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  1. #1
    Registered User Socrates's Avatar
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    Angry Killing wildlife on the trail??? ***?

    I was just looking at some wildlife photos some had posted. One was of a dead mouse with what looked like a beeper for a backpack and a stick holding its lifeless body up. Another was of about 6 or 7 dead mice from a shelter lined up on a log.
    It hadn't even crossed my mind till I saw those pics, but am I going to encounter this on the trail? I own a Glock and believe in self defense, but against mice? I respect hunting and fishing, but mice? If a bee stings you, kill it, but mice?
    I'm easy to get along with, but I'm known for letting others know what I think and there's nothing that boils my blood more than needlessly killing an animal. It is NOT going to happen while I'm around.
    Am I going to end up needing to camp away in the woods? Maybe I was mistaken, but I thought we were out there to be WITH nature? What's the normal attitude out there?
    ~ Socrates
    "The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him." ~ Schopenhauer

  2. #2

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    I've read a lot on here about people killing shelter mice. That's one of many reasons why I plan to avoid shelters unless absolutely necessary. I'm hoping that if I have to stay in one that I can convince others to refrain from doing such a thing in my presence. It really bothers me that it's such an accepted thing.

    Mindi
    "Too much civilization around here! Remember when the woods used to be woods, Harry?"

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Socrates View Post
    It hadn't even crossed my mind till I saw those pics, but am I going to encounter this on the trail? I own a Glock and believe in self defense, but against mice? I respect hunting and fishing, but mice? If a bee stings you, kill it, but mice?

    Hmm. I don't own a Glock, but I own and use mouse traps, and have personally been responsible for the deaths of numerous mice. My conscience is clear. I have not, as of yet, taken mouse traps on a hike -- but I've heard of others who have.

  4. #4

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    Some shelters have 100's of mice at them. IT is not natural. I don't like playing God at all in these matters but have been known to set a trap or two.
    After reading your post, you are probably best off staying away from them. (lots of evil things go on at shelters)

  5. #5
    Registered User Socrates's Avatar
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    I understand them in a home environment. I even helped my friend set a few. But in the woods? Seems extreme and futile. If mother nature bugs a person that bad, they shouldn't be hiking. My dad runs a hotel and when I was younger, every time I saw a mouse trap or glue trap, I'd sabotage it. Even set a few mice free in the grass. I'd do the same in shelters.
    "The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him." ~ Schopenhauer

  6. #6
    Registered User K0OPG's Avatar
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    when you can't sleep because they are crawling over you sleeping bag, your face and head, and eating holes in you backpack and food bag and craping in or on you and you sleeping gear you may change your mind about killing mickey or minnie. Hantivirus?!?
    Semper Fi and 73's,

    G. L. Cooper
    K0OPG (Amateur Extra)
    Mountains of WV

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Socrates View Post
    I understand them in a home environment. I even helped my friend set a few. But in the woods? Seems extreme and futile. If mother nature bugs a person that bad, they shouldn't be hiking. My dad runs a hotel and when I was younger, every time I saw a mouse trap or glue trap, I'd sabotage it. Even set a few mice free in the grass. I'd do the same in shelters.
    This is why you carry a tent. During heavy hiking season, shelters have mice, and mice are a nuisance. The mice are there mostly because of sloppy hikers. Go back to that same shelter off-season and the mice are gone.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Socrates View Post
    I was just looking at some wildlife photos some had posted. One was of a dead mouse with what looked like a beeper for a backpack and a stick holding its lifeless body up. Another was of about 6 or 7 dead mice from a shelter lined up on a log.
    It hadn't even crossed my mind till I saw those pics, but am I going to encounter this on the trail? I own a Glock and believe in self defense, but against mice? I respect hunting and fishing, but mice? If a bee stings you, kill it, but mice?
    I'm easy to get along with, but I'm known for letting others know what I think and there's nothing that boils my blood more than needlessly killing an animal. It is NOT going to happen while I'm around.
    Am I going to end up needing to camp away in the woods? Maybe I was mistaken, but I thought we were out there to be WITH nature? What's the normal attitude out there?
    ~ Socrates
    Use the Glock on the mice.
    Stumpknocker
    Appalachian Trail is 35.9% complete.

  9. #9
    Registered User KG4FAM's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Socrates View Post
    I understand them in a home environment. I even helped my friend set a few.
    The shelters are not much different than a home environment. They are both made by man and not natural so the effect that a home will have is the same effect that a shelter will have. If you have a messy kitchen at home you will have mice and if hikers are messy at the shelters you will have mice.

