Tent camping in the back country

[Hiketohunt]

How do you keep animals from molesting you while you are sleeping in your tent? I have had black bears, wolves and a moose wake me in the middle of the night. Seriously, is there something that I am missing? I have a hand gun, bear spray and a canned air boat horn. But they keep coming.


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[rodney482]

2 benadryl and 3 ibuprofens.

 

[Bubblehide]

Seriously. Well, it sounds like you're setting up can on their trails. Or your a really light sleeper.

I just pick a spot, generally away from animal trails, and sleep without a care in the world.

You also might be setting camp to close to water.

 

[Hiketohunt]

Seriously. Well, it sounds like you're setting up can on their trails. Or your a really light sleeper.

I just pick a spot, generally away from animal trails, and sleep without a care in the world.

You also might be setting camp to close to water.

No to both of these questions. I learned the hard way on that.


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[Stillhunterman]

You sound sincerely concerned about night time predator visits to your camp, I can surely relate. As a newb solo backpack hunter, it was one of my top concerns as I hunted country with high densities of black bear and cougars, and had more than my share of night visits that bothered me for a few years. For me, one of the major allures of hunting solo is the wilderness connection and the peace of mind it brings. That really wasn't possible while I was worried about various wildlife visitors at night. Over the years I paid much more attention to campsite details, and used the '100 yard' philosophy, which improved my concerns a great deal. There are a few things to consider in this regard:

1- Keep a clean campsite. Do your cooking well away from where you camp/sleep. Don't burn leftovers, bury them. Keep your food and hygiene products a hundred yards from camp, hung in a tree 10 feet high and 10 feet from trunk. If you feel compelled, and believe your clothes are saturated with cooked food smells, hang them in a bag as well and sleep in clean clothes.

2- Don't urinate or make deposits near camp, do so at least 100 yrds away. Critters, especially predators are curious, and the scent of urine is attracting, and really doesn't work at a repellent as many outdoor enthusiasts believe. Better yet, pee in a stream/creek that will care the scent away.

3- Never eat inside your tent, period.

4- Use the landscape to your advantage. As mentioned above, camp away from water sources (again, the 100 yrd rule), away from animal trails and critter food sources, such as berry patches, etc. Set up your tent in an area that isn't easily accessible for critters, unless they are really compelled to do so; even thick brush on 2 or 3 sides of your camp will likely deter the critters curiosity, which is the main reason for their nightly visitations.

5- The benadryl suggestion isn't a bad one. It will relax you enough to fall asleep, and hopefully stay asleep.

6- Understand the probabilities of critter attacks. The likelihood of being attacked and seriously injured by a predator is extremely rare: become familiar with those statistics as a backdrop for your mind to unconsciously store. It may not be readily apparent, but it helps.

Nothing you do will stop night time visits from various critters, but the above will help for the more 'scary' ones. Try not to over think things, and the more time you spend in their back yard the more comfortable you will be in the future. Best of luck to you!

 

[Hiketohunt]

This is the kind of advice I was looking for. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I love hunting alone in the back country. It becomes difficult to hunt hard when I haven't slept...lol


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[Bubblehide]

I take 800 mg of magnesium every night, due to cramps, even at home. A nice side effect, is that it makes you sleepy, sleep more sound...

 

[Hiketohunt]

I take 800 mg of magnesium every night, due to cramps, even at home. A nice side effect, is that it makes you sleepy, sleep more sound...

Not sure that I want to be knocked out with critters poking at my tent. Never understood why there is no windows or gun ports on the pup tents..lol


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[Bubblehide]

It doesn't knock me out. No disrespect, I'll will... But it sounds like you have some irrational fears. If your having continuing encounters, you must be doing something or things wrong. I generally set camp at least 1/4 mile from water and stream beds, springs, even if they are dry. I look for an area with no apparent animal trails. The suggestions above were excellent, incircle your tent with brush on three sides. If your really worried, incircle the whole tent, leaving room to get out. If you stick with this type of hunting/camping, in a few years you'll look back and laugh.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I just go back to sleep. I've been woke up numerous times by animals in camp. I know some were deer and, some were bear. In all instances, I'd be woke up by their approach, would listen as they walk in, realize I was there, and then leave. The only one that prompted me to get up was two coons. I was certain a Grizzly bear had traveled a long ways to get to where I was camping and, was ravaging my food. I poked my head out from the tent with my 44 in one hand and a flashlight in the other. When the light hit them, they scattered. Those suckers kept coming back though so, it was a long sleepless night.




Of the 5 times I can remember it happening, 4 of the times I was staying in a tent. Since going to a hammock though, I've only been woke up once. I sleep in a hammock very deeply so, I really don't know if it has just stopped happening or, I don't hear it anymore.

 

[VernAK]

We set up a couple Critter Gitter garden alarms nearby.......we have watched a black bear approach camp and when he set off the alarm,
he high-tailed it.......it was new to me this year.

 

[BroodBuster]

Mice are the ones that will drive me batshit crazy

 

[Michiganhunter]

The majority of the camping I do is solo. I'm not necessarily in the back country but northern lower Michigan forest can be pretty desolate. My only concern is people. The wildlife don't worry me as there ain't much here to bother me. I always sleep best in the rain because I know that the animals are taking cover and most people don't wander in the rain. I do always have my handgun just in case. I wonder how I will do when I finally get to go out west for a hunt.

 

[307]

I pee all around camp and keep clean in terms of food scents.

The critters I worry about (grizz) hate the smell of human urine.

