WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 58

Thread: Wild life !

  1. #1
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-23-2019
    Location
    Harpers ferry wv.
    Age
    60
    Posts
    2,087

    Default Wild life !

    Let's sit around the ole yule log and tell a wild life story.
    What beasts have you encountered?
    Pictures much appreciated!

  2. #2
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-23-2019
    Location
    Harpers ferry wv.
    Age
    60
    Posts
    2,087

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JNI64 View Post
    Let's sit around the ole yule log and tell a wild life story.
    What beasts have you encountered?
    Pictures much appreciated!
    Ok since you asked, before I crawl into my crypt for the day.
    I've had fox run into camp, albino skunk, bear cubs outside my tent, headless animals on the trail, just to name a few.....

  3. #3

    Default

    Armadillo under my hammock that sounded as big as a MOOSE in the dark! Also got yipped at one night sitting around the fire by what was either a fox or coyote I think.

  4. #4
    GoldenBear's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-31-2007
    Location
    Upper Darby, PA
    Posts
    890
    Journal Entries
    63
    Images
    353

    Cool Since you asked

    Seeing snakes while on or near The Trail is not unusual
    https://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=63578

    but seeing one that is finishing off a meal is pretty rare.
    https://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=63577

    Of course, my most notable meal is a bear finishing off some road kill
    https://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=35958
    when I saw a family that included a young child walking towards this bear jam, I chose to warn the parents: "This is Yogi Bear munching on Bambi."

  5. #5

    Default

    Through my hiking adventures I have for some reason found it comical to get selfies with the wildlife I see. Thus far...
    Black Bear
    Rattlesnake
    Alligator
    Peeing Deer
    Several owls
    Beaver
    Porcupine
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
    AT Map 2: 279.4
    BMT: 52.7
    CDT: 85.4

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-19-2005
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    3,715
    Images
    3

    Default

    years ago, along lakeshore trail, between CS 88 and hazel creek----I spotted this big black mass that was just lying on the ground....'

    it was in a little dip down on the trail and curled up......

    looked like a bear but couldn't tell so i made a bunch of noise.....

    i musta been yelling/making noise for about 5 or so minutes and it just never moved.....

    finally, it looked up, and yup, a bear-----and then went promptly back to sleep......

    i could have walked up on it, smacked it on its ass before it woke up....

  7. #7
    Registered User ldsailor's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-25-2016
    Location
    St. Petersburg, FL
    Age
    74
    Posts
    774

    Default

    I think I've posted this on the forum before, but since you asked... This was at Rip Rap Gap. Another hiker pointed out a bear was on a parallel path with me and pacing me. I took some pictures as we crossed a road stopping traffic. Then it occurred to me that I should be filming this and so the video. We came upon several other hikers on the other side of the road when the bear decided to cross the AT path and eventually took off with another hiker chasing him.

    Trail Name - Slapshot
    "One step at a time."
    Blog - www.tonysadventure.com

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-19-2005
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    3,715
    Images
    3

    Default

    saw a bear getting chased by a momma hog and her hoglets deep in an off trail area
    in the smokies.....

  9. #9
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-23-2019
    Location
    Harpers ferry wv.
    Age
    60
    Posts
    2,087

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TNhiker View Post
    saw a bear getting chased by a momma hog and her hoglets deep in an off trail area
    in the smokies.....
    Just goes to show its not the size of the hog, but the size of the fight in the hog!!


    That's why I wonder why don't we ever hear about hog attacks?

  10. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-19-2005
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    3,715
    Images
    3

    Default

    That's why I wonder why don't we ever hear about hog attacks?


    a hog is rare to spot in the backcountry......

    mainly moves at night but can be out during the day....

    and they seem (at least in my experience) to be more skittish than a bear.......

  11. #11
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-23-2019
    Location
    Harpers ferry wv.
    Age
    60
    Posts
    2,087

    Default

    I want to add to mine :
    Rattlesnake
    Copperhead
    Ring neck snake
    Cotton mouth snake
    Owls
    Bald eagle

    And two dung beetle working together to roll this dung i don't know where. Nor do I know what type of dung it was or where they got it from and how the hell did they shape into a perfect ball for transport.. I must have watched them dung beetle working together through all that thick grass to roll that dung, for about an hour and they got 10' . ( im easily amused)

  12. #12
    GSMNP 900 Miler rmitchell's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-13-2011
    Location
    Knoxville,Tn
    Age
    68
    Posts
    511
    Images
    4

    Default

    During a 6 night Sweat Crew we were camped just off the AT in the vicinity of Thunderhead. One night I got up to pee and heard an animal huff and trot away. Second night , same thing. I could not see what I thought was a deer.

    Third night when it happened again I decided to get a better look. So I turned off my light, waited and crept forward. Animal huffed again and trotted a short distance away. I waited a few minutes and crept forward in the dark as quietly as possible.

    Then I heard something to my right turning over rocks. To my left something was turning over rocks It suddenly dawned on me that deer don't turn over rocks.

    Pretty sure that I walked into a herd of pigs. I quietly retreated to my tent.

