Scariest Moment in the Woods?

[TDHanger]

I have had four bear encounters but only one has frightened me. Two of my encounters were on the Allegheny Gorge trail in PA I just talked to them and the bears just walked away. One of the encounters was at Laurel Hill State park the bear sat down in the trail in front of us and would not leave he just sat here and watched us for a good 10 minutes we yelled and clapped but he just sat there until finally he got up and walked away. But the fourth encounter was at Lafayette Campground in New Hampshire. They were have a issue with two bears raiding the campground. I was woke up to the sound of neighboring campers screaming and honking there horn to scare the bear away that had gotten into there truck bed but they only chased it to my site where it walked right past me actually brushing up against my tarp I didn't like that much I yelled at it and it ran down the road.

My second frightening moment was when I was sleeping with my tarp up in porch mode. I was awakened by something with very bad breath that had grunted in my face! Dear Bear I don't know but it was sure a scare.

[cneill13]

I have had a few scary moments out of doors but not always in the woods. The most scared I have been sleeping outside was actually in my backyard in Atlanta. I went out at 3 in the morning to test out a new winter hammock system. Within minutes of getting in my hammock I heard something on the other side of the fence post where my hammock was hanging. I could tell is was a coyote. I started barking but it just stood there and growled. Not having a light or my glasses I headed back inside and grabbed a flashlight went back outside on the deck. At least two coyotes maybe 3-4 were literally circling my backyard yelping. I think they could smell my fear and it drove them wild. I became the prey because I was scared. That is the most aggressive I have ever seen a coyote. Usually in the wild they might come close to camp but I have never had one venture in. Not being native to Georgia but in every county, coyotes can now be shot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no limit. That might be why they are a bit more timid in the wild rather than the city. Every outdoor cat in my neighborhood has now been eaten by the coyotes. One even jumped at 10' fence and grabbed a small dog.

My second scary story happened not to me but to my daughter the second time she ever went camping. The first time she went camping was at Gooch gap in one of the worst rain storms I have ever been through. The second time she went camping was last summer when she was 7. We went to Siler's Bald Shelter in NC and were the only ones there. My daughter was scared of spiders and this campsite was literally crawling with daddy longlegs. They were everywhere. One even crawled into my cup when I set it down and I drank it into my mouth. We made it through the night ok. The next morning when we woke up, the ceiling of the tent inside was covered with spiders. They must have been on our clothes when we went in at night. The best part is that my daughter is no longer scared of spiders.

A third story was last November, I was solo camping at Wood Hole Shelter at the base of Blood Mountain in Georgia. It was very foggy and you couldn't see 10 feet. At around 3 in the morning I heard a blood curdling scream. Like something from a Scooby Doo cartoon. It didn't sound real. It started with a scream and ended with a snarl like a cat would make. Then it was quiet until a slow howl arose. I have never heard coyotes howl (there are no wolves in Georgia) but they let out a chorus after killing whatever it was they killed. Not sure what type of animal was screaming. I am guessing a bobcat but it may have been a wild hog.

My fourth and last (I can hear the cheers) happened to me last July on top of Wallulah mountain when I was section hiking on the BMT. I was hammock camping at a small campsite on the crest. After an uneventful evening I woke up at 7:30 am to trees being pulled down or apart. You could hear the wood splitting. It was incredibly loud. I realized it was likely bears tearing open dead trees trying to get at grubs. Anyway, I laid in my hammock listening to sounds I have never before heard. I think it was the cubs talking to one another. It sounded almost like a bark or an owl hooting. I listened to them slowly getting closer and was ready to jump out of my hammock with my Go Pro camera to hopefully get a picture of the bears before they ran away. As I was laying there planning on how to best exit my hammock while simultaneously turning on my camera and putting on my shoes I heard footsteps in the leaves. Except the footsteps were coming right up to my hammock by my shoulder. I heard two sets of steps and thought it might be two hikers. But then I realized it wasn't two people but instead was a four-footed animal. I immediately yelled "Hey bear" and jumped out of my hammock but nothing went right. I couldn't get my camera turned on, my hammock wouldn't open and by the time I got out there was total silence. I was expected (or hoping) to hear the bears running off but there was nothing. Absolutely not a sound. I initially thought they might have crouched down and got worried but soon realized that they were gone. To this day I can't figure out how they got away so silently. Not what I would have expected.

[MAD777]

All good stories cneil13. Coyotes are overrunning the western communities of Southeast Florida, next to the Everglades.

[rjc149]

For real. That story gave me the chills. Did you ever see the pictures?

No this happened in the early 90's, I imagine she got rid of the pictures ASAP.

[Conquering Fool]

When one of my toggles broke.

[NCTrout]

I was camping solo at least 2 miles from anyone and heard something (someone?) cough about 3 am. Heard something moving around in the distance. Convinced myself it was a deer, but didn't get much sleep after that.

[Zoomie]

I got drawn for the North Kaibab (North side of the Grand Canyon) for a mule deer hunt. To say that it is desolate is the understatement of the day. It took me a full day to drive in before grabbing my pack. Lots of game trails that lead right up to the edge, with no warning of any kind.

I was going to sleep when it dawned on me that I was so far out in the toolies that no one would ever find my truck, let alone my body if I went down. It took me a minute or two to slow my breathing.

Had another time when I was in Sitgreaves National Forest. I was sleeping in the back of the truck with my pooch. it was 9 degrees. I was startled awake by this horrible screeching noise and the truck rocking violently. I was certain that the Boogie Man had come for me and was sawing the truck in half to get to me.

Turns out it had snowed in the night. A huge elk was nibbling small grasses under the truck as they weren't covered by snow. He kept banging his rack on the truck while nibbling.

[Shotgunpapa]

well I have read all and ready to go camping this weekend and I hope I don't have any of this happen to me. good read though before a camping trip.

[OneClick]

Scariest moment? Just this past weekend.

I was going to set up my hammock and tarp. So I pulled the two olive green stuff sacks out of my pack. One was my mamajamba tarp. The other was my...superfly tarp!!! NOOO!!!!

I will not be making that mistake again, especially when nearly 4 hours from home.

[MAD777]

Scariest moment? Just this past weekend.

I was going to set up my hammock and tarp. So I pulled the two olive green stuff sacks out of my pack. One was my mamajamba tarp. The other was my...superfly tarp!!! NOOO!!!!

I will not be making that mistake again, especially when nearly 4 hours from home.

At least you were dry! Lol