Some good animal noise recording here:
http://sounds.bl.uk/Browse.aspx?col...dings&browseby=Browse+by+class&choice=Mammals
http://sounds.bl.uk/Browse.aspx?col...dings&browseby=Browse+by+class&choice=Mammals
Fear of the dark
- Thread starter taws6
- Start date
The only scary thing out there is other people. Normally doesn't bother me in the slightest, but the shoot estate on which I have permission to sleep has a problem with poachers, so I have my shotgun in the bivi bag with me, absolutely not for self defence, but to let the b*stards know that there's someone else out in the wood with them (and yes I have permission to have that there too). Also means I can go and get a bunny for tea 
Hmm, creepy stories round the campfire time.
I'm pretty much 100% behind the "...you're the scariest thing out there..." credo as it was taught to me. In the UK at least all humankind usually has to worry about is more human kind. Though remember dogs and cows don't mix, and deer get pretty wound up during the rut... enough to have a go and finish you off if they want too. ( Plus I knew a man who was pretty successfully eviscerated by a hare, but to be fair he had shot it first).
On to my campfire story. A number of years back I was camped at Loch Etchachan below Creagan a' Choire Etchachan ( it's right next to Beinn MacDuibu or Ben Macdui as its better known).
I set up my tent in the early evening on a slight rise near the water, good views all around, stunningly clear windless day. Cooked my tea over the Coleman multi-fuel I used those days, ate, tidied up and decided to relax for a while look at the view and read my book. ( You can do both, it's called savouring the time.
Decided to have an early night as it was a long walk out the next day. Warm night so lying on my sleeping bag reading 'till I doze off. I hear something hit the fly of my tent.
Brush it off as an insect or bird poo. Go back to my book. A couple of minutes later I hear it again. Put book down, can't see bird poo through the fly? It happens again, off to my side. Out of the tent... Is someone playing silly buggers? Look around, have a good 360 view of my surroundings for a good few hundred yards, and there's water covering a good proportion of that. I'm pretty good at finding hiding folk, worked with gamekeepers, have hunted, poached the odd rabbit. Pretty sure no-ones about, the only other folk I saw that day were this morning heading the other way in the distance.
Go back to the tent, not been in more than 10 minutes when it happens again... burst from the tent... Something definitely hit the tent. Nothing. Then remember stories of corvids dropping stones on things. Look up, not a sausage... no birds at all, Nada. Feeling slightly uneasy I head back inside as it's getting to-wards dusk.
Lie there, book tossed aside, waiting. And it seems not in vain, something small hits the left hand side of the tent, as I sit staring at nylon another thing hits the fly behind me. Now I'm officially concerned, burst out of tent to be confronted by....
Nothing. Think to myself whilst looking for non existent birds, maybe it's a loose guy line snapping about. No they're all secure and tight, and there's no wind anyway. Have a walk around to make sure no-one is playing silly persons and rather worriedly get back in the tent.
I'll shorten this down somewhat as pretty suffice to say, I spent the whole night awake, awake and bolt upright in the middle of my tent, facing the door ( why the door I don't know in a tent as it's all pretty flimsy) and I'm ashamed to say my knife in my hands. Anything coming through that door was getting it. The reason for this, for the whole night, and I do mean the whole night, sometimes every couple of minutes, sometimes for suspenses sake it would be up to a 15 minute gap, though sometimes in very quick succession, something would hit the fly of the tent, and usually from a different direction from the last.
I thought about making a bolt for it, but the nearest place is about 10 miles as the non-existing crows fly. And in the tent I had that childish head under the blanket feeling of safety.
As soon as it grew light enough ( everything was packed up way earlier believe me ) I grabbed my pack, scooted outside and collapsed the tent after a quick look 'round. While taking the tent down I noticed that there was an outline of little rocks like a mini drystane dyke in the shape of the tent. Something had been pitching pebbles at me all night after all. Tent was thrown into the sack and off I trotted at a much higher speed than is usually achieved.
No I've spent huge amounts of time living in the woods whilst doing research and just bumming around. I actually like the dark as I feel I've pretty good night vision and my other senses are pretty good. Not really scared of the thought of ghosts and boogles as well they aren't there to hurt you. But I was freaked that night, if it was a person, I'm sure I would've heard them shift position, and would they stay there all night?