 

[TheCougar]

You sound sincerely concerned about night time predator visits to your camp, I can surely relate. As a newb solo backpack hunter, it was one of my top concerns as I hunted country with high densities of black bear and cougars, and had more than my share of night visits that bothered me for a few years. For me, one of the major allures of hunting solo is the wilderness connection and the peace of mind it brings. That really wasn't possible while I was worried about various wildlife visitors at night. Over the years I paid much more attention to campsite details, and used the '100 yard' philosophy, which improved my concerns a great deal. There are a few things to consider in this regard:

1- Keep a clean campsite. Do your cooking well away from where you camp/sleep. Don't burn leftovers, bury them. Keep your food and hygiene products a hundred yards from camp, hung in a tree 10 feet high and 10 feet from trunk. If you feel compelled, and believe your clothes are saturated with cooked food smells, hang them in a bag as well and sleep in clean clothes.

2- Don't urinate or make deposits near camp, do so at least 100 yrds away. Critters, especially predators are curious, and the scent of urine is attracting, and really doesn't work at a repellent as many outdoor enthusiasts believe. Better yet, pee in a stream/creek that will care the scent away.

3- Never eat inside your tent, period.

4- Use the landscape to your advantage. As mentioned above, camp away from water sources (again, the 100 yrd rule), away from animal trails and critter food sources, such as berry patches, etc. Set up your tent in an area that isn't easily accessible for critters, unless they are really compelled to do so; even thick brush on 2 or 3 sides of your camp will likely deter the critters curiosity, which is the main reason for their nightly visitations.

5- The benadryl suggestion isn't a bad one. It will relax you enough to fall asleep, and hopefully stay asleep.

6- Understand the probabilities of critter attacks. The likelihood of being attacked and seriously injured by a predator is extremely rare: become familiar with those statistics as a backdrop for your mind to unconsciously store. It may not be readily apparent, but it helps.

Nothing you do will stop night time visits from various critters, but the above will help for the more 'scary' ones. Try not to over think things, and the more time you spend in their back yard the more comfortable you will be in the future. Best of luck to you!

I respectfully disagree on two points. 1. I always pee near my tent in the middle of the night. I'm not walking 100yds to take a leak at 2:00am. Defecation is another story. 2. I would never pee in a water source. I don't want to contaminate a water source, nor would I want anyone urinating in my water source either. This goes against basic woodsmanship.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Yes, if I catch someone peeing in a water source out in the middle of no where, I'm going to try and drown them in it. That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. No different than someone taking a dump in your freeze dried food bag as far as I'm concerned.

 

[GotDraw?]

Better tell the moose that! ;-)
BTW- I believe urine is sterile when it comes out of the body. Poor etiquette for sure though

Yes, if I catch someone peeing in a water source out in the middle of no where, I'm going to try and drown them in it. That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. No different than someone taking a dump in your freeze dried food bag as far as I'm concerned.

 

[5MilesBack]

How do you keep animals from molesting you while you are sleeping in your tent?

I've never been "molested" by animals in my tent or otherwise, but it is the wild.......there are wild animals out there. Last year had a bull moose "humphing" right outside my tent at 0430 in a downpour. I've had elk pull tent stakes running around the tent at night, and fold mirrors back on the truck. Mice are irritating in the wall tent with my tarp floor........pitter patter, pitter patter all night. I'd rather have the elk, moose, and occasional bear out there.

 

[GotDraw?]

I built a portable/light weight bear fence system for base camp (mostly for when we are bivvying away from camp), the total system including: polywire sufficient to circle the tent guy lines and leave extra walking room, segmented carbon arrow fence posts about 40 inches tall, charger (shocker) that runs two weeks on 4 D-cell batteries and storage bag weighs just over 2 3/4 lbs w/o batteries.

My system uses a pretty heavy duty fence charger (shocker), but I could have built the system with a smaller charger using 2 D cells and cut the total system weight to about under 2 lbs w/o batteries. System is super portable, carbon arrow shaft fence posts collapse to about 17" long or so. If you buld a system, be aware that carbon fiber conducts electricity very well, so you must isolate/insulate the polywire well or you will lose your shock pulses to the ground.

I built two and believe it cost me about $130 each or thereabouts. Charger was about $90, 600+ feet of poly wire was about $40 (enough line for 2 or 3 systems), fence posts were old arrows with homemade ferrules so they'd slip together like a fishing rod, line holders were dirt cheap, (note that you have to buy poly wire in 600 ft rolls.

Main components:

Insulated wire clips: SnapOn Harp Clip - Premier1Supplies

4 D cell Charger/Energizer that I use: Speedrite AN90 Battery Energizer 0.12 Joule - Horse.com

Smaller/lighter weight 2 D cell charger: Speedrite AN20 Batter Operated Engergizer Fencer Tru-Test ( - Electric Fencing - Chargers)

Polywire: IntelliTwine™ 2.25 - Premier1Supplies

There are a lot small bits you'll need too, PM me if you want details.

JL

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Better tell the moose that! ;-)
BTW- I believe urine is sterile when it comes out of the body. Poor etiquette for sure though

I've read that too. What I haven't personally seen from anyone saying it is sterile, is a willingness to let others piss in their water source simply because science says it won't hurt them. It wasn't that long ago that science said the earth was flat too. And, I'm certain the poster above that says to do that would have a problem with me peeing in his water source. I missed that post the first time around but when i was revisiting the thread last night and read that, I simply could not believe anyone would do such a thing.





Like you said, I'm sure animals do it. They are too dumb to know better. People on the other hand are supposed to know better. And, exhibit the forethought to do better. God Bless men