Real world animal threats

[Ura-Ki]

Rogue Operators in DGUs

 

[HB of CJ]

Wild dog packs. Big. Kinda alike in appearance. They look like a cross between a Pit Bull, Golden Retriever, German Sheppard and Coyote. Only about 30-40 pounds. Very skinny. A buff off yellow short hair appearance. The first few put on an great act of being very friendly.

Tails wagging. A submissive happy appearance. Extremely dangerous. First there are only one or two. Pet me pet me they say. Then 2 or 4 more. then another 4. Soon your are surrounded at a distance. Oh shieeet. Most folks do not recognize the danger. Then it is too late.

How come every time you hit the Edit function the paragraph length jumps around? Can't it get its act together? Each Edit is different. YIkes! ​

 

[Medic!]

What in gods name is a Samqwach?

I think it's sasquatches uncle.

 

[slimmer13]

One time I was out coon hunting with my two red hounds. They treed a mountain lion and suddenly the big cat attacked. The hounds put up a fight but were no match. The cat turned to pounce on me when the dogs selflessly sacrificed themselves to save me.

Went back to visit their grave years later and a big red fern was growing there and that's why I carry a g20 in the woods

 

[Ura-Ki]

Run, RUN for your lives, Wild pack of dog are about to get you! Save your selves, don't make eye contact! Once they see you, its too late for you! If you don't run away, one may claim you and make you take it home, then your screwed! Trust me, I know! It happened to me!

 

[Ura-Ki]

They turn into THIS! ( not mine) but same size!

 

[Argonaut]

We used to catch rattlesnakes during spring vacation from high school to sell to WSU and would occasionally come eye to eye with one while climbing around the rocks looking for them, always got your heart pumping. We used to see copperheads and cotton mouths in military training areas in the south that were unnerving when you were in the water with them. We used to catch and eat big anacondas in survival school in Panama but probably the most dangerous encounter I have ever had with an animal was while we were taking yearling foals out of a large pasture in Utah. I had wrestled down a little stud Colt when something hit me really hard from behind.......like a ton of bricks coming down on me. Seems his mama didn't care for my attempts to gather her baby and stomped me really hard. I rolled out of the way after figuring out what was going on and still kept ahold of the baby. When I was a kid my family and I were visiting the national bison range in Montana. They kept some young organ baby deer, antelope and bison on the visitor center lawn for people to pet........a little couple of hundred pound bison bull calf hit my mom from behind, knocked her down and turned back towards her. He was playing I am sure but pretty rough play, he was easily shooed off but my mom had a great story she retold often. My grandfather's ranch had a large amount of free range at the top of Whitebird grade outside of Grangeville. Those mama cows had never seen anyone not on horseback and after living with the bears, coyotes and big cats they could be pretty rank. They had to be handled with care and were dangerous. Great stories by everyone here. Most show how really beguine our western wild country is as far as wildlife. The most common killer we have is hypothermia. Alaska is a different issue but the lower 48 Western outdoors is quite safe from critters. I did get bit by a rattler on my calf working in one of my pastures outside of Fresno years ago. Went to the VA, they put me on a gurney for 12 or so hours.......few I'll effects and they said any cure was worse than the reaction I was having and sent me home. I worked at the Boy Scout summer camp Many years (camp Cowles) managing and teaching in the nature lodge. On early morning hikes the 4th kid back in line invariably was stung by yellow jackets after the first 3 kicked an old rotten log somewhere on the trail. Sometimes there was drama but we usually shamed the kid into being tough and continuing.

 

[jbett98]

When I was 10 years old I was teasing a big red racer garden snake with a stick when it decided it had enough and bit me on my knuckle.
My older sister told me that I now had rabies and would die a horrible death within 24 hours.
I laid awake all night waiting for my mouth to foam and my muscles to constrict into rigor mortise.

 

[Argonaut]

When I was 10 years old I was teasing a big red racer garden snake with a stick when it decided it had enough and bit me on my knuckle.
My older sister told me that I now had rabies and would die a horrible death within 24 hours.
I laid awake all night waiting for my mouth to foam and my muscles to constrict into rigor mortise.

I hope you got even with that evil sister...............

 

[LuckySG]

Everyone is mentioning animals and people.

THE REAL THREAT IS THE GOVERNMENT!!!!

The problem is most people only shoot what they are willing to eat and I have on good authority that government workers rank below turkey vultures in both taste and tenderness. Perhaps the challenge is to get the government to lash out more in public to stir opinions?

 

[Ruger Rich]

A few years ago, perhaps 15 or so, my good buddy Don (three years gone now, died hunting) and I were elk hunting in Idaho. We'd beat our selves up two days in a row chasing a herd with some real nice bulls. So we decided to take a day off from hunting and do a bit of poking around. We've done this very thing on many of our trips. We looked at the map and decided to drive to a very small remote town called Atlanta. Yep in Idaho. I could get out the maps and look, but I think it was the Boise river we were driving up to get there. We got there, a strange place and another story, nosed around, got our fill and headed back. There was more daylight remaining than we needed to get back to camp. We found a promising looking ridge running at 90 to the road. We decided to hunt up it and then back to the truck. Don would hunt up one side and I the other, cross at the top, switch sides and back down to the truck. Made it to the ridge top, crossed over, didn't see Don any where and started hunting down. Probably two thirds of the way down I smelled it. Archery season had been but a short time before our rifle hunt and assumed I was going to come upon an elk shot and not found by an archery hunter. That part of the ridge was pretty devoid of trees, lots of tall grass yellow colored at this time of the year. I stopped to looked around. There about 15 yards or so in front of me was a huge blond grizzly. He was the color of the grass. His bubblegum was initially towards me with his head down. My rifle was casually resting in the crook of my arm. He raised his head, looked over his shoulder, and took off so fast I thought I was at the drag strip. Had he come my way I dont know that I would of had time time to a shot off, let alone an accurate shot. That's the only grizz I've seen first hand in the woods.