  10. #10
    Addicted Hiker and Donating Member Hammock Hanger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by terrapin_too View Post
    This is why you carry a tent. During heavy hiking season, shelters have mice, and mice are a nuisance. The mice are there mostly because of sloppy hikers. Go back to that same shelter off-season and the mice are gone.

    I agree that I feel that the shelters seem to be extra lively during thru-hiker season. Eating in the shelters & leaving extra unwanted food in the shelters are a few of the problems.

    I have hiked many section hikes in the off season and the numbers are definitely down.

    I still do not find them that big of a nuisance and not worth killing. Don't like them sleep else where...
    Hammock Hanger -- Life is my journey and I'm surely not rushing to the "summit"...:D

    http://www.gcast.com/u/hammockhanger/main

  11. #11
    Registered User PJ 2005's Avatar
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    Wow, I didn't realize there were so many mice killers... honestly, I found them more amusing than irritating. Perhaps those that hate mice so much should be the ones avoiding shelters.

    It's worth noting that there has been ONE case of hantavirus in the entire history of the Appalachian Trail.

  12. #12

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    Killing a few mice isn't so bad. They will be eaten by other critters sooner or later. Framing a picture like the Hiker Mouce of Skyland was rather disturbing though. Personally, I always pack a tent. Y'all are welcome to sleep with the mice.

  13. #13
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    mice are dirty vermin. shelters are dirty boxes. mice must die and shelters must burn.

  14. #14
    Registered User Frolicking Dinosaurs's Avatar
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    Not a 2007 thru (we are section hikers so are part of many yrs), but I feel you pain. The gathering in a shelter is a cross-section of humanity. Some value wildlife more than others. We often cook at shelters and socialize a bit, but move on to stealth sites to camp to avoid things like pot smoking, excessive drinking and mouse killing. These things are not part of our ideal wilderness experience, but all seem to be accepted behaviors at shelters.

  15. #15
    formerly amazonwoman
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    Mice carry disease. I'm a 'mouse killer'. I won't have them in my house, in my food or on my person. I think that getting all mushy and going 'PETA' on us is a little mellowdramatic. I don't think that there is a chance they will become endangered. If they do I'll pick up a picket and carry it down the trail... "Save the mice! We're all getting too much sleep in the shelter!"

  16. #16
    Registered User Socrates's Avatar
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    Thank god I don't use my Glock on every person that annoys me. Poor mice are just being mice. "Me big man! Big man aaangry! Big man kill you now! grunt grunt"
    "The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him." ~ Schopenhauer

  17. #17

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    My best meese story is when I was sleeping in a firetower one night. A meese woke me up when he was getting some left-over food out of my beard. I reached over, turned on my headlamp and sat up to see where that meese was. He had climbed on the window sill. He was looking at me and when I picked up my hiking pole to smack him, he went down a small hole in the corner.

    I went back to sleep, thinking he wouldn't bother me again, but it wasn't long and he was back messing around in front of my face. I did the same thing...turned my headlamp on and sat up. That meese was right back in the same corner watching me again. As soon as I picked up my Leki, he ran down the small hole again.

    I stuck the end of one of my Leki's into the hole and that blocked it off, then I went back to sleep thinking the little bugger wouldn't get back out till morning.

    Well, I had just fallen asleep again and that little meese was right back in front of my face. I turned on my headlamp, sat up and the little bugger was right back on the sill next to the hole he kept running into.

    I wonder how many other hikers he had done the same thing to because he was a fat little bugger.

    Well, I picked up my other Leki just like before. I got ready to smash the little bugger and he ran over to go into that hole again.

    The look on his face was priceless when he realized that the hole was blocked off. He looked back at me and I could see that he was thinking....ah crap.........clunk!!!!

    I slept great the rest of the night.

    End of story.
    Stumpknocker
    Appalachian Trail is 35.9% complete.

  18. #18
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    Soda caps filled with anti-freeze work good.

  19. #19
    Registered User Socrates's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by stumpknocker View Post

    The look on his face was priceless when he realized that the hole was blocked off. He looked back at me and I could see that he was thinking....ah crap.........clunk!!!!

    I slept great the rest of the night.

    End of story.
    You were telling a great story till the end.
    "The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him." ~ Schopenhauer

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Socrates View Post
    You were telling a great story till the end.
    Nah....the ending was the best part....I slept great!!!
    Stumpknocker
    Appalachian Trail is 35.9% complete.

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