DAP90
Member
I see quite a few bear gun threads around here. It’s a gun focused website so I guess I understand.
I’ve hiked and camped all over Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park. I’ve had very few animal encounters that were even remotely dangerous
I’ve seen black bears; mostly around campsites but occasionally on the trail. The ones near campsites I run off. The ones on the trail I just watch from a distance. I’ve never felt like I was in any danger from bears.
I was backpacking deep in Rocky Mountain National Park and almost tripped over a baby elk hidden in some high grass. It was perfectly camouflaged. I would have missed it if I was 5 feet away. I stopped, thought, this is cool and started to reach for my camera. I then realized I was in a precarious situation and quickly moved on; head on a swivel till I was well clear.
While pheasant hunting I was at the bottom of a deep pocket. It had been a wet year and the brush and cover was well over my head. I was pushing through a particularly thick portion thinking this was a complete waste of time when I entered a clear area about 15ft across. In it were 4 coyotes eating a dead deer. I froze, they looked at me, I looked at them and nobody moved for what was probably 3 seconds but felt a lot longer. They took off away from me, I backed out the way I came and went looking for a different pocket. For sure there weren’t any pheasants in that one anyway.
Usually any coyotes run out before I even reach the edge of any pocket. I’m sure the meal was what kept them around but they must have heard me coming. I was making a ton of noise. I was probably shooting 2 ¾” 5’s out of my AL391 and I wasn’t the least bit comforted by having it.
I’m not that familiar with coyote behavior but I can’t remember hearing of any coyote/human attacks. What worried me though was the deer. They might have been willing to defend it and 4 coyotes were more shells than I had loaded in the gun. It’s also a pretty unwieldy gun at close range. That was my closest and most numerous encounter before or since.
I was charged by a marmot once on a small glacier pretty high up in the Rockies. Not what I would call scary or anything but that little guy was definitely trying to run me off. Being the considerate guy that I am, I let him.
What sorts of animal encounters have you all had?
I’ve hiked and camped all over Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park. I’ve had very few animal encounters that were even remotely dangerous
I’ve seen black bears; mostly around campsites but occasionally on the trail. The ones near campsites I run off. The ones on the trail I just watch from a distance. I’ve never felt like I was in any danger from bears.
I was backpacking deep in Rocky Mountain National Park and almost tripped over a baby elk hidden in some high grass. It was perfectly camouflaged. I would have missed it if I was 5 feet away. I stopped, thought, this is cool and started to reach for my camera. I then realized I was in a precarious situation and quickly moved on; head on a swivel till I was well clear.
While pheasant hunting I was at the bottom of a deep pocket. It had been a wet year and the brush and cover was well over my head. I was pushing through a particularly thick portion thinking this was a complete waste of time when I entered a clear area about 15ft across. In it were 4 coyotes eating a dead deer. I froze, they looked at me, I looked at them and nobody moved for what was probably 3 seconds but felt a lot longer. They took off away from me, I backed out the way I came and went looking for a different pocket. For sure there weren’t any pheasants in that one anyway.
Usually any coyotes run out before I even reach the edge of any pocket. I’m sure the meal was what kept them around but they must have heard me coming. I was making a ton of noise. I was probably shooting 2 ¾” 5’s out of my AL391 and I wasn’t the least bit comforted by having it.
I’m not that familiar with coyote behavior but I can’t remember hearing of any coyote/human attacks. What worried me though was the deer. They might have been willing to defend it and 4 coyotes were more shells than I had loaded in the gun. It’s also a pretty unwieldy gun at close range. That was my closest and most numerous encounter before or since.
I was charged by a marmot once on a small glacier pretty high up in the Rockies. Not what I would call scary or anything but that little guy was definitely trying to run me off. Being the considerate guy that I am, I let him.
What sorts of animal encounters have you all had?