I posted my first response after reading only the opening post. I read the thread until I came across the creepy back country experiences comment.
I commented on that thread about not being a sissy. I got hammered for being a low brow prick.
Not long after that I was in the backcountry solo. Not far out. Maybe 5 miles. It was about 10 at night. I was in no man’s land. Out but still aware of things.
I think I heard it three times before realizing I was coming too. That last time is was a person screaming. It had gotten a lot closer too.
I didn’t panic. It didn’t scare me. But, it did convince me to roll out of my hammock into my crocs. Get my pistol and locate myself out of site to anyone who didn’t know I was there. I got behind a big knotted knee hemlock stump with my 9mm and my headlamp, and watched my camp.
All the time this screaming is getting closer. Man, this was happening fast as that last scream was only 100 or so yards away. It was appearing whatever it was making that noise was going to come by my setup about 25-30 yards from camp on the opposite side I was hunkered down on.
It turned out to come closer. I’d be lying at this point if I told you it didn’t have my undivided attention. I was growing mildly concerned and increasing that with every breath.
The next holler was just outside my camp. It was too thick to turn the light on until whatever it was came out in the small opening I’d put my hammock camp in.
Wait, I hear it in the leaves!!!!! Boy’s, I was pretty primed up. Whatever it was came right down the brush line I was hiding in. It passed by within 20 feet. Bear in mind I’m in a fir and hemlock stand with super thick understory of what we call “ground pine”. I couldn’t see 2 feet much less 20. And, to this day I still don’t know what it was. Never saw it. As far as I know, it’s still trotting through the woods screaming.
Had I been somewhere except 5 miles from the nearest road, it sounds like a person by description. It wasn’t. Whatever it was, it was small. Really small.
I got back in my hammock and it only took reminding myself 3000 times that it was definitely a small animal. I went back to sleep.
Anyways, I researched the heck out of it and after hearing recordings I think it was a fox. And, looking back I kept praying that whatever it was, that it would go by on the other side. But, I’m glad it didn’t. I’d never got close enough to tell it was a small 4 legged animal by the noise it made in the leaves. And, that certainly would have made it a different experience.
