Ironraven said it: "Humans fear the unknown".

I've taken urban professionals camping and discovered that they stayed awake all night in fear of the coyotes that were periodically yipping. Coyotes! They said they thought they were wolves. (groan, shaking head) Like wolves are any more dangerous than coyotes, which aren't.

The only reason the news media exists is to sell advertising. Car crashes happen multiple times a day. Unless human heads are rolling around an intersection, it isn't news. Real news is animal attacks, lost fools who should have stayed home, and other sundry (preferably gory) events that allow people who wouldn't be caught dead in the wilderness to live vicariously for a few moments without any danger to themselves.

That being said, I'm not fond of bears. Esp garbage-can bears.

Sue

For me, it's peace and quiet.

Like IronRaven, sometimes there are giggles involved. The last time my wife's best friend practically jumped on my body and tried to climb up as high as she could when a little pig ran by behind her was very funny to me. She was practically on my shoulders after she grabbed my flashlight and saw it. The pig was only about the size of a medium to large dog. 75-100 pounds.

She never made it out of the tent again that night. It will be interesting to see how she behaves when we go camping this weekend.

Human heads rolling around an intersection, yeah, that would be interesting

Humans fear the unknown, and sometimes the unexpected. I too think bears are pretty cool, till I had one stalking me (or more correctly, the marshmallows in my backpack). I also like cougars, till I found one sitting outside the radio shack on top of the mountain right outside the only way in or out. The biggest scare I got, though, was that darned black and white kitty cat I called in from across the dark lawn one night. Yep, that put the hustle in me, once I realized who it was that was a waddlin' towards me. Dang near broke my nose trying to get the door closed on that one. Never seen a skunk grin like that before or since.

As for the piglet, what would you have done if there was a 300 kg sow standing behind it? Sometimes fear is legitimate. I ain't met no one yet with a "S" on their chest, though I have met a few that acted like it for a time.

Just wait till one of those jet propelled kitties decides to take a nap under the car.

If you're lucky you spot him before you climb in & start it.

I think skunks KNOW we fear them and they use it for thier advantage and entertainment. I would say that running from a stink-kitty is about the worst idea. THey don't like to be startled so hold still and talk to it, but not call it. The only time I would hustle would be if it was tripping and stumbling, or was forthing and growling. At least that's what I do. And I haven't been sprayed yet, although I probably just jinxed myself.

I should probably pick up a big can of V8 on the way home.

I wished my dog FEARED the skunk in my area. Ok, he's only been skunked once, but once is enough.

By the way, Masengill Douche works wonders removing the smell (buy a case at WalMart). I would lay off the V8 personally; apparently you end up skunked, but smelling like skunked tomatoes.

Justin

Has anyone had or experienced the terrifying feeling felt when being close to a Yeti, Sasquatch (Big foot) type creature. These are completely irrational utterly terrifying feelings of fear and panic whilst camping , walking, hunting on either wooded trails or whilst in the high mountains. Although I have mentioned Am Fear Liath Mòr ' Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui in a joking manner, whilst in the Scottish Mountains between two high desolate plateau mountains called Broad Cairn and Cairn Bannoch during the middle of the night I could here what seemed like very large slow footsteps circling my position. Normally this would not concern me. Some other people just mucking about. Only this time though I was consumed with an absolutely terrifying feeling of irrational fear to the point I could not move. These feelings are described in much the same way by the Professor and much noted climber John Norman Collie. Only the option of running away like the Professor was not an option as it was a night so dark and yet strangely enough the direction I would have most probably taken off in would have taken me over some shear cliffs. Take it from me irrational fear does not normally take hold and yet I am willing to state, like John Norman Collie this event was the most terrifying event I can recall. I now have an open mind about the claims of sightings of such hominid relics from the past such as the Sasquatch and Yeti.

Most humans have forgotten our (true) place on the food chain and don't handle it well when reminded of it.


( I wonder if I really do taste like chicken )

I get irritated whenever I see a bunch of suburban great white hunters swaggering into the woods as if they owned it.

They have no reverence or respect for anything.

Little do they know is that buck they're after can easily kill them.

I remember seeing a video on line of a guy getting worked over by a buck recently. I have to admit I was rooting for the buck.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have any problem with hunters and fishermen. Humans have eliminated much of the predator numbers and now we have to take up the slack to keep the prey species numbers in check.

I just wish people would have a little more respect for their prey and hence the world.

( I'll step down off my soapbox now).

Greetings Ladies and Gents,

Wilderness = home. At least in the sense that is where we come from. Just as folks that live in rural settings have a different view then the urbanite, our urbanization and conveniences have made home look foreign to us. Not so many generations ago, the skills common to even a child, today would be attributed to a "survival expert".

I am more interested in learning "woods craft or woodsmanship" then I am survival. Survival to me connotes a struggle to survive, an adversarial relationship with a nature that is actively trying to kill you.
Woods craft is the knowledge base of the old ones. It was sustainable and allowed them to live as part of their environment, not foreign to it.
To my mind this knowledge converts a "survival" situation into just setting up house keeping. And to me studying this stuff, is just plain cool. Regards, Jim

I really like spending time in the outdoors. It's to bad that my education (school) takes so much time, or else I would be outdoors a lot more.

Also I find it to bad that the modern society stands a long way from nature.
Camping is conciderd taking the biggest motor-home they can't afford (other subject), stuffing your home in it and then head through 10 miles of traffic-jams to a overcrowded campsite where they do exactly the things they do at home (sitting down, playing soccer)! Sigh...

Meanwhile they laugh at anyone that does appreciate nature and does go into the outdoors (most of them prepared, some not). 'Are you a cave-man or what!!' And please don't let them see a knife or mulitool on you...


But hey, what does a 17-year old know about this all...

BTW: I noticed that I've been active on this forum for over a year now...jeez, time does go fast when you'r having fun