Also some of the Scots may be thinking Ben Macdui!!! Well I hadn't been on there that day, and where I was, though close isn't really Ben Macdui - and I hadn't really heard of the Gray man at that point.
I still love being out at night, yeah sometimes things make me jump, but that happens during the day too. Just never been able to explain that night, and never camped near there since.
Cheers
Goatboy.
I'm pretty much 100% behind the "...you're the scariest thing out there..." credo as it was taught to me. In the UK at least all humankind usually has to worry about is more human kind. Though remember dogs and cows don't mix, and deer get pretty wound up during the rut... enough to have a go and finish you off if they want too. ( Plus I knew a man who was pretty successfully eviscerated by a hare, but to be fair he had shot it first).
On to my campfire story. A number of years back I was camped at Loch Etchachan below Creagan a' Choire Etchachan ( it's right next to Beinn MacDuibu or Ben Macdui as its better known).
I set up my tent in the early evening on a slight rise near the water, good views all around, stunningly clear windless day. Cooked my tea over the Coleman multi-fuel I used those days, ate, tidied up and decided to relax for a while look at the view and read my book. ( You can do both, it's called savouring the time.
Decided to have an early night as it was a long walk out the next day. Warm night so lying on my sleeping bag reading 'till I doze off. I hear something hit the fly of my tent.
Brush it off as an insect or bird poo. Go back to my book. A couple of minutes later I hear it again. Put book down, can't see bird poo through the fly? It happens again, off to my side. Out of the tent... Is someone playing silly buggers? Look around, have a good 360 view of my surroundings for a good few hundred yards, and there's water covering a good proportion of that. I'm pretty good at finding hiding folk, worked with gamekeepers, have hunted, poached the odd rabbit. Pretty sure no-ones about, the only other folk I saw that day were this morning heading the other way in the distance.
Go back to the tent, not been in more than 10 minutes when it happens again... burst from the tent... Something definitely hit the tent. Nothing. Then remember stories of corvids dropping stones on things. Look up, not a sausage... no birds at all, Nada. Feeling slightly uneasy I head back inside as it's getting to-wards dusk.
Lie there, book tossed aside, waiting. And it seems not in vain, something small hits the left hand side of the tent, as I sit staring at nylon another thing hits the fly behind me. Now I'm officially concerned, burst out of tent to be confronted by....
Nothing. Think to myself whilst looking for non existent birds, maybe it's a loose guy line snapping about. No they're all secure and tight, and there's no wind anyway. Have a walk around to make sure no-one is playing silly persons and rather worriedly get back in the tent.
I'll shorten this down somewhat as pretty suffice to say, I spent the whole night awake, awake and bolt upright in the middle of my tent, facing the door ( why the door I don't know in a tent as it's all pretty flimsy) and I'm ashamed to say my knife in my hands. Anything coming through that door was getting it. The reason for this, for the whole night, and I do mean the whole night, sometimes every couple of minutes, sometimes for suspenses sake it would be up to a 15 minute gap, though sometimes in very quick succession, something would hit the fly of the tent, and usually from a different direction from the last.
I thought about making a bolt for it, but the nearest place is about 10 miles as the non-existing crows fly. And in the tent I had that childish head under the blanket feeling of safety.
As soon as it grew light enough ( everything was packed up way earlier believe me ) I grabbed my pack, scooted outside and collapsed the tent after a quick look 'round. While taking the tent down I noticed that there was an outline of little rocks like a mini drystane dyke in the shape of the tent. Something had been pitching pebbles at me all night after all. Tent was thrown into the sack and off I trotted at a much higher speed than is usually achieved.
No I've spent huge amounts of time living in the woods whilst doing research and just bumming around. I actually like the dark as I feel I've pretty good night vision and my other senses are pretty good. Not really scared of the thought of ghosts and boogles as well they aren't there to hurt you. But I was freaked that night, if it was a person, I'm sure I would've heard them shift position, and would they stay there all night?
Also some of the Scots may be thinking Ben Macdui!!! Well I hadn't been on there that day, and where I was, though close isn't really Ben Macdui - and I hadn't really heard of the Gray man at that point.
