Close Encounter

[Woody girl]

I too have had a wild boar encounter.
While hitching through the carmarge in Francewith a friend, we got benighted, on a lonely stretch of road with no civilisation in sight, so decided to put the tent up behind a clump of bushes a little way off the road. There was a patch of ground that was clear of vegitation, so we pitched in the half dark, ate a few snacks, leaving the bag of food outside to give us more room in the tiny tent and turned in.
I dont know what time it was, but noises of something moving outside the tent woke me. Then two points seemed to poke against the side of the tent, and there was unearthly squealing and snorting by the door.
I was terrified as it suddenly dawned on me what the chap who had dropped us off several miles back had been trying to tell me.
Dont camp here, as it is dangerous. Wild boar!
I lay silent and still, trying to keep my heart steady,and calm down.
Eventually the noises went away, so I woke my friend and slowly in the grey dawn light, we opened the tent door, to find our food bag destroyed, and our food all gone. Even our water container was punctured and empty.
I realised then, that we had pitched camp on the edge of a wild boar wallow, and foraging area.
So we had to pack up, and ended up walking many miles, hungry and thirsty, until we found a village and sustenance.
My friend slept through the whole thing completely unaware of the danger we had been in.

 

[santaman2000]

While I was a boy, and then a teenager I and most of the other kids I grew up with were always looking for Panthers when in the woods (cougars) However in that time period they were all but non existant east of the Mississippi River (the only exception being the Florida Panther in Southern Florida: ironically now the Florida Panther is endangered whereas Cougars elsewhere have made an amazing comeback)

Despite the lack of any real threat from the animal we longed for, we were forever encountering venomous snakes and bees, wasps, Hornets, yellowjackets, fireants, etc. Since moving to Florida all of the above are still present as well as black bear (generally not too dangerous) alligators, and sharks. And oh, yeah, feral hogs an coyotes (both of which have spread to plague the whole country now but neither of which is especially dangerous to humans)

 

[santaman2000]

Autocorrupt interfered with that last post. The last example of the common dangerous critters I encountered while growing up should be "fire ants" not "firearms."

 

[Broch]

I'm also assuming you mean feral?

 

[Suffolkrafter]

I've had no encounters on land that come to mind, but I have been chased off by a large and angry seal (I assume it was a bull) when I inadvertently got too close to its pup, while snorkelling off the coast in Wales.

 

[santaman2000]

LOL. Yes

I'm also assuming you mean feral?

LOL. Yes: feral.

 

[TarryJack]

My dad, who grew up in the West of Ireland, told me that he and some friends were heading for home through the country one evening, just as it was getting dark, and they came across a badger, right out in the open. They had a few dogs with them, and the dogs went for the badger, which obviously wasn't fast enough to outrun the dogs. My dad said he couldn't believe what he was seeing; the badger went totally berserk, and ripped into the dogs like the bouncer from a dockside pub going for a bunch of schoolboys. The badger killed some of the dogs, and all but one of the others was seriously injured.
And yet, when I lived in Hastings, and was heading home in the early hours of the morning, I'd often turn a corner and come face to face with a badger out hitting the bin bags. Every time, we'd both stop dead, look at each other, and the badger would turn and run away - as most animals in this country will do, as long as they don't think you're a threat to their youngsters, or you've got them trapped in a corner.
But you know what I think is probably the most dangerous animal in Britain? The domestic cow! Far more farm workers get killed by cows than by bulls. If a bull gets mad at you, he'll bellow and snort and paw the ground and stamp his feet before he charges, giving you some warning - but cows will just throw their heads up and start running about like crazy for no reason at all, or - even worse - they'll run up behind you and try to mount you! (that's the usual way they kill people)
But the worst of the lot is . . . a Jersey bull. Jersey cows are the gentlest of creatures, but for some reason, Jersey bulls are complete psychos!
Horses sometimes start running towards strange people who come into their fields - and it looks like a stampede, but they're just inquisitive. All you need do is to stand still, and they'll either skid to a halt a few feet away from you and sniff you like mad, or they'll run past you. Usually when people get trampled by horses, it's because they try to dodge - and they dodge to the same side that the horse is dodging to dodge them!
But I have to admit, when you have about 20 cart horses charging across a field towards you, and you know that the lightest of them weighs three-quarters of a ton, it does give you a bit of a buzz! (but I didn't need a change of underwear!)

