Something growled outside my tent last night...it was unnerving.

[jc1234]

As usual, the coyotes howl at around 4 am where I camp. You can hear them howl at various distances and intensities. Although they arent yelpie coyote howls, they arent as deep as a wolf howl...they say they have hybrids in PA, but I dont buy it.

Anyway, I went out to pee around 3 am and accidentally ripped the stake from the ground that held the vestibule and since it wasnt windy I left it like that. At around 4:45 am I was sleeping, but Im a light sleeper when I camp. I saw and heard a nose press against the collaps vestibule, too big and probably too high to be a raccoon, I remember the size was noticeable since the vestibule wasnt in place I could see the indentation and diameter of the nose up against the tent wall. I had my 45 next to me, which would have been no help in that situation and I had my utility knife which is big and strong enough to dispatch anything in my neck of the woods short of a big bear. I also had my 170 pound giant white dog with me.

So all of this happened in about 2 seconds, but the nose pressed against the tent and I almost **** myself remembering how thin my tent was and realizing that this was not a human that I could fight with in a way I knew how. This thing growled like a big dog and immediately my snoring dog let out the nastiest of growls...this deep throaty growl that should be in a horror movie...which also almost made me **** myself. The creature outside immediately left. It did not run or scamper, it walked away.

So, here is my confusion on what this creature was. The growl was too low pitched for a coyote, we dont have wolves, it was distinctly dog like and not a bear and far to deep for a raccoon. There are no wild dogs around the area that are big that I know of. It could have been an escaped dog from another camper I suppose...would have to have been a big dog. My dogs breeds were developed to defend against coyotes, wolves, and bear, but when we camp he is off duty, since he isnt defending his land, otherwise I would have known when this creature was around 300 yards out. The thing is, once my dog did wake up...he didnt stand up in a fighting position...he was laying down and was almost cocky and matter of fact about it as in "you better leave or I will kill you". I have heard my dog growl at an overly curious raccoon before and it is only a half hearted growl. I would think something the size that this growl sounded, that he would have at least stood up with a threat that near.

Soo....all that information together, does anyone have any good guess on what this thing was?

[Rick]

Well, just remember that you came out of a sleep so your memory might be a bit distorted. The biggest problem I'd have was trying to figure out how to fix all the .45 holes in that side of the tent and all the scorch marks left by the hot casings inside. Since I don't have a large dog with me the girlie scream will have to suffice.

[jc1234]

Well, just remember that you came out of a sleep so your memory might be a bit distorted. The biggest problem I'd have was trying to figure out how to fix all the .45 holes in that side of the tent and all the scorch marks left by the hot casings inside. Since I don't have a large dog with me the girlie scream will have to suffice.

That is true. It all seemed so clear, maybe it wasnt. I dont know, I wanted to see what it was, but I decided to lay perfectly still with my hand on my knife hoping it would just go away lol. Total hero mentality

[crashdive123]

Any tracks on the outside?

[Batch]

I was hammock camping a couple months ago and heard something sniffing the underside of the hammock around my shoulders. Then I realized it must be a plant brushing against the hammock and so went back to sleep.

Later I noticed that nothing touched the hammock. Still no harm no foul... I kinda picture an ring eyed armadillapossum sniffering before it attacks. But, my Zen like sleep abilities scared it off.

Little known fact I was chosen first by that particular species to be attacked. But the ring eyed armadillapossum backed out at the last minute. I coulda been famous!!!

[jc1234]

Any tracks on the outside?

No, hard packed dirt with heavy leaf cover all rustling all night from the breeze.

[Sourdough]

Most likely it was a coyote that finished off the: "Bean'Glop". or the Mad trapper from Rat river. (who finished off the bean'glop). Either way your lucky you got out alive.......

[DOGMAN]

this is why I typically don't sleep in tents. I much prefer to just be in my bag/bivy out under the stars. I like to see whats going on out there.

Sounds like it was a Sasquatch to me, though......

[jc1234]

Most likely it was a coyote that finished off the: "Bean'Glop". or the Mad trapper from Rat river. (who finished off the bean'glop). Either way your lucky you got out alive.......

Usually I am very cautious about any morsel of food or trash that might be around, but my wife came up to cook dinner and made us hot chocolate and she spilled some. I washed it away with about 1/2 gallon of boiling water, but Im sure some remnants were left. My wafe didnt stay the night though...she calls it quits when it gets into the lower 30s...wuss.

[Camp10]

Coyotes arent really a big animal. I've seen plenty but am still always surprised at how small they really are. They might be small but they are tough and strong with great survival instincts. Knowing these two things about them, I doubt it was a coyote at your tent. It would likely touch it's nose very low to the tent so that its neck is protected and so it is in a fight/flight position if it needs to be. My guess is it was another dog.

[jc1234]

Coyotes arent really a big animal. I've seen plenty but am still always surprised at how small they really are. They might be small but they are tough and strong with great survival instincts. Knowing these two things about them, I doubt it was a coyote at your tent. It would likely touch it's nose very low to the tent so that its neck is protected and so it is in a fight/flight position if it needs to be. My guess is it was another dog.

I've never known coyotes to be outgoing around people either and this growl was much more gruff than a coyote. The more I think about it, the more I think you are right. Definitely wasnt a bear, definitely wasnt a raccoon. There were no campers nearby, but it around here I cant think of anything other than a larger domestic dog that would have been larger than a coyote and smaller than a bear.

