Nocturnals? How do our members feel about venturing into the forest at night?

I've been both afraid and excited venturing out into the forests at night? It's a natural inclination for humans to be fearful of the dark with predators in the vicinity.

My question to the board is, how does being in the dark woods, rivers, or mountains impact you? Do you enjoy the rush? Is it senseless to do such a thing? After all we don't see well at all in the dark.

I know friends who will night hike, with no headlamp in mountain lion and bear country, and I think that's asking for it.

Any thoughts or opinions are welcome!

Only armed with extra clips. Thank you very much.
3 shots and re-assess? More like 1 clip and run

A mountain lion is one sneaky creature & that's in the daytime. At night forget about it. I would do it at night with another person if we were both carrying our gauges.

g

For me having a spider web wrap around my face would probably be the worst thing I can think of.

Before I was injured I camped alot in Eastern Idaho, Yellowstone and some of southwestern Montana fly fishing. I got
used to it when I was growing up in Texas and fishing at night on the lake.
Now I would prefer, based on the amount of data thats coming in on Mountain lion populations and activity, to be armed with
my side arm and my AR10 .308. But we need night vision etc etc. Thats why my plans are to launch UAVs at night FLIR equipped
and fly search patterns according to activity reports. That way I can make camp with some friends and fellow enthusiasts and watch
the real time video. The resolution on the FLIRS should allow operators to make distinctions between feral hogs bears
and mountain lions. Thats the plan anyway.
Creeping around at night not properly equipped is not my idea of enjoyment.

Thanks for comments to all.

I HATE SPIDERWEBS!

I was once hunting in the river bottoms in E. Texas, and the cold, damp air wrestled the life right out of my head lamp batts. I was forced to hike back 2 miles in the pitch black darkness, with my cell phone screen light only!

I stumbled down a dry creek bed, and as I crested the other side I walked into a little party. There were 10-20 guests that had already arrived, and they were squealing with surprise at my arrival. There were big, huge, and stinky fat ones, and some smaller guys. Trust me, never bum rush a gang of wild hogs in the dark, with no headlamp. I'm lucky I didn't blow my own legs off.

Before I could react to the situation, I was spun around by a large bore--- and was falling ass over tea kettle to the ground----exposing my soft little underbelly to these heavily tusked, and powerful predators. Out of instinct I guess, or divine intervention I had clicked off the safety on my .308 on the way to the ground. Before I could even squeeze off, these pigs must have been as shocked as myself, by this scenario, and bolted into the thickets surrounding the immediate area. I guess that bore was in full retreat and my legs were just blocking his exit. Either way, I strongly considered firing a few rounds just to ensure their return wasn't imminent, but was so out of sorts by what had just happened that I just watched them in stunned silence, as they fled from the fringes of my cell phone light now beaming in a small circle from the leaf littered forest floor.

I grabbed my phone, and hoofed it the last mile back to the truck, admittedly running into a few small trees, and ripping clothing and skin with briars, thorns, and bois' d' arc limbs until I got to the road. My brother and nephew were waiting for me, and needless to say a little shocked at the state I was in. They drew down on whatever they assumed was following me, but when they saw I was alone, cussed me for scaring them half to death. All three of us, have had some strange and dangerous encounters out in the bottoms. Later, my close encounter earned me a good scolding from my brother for not carrying extra batteries, followed by a healthy dose of razzing, and heckling from the both all the way back to the house.

So folks, if you do go out in the woods after dark, always carry spare batteries, and try to remain with at least one other person. I would also advise having at minimum a side arm, or a scatter gun. We all like to pack light, but your life is worth more than a little extra sweat and effort in toting your load.

Solo hiking in the dark is just not very smart if you ask me, especially in river bottom where the overhead canopy blocks out any and all natural light source from the moon or stars. You literally can't see your hand in front of your face in river bottoms after dark.

I'd love to hear some of the forum's experiences after dark, for any of you who wish to share. It seems every lesson I've learned in life, has been the hard way. Maybe my maker figured that's the only way my hard-headed ass would get it!

I love the woods at night, my preferred method of exploitation is to imbed myself during the day and get my senses tuned up by sunset so I can fully experience the forest as it comes to life. The feelings and emotions I experience at night by myself are amazing, feeling so alive and so insignificant at the same time.

Clips hold hair, Magazines hold ammunition.

No thanks!

Not with all those bigfoots roaming around!

Earthquake Panda wrote:I love the woods at night, my preferred method of exploitation is to imbed myself during the day and get my senses tuned up by sunset so I can fully experience the forest as it comes to life. The feelings and emotions I experience at night by myself are amazing, feeling so alive and so insignificant at the same time.

Clips hold hair, Magazines hold ammunition.

Imbed yourself like this???


[img] [/img]

Hi everyone...my first post! I hope to make new friends and be here when the evidence overwelms thecritics!

I live on Long Island but I've hiked in the Adirondacks for over 30 years. Going out at night is not nearly as life-threatening as many areas in the Southwest or Northwest.

I have no reservations and no gun!

Hopefully, I ill live to tell some stories when I go Squatching in the Fall!