I still love being out at night, yeah sometimes things make me jump, but that happens during the day too. Just never been able to explain that night, and never camped near there since.
Cheers
Goatboy.
I have a similar story to that from two years ago. I fully recall staying wide awake all night sitting smack bang in the middle of my Akto facing the door with knife in hand, it was horrible. I didn't have pebbles chucked at me that night, but I did have freaky things happen. The first was quite early while reading a book and getting ready for a kip. Very clearly and heavily, a person dug their nails into my fly sheets and scraped their hand from top to bottom. To put it mildly, I shat myself. I was miles from anywhere, but what really freaked my out was my location. It is impossible in the place I camped, to walk without breaking twigs and stems loudly during the day let alone the night. I was in the middle of a damp wood next to a river and the terrain is littered with fallen trees, logs, branches etc. The nettles are four feet high, and navigation to my place is damned difficult if you know the place, and impossible without making noise.
Anyway, THAT happened, and I left it for a good five minutes listening for sound... nothing. Eventually I got up enough bottle to get out the tent and have a looksy. I have PNG's so was probably better equipped to track down and observe the offender than the offender was to observe me. I was sure that they were right next to the tent due to the silence. Got out and nothing. Not even in the distance with my PNG's. I looked around for fallen branches, and again, nothing. I crouched down out of sight and waited for the inevitable tell tale noise of movement that would happen, damned well nothing. Got back into my tent and did some serious talking to myself when it happened again. It was like the bloody Blair witch project. It happened four times that night and it was the most terrifying moments of my life. I only saw it happen once and the print was human sized, that really scared me. The sound was very loud and horrendous, as if the person/thing doing it had pointed nails. There was never a slightest sound of aproach or retreat, which is damned impossible with my senses being ultra attuned that night.
The next morning as soon as it was light, I was gone. Left the tent there until the afternoon and had friends with me. The really scary thing was that there was only my prints in the mud around the tent.... impossible. Every time I camp out alone, it is a mental battle to put his to the back of my mind.
Anyway, THAT happened, and I left it for a good five minutes listening for sound... nothing. Eventually I got up enough bottle to get out the tent and have a looksy. I have PNG's so was probably better equipped to track down and observe the offender than the offender was to observe me. I was sure that they were right next to the tent due to the silence. Got out and nothing. Not even in the distance with my PNG's. I looked around for fallen branches, and again, nothing. I crouched down out of sight and waited for the inevitable tell tale noise of movement that would happen, damned well nothing. Got back into my tent and did some serious talking to myself when it happened again. It was like the bloody Blair witch project. It happened four times that night and it was the most terrifying moments of my life. I only saw it happen once and the print was human sized, that really scared me. The sound was very loud and horrendous, as if the person/thing doing it had pointed nails. There was never a slightest sound of aproach or retreat, which is damned impossible with my senses being ultra attuned that night.
The next morning as soon as it was light, I was gone. Left the tent there until the afternoon and had friends with me. The really scary thing was that there was only my prints in the mud around the tent.... impossible. Every time I camp out alone, it is a mental battle to put his to the back of my mind.
I was along a riverbank in Staffordshire near Kinver. Believe me, I've crouched in many hides in 'bandit country' when the local lads have been on the Jamesons, and the fear was nothing compared to this. trying to rationalise it in my mind as to what it could be and their intentions would not work. Id've given anything to have had my BHP that night
I fully understand what you went through that night GB.Don't worry folks, stuff like this is rare (that's what I keep telling myself anyway).
What the heck, this is great - love these tales
They are great, but it may scare the heck out've a
I still go out there as I'm pretty sure that I'll survive... but if you said zombes I'd be locking myself in the house like a shot.GB
It's good stuff, I've been back since and was tormented by a heavy footed fox and later a crashing badger which sounded like a person, well the badger sounded like several persons.... on elephants. The initial fear subsided after I concentrated on the noise, just goes to show though, even foxes make an absolute racket in that place. I plan to go back next week to as it's a beautiful place and you get to see otters in the stream.
I say now, I am in my mid thirties, and still I get scared of the dark when alone. Its a mental battle between fear and knowing, and knowing generally wins out the day.
