woodstrider
New member
Animals encountered on the trail
Well, the usual suspects.
I think that the most alarming, at least for me, was a family group of moose at twilight as I was coming down the Fire Wardens Trail in New Hampshire. Alarming because they are so very big, even the calf, and I was out numbered 5 to 1. In fact I have had a few moose encounters down the years, including one where a bull ran in front of my car, and I mean in front. It sorta ran from off the side of the road and jumped in front of my car and ran ahead of the car and down the road for about a quarter mile before running off to the side of the road again. I was going about 30mph and could not jam on the brakes on that unpaved road. OK- not a trail, a road, but how odd was that!?
Anyway- They, the moose family- were not exactly on the trail, but next to the path busily stripping the leaves off of some saplings, and I did not know the protocol of the situation. I tried not to alarm them as I tipped toed down the steep trail, but they noticed and we all stopped and stared at each other. Then, as if on cue, everybody started to run. Luckily we all ran away and in different directions and away from eachother.
Another time I was bushwhacking up a lovely ridge to the Wittenberg. I was passing thru a lovely forest with many black cherry trees that were dropping there fruit. I noticed some impressively large bear poo and was just thinking that the last thing that I would like to have happen would to met up that the bear that could leave that behind (so to speak). I looked up to see a very large black bear about 50 feet away that was watching me. It ran off another 50 feet or so and stopped and turned around to watch me. I continued on my way at my usual slow pace and the bear ran off. Ok, this last story is about an encounter that did not happen on a trail, per se, but I thought it was interesting. I usually don't get to see bears on trails- only off trail.
Sadly, I am seeing some animals much less these days then, say, 10 years ago. Especially porcupines. I would most likely see one on any trip to the Catskills back in the 1990s. More then once I had to race one down a trail or wait for it to waddle off to the trail's side so that I could pass. I don't know how many times that I sat down a rock at a scenic viewpoint along a trail only to jump up in painful alarm when I sat on a needle! And at almost every leanto there were the resident porcupines that would visit your camp once the sun went down. Once I woke up to three porcupines in the Devil's Acre Leanto with me! I hardly see them any more and I haven't sat on a needle in years. I miss them!
But the most unusual encounters that I've had have been while encamped. But that's another thread.
Well, the usual suspects.
I think that the most alarming, at least for me, was a family group of moose at twilight as I was coming down the Fire Wardens Trail in New Hampshire. Alarming because they are so very big, even the calf, and I was out numbered 5 to 1. In fact I have had a few moose encounters down the years, including one where a bull ran in front of my car, and I mean in front. It sorta ran from off the side of the road and jumped in front of my car and ran ahead of the car and down the road for about a quarter mile before running off to the side of the road again. I was going about 30mph and could not jam on the brakes on that unpaved road. OK- not a trail, a road, but how odd was that!?
Anyway- They, the moose family- were not exactly on the trail, but next to the path busily stripping the leaves off of some saplings, and I did not know the protocol of the situation. I tried not to alarm them as I tipped toed down the steep trail, but they noticed and we all stopped and stared at each other. Then, as if on cue, everybody started to run. Luckily we all ran away and in different directions and away from eachother.
Another time I was bushwhacking up a lovely ridge to the Wittenberg. I was passing thru a lovely forest with many black cherry trees that were dropping there fruit. I noticed some impressively large bear poo and was just thinking that the last thing that I would like to have happen would to met up that the bear that could leave that behind (so to speak). I looked up to see a very large black bear about 50 feet away that was watching me. It ran off another 50 feet or so and stopped and turned around to watch me. I continued on my way at my usual slow pace and the bear ran off. Ok, this last story is about an encounter that did not happen on a trail, per se, but I thought it was interesting. I usually don't get to see bears on trails- only off trail.
Sadly, I am seeing some animals much less these days then, say, 10 years ago. Especially porcupines. I would most likely see one on any trip to the Catskills back in the 1990s. More then once I had to race one down a trail or wait for it to waddle off to the trail's side so that I could pass. I don't know how many times that I sat down a rock at a scenic viewpoint along a trail only to jump up in painful alarm when I sat on a needle! And at almost every leanto there were the resident porcupines that would visit your camp once the sun went down. Once I woke up to three porcupines in the Devil's Acre Leanto with me! I hardly see them any more and I haven't sat on a needle in years. I miss them!
But the most unusual encounters that I've had have been while encamped. But that's another thread.