Kel wrote:

Earthquake Panda wrote:I love the woods at night, my preferred method of exploitation is to imbed myself during the day and get my senses tuned up by sunset so I can fully experience the forest as it comes to life. The feelings and emotions I experience at night by myself are amazing, feeling so alive and so insignificant at the same time.

Clips hold hair, Magazines hold ammunition.

Imbed yourself like this???


[img] [/img]

Hahaha, perfect for squatching at wal-mart. Come to think of it there is a whole lotta sagittal crest at my local wal mart...

Actually if I am going into the woods at night I dress as comfortable as possible as I often end up frozen or stuck hunkered down in one spot for hours at a time. Traveling light and being able to move fast, or say climb a tree or cross a river without a second thought are in my mind essential to my survival. Also no lights, no cell phone, nothing emitting artificial light (except the trijicons). I have multiple flashlights at all times (1 on me as edc gear, 2 in day pack/get home bag) but in the woods at night anything throwing shadows aint helping. I just move real slow and use my other senses. I couldn't imagine having a cam set up strapped to me like they use on shows like finding bigfoot.

I hate the woods at night. I always feel like I am being watched. Though I will venture out once I awhile as long as someone is with me.

20 years at our cabin in N CA, and no BF sighting yet, though some odd sounds heard.

Going into the woods at night to try to see a bigfoot is a lost cause. They will just play games with you and you will end up hearing a lot of things and having a lot of activity and even getting the crap scared out of you but you won't see one unless your incredibly lucky. Wandering around out in the woods at night is dangerous.

I would not recommend wandering the woods at night unless you have some serious outdoor experience. You are putting yourself at a severe disadvantage against large predators like Mt. lions. I usually only go on blacked out night missions in areas I have previously scouted. If you understand how to read game trails and corridors, identify choke points and manipulate high/low ground advantages its not so diffacult to come out of a night time adventure just fine, but like with everything in life confidence and skill come with experience.

The main problem with going out at night is that its dark.

Well said Mr. Lee

in Oklahoma you better bring a side arm ----something will get you ass out here

I have excellent night vision and I enjoy going out at night with thermals (when I can) and recording sounds every other time. My only problem is finding other people that can cope without lights...Nice thing about where I live is that the worst thing I have to worry about (other than a "Sqatch" I guess) is Skunks.

Someone needs to recruit that chinese kid (Nong Youhui) with the cat eyes that can see in total darkness.

I had two interactions with what I think was at least one bigfoot two weeks ago - in the dark. It/they were out in the woods in the very, very dark forest and I was in my minivan waiting to pick up my kid from camp.

It was scary enough knowing I could drive away and/or lock the door - which I did at one point in each interaction (whistling and knocking) - when I got freaked out during the first interaction when I realized it was NOT a bird mimicking me and during the second interaction when there was a BIG thud out in the woods.

Night time knocking and whistling is find and DAYTIME sightings are fine with me, thank you very much. I do NOT want to see one at night at this time. Maybe if I get used to them and "make friends" I'll consider it, but it is so very very very dark where I'm interacting with them that you cannot see 10 feet in front of you most times. I am much more afraid of the dark than I thought I was.

MylesLI wrote:Hi everyone...my first post! I hope to make new friends and be here when the evidence overwelms thecritics!

I live on Long Island but I've hiked in the Adirondacks for over 30 years. Going out at night is not nearly as life-threatening as many areas in the Southwest or Northwest.

I have no reservations and no gun!

Hopefully, I ill live to tell some stories when I go Squatching in the Fall!

Before you go on your trip please read David Paulides Missing 411 books where he discussed how many people go missing every year in the forest. Purchase or have your library get the book that covers the Adirondacks. Good luck, have fun, and stay safe.

thereoutthere wrote:in Oklahoma you better bring a side arm ----something will get you ass out here

We lived in Edmond, Ok. for a while. Where do you hunt in Ok?

jpwooden wrote:I have excellent night vision and I enjoy going out at night with thermals (when I can) and recording sounds every other time. My only problem is finding other people that can cope without lights...Nice thing about where I live is that the worst thing I have to worry about (other than a "Sqatch" I guess) is Skunks.

Do any of you guys use night vision like the military wears for night work?

madison5716 wrote:I had two interactions with what I think was at least one bigfoot two weeks ago - in the dark. It/they were out in the woods in the very, very dark forest and I was in my minivan waiting to pick up my kid from camp.

It was scary enough knowing I could drive away and/or lock the door - which I did at one point in each interaction (whistling and knocking) - when I got freaked out during the first interaction when I realized it was NOT a bird mimicking me and during the second interaction when there was a BIG thud out in the woods.

Night time knocking and whistling is find and DAYTIME sightings are fine with me, thank you very much. I do NOT want to see one at night at this time. Maybe if I get used to them and "make friends" I'll consider it, but it is so very very very dark where I'm interacting with them that you cannot see 10 feet in front of you most times. I am much more afraid of the dark than I thought I was.

I understand that. We truly know that there are scary things that go "bump" in the dark of night.