Erie feeling!!

[Zaydok Allen]

I spend a lot of time out in the woods alone, because that's what my job requires of me. I have been out walking around by myself in the dark many times, and you learn not to worry about it. In fact I frequently go for walks in the woods near my home in the dark all the time, and I bet if you did the same, it wouldn't bother you after a short time. Now, don't go looking for danger. If grizzlies are a reality, then don't wander in the dark. I'm guessing the main reason you got freaked out is because of the wind reducing your hearing, which is the sense we rely on most in the dark. Spend a little more time outside, in the woods, on a calm night, and you'll learn to enjoy it.

All that being said, I was at a friends house, and we got to drinking one night. Before I knew it, I was pretty drunk, so I decided to walk home at about midnight, rather than drive. It was two miles to get to the other side of town, and then a three mile walk through the woods, on a trail, to get to my place. There are no street lights out that way, and there was no moon that night. Now, that is dark! It felt darn near enveloping. All I had was a mini mag flashlight to light my way. It was something out of a creepy movie or a video game. The entire time I was walking, I kept kicking up deer. At one point, one was actually running down hill toward me because it was just as disoriented as I. Now there are no bears where I live, and no wolves either, but there are huge numbers of mountain lions. There are so many that a lion tag can be bought over the counter. The record is a 179 lb. cat shot about 15 miles south of where I was living at the time. This is obviously a concern to me. The entire walk, I was waiting to see that eye shine staring at me.

Now I did have a loaded .357 in my backpack, but I chose not to handle it while intoxicated, as this would only have resulted in bad things. I just walked with a folded jack knife in one hand, ready to unfold it if need be, and the light in the other. In hind sight I should have left it at my buddy's house and picked it up the next day. However he was drunker than I, and I didn't want to leave, or even stash it there while he was that drunk. He is known to have some pretty bad notions when drinking.

Anyway, that is the most frightening night time experience I've ever had. I'm guessing the booze made it seem worse than it really was, and I’m glad I chose not to handle a gun at that moment. Jumpy and drunk is a bad condition to be in when handguns are involved.

 

[parsimonious_instead]

Use the old school $15 home depot ear mufflers like I do. And yes, you can turn off the light at night when you go to bed. thee is nobody there! lol!

People seem to like my first YouTube video of the Knob Creek machinegun shoot. Usually their favorite shot (other than the tracers blowing up barrels full of fuel) is one I took of two dogs attending the show, each wearing Peltor earmuffs, and rather smartly at that! (not sure what the canines were charged for admission, though).

 

[parsimonious_instead]

I only get nervous during the Blue Moon, but I'll bring along silver bullets for the werewolves.

I do keep an eye out for the zombies, but I think they'll all busy working as extras on AMC's Walking Dead series right now.


The only time I've ever felt odd is coming into the office very late/very early. With all the lights out, and a place normally full of activity still and quiet, it's just disorienting.

When they fired Frank Darabont and cut the production budget, AMC laid off a lot of zombies. Most of the unemployed zombies went to join the various "occupy" protests and still have yet to be noticed.
The remainder, unfortunately are still roaming free. So trust those gut-level instincts in low-light situations, nose in the air, ear to the ground, and keep your mags topped off with Hornady Z-max ammo.

 

[BullfrogKen]

Oh jeez, now we have unemployed zombies roaming around.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Our club is completely dead during weekdays. I get a little hyper-vigilant when I'm the only one there and it is a bright sunny day. I mean, what's to stop someone from running out of the woods and grabbing your guns when you're 100 yards downrange?

 

[Brian D.]

@ Onward Allusion: If at a range by myself like you describe, one gun stays on me, loaded, the whole time.

I ran the pistol section at one outdoor club for a couple years. Occasionally would find myself there very early, to do some chore or other. It was (and still is) against club rules but again, never was out there under those circumstances without a loaded gun on my belt. More than once it was reassuring; people who didn't belong there would show up and sort of case the joint. Dunno what they were up to but it was likely nothing good. Strangely, they'd leave in a hurry when they saw me or my vehicle.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

My new house is in the Huron National Forest. I've had it for only 2 years and will eventually live in it. Dark has a new meaning to me now-I don't go anywhere around my house without a flashlight. You literally can't see your hand in front of your face, and it is downright dangerous to walk where you're not intimately familiar. The animal sounds seem far louder and certainly, there are more of them. Once, while getting my wife out of the truck, I realized I neglected to turn the porchlight on. I had left the headlights on so she had plenty of light, but then said, "Watch this" and turned them off. She got her first dose of real darkness and it scared the crap out of her. Don't think I'll be visiting our range at night, ever.

 

[230RN]

BOO !


Well, I figure if spookies and ghosties and night-bumpies can physically harm you, you can physically harm them.

Right?

Right?

...Please, someone tell me I'm right...

...please?

Terry, 230RN

 

[12gaugeTim]

Don't let the SlenderMan get ya

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Did you actually get any shooting done? That would have been a good time to practice low- or no-light (if you turn the lights off) shooting, as well as draw/fire and unconventional positions. And the apprehension you felt introduces an element of stress.