However, I can say hand on my heart, with absolute total honesty, the scariest place on earth I have ever camped out for the night is a back garden.
Whos I won't say, but it is the one single solitary place I don't ever, ever step out into unless I am A) holding a torch, and B) The Rhodesian has gone out first and C) I have some whittling practise to do and need to get some wood for my bushie to slice up.
Yes folks, a garden has scared me more, much, much more than any woods or moorland could ever do.
However, I can say hand on my heart, with absolute total honesty, the scariest place on earth I have ever camped out for the night is a back garden.
Whos I won't say, but it is the one single solitary place I don't ever, ever step out into unless I am A) holding a torch, and B) The Rhodesian has gone out first and C) I have some whittling practise to do and need to get some wood for my bushie to slice up.
Yes folks, a garden has scared me more, much, much more than any woods or moorland could ever do.
It's never really totally dark outside. My dad took me rabbiting with dogs from an early age, we would set off as the sun was setting, working hedge bottoms and warrens, no lights, no talking either, letting our eyes adjust to the falling light levels.
The only thing to fear in the dark is fear itself.
The only thing to fear in the dark is fear itself.
They do say that our nightmares are programed in, females being lighter probably slept in the branches and so fear things attacking from below, hence under the bed nightmares. Males being heavier and so sleeping on the groud may be attacked from the side / level, and so fears of the closet / doors.
PS
It's said if you throw a hosepipe into a group of monkeys... even zoo ones they go mental, even if they've never seen a snake, it's programed in.
PS
It's said if you throw a hosepipe into a group of monkeys... even zoo ones they go mental, even if they've never seen a snake, it's programed in.
Werewolf / zombie / psyco's I'm not too fussed by, I'd have a go and kill it, I'd just treat it as a survival situation..
The type of things that scare me are things like, severed body parts next to / on me, or scary faces right next to me that I'm unaware of, or quiet voices wispering my name, or scratching on tents lol.....
I guess the ONLY film that can scare me now is the blair witch, and I guess it's the fact that you never get to see what it is that hunts them, so my imagination runs wild.........
The stories are great, errrmmm, keep em comming, and some advise on how to kill invisible creatures that want to scare me would be great too !!!
Great link with the animal sounds too
The type of things that scare me are things like, severed body parts next to / on me, or scary faces right next to me that I'm unaware of, or quiet voices wispering my name, or scratching on tents lol.....
I guess the ONLY film that can scare me now is the blair witch, and I guess it's the fact that you never get to see what it is that hunts them, so my imagination runs wild.........
The stories are great, errrmmm, keep em comming, and some advise on how to kill invisible creatures that want to scare me would be great too !!!
Great link with the animal sounds too
I spent the night alone on the summit of Ben Macdui a few years ago. Macdui is supposed to be haunted by the 'Great Grey Man':
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_liath
I don't believe in the supernatural, but must admit I felt a bit 'edgy' and didn't sleep too well. I was also aware that when darkness fell I was stuck up there, and would have to tough out any encounter with the Grey Man!
Jim
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_liath
I don't believe in the supernatural, but must admit I felt a bit 'edgy' and didn't sleep too well. I was also aware that when darkness fell I was stuck up there, and would have to tough out any encounter with the Grey Man!
Jim
The dark does creep me out sometimes, but only behind me. I get the "it's coming up to get me and if I don't look it won't get me, and I know it's not real but what if I look and it's actually there" feeling. Other times I feel completely at peace and feel nothing but calm.
I wonder if it's us or, at risk of sounding slightly spiritual, the place I'm in. I often think that some places just aren't welcoming at all, the feel of the area is wrong, out of sorts. Other times the area feels like home, even if I've never been there.
I wonder if it's us or, at risk of sounding slightly spiritual, the place I'm in. I often think that some places just aren't welcoming at all, the feel of the area is wrong, out of sorts. Other times the area feels like home, even if I've never been there.
i love walking around greek islands at night, crete in particular
my parents are from crete, and i feel really at peace just wandering round the foothills at night, and sleeping on a beach
my parents are from crete, and i feel really at peace just wandering round the foothills at night, and sleeping on a beach
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