 

[henchy3rd]

My dad, who grew up in the West of Ireland, told me that he and some friends were heading for home through the country one evening, just as it was getting dark, and they came across a badger, right out in the open. They had a few dogs with them, and the dogs went for the badger, which obviously wasn't fast enough to outrun the dogs. My dad said he couldn't believe what he was seeing; the badger went totally berserk, and ripped into the dogs like the bouncer from a dockside pub going for a bunch of schoolboys. The badger killed some of the dogs, and all but one of the others was seriously injured.
And yet, when I lived in Hastings, and was heading home in the early hours of the morning, I'd often turn a corner and come face to face with a badger out hitting the bin bags. Every time, we'd both stop dead, look at each other, and the badger would turn and run away - as most animals in this country will do, as long as they don't think you're a threat to their youngsters, or you've got them trapped in a corner.
But you know what I think is probably the most dangerous animal in Britain? The domestic cow! Far more farm workers get killed by cows than by bulls. If a bull gets mad at you, he'll bellow and snort and paw the ground and stamp his feet before he charges, giving you some warning - but cows will just throw their heads up and start running about like crazy for no reason at all, or - even worse - they'll run up behind you and try to mount you! (that's the usual way they kill people)
But the worst of the lot is . . . a Jersey bull. Jersey cows are the gentlest of creatures, but for some reason, Jersey bulls are complete psychos!
Horses sometimes start running towards strange people who come into their fields - and it looks like a stampede, but they're just inquisitive. All you need do is to stand still, and they'll either skid to a halt a few feet away from you and sniff you like mad, or they'll run past you. Usually when people get trampled by horses, it's because they try to dodge - and they dodge to the same side that the horse is dodging to dodge them!
But I have to admit, when you have about 20 cart horses charging across a field towards you, and you know that the lightest of them weighs three-quarters of a ton, it does give you a bit of a buzz! (but I didn't need a change of underwear!)

I never thought of cows(not really wildlife but still)..years ago whilst metal detecting with my head phones on & I heard(herd)a rumbling noise in the background, turned around the blighters were heading straight for me?
I remember running in a panic & diving over a stone wall into some nettles..I forgot about that until know?

 

[CLEM]

Had to make a run for it when a herd of English Longhorn cattle and ****** off looking English Longhorn cattle at that too suddenly emerged out of the forrest abandoning all me kit, had to wait a good hr before they vanished in to the trees like ghostly apparitions before I could retrieve me kit and move on

 

[henchy3rd]

My dad, who grew up in the West of Ireland, told me that he and some friends were heading for home through the country one evening, just as it was getting dark, and they came across a badger, right out in the open. They had a few dogs with them, and the dogs went for the badger, which obviously wasn't fast enough to outrun the dogs. My dad said he couldn't believe what he was seeing; the badger went totally berserk, and ripped into the dogs like the bouncer from a dockside pub going for a bunch of schoolboys. The badger killed some of the dogs, and all but one of the others was seriously injured.
And yet, when I lived in Hastings, and was heading home in the early hours of the morning, I'd often turn a corner and come face to face with a badger out hitting the bin bags. Every time, we'd both stop dead, look at each other, and the badger would turn and run away - as most animals in this country will do, as long as they don't think you're a threat to their youngsters, or you've got them trapped in a corner.
But you know what I think is probably the most dangerous animal in Britain? The domestic cow! Far more farm workers get killed by cows than by bulls. If a bull gets mad at you, he'll bellow and snort and paw the ground and stamp his feet before he charges, giving you some warning - but cows will just throw their heads up and start running about like crazy for no reason at all, or - even worse - they'll run up behind you and try to mount you! (that's the usual way they kill people)
But the worst of the lot is . . . a Jersey bull. Jersey cows are the gentlest of creatures, but for some reason, Jersey bulls are complete psychos!
Horses sometimes start running towards strange people who come into their fields - and it looks like a stampede, but they're just inquisitive. All you need do is to stand still, and they'll either skid to a halt a few feet away from you and sniff you like mad, or they'll run past you. Usually when people get trampled by horses, it's because they try to dodge - and they dodge to the same side that the horse is dodging to dodge them!
But I have to admit, when you have about 20 cart horses charging across a field towards you, and you know that the lightest of them weighs three-quarters of a ton, it does give you a bit of a buzz! (but I didn't need a change of underwear!)

Badgers have very poor eyesight & an excellent nose. I often go badger watching & they come quite close.. move a muscle & they scamper away?
As for the jersey cow, when I lived in a commune for sustainable living I found them docile(don’t know about the bull).
I also used to ride horses.. Misty was a Welsh cob, 17.5 hands high & built like a tank, basically went were she wanted to go but so well natured.
Midnight on the other hand was an ex police horse, nasty piece of work, used to hide behind a tree in the field then charge..kick.. bite.. barge, I swear he used to smile out the corner of his mouth.
Yet show him the saddle, he was as good as gold?

 

[Robbi]

First thought was to hit my host, then I realised the situation, and it started to hit more. I am an experanced hunter, well I was, it has been a while....

