Food stolen by animals
This poll asks if you have ever had food stollen by an animal.
Last edited by rickb; 09-25-2007 at 18:36.
nope. i sleep with mine
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!
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
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L’Amour
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
Check out this thief:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkBOy...related&search=
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
The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.
I'm sorry but this is just plain funny. lolOriginally Posted by Tipi Walter
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.
Seagull
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!
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.
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.
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.
SGT Rock
http://hikinghq.net
My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT
BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
-----------------------------------------
NO SNIVELING
Even Dixicritter?
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...
As of right know< none of my food has been taken by the animals. But there is allways the first.
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