What do you "fear" in the woods?

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Plainsman

Joined
Apr 5, 1999
Messages
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Fear is what drives a person to "be ready" I feel. Therefore, something must cause fear for you to study survival skills.

For me, weather and injury cause my "fear in the woods". I like to hunt and especially by myself. I have always felt that inclement weather and/or an injury would be the top two culprits causing me to enter into a "survival situation."

What are your "fears"?



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Plainsman :)
primitiveguy@hotmail.com

You use what you have on you, then you improvise! :)
 
Probably the only other serious fear besides the ones you mentioned is getting lost. The irrational fears I have all seem to revolve around monsters, which is probably due to too many Stephen King novels and an over active imagination.
 
Hi Plainsman, Ses..

Yup I like to hunt by myself as well...

It really freaks my wife out when I do,, because usually I'm gone all day...

I've often thought about getting hurt in the bush,,but have never really had any type of an accident or hurt myself badly.. Well one time I guess.... LOL

Crossing an ice covered log over a creek..No sticks to be had,,so I did it solo,,shotgun slung over my back...

Well half way across,, one foot went one way,, one went the other and I got the log right in the seeds! Damn that hurt...

I couldn't move I clung to the log for nearly half an hour before the pain subsided enough for me to crawl across to the other side where I crashed in the snow.

I could barely walk the 2 kilometers home and was extremely sore for the next few days.. All in all about 2 weeks before it was better...

Funny now,, but boy,, I would have traded a broken leg in for the pain I felt between my legs and the shooting pain up into my chest....
smile.gif


ttyle Eric...

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Eric E. Noeldechen
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Good question. I'm an old country boy so I'm pretty much at home in the woods. I guess if I had to choose it would be wet and cold. For me it would be better to ask, "what do you fear in the city"? Answer: Everything! I've worked there, I don't like it, but I've survived it.
 
There are a few fears that the depths of my mind harbor, but most are as irrational as the countless Moose that invade the woods and hide just outside the beam of my headlight when it's dark and foggy, and I can see about 15 feet.

I would say that fear is not the only motivator for preparedness. There are many things in my life I have prepared myself for, and never have I had a fear that would require me to study Differential Equations. 'Course I can't rightly say I really wanted to do that anyways.... I wonder why I did take it....

Anyways, back to your original question. I dislike the dark. More precisely, I'm afraid of whatever is looming outside my vision. Most of the time this is not too much of a problem, but it did cut short a ski trip one evening when I cut fresh moose tracks from a mom and a calf on my trail, and vis was down to about 15 feet. That was probably a wise move anyways...

I'm a confident little dratsab, and am pretty sure of my abilities in most areas. There are a few places (My front yard, the Mojave, the Atlantic ocean, Hell, to name a few) that I don't think I would have very good chances of survival. But there's only one of those I'd say I was afraid of, and that's why there's a cross in my wallet, and my weekend excursions generally end by Sunday morning.

Stryver
 
Good question, I personally think that the woods is a lot safer than a large metropolitan area, say like Detroit. That is where my head is truly on a swivel. But I will own up to a certain amount of fear in the woods. The greatest fear would be getting between a mama (almost anything) and her young, especially in some places I hunt where you see a lot of bear sign if not always a lot of bears. As I hunt a lot by myself a certain amount of fear of death makes me take precautions against getting lost, practicing survival techniques etc. These fears are not incapacitating, nor irrational, just a normal self-preservation thing I believe. My cousin this past deer season slipped while climbing a steep hill, fell, crashed into a tree and broke his pelvis, ribs, and sternum. It took him hours to crawl to his vehicle, get his cell phone and call for help. He is still recuperating from that. That is the type of thing that causes me a bit of fear and makes me a bit cautious in certain situations.

I heard once that most people have never been truly alone in the dark, I know most here probably have at one point or another in their wilderness adventures, but that is one of the things that panics more people when they get stuck in the woods, or on a deserted lonely road after dark. My dad knew a guy who had hunted for a number of years, then one night he got stuck out in he woods, after spending a cold, long night alone he found his way out in the morning, but he never went back into the woods again. Never having seen the movie, I believe this is part of what The Blair Witch Project tapped into and one reason for its huge success. I have to admit I was one of the ones that did not go to see it, I took their warning of motion sickness seriously, I know how watching some of those 3d games can make my stomach feel, lol.


