people lost food to him?

ZEKE #2
09-27-2007, 09:14
I had a bear ramsack my pack in Upper Michigan. I had my food protected, but after he went through the neighboring campers garbage, the bear decieded he'd check out my pack to see if there was any more.

Lellers
11-05-2007, 23:54
On a kayak trip in the Pine Barrens of NJ with some boy scouts, had a raccoon get into the food bag. I didn't hang the bag. A know-it-all Eagle Scout did. It was his food bag. I watched as he hung it just barely a foot from the tree trunk and about 6 feet off the ground. (To be fair, we weren't trying to keep the food from bears -- it was the masked marauders we were trying to thwart.)

Before we had even all gotten into our tents, one of the little rascals was already digging through the wood pile near the fire pit, and I chased him away. At about midnight, I heard the nylon food bag being pulled at and chewed. Then I heard a small plop as something hit the sand, followed by the mischievious little cackle of a pleased raccoon. This little sound bite was repeated over and over. I suppose I could have gotten out of my tent, chased the critter away and rehung the bag, but hey, sometimes it's best to learn from one's mistakes.

The next morning, our Eagle Scout had nothing to eat. All of his instant oatmeal was gone, as was his powdered hot chocolate and trail mix. His tiny packets of McDonalds jam were chewed and licked to a pristine gleaming whiteness.

My food, by the way, was packed in my dry-bag and stowed in my kayak hatch with the boat flipped over.

Dakota Dan
11-06-2007, 00:08
I've had food taken before, not sure what kind of animal took it, but it sure could unzip and untie good, the animal in question probably had only 2 legs and balls the size of Stone Mountain.

Rain Man
11-06-2007, 13:42
Very first night on the AT. Hung food bag from bear cables at Hawk Mtn Shelter. Next morning, discovered some critter (squirrel?) had chewed into the food bag and ate my M&Ms and cashew nuts. Damn him, he went for the GOOD stuff! LOL

I learned that bear cables are not fool proof.

Rain:sunMan

.

Uncle Silly
11-06-2007, 17:21
the animal in question probably had only 2 legs and balls the size of Stone Mountain.

Stone Mtn GA or Stone Mtn NC?

Rift Zone
11-06-2007, 18:49
I was up in Big Basin State Park, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA with my cousin making a rather nice dinner for being on a trail. A racoon decides it's gonna run off with my tortillas. I was not so keen on that idea so I took off after him. 100 yards later he drops my torillas. I kept after him. I gave up the chase after another 200 yards or so. I paced that thing the entire way, jumping logs and ducking branches all the while. I know I made my point though. I didn't hear another coon around camp for hours.

I dont seem to fair so well with the Celestial Jays, blue with a black crest. Give them 5 feet and 3 seconds and they have no issues with swooping down for a nibble. Meh, they dont eat much.

Dakota Dan
11-06-2007, 19:16
Stone Mtn GA or Stone Mtn NC?

Sorry, I should have specified, There's probably as many "Stone Mountains" as there are "Deep Gaps". Any way, I was speaking of the tourist trap in Georgia.

Rift Zone
11-06-2007, 21:13
You can't even leave food unattended in your own home!lol

I was "back home" for Thanksgiving one year and my sister's little rat dog... Well, not that small, probably stood 20" at the shoulder. He grabbed a chunk of turkey from my hand! I chased him down too! :D He got his snack but he never tried that again.

AT-HITMAN2005
11-06-2007, 21:24
not sure what it was that got into my bag. first night out at springer mountain shelter my bag was on the bear bag apparatus thingy they have there, and the next day it had holes chewed in it and my gorp bag was mangled. only thing that can explain it i think is that there was like a large number of bags hanging that night and the mice had a fairly large landing area to hit if they jumped.

BlackCloud
11-07-2007, 16:46
A Martin once chewed thru my bear bag, 12' off the ground.

The next night, the Martin chewed down the rope, over 20' off the ground, and brought all the bags down.

Adirondack High Peaks, 2003.

I was there......