Definitely a balsy move to walk up to a strange tent and growl, but I suspect whatever it was, was growling at Jackson's presence, not mine. Although I'd ate to see Jackson pissed off and defensive...between his size and a supposed jaw strength about 1.5 times that of a lion from what Ive read...he would definitely be a force to be reckoned with. I just read a post from a rancher who owns a female about 50 pounds less than him who had ripped a pitbull to shreds and killed it after it showed aggressiveness on his property. He doesnt look like he has it in him...but I guess all dogs do if they are pushed far enough....which also scares me about a dog on the other side of my tent, at least wild animals are fairly predictable, with domesticated dogs, you never know.

[finallyME]

My guess is a dog. My dog would have tried to eat it, or at least barked a lot. I like taking my dog for an alarm. She doesn't bark at the mouse that sounds like a bear in the leaves. She only barks at big stuff. I don't take her in the tent (well I don't sleep in a tent). She is always outside tied up.

[Justin Case]

It was Bigfoot screwing with you !

[jc1234]

My dog keeps my feet warm in my tent. Plus if he was outside he would bark a lot (like if the leaves blew the wrong way, or a mouse farted) and go into guard dog mode, inside the tent he just sleeps and keeps me warm.

[Rick]

Most likely it was a coyote that finished off the: "Bean'Glop". or the Mad trapper from Rat river. (who finished off the bean'glop).

No, no, no, no, no. Anything that went into that woods after eating BeanGlop would have flown through and sounded like a pulse jet engine. The vapor trail left behind WOULD have been a chemtrail and all the plants would have been defoliated. Small mammals would have still been smoldering the next morning. So we can rule either of those out.

[Justin Case]

It was a cow after eating bean glop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XYiC6n0CCk

[hunter63]

I vote "Big Foot", as I/we were attacked in a ranchers pasture, while in a pop-up camper.

Wyoming, O-dark thirty..

Something big enough pushed on the feet of one of the guys sleeping in the tent push-out bunk....hard enough to push him in 6".
Panic ensued........

All sorts of noise out side, stuff being knocked over, snorting, grunting,clanging.......Inside was a lot of "WTF Was That?" going on.

As the four of us had enough firepower, (all unloaded and legally cased), to turn the tide at Custer's last stand
I, being the smallest, got voted to "See WTF is was", note to all hunters in a group, helps to be the biggest........

Anyway, as I was in a bad mood (haven't had my coffee yet) and had to pee, I opened the door, stepped out, walked to the end of the ground tarp, found my self surrounded by a herd of horses, in the full moon light.

They were saying (I could tell, in horsey talk) WTF are y'all doing in our pasture? and why do the mirrors taste like salt? (they were licking the mirrors of the truck).

As I attending to business, I turned around to see the other three, Big, Bad, Armed, buddies, white faces peeking out at me.

"It's just horses you", Dum-ases.........Now let me go back to sleep!

Yeah I know,...... I don't like being messed with before coffee......
I vote big foot!

[roar-k]

Yeah I have almost crapped myself once or twice while camping with my dogs. One is blind in one eye and just sits there, but the bigger brother doesn't like when things get too close.

As I have told the story before one time something got close to my tent and my dog woke up started growling, but that did not deter whatever was outside, but then all of a sudden my dog charged the door trying to tear into what was outside and I heard something moving off into the night after that. Never did figure out what it was but my dog didn't sleep after that and just sat there looking out of the tent for the rest of the night.

Scared my wife to death. But I was on high alert after that.

I am of the belief God gave us fear not to be afraid, but to be cautious and careful.

[kyratshooter]

It was Bigfoot screwing with you !

Absolutely!!!

If you were from KY you would have shot it and you would now be on the front page of USA Today!

I was watching an outdoor show Saturday night and the officer specifically said that if anyone in KY came across a Bigfoot or a mountain lion they should shoot the critter as proof that it resides in KY. They want to know these things.

Of course in KY what looks like a Big Foot to one person may be Uncle Clyde to another!

And I take exception to the statement that a .45 was no help in that situation. I will guarentee that if you had shot that nose poking in the tent you would now know what your intruder was and would not be so confused!

And you second though was that the knife was your best choice?

We need some intense counceling with this forum member, espically reguarding the escilation of force and proper equipment choices for the eastern U.S.

First, you shoot till the slide locks back on the empty magazine, THEN you go for the knife!

[jc1234]

Absolutely!!!

If you were from KY you would have shot it and you would now be on the front page of USA Today!

I was watching an outdoor show Saturday night and the officer specifically said that if anyone in KY came across a Bigfoot or a mountain lion they should shoot the critter as proof that it resides in KY. They want to know these things.

Of course in KY what looks like a Big Foot to one person may be Uncle Clyde to another!

And I take exception to the statement that a .45 was no help in that situation. I will guarentee that if you had shot that nose poking in the tent you would now know what your intruder was and would not be so confused!

And you second though was that the knife was your best choice?

We need some intense counceling with this forum member, espically reguarding the escilation of force and proper equipment choices for the eastern U.S.

First, you shoot till the slide locks back on the empty magazine, THEN you go for the knife!

lol the issue was not with the weapon, it was with the operator. I am much quicker with a knife in close quarters than a pistol. I could fire 8 shots out of my 45 and have as much chance of hitting a tree or another camper somewhere than what is a foot in front of me, but with a knife its controlled and its an extension of my arm. I can use it well out of a dead sleep or standing without fear of getting locked up, I just dont have that kind of skill with a pistol. I need at least a few feet with a pistol...I fight with my knife the second it leaves the sheath...some people can do that with a pistol, Im just not one of them "A man's got to know his limitations" as Eastwood would say.