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Lee

LIfe is too important to be taken seriously. Oscar Wilde
 
I really don't know.

I sure know about irrational fear since I've been scared of heights when on manmade stuff all of my life. Since I'm not particularly afraid of heights when on cliffs and such that is strange. I know about rational fear too having suffered major illness.

I guess fear for me means when I expect things to happen outside of my control and end badly. I have had to go onto roofs and such, but every time I have to fight the feeling that not only am I going to fall, but that this was the roof that was going to collapse and do it to me.

Bad stuff in the bush or driving in moose country usually happens so fast that you are too busy or too stunned to really be afraid. So I just have never felt impending doom.

I guess I'm interested in survival stuff again because I'm getting older and I need all the advantages I can get. I put in high wattage main beams on my truck too (to avoid moose). Just my little attempt at staying in control..

Jimbo
 
I mostly agree with Jimbo. For me, "survival" is primarily about control. I don't want to be in a situation where I'm forced to rely on others, where I become a refugee, where I feel like I'm not in control of my own life.

I sometimes "play the game"..., driving down the road, or just taking the trash out...; how would I survive if, at that very moment, I simply walked into the woods with what I have on me.

I'll tell you the truth..., sometimes, at maybe 8pm, on a rainy, windy, 35 degree evening... everything's *soaked*, with just my slacks, dress shirt, Hushpuppies... and what little I normally carry in my pockets (Mini-Stryker, Leatherman Micra, a tiny metal match... pen, keys, comb and money), I wonder if I could even survive the night, without a reasonably dry, out-of-the-wind location with some dry insulation.
 
I hunt with my sons but occasionally their schedules will not permit them to go on a one or two day hunt here in southwest Idaho. I have gone out by myself and I'd say I have a healthy respect for being alone in the woods. I'm sure no matter how much training or knowledge you have, circumstances can get out of control, and sometimnes you are out of touch enough to make a situation life-threatening.

For instance, the last time I went deer hunting alone, I spent the morning doing my usual brush busting, jumped a large buck (more than a 2X3 is not legal in this area, only smaller bucks), watched him take off, and headed down to the old mining town where a few people still live. Upon entering the little rustic town, the first person I talked to asked if I had been up on "War-eagle Mountain." I told him I had. He asked if I'd seen any mountain lions since there were at least five up there, one that had attacked another hunter and killed his dog! He said the Idaho State Fish & Game had been trying to capture or kill a couple of cats up there because they were getting bold. Well, I don't like being the prey so I finished the evening portion of my hunt on the next mountain over; however, every deer bedding place I came to had cat tracks through it, and you can be sure I turned around about every 15 seconds to see what was behind me. Also, I had my rifle in a much more ready position than I usually do when hunting. Well, nothing happened, but regardless of my skill, of which I like to think is adequate (I've hunted large things before, including men), the potential of harm coming to myself, especially because I was alone, was great. Sometimes our skill makes us complacent, kind of like driving on icy roads because we have four-wheel drive.

I think one of the reasons humans of yesteryear did not live as long as today is because of the rugged situations they lived in where accidents were more deadly, and they were alone more often where they could not be saved from life threatening situations. Do I still hunt and ride my motorcycle in the desert and mountains alone--sometimes. But I don't run into the woods full of myself and my abilities thinking I can handle anything that comes up.

Bruce Woodbury

P.S. A local church pastor, a very skilled backpacker who was used to hiking alone, was found last summer having fallen off a trail and wedging his leg between two rocks. They figure he lasted about a week before exposure got him. If he had been with someone, he surely would have survived!

[This message has been edited by bruce (edited 01-25-2000).]
 
Well, irrational fears abound, but most of those seem to revolve around "Deliverance" or "Lord of The Flies" type terrors.
smile.gif
As far as rational fears, I have to admit that I'm afraid of hunters. No, not the rational, careful type, but those who are a little trigger happy and might think I'm a deer! Seriously though, the woods is one of the places I feel safest. I have never had a problem with animals - two or four legged.
As for weather, et al I remember to dress warmly with synthetics or wool; NO COTTON unless its Summer.

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An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.
 
Small bundles of sticks tied up to look like people. A friend's fingers and other bits found outside my tent tied up in pieces of his shirt. Groups of children that appear out of cornfields. 8ft. tall, 500lb. hairy guys that leave big footprints. Small, thin people with large, almond shaped eyes. Rabid shrews. And spiders. Yuck! I hate spiders!

