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  1. #21

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    My bear encounter in the ANF in PA.
    Hanging in my hammock, I woke up with my knee hurting. Hurt like I got kicked in the knee. Heard some grunting noise. I unzipped the weather shield and was face to face with a huge bear. I could of poked him in the eye.
    I was squirming to get out of the bag and the movement must of caused the bruin to walk away. The bear sat scratching its back on the little tree I hung my food bag in looking up at it.
    Yelling and throwing sticks at the bear didn't make him leave. I fired my revolver into a log and the bear ran away.

    I learned that bears are only after food. and I hope the bear learned to stay away during hunting season when he hears gun fire. I still slept with my food on my thru hike on the AT. I only saw one bear in SNP walking down the road near a wayside.

  2. #22

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    I was walking in the dusk in SNP going down a fireroad looking for some cell signal to let my hiking buddy where I was. Totally not paying attention to anything, suddenly I hear a huff. I stop, look up, and see three black bears staring back at me. I slowly walked back the way I came and forgot that you're not really supposed to run. But run I did. I was scared ****less. I still didn't find any signal so I started singing very loudly my very own bear song. I can laugh now when I look back at it.

  3. #23
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    Well it was like this the fire was slowly dieing down and was a warm bed of embers while I was standing close to keep warm with my mind wandering when I felt something strange. Wy wife had turned in and I was alone in the dark when I felt something brush my right foot. Memorized by the embers I slowly looked down to see in the dimming glow a reflection off the white hair on the back of a big old skunk. I thought I was going to mess my drawers I instantly imagined how bad I was going to stink and how hard it was going to be to get the stink off me and my clothes. I was doomed and I knew it. So there we were the two of us, me standing the most still I have ever been and him Mr. Stinky who just sat down between my feet. It felt like an hour but it was only a few minutes I guess, and we just stared and enjoyed the warmth of the embers in the chilling night together till he waddled off and I started to breath normal again. I was never so still, so quite, worried or blessed to be one with nature if only for a little while quite like that.
    Last edited by Busky2; 03-13-2014 at 11:36.

  4. #24

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    OMGosh.. these stories should be part of the campfire thread. My jaw is dropping! Eyes in the dark... wow , just wow! I did had a pair of bright green eyes staring at me in PA but not 10 pair of eyes! Ahhh!!

    I beginning to believe that hikers are being "targeted" by animals now.

    ALLEGHENY... where is the ANF in PA?

    BTW... Different Socks..I tried to answer your question in a PM but your inbox is full.

  5. #25

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    ALLEGHENY... where is the ANF in PA?


    http://www.fs.usda.gov/allegheny/

  6. #26
    Registered User Different Socks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HikerMom58 View Post
    OMGosh.. these stories should be part of the campfire thread. My jaw is dropping! Eyes in the dark... wow , just wow! I did had a pair of bright green eyes staring at me in PA but not 10 pair of eyes! Ahhh!!

    I beginning to believe that hikers are being "targeted" by animals now.

    ALLEGHENY... where is the ANF in PA?

    BTW... Different Socks..I tried to answer your question in a PM but your inbox is full.
    Hikermom, she is now alittle less full.

  7. #27
    Registered User Different Socks's Avatar
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    On the CDT in southern Colorado I spooked an elk that dived over a hillside to get away from me. When I walked up to the bushes where she had appeared from, I looked down and a new born elk was laying on the ground. It had not run and was so new to the world it didn't seem afraid of me. It slowly got up on its newborn legs and proceeded to walk closer to me. I couldn't resist reaching out and touching its head all the while looking over my shoulder for momma to return and headbutt me to the ground. If I can find the pictures of the baby I will post them.

  8. #28
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    I had a HUGE hawk take a frog about 1 foot from my face. I don't know who was more shocked me or the frog.

    It was so close his wings just missed brushing my face, and I felt the impact of air as he pounced. I was so stunned I couldn't even breathe. I didn't understand what happened until I looked up and saw the giant bird sitting on a tree limb casually munching on his kill.

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mrs Baggins View Post
    Spent a night at Ice Water Springs shelter in 2008. There were just two of us there, me and a friend, and because the ground around the shelter was just deep muck (and we didn't know about the tent sites just a little further up) we decided to set our tents up inside the shelter. The shelter was pretty filthy and we couldn't bring ourselves to just put down out mats and bags. Right after we crawled into our tents to sleep, I started feeling the sides of my tent being touched all over. Opened my eyes to see mice running all over the outside of my tent. It was like watching ants swarm over a piece of food.