When you hunt you never know what you may come across, and this focus sets in, so things seem to go slower. Plus you are armed, trust your skills and reactions. The big advantage in this example was that I knew I would likely come across a wild Boar, so I was at an advantage there mentally.

The most frightening times my life has been at risk, and real risk of being killed, was at the hands of humans. I have been stabbed, shot at, hit with cars, set on fire, and beaten badly over an extended period of time....wild animals do not frighten me as much

popular guy

 

[gra_farmer]

popular guy

narrow escape, friends relatives didn't, Zimbabwe in 1999 was not fun

 

[MrEd]

yes twice.

A badger in a 4ft round concrete tube i was crawling up (dont ask). I have never crawled backwards so fast in my life.

A elk in canada when i was driving to kamloops in the winter

 

[santaman2000]

I had several horses as a kid and as a teenager. None of them we’re especially mean. When I worked as a stablehand/wrangler even docile herds ran up and trample people (No: they don’t dodge you at the last minute) they’re intent on getting the feed they assume humans are carrying. Likewise with most cattle. Although neither are true “wildlife” I remember reading somewhere that more people are killed every year by domestic cattle than any other animal worldwide. Presumably at least partially because they aren’t wildlife (humans just naturally have more interaction with domestic animals)

 

[Tengu]

A horse cornered me up against the wall once and tried to bite; I wasn't even in the field, it was a path running between the wall and the paddock. I had ignored them so far, They were just out to cause trouble.

I gave them a big whack with my canvas hat. They jumped back, reared up and decided to retreat.

Lucky I was wearing a stiff hat

 

[Woody girl]

I've had some encounters with badgers. I used to watch a couple of sets near where I lived at the time, usually from a tree.
One night I couldn't be bothered to climb the tree, so took a mat, and sleeping bag to wrap up in, and decided to watch from a hedge with a little gap that I could see through nicely.
So set myself lying down with the bag draped over me and was busy listening and watching them, when something suddenly trod on me. I screamed, the badger screamed, and we both ran in opposite directions.!
Funny now, but a few bricks were deposited that night!

 

[forrestdweller]

I've had no encounters on land that come to mind, but I have been chased off by a large and angry seal (I assume it was a bull) when I inadvertently got too close to its pup, while snorkelling off the coast in Wales.

i remember reading somewhere that leopard seals (can) attack hominids and that male elephant seals can be a problem during mating season -- fortunately i encountered neither on Stewart Island and the UK is on the northern hemisphere .... on THE Kangaroo Island i met two taiwanese girls who were trying to let a wild sea lion bull on the beach -- fortunately we managed to convince them to abandon this idea before they earned themselves a Darwin Award....

at my friend's property i once found myself hugging a branch in a scraggly small tree for some time when his free-ranging cattle returned to mourn their buddy (which just got a .22 magnum bullet between the eyes and became some of the best homemade sausages and BBQed ribs you can imagine...) -- no need to change my shorts afterwards but i was darn glad when they moved on

 

[henchy3rd]

1997 on lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on a house boat during El-Nino weather storm..quite when I went to bed, 2am started to get windy,it grew into a freighting monster very quickly.
Lightning hit boat & fried the electrics, we’ve now only got torches, relative ran up stairs & hit his head on the bulkhead..big cut to his head & blood everywhere,we managed to stem bleeding.
The wind blew the beds off top dec & lashing it down with rain & blowing a Gale.
Tried to retrieve mattresses,so shone torches into water to help retrieve with small tender boat & hooks..eyes everywhere(crocks & hippos).
Went to the front of boat to calm down & there was lightning balls hitting the ground right next to us..lions groaning, elephants with that gluteal call, hippos & their deep laugh call.
Set my old camcorder up to film it all on the bow of the boat,you can make out the animal silhouettes when its lightning & see the balls of lighting.
Was I worried.. yep, I thought my days were numbered!
Woke up early & the weather was beautiful with a smell of freshness in the air & the calls of diamond doves.
How bizarre

Another observation I made when setting up camp is..someone will always bring a stick on fire to help out, no matter how hot the evening was?

 

[DaveAC]

Was out lamping one night, leaning over the car bonnet, rifle on a bi-pod. As dark as it could be, me squeeking away. Andy had a red lamp out of the driver's window, my spider senses tingled, I lifted my head up off the stock and saw a pair of talons out stretched and coming straight for my face. Fricking barn owl mistakeing me for a mouse. I even felt the draft from its wings it was that close. Took the a good half hour to get over the experience, Andy spent that time p!ssing himself laughing.
Cheers
Dave

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk

 

[henchy3rd]

narrow escape, friends relatives didn't, Zimbabwe in