 

[mgmorden]

The only time I've ever felt odd is coming into the office very late/very early. With all the lights out, and a place normally full of activity still and quiet, it's just disorienting.

Indeed. Particularly when you start hearing footsteps coming down the halls in the middle of the night. Then you remember that there's a 24 hr security guard on duty .

(he's stationed in the front of the building and after hours I come in through the back as I have a code for the door, so I don't normally see the guard coming in)

In all seriousness though, I've gotten spooked in the woods at night plenty of times. Typically the fact that I'm usually armed (as if I'm in the woods at night it's typically going to or coming from a hunting spot) is a great comfort.

Heck my dad and brother were out hunting about 2 years ago and got the scare of their life. They were in the same area, but not together. They heard something that they can't really describe. "Weird", "out of this world", etc is what they've used to describe it. My brother said it sounded like some form of chanting but not anything he'd heard before.

They went back later and searched the area and found wires and stuff in the trees. Not sure if it was an oddball experiment or somebody just had put some speakers out there to freak out random people in the area, but it shook them both up pretty bad at the time. My dad did still manage to get a turkey that day though .

Well, I figure if spookies and ghosties and night-bumpies can physically harm you, you can physically harm them.

Either that, or, if they can come back then so can I. I figure if they manage to kill me they're gonna catch hell once I make it to the other side .

 

[12gaugeTim]

Heck my dad and brother were out hunting about 2 years ago and got the scare of their life. They were in the same area, but not together. They heard something that they can't really describe. "Weird", "out of this world", etc is what they've used to describe it. My brother said it sounded like some form of chanting but not anything he'd heard before.

They went back later and searched the area and found wires and stuff in the trees. Not sure if it was an oddball experiment or somebody just had put some speakers out there to freak out random people in the area, but it shook them both up pretty bad at the time. My dad did still manage to get a turkey that day though

I would never hunt again. For never ever never forever never ever.
But hey, it could've been worse, your paw could've gotten got by.. The SlenderMan!

 

[Krogen]

Sounds like you need some of Hornady's Zombi-max cartridges.....

 

[Shimitup]

I guess it's natural to get a little creeped out when in an environment you're not accustomed to. Like others have mentioned, work place at off hours does it for me. Easing through a pitch black creek bottom in Louisiana in the wee hours on the other hand I dearly love, I've just always done it to see what nocturnal things I can see, a screech owl right over your head can get your adrenaline going. One time I did walk up on something really big on a moonless night that erupted out of the brush about 5 yds away going the opposite direction, that got my heart going. Probably a deer (there have been reports of a Sasquatch in that area however)

I think I inherited that affinity from my uncle who told me a great story about walking a couple of miles into his deer stand in Loggy Bayou area of La. in the predawn hours. Well after sunup and no deer he walked back out to his truck only to notice his foot prints along with those of a huge wolf that apparently followed him in to within a few yards of his stand.

 

[Lubricant]

Love walking the woods at night.Once your eyes adjust,you can see some spectacular things.I've seen Northern lights that literally had me gasping in amazement.BUT.Taking out the garbage at 3 a.m really creeps me out.

 

[CoRoMo]

It's dark... ...and again..it's dark!!! ... Not a soul is there...again..it's reeeaaalll dark... ...and now I start getting a little spooked.

Achluophobia

...the homeless sneaking on to the property and finding places to sleep and congregate after closing and the critters that pop out at night, kind of got to me a little.

Scelerophobia

I'm there...alone... ..and it made me on edge for two hours!

Autophobia

If I keep going, I'm going to start sounding like Lucy.

 

[Ben86]

Maybe you should stick to decaf in the morning.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

But hey, it could've been worse, your paw could've gotten got by.. The SlenderMan!

I'd never heard of SlenderMan til now. Here we've got the Dogman, Witchy Wolves, and Melon Heads, not to mention the Red Devil of Detroit.

Ghoulies, ghosties, and strange beasties.

 

[Ben86]

We've just got meth zombies and big foots. The meth zombies scare me way more, sort of like reavers (sp?) off of Firefly.

 

[ErikO]

Lemp brewery here in St Louis.

 

[Spotty-Shottie]

Very entertaining threads i've read here, and some of you guys spoke the truth about getting used to certain situations that are not "normal" for us. I admit that sometimes I get spooked for what seems like no reason, sometimes more than others, but it's almost fun....at least for me. I guess besides the creepy, spooky/exciting feelings that we may feel reading this thread, there is a lesson to be learned here. That we feel vulnarable no matter if we packing or not and if we as people focused of strenghtening ourselves spiritually, we would'nt feel so vulnarable. Now don't get me wrong, guns are great when the SHTF, but would most of us be prepared to shoot for extended periods of time, say 5-10 years? I know I probably would'nt. Thats when you will find the real you. Hopefully it will never come to that point but if it does, I'll see yall there!!!

 

[Art Eatman]

"I went to Lake Erie. It was eerie."

After Fatman went through months of struggle at the local Slenderella Salon, he changed his name to Slenderman. The rest is history...