Other than that, mostly injury to myself or others, due to carelessness, accident, or others' hostilities. It's funny how the two legged critters are the ones you usually have to worry about.

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Don LeHue

The pen is mightier than the sword...outside of arm's reach. Modify radius accordingly for rifle.
 
When I`m out in the wilderness I`m usually alone or with a good friend(my dog).
We are not out there to train our social skills are we?
I feel at home both in the forest and up in the mountains. What I fear the most out there is injury, maybe fear is`nt the right word but we know there is a thin line between heaven and hell. Over the years confidence grows.First you learn that you can deal with almost any situation, and leave it with that.
rolleyes.gif

Then you learn that preparation and respect for nature keeps you dryer,warmer and your first aid kit barely untouched. When I am few days away from people I`m always careful. From time to time there are some close calls, this makes you think....
An imaginary time factor is the most common reason. Do everything right the first time. You are out there for several days, have all the time in the world, and you do something completely stupid to save 15 minutes walk. I really amaze myself sometimes, why the hurry?
mad.gif

After injury, loosing my map/compass in unknown territory is definitively fear number two.In fog or darkness the illusion of being in a hurry can really hurt, I know.
I don`t fear any monsters or witches....yet. I know I will when I meet one.
eek.gif
 
I would echo the suggestion made above that you should have a companion (preferably one that will not straddle an icy log at the same time you do...heh heh). If that is not possible or desired, then let someone know where you plan to be.

A few years ago, there was a person who day hiked out of a resort in the Monterey-Big Sur area. He didn't come back. They mounted a huge search, came up dry. A local shows up with a bloodhound, the SRT guys scoff that it has been raining, but get something with the guy's scent on it anyway. The bloodhound takes them directly to the guy, sheltered in a hollow tree. His injury was a sprained ankle.

So, how badly can not telling people where you are going to be and getting a sprained ankle hurt you? In this case, it almost killed the guy from exposure.

Walt
 
I fear bears.
I find the fear increases when I camp with my wife who is (I think) more fearful than I. On the other hand I seem to have little fear when I am hunting/camping with my brother-in-law. Point is this - If you are around others who are fearful you must overcome your fear and theirs! (at least I do)
I prepare by taking precautions about food (hanging food packs away from tents) and other odors in camp that may attract bears. I also carry a large can of pepper spray.
I always seem to hear of at least one bear attack in the woods in Northern Ontario, Canada (where I camp and hunt)each year.

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Kevin Miller

Look to the Lord and His strength, seek His face always.
 
I too find that a lot depends on who you are around and how jumpy they are. I was camping with my girlfriend in October at a State Park. Things were totally normal, up until we went to walk up to the bathrooms. I was standing in the middle of the road facing my girlfriend and some guy on a bike came up behind me. I turned around not realizing he was there because he was silent and it startled me so much that the rest of the night I was freaked out. My being freaked out freaked out my girlfriend because I am usually the calm one. I have been camping for a long time and it seems like whether something bothers you or not just depends on your state of mind. There have been other times when I have been out in the dark or in my tent and have heard strange noises or animals but was so tired from hiking that I didn't worry about it other than to make sure things were put away properly.
 
Believe it or not, the thing I hate/fear VERY most in the world is bugs/arachnids! I HATE them! They freak me out like nothing else! Wolves? Just big dogs! Besides, I love dogs. Bears? Just big stuffed animals. Wild cats? Nah. Snakes and gators come close, but nowhere NEAR bugs!

But that's irrational. I kinda worry about not having the resources I need when I need them. That's the "fear" I actually deal with. I tend to overpack, but I'm working on it. It'll probably get worse, because I just ordered a new Dana Design Terraframe with 6100 cubic inches! It should be here tomorrow! YAAAAY!

Howie
 
My brother and his wife were in Botswana a few years back. They were in a game park and were assured by the guide that if they stayed in their tent, the wildlife would not bother with them. There were huts available to sleep in but my brother convinced his wife to sleep in the tent. That night there was an animal making some noise around the tent and my brothers wife did not sleep at all and was scarred stiff. When morning came the guide inspected the tracks and confirmed that a panther had been circling the tent. She has not been in a tent camping since!

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Kevin Miller
My Personal Interests Page
kevinandtrish@sympatico.ca
Look to the Lord and His strength, seek His face always.
 
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