    Another night, in my own backyard.....I had bought a new mat and decided to test it out in my tent overnight in my backyard. We had 2 acres and 1 acre was woods. I put the tent at the edge of the woods, crawled in and started to drift off to sleep. I heard something walking around in the woods and then heard it approaching my tent. It sniffed around the tent, chose a spot right by head and laid down, pushing itself as close to me as it could get. I reached out and touched it from the inside of the tent.....and it purred. It was just my kitty Pippin

    Icewater has always been rampant with meeses every time I've been there. There are usually meeses trapeezes though. Use them!

    Mrs Baggins and Pippin. Sounds like a Disney movie.

  10. #30
    Registered User Drybones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by myakka_ View Post
    I had a HUGE hawk take a frog about 1 foot from my face. I don't know who was more shocked me or the frog.

    It was so close his wings just missed brushing my face, and I felt the impact of air as he pounced. I was so stunned I couldn't even breathe. I didn't understand what happened until I looked up and saw the giant bird sitting on a tree limb casually munching on his kill.
    I'm guessing the frog. I was sitting on the side of a tree 16' up bow hunting with camo and a face net with holes for my eye, watched a hawk soar and dive for a kill, was headed my direction, didn't realize he was diving for me until he was a few feet from me, I made an abrupt move and he veered off...I believe he saw my eyes blinking and thought I was a flying squirrel or other critter on the side of the tree.

  11. #31

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    I have run into multiple bears and snakes (even a rattle snake right on the trail), but my scariest encounter was with a skunk. It was around I believe Dismal Falls and I was probably 10 feet away and I looked at him and thought about how I could quickly move on with out startling him. Oh the thoughts about how rank my gear and my self might smell. Fortunately I swiftly moved on with out any type of incident.
    The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
    Richard Ewell, CSA General


  12. #32

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    In Vermont on the AT at dusk I kept hearing a swoosh like a big wind was coming at me. I kept hearing it but didn't see anything. It was spooky. I was thinking ghosts. Then suddenly something swooshed in behind me knocking my hat off my head startling me beyond words. I finally saw it. It was a Goshawk which are very territorial and brazen.

  13. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by Different Socks View Post
    On the CDT in southern Colorado I spooked an elk that dived over a hillside to get away from me. When I walked up to the bushes where she had appeared from, I looked down and a new born elk was laying on the ground. It had not run and was so new to the world it didn't seem afraid of me. It slowly got up on its newborn legs and proceeded to walk closer to me. I couldn't resist reaching out and touching its head all the while looking over my shoulder for momma to return and headbutt me to the ground. If I can find the pictures of the baby I will post them.
    On the PCT just as I had done a big climb out of Seiad Valley going into Oregon in 100* temps as it was late in the afternoon I stopped at a spring. An equestrian thruhiker was there (Mendocino Man with his horse) with his tent already set up about 150 yds away and the horse with hobbles grazing at the far end of the meadow. I took off my pack and laid my soaked sweaty bandanna over a nearby branch to dry. As I was looking down filling my water bottles I felt a presence nearby. I thought maybe the horse had wandered over by me. I turned to see a Mule Deer grab my sweaty salt bandanna and start chewing on it. It wasn't the least bit afraid of me as I stood up. I thought, as I approached the deer, it would drop my bandanna. I wanted my bandanna back! It didn't. Then I began chasing the deer with the deer and me running around in circles around the spring. The deer wouldn't run far off though. It was toying with me. Letting me getting within 10 ft of her but never dropping my bandanna. Then I remembered I had an apple in my pack. I got the deer to drop my bandanna by feeding the apple to the deer out of my hand. She wouldn't let me pet her though. I got my bandanna back full of deer spit!

  14. #34
    Registered User Different Socks's Avatar
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    At the Black Creek campround in Acadia NP, my GF and I were enjoying a campfire. We'd had nightly visits from the local coons, their signal of approach being the scrape, crASH, BANG!! of garbage can lids all along the entrance roads to the sites. Well this one night I forgot to close the back of the truck, tail gate down at the moment. My GF asks if I closed the truck and I go up to do it. Lifting the gate, I look up and see a big ole fat coon inside my truck with a bag of bread in it's hands. He scurries out and I grab a light and chase after him. He scurries from tree to tree, dragging the bag of bread along the ground. Until that moment i never considered coons to such fats creaures. About the 4th or 5th tree, I caught him at a point where he had sat down in the joint of 2 trees. I shined my light in its face and snatched the bread away from its paws.
    Back at the table I asked my GF why she hadn't assisted me and she said she was laughing too hard just from observing a beam of light bouncing around in the darkness and a voice calling out, "Get back here you little mother******er! Gimme that you little SOB!"
    Just as she said that, she then said, "Look". And there at my right, its paws grasping the end of the bench was the same coon, giving us the sad wildlife look with its eyes. My GF said, "Awww. C'mon, give him something". There was a hole in the bread bag with 2 pieces already partially eaten, so I gave him those. He looked at us as if thanking us and then disappeared into the darkness.