  13. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-04-2017
    Location
    Central CT
    Age
    37
    Posts
    475

    Default

    speaking of beetles, on at least 2 separate occasions I came across a group of a few beetles that were devouring the carcass of a mouse, bones and all. I literally saw half of the mouse eaten off and the beetles going at it. My only other thought was if a snake bit a chunk out of the mouse but they usually eat it all and I saw this more then once. I have pics somewhere I'll try to find them.
    NoDoz
    nobo 2018 March 10th - October 19th
    -
    I'm just one too many mornings and 1,000 miles behind

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-12-2006
    Location
    northern illinois
    Posts
    4,532
    Images
    2

    Default

    While sitting against a tree relaxing, I saw a very large tom turkey being stalked by a very large coyote. Both walked out of sight, don't know the outcome.

  15. #15
    GSMNP 900 Miler rmitchell's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-13-2011
    Location
    Knoxville,Tn
    Age
    68
    Posts
    511
    Images
    4

    Default

    When I have seen hogs in the backcountry it has typically been just a fleeting glimpse.

    On a loop hike from Twenty Mile to Gregory Bald in the Smokies I saw hogs at two different times during daylight hours.

    One was a hog that just walked into campsite 92 in early afternoon as we sat around a campfire. It still had water dripping from crossing the creek and stood and stared in our direction. My companions thought it looked "mangey" but I think it may have been a hybrid with spots. When I clapped my hands it ran away.

    The other encounter was on Long Hungry Ridge. As I rounded a corner my hiking partner said "there are little pigs on the hill". The piglets still had their stripes.
    I responded that mama was in the trail.

    She was jet black and rooting up the trail. I froze in my tracks. We were close enough that I could see that the hair on here back was standing up and could hear her grunting. The sow was not huge but her tusks were as long as my fingers.

    We stared at each other for what seemed like 20 minutes but it was probably 20 seconds. Neither of us moved until the piglets ran off and she followed.

  16. #16

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JNI64 View Post

    And two dung beetle working together to roll this dung i don't know where. Nor do I know what type of dung it was or where they got it from and how the hell did they shape into a perfect ball for transport.. I must have watched them dung beetle working together through all that thick grass to roll that dung, for about an hour and they got 10' . ( im easily amused)
    Now I know who took my dang dung!

  17. #17
    Registered User Slugg's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-07-2017
    Location
    Georgia
    Age
    31
    Posts
    364

    Default

    Most noteworthy backcountry sighting probably hogs in the Big Frog/Cohutta wilderness..seen a few but never one with prominent tusks.

    Bears, rattlesnake, turkey, owl, muskrat, grouse, mice, deer, salamanders, turtles, etc..

  18. #18
    Registered User
    Join Date
    10-17-2007
    Location
    Michigan
    Age
    64
    Posts
    5,126

    Default

    So many. One memorable experience was in 1984. Wife and I were in Maui taking a day hike on the Halemau‘u Trail in Haleakala NP. about a mile from the trail head you get to an overlook at the rim of the volcano's crater. It is a thousand feet down to lunar-like crater floor. To the left you can see 8000 feet down to the ocean. Warm air rising forms clouds below you that were pouring into the crater through a gap in the rim. I was so captivated by the view, it was a few moments before I noticed an odd noise. I look down at my feet and find I am surrounded by a dozen or so Nene, or Hawaiian Geese - the state bird. The park ranger at the visitors center told us it was unlikely we would see one as they are exceptionally rare and endangered. I did a little mental math and calculated that I was standing within 10 feet of 5% of the world's Nene population.

  19. #19
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-23-2019
    Location
    Harpers ferry wv.
    Age
    60
    Posts
    2,087

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Slugg View Post
    Most noteworthy backcountry sighting probably hogs in the Big Frog/Cohutta wilderness..seen a few but never one with prominent tusks.

    Bears, rattlesnake, turkey, owl, muskrat, grouse, mice, deer, salamanders, turtles, etc..
    That's something happens just about every trip in the woods is them grouse they like to wait until you're right up on them then they'll jump up and fly away ,startles me every time.

    I was hoping a certain someone on here would respond considering he used to live in a tipi and take 3 weeks trips, spends alot time in the woods probably got some good animal stories. But I'm not gonna mention any names.

  20. #20
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-25-2012
    Location
    Lurkerville, East Tn
    Age
    64
    Posts
    3,719
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    Saw this moose in August at Imp campsite one morning. Rocks in foreground are along trail that leads to all the tent platforms. I was sitting on our platform. She (I think it's a female) came down the hill but her path was blocked by the line of tent platforms and other structures. She went back and forth a few times looking for a way to cross. At the point when this picture was taken I was not much more than 30' away. I have some pretty good video, but I suspect the file is too large to upload.

    Another time maybe 2-3 years ago we had camped literally right beside the trail in the 100-mile wilderness (because that's where we found a place - prefer to be off trail...). The next morning we heard a noise close by, and quietly unzipped the door. 15' away a moose was standing behind a small tree and other vegetation looking at our tent. It melted into the woods. We found it's hoofprints in the trail within 3' of the tent.
    IMG_2907.JPG

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •