Fear.

[dustinf]

Lions, tigers, and bears. Oh my!

What scares you the most in the backcountry?

For me it's skunks and blisters.

But, this year I'm going to be in griz country for 20 nights(the first 14 alone). Not sure what the mental effect will be.

 

[CabinFever]

The more nights I spend alone the better I get, but loneliness still comes faster than I expect it. 14 days is a long time alone, especially in that country. I'm quite sure griz is my biggest fear, but is probably overblown by my imagination. 4 weeks ago is the first time I had a bear smelling around my tent, it spooked as soon as I moved, but I still didn't sleep the rest of the night...

You'll have a very mentally draining hunt, but good luck. I'm guessing you'll have a different feel about backcountry when that hunt is over, maybe not more negative or positive, just different. I'm sure I would...wish I was going with. Glad you found someone to join you, can't wait to hear about it.

 

[spook12]

Any creature with no legs is suspect.

 

[fowladdict]

snakes and porkiepines. And when in NM...spiders!!!!

 

[WV Hunter]

Carnies and the Dutch

 

[elkantlers]

That will be the longest 14 days of your life. I like hunting by myself but not for two weeks. A couple days at a time I can handle.

 

[Elkmagnet]

What scares me the most? I would have to say me. If I do something dumb like fall off a cliff, slip with a knife while quartering, or run with an arrow knocked in the heat of the moment. When I'm more than a few miles in. Yep I am pretty sure my biggest hazard is stupidity.

 

[dustinf]

T

You'll have a very mentally draining hunt, but good luck. I'm guessing you'll have a different feel about backcountry when that hunt is over, maybe not more negative or positive, just different. I'm sure I would...wish I was going with. Glad you found someone to join you, can't wait to hear about it.

I'm going it alone in Montana. 14 nights there, 6 on Etolin island Alaska with a partner.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Carnies and the Dutch

Small hands and they smell like cabbage.

Snakes for me.

 

[BlakeA]

Dehydration, blisters, Mountain Lions, and Bears. Had an unfortunate encounter with a cat as we packed out a bull down the mountain last year. Ended up having to squeeze off a few rounds within 25 yards which didn't even phase it as he circled and hid in the brush. The groans and long purrs of a frustrated/hungry cat in the pitch black wilderness can get under your skin. I did find out that their eyes are extremely sensitive to bright flashlights though and that kept him at a more comfortable distance. Good luck on your hunt and be extremely cautious on your pack out if you harvest an animal!!

 

[Oak]

Dinkshooter's feet.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Grizz for sure, snakes in the low country . Luckily never had the kind of experiences some of the other guys have had with Grizz, but been close enough to smell 'em. Unscented wipes and clean camps go a long way to reducing conflict.

Biggest fear though has to be falling and breaking a leg and not being able to get back to find help.

 

[hornart]

get a good hammock and camp above, suspend all of your gear, dont rely on bear spray, spray lead

 

[blb078]

Bears and lions for the most part here. I guess to some extent poisonous snakes and spiders but you can try to avoid that more than you can a bear and lion. It's not even at camp that bothers me about bears, those "usually" can be scared away. It's early morning/late night going to/from camp, if you have a bear or lion stalking up on you then, you might have a major problem. People say don't worry about black bears, etc, but there's been 17 fatalities since 2000 from wild black bears, comes out to over 1 a year and that doesn't include when one attacks and the person lives just banged up. I kind of look at it when people talk about sheep hunts and people say "someone has to draw", which is true but based on the the number of fatalities, someone may die this year from a wild black bear too....But I love to hunt so it is what it is.

 

[fowladdict]

I forgot to say cows...I've been charged a couple of times while at work (surveying) and it seems that I am around cows quite often during the early archery seasons.

 

[dustinf]

Unscented wipes and clean camps go a long way to reducing conflict.

That's pretty much what my theory has been during extended trips in black bear country. I usually eat breakfast on the move, after I retrieve my food bag. I try to cook my big meals around 1-2 pm, then eat a lite/cold dinner just before I hang my food for the night. Also, I hang my trash, cookware, toothpaste, tooth brush, and anything with any kind of fragrance.

I few other things I do for "mental health" reasons:

1) carry at least a hatchet and sometimes an axe. Never use them, but it makes me feel better.
2) iPod nano with 20 of my favorite songs, and a couple songs that remind me of certain people.
3) carry the Nalgene bottle that my Dad bought me for our first backpack trip when I was 14. It's not BPA free, I've used it as an urinal more than once inside my sleeping bag, but it's been all over the world with me and I still drink out of it almost every day.

 

[JohnCushman]

I fear running out of dollar bills and beer at the local entertainment spots

 

[rmyoung1]

3) carry the Nalgene bottle that my Dad bought me. I've used it as an urinal more than once inside my sleeping bag, but it's been all over the world with me and I still drink out of it almost every day.

Except for those days that you use it as a urinal, right?

 

[dustinf]

Except for those days that you use it as a urinal, right?

I'll never tell.

 

[Ben Lamb]

"It's sterile, and I like the taste" - Patches O'Houlihan.