  15. #35
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    Great stories. Each year some of us brothers (there are 5 including Firefighter503 who might remember this story) and some friends do a Thanksgiving Hike starting that Friday through the Sunday or Monday. We hiked from Caledonia to Wolfesville Road a few years ago and on night # 2 we stayed at the new Raven (cant remember the exact name) Shelter. I was not in the shape I am in now and the 14 mile hike with very minimal water about killed me (not including the walk down to the Devil's Racecourse Shelter for water). After a few whiskeys and some dinner I slept like a baby in the shelter (too lazy to set up my tent) with my dog. When I awoke the next morning 2 of my younger brothers told me they couldnt believe I didnt wake up when Bronx (the dog) was going crazy in the middle of the night. Apparently there were a few coyotes standing just outside the shelter looking at Bronx as he barked at them. I am partially glad I didnt wake up but I am also glad I can at least count on my dog to use the "scare technique" to deter animals if needed.

  16. #36
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    Slept in Mollies Ridge shelter in GSMNP. An older gent put his hearing aid ear inserts in a cup next to his side and went to sleep. I heard mice running around the shelter all night, chewing and scratching. In the morning, the old man got up to find that the mice had taken his hearing aids and they were nowhere to be found. I heard him mumble something about $1500 just lost. The guy never heard the mice (of course).
    I really felt bad for the guy and we helped to try to find his hearing aids; but no luck.

  17. #37
    Registered User Different Socks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jbwood5 View Post
    Slept in Mollies Ridge shelter in GSMNP. An older gent put his hearing aid ear inserts in a cup next to his side and went to sleep. I heard mice running around the shelter all night, chewing and scratching. In the morning, the old man got up to find that the mice had taken his hearing aids and they were nowhere to be found. I heard him mumble something about $1500 just lost. The guy never heard the mice (of course).
    I really felt bad for the guy and we helped to try to find his hearing aids; but no luck.
    Sad to read this since I wear 2 aids myself but good to know I will use a small case every night to hold my aids.

  18. #38
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    At Ice Water Spring Shelter I was alone with a lady zoo keeper from St. Louis. She told me several stories about all the animals she took care of and fed: Zebras, gorillas, elephants, etc. That night she woke me up screaming. I turned on my headlamp and she was standing in the middle of the shelter. I asked what was going on and she said she was scared of mice.

    Another night at Ice Water Spring Shelter I was there with a large group of friends. We had all settled down to sleep and one of the hikers had brought her husband who rarely hiked. He started snoring. I mean SNORING ! So, we all one by one started yelling at him to wake up so he would stop. It didn't work. By this time we're all laughing. We all get up and crawl over to his sleeping bag and yell at the same time...he still snores. Finally his wife gets up and starts dragging his sleeping bag off the platform and right before he fell off he woke up to a dozen people laughing at him and he still had no idea why.

    In Africa on a week long walking safari my hiking guide, ChaCha, was actually a national park ranger. He carried a rifle and was a highly trained individual. He would see and point out animals before I saw them every time. He would be between me and the elephants or water buffalo to protect me. Well, one day we're walking along with him in front as usual and he jumps about 3-4 feet in the air and gives a little scream. As I passed by the area where he jumped I saw a small snake which was no big deal to me. We continue walking and eventually stop for a break in the shade. I waited until the right moment and asked him why he had jumped earlier knowing full well why. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Mike, me no like snake!".

    Section Hiker (STEW): Springer --> Killington, VT

  19. #39
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    Found a perfect campsite in Maine north of the Bigalows near a clear lake with a sandy bottom. The squirrels were not happy about me being there, but they were happy so see me leave to soak my tired feet in the cool lake water. My soak did not last long...almost as soon as I put my feet in the water, I saw undulating creatures approaching my feet...yes...leeches in clear water...I picked one up on my hiking pole to confirm...

    Anyway, I was able to scare the squirrels away from my food bag when I returned...they chattered at me until the sun went down...

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