 

[Joe13]

What in gods name is a Samqwach?

I got curious and put the trailer park boys on Netflix. Needless to say it made a bit of an impression.

 

[11Charlie]

I think it's sasquatches uncle.

Hey I love uncle sassy!!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I got "family" JUST LIKE them!
How that happened I have no idea, but it's kind of a running joke!
Good thing they all live in Idaho and Enumclaw!
Lock yer Log trucks!

 

[dangerranger60]

I've had a couple run ins with Feral dog packs. The last I was burning brush in my front yard. I keep a rifle in my garage, But I was about 30 yards out at the burn pile, When I heard my neighbor yelling. She is in her 80's and came out back to find a pack of dogs surrounding her horse. She runs out to chase them off but they turn on her! I was about 40 yards from her fence, and 30 back to my garage. So instead of running 30 back to the garage and another 70 back to her I grabbed a shovel and ran for the fence. By the time I got to her a Big Pit mix had her by the back of the leg and she was going down.
I hit the dog mid back with the side of the shovel! He let go with a yelp, and he took off dragging his hind legs! The other 4 circled for a couple of seconds and decided to move on too! They decided that they had turned from predators to prey!

The neighbor was wearing high rubber boots and only got some nasty bruises. But it was scary!

I have also had a couple of encounters with big cats.
The last I was out trying to feed the horses but the horses wouldn't get anywhere near the barn. I just assumed that the neighbors dog was out in the pasture. I had not brought a light but I knew the way so I stumbled out into the dark to chase it off. I got about 10 yards out the gate into the lower pasture, and saw something move off to my right. I heard two animals as they ran through my fence. and just then I saw something with a LONG tail move off to my left. At that point I froze! I had been between a lioness and two cubs! I had a pistol in my pocket, but they were gone before I even knew what I had gotten into! Once it was light I confirmed that there were big and little kitty tracks. They were probably hunting rodents in the grass.

That will make you think twice about going out in the dark! DR

 

[The Heretic]

Besides humans, it has been dogs off leash, usually when I was on a bicycle or motorcycle, but sometimes walking.

I should probably carry more often on my property as there are bears and cougars and coyote, but I have only actually seen and heard coyotes. If I think there is something out there at night time and I decide to go out I do carry something - usually a shotgun.

 

[Grimm]

I was archery hunting a few years back and saw a big flock of buzzards so I went to investigate. When I got to what they were interested in, I started up towards this cow elk that was laying dead on the ground. Got about 40 yards away and saw some movement and pretty soon I had the eyes of a black bear looking at me from over the cows body. Dropped my bow and drew my sidearm but I'm damn happy it ran the other way. I don't think my .40 would have done anything other than piss it off.

 

[11Charlie]

I was archery hunting a few years back and saw a big flock of buzzards so I went to investigate. When I got to what they were interested in, I started up towards this cow elk that was laying dead on the ground. Got about 40 yards away and saw some movement and pretty soon I had the eyes of a black bear looking at me from over the cows body. Dropped my bow and drew my sidearm but I'm damn happy it ran the other way. I don't think my .40 would have done anything other than piss it off.

Buddy of mine used to guide in Alaska for fishing trips. They were back in camp cleaning all the fish for guest and a big brown walks into camp. long story short, four guides unload there side arms with no results. Owner hears this all going on steps out of his cabin with a 7mm and drops it before anyone got hurt. I guess he was pretty pissed by the time they killed it.

 

[Argonaut]

Buddy of mine used to guide in Alaska for fishing trips. They were back in camp cleaning all the fish for guest and a big brown walks into camp. long story short, four guides unload there side arms with no results. Owner hears this all going on steps out of his cabin with a 7mm and drops it before anyone got hurt. I guess he was pretty pissed by the time they killed it.

That confirms my opinions about handguns in general. Fun to play with but if you need to defend yourself, get a rifle or shotgun.

 

[Devenk89]

Having fished commercially in Alaska for the last 10 years or so I've seen my fair share of bears up close.

On one occasion, while hiking to the salmon weir in Dog Salmon (Alitak Bay), I looked over and poking above the grass about 15 feet away from me I saw two round ears pop up. They belonged to a big sow brown bear. She stood up on her hind legs and we just kept walking by, we probably saw 15 bears that day.

Another time, it was unseasonably warm and we were laying on the beach. The skipper was about 100 yards down the beach from me taking a nap with his wife. I happened to glance over and there was a big brown bear sniffing their feet. I stood up and yelled and the bear backed up a few yards and stood its ground. I ran inside, grabbed our single shot 12 gauge, and let off a flash bang round that sent it running up the hill. Made for quite an exciting day.