Post by: 7mmfan on March 22, 2016, 12:28:44 PM
Post by: ghosthunter on March 22, 2016, 12:38:23 PM
In Alaska I had a hard time.
In Washington not at all.
Post by: 7mmfan on March 22, 2016, 12:42:04 PM
Post by: Jonathan_S on March 22, 2016, 12:42:41 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on March 22, 2016, 12:45:20 PM
My friend is a great hunter an outdoorsman. He can not sleep in the woods by himself. It really bothers him that he can't seem to get over it. We have talked at length about it.
You guys have any ideas for him? He can take his 8 year old son out and sleep fine as long as some one else is there. He knows its crazy, but can't seem to get over it.
Sorry not trying to threat jack.
Good topic
Post by: 300rum on March 22, 2016, 12:45:48 PM
The exceptions were when I woke up with the worst cramps I have ever had, every muscle I had cramped up, arms, legs chest, everything. I barley could get the zipper undone on the bag and get out. I drank all the water I had and walked around in the moon light bare foot in my underwear and did jumping jacks until they stopped.
The other was in Idaho, in the Church, when I had wolves howling all around me. Very spooky to have wolves howling close by and all around. I don't really know how close, could have been 100 yards, could have been 1000 yards, it didn't matter.
Post by: DJ_Mack on March 22, 2016, 12:47:27 PM
Post by: kodiak 907 on March 22, 2016, 06:10:44 PM
Post by: Bango skank on March 22, 2016, 06:22:37 PM
It's only dangerous during the squatch rut. :o
Its always the rut for squatches
Post by: buckfvr on March 22, 2016, 06:30:38 PM
Post by: Mudman on March 22, 2016, 06:32:12 PM
Post by: Branden on March 22, 2016, 06:38:33 PM
Regards, Branden
Post by: vandeman17 on March 22, 2016, 06:42:59 PM
Post by: RadSav on March 22, 2016, 06:47:15 PM
Plus fresh air, no lights, no honey do list, no computer, no television, almost complete silence...dang near heaven! :tup:
Post by: kentrek on March 22, 2016, 06:55:22 PM
Brother had a big frog jump on his face once around midnight while sleeping in a bivy....i don't think he'll ever get over that :chuckle:
Post by: buckfvr on March 22, 2016, 06:57:38 PM
Ill add it doesnt even need to be dark..........
Post by: RadSav on March 22, 2016, 06:59:53 PM
Brother had a big frog jump on his face once around midnight while sleeping in a bivy....i don't think he'll ever get over that :chuckle:
Had a friend who got a kiss from a porcupine once while using a tipi. Tip: Don't swat at a kiss when you're alone in the back country. :chuckle: A week later he bought a camper and hasn't been in the back country since. :rolleyes:
Post by: kentrek on March 22, 2016, 07:03:43 PM
Brother had a big frog jump on his face once around midnight while sleeping in a bivy....i don't think he'll ever get over that :chuckle:
Had a friend who got a kiss from a porcupine once while using a tipi. Tip: Don't swat at a kiss when you're alone in the back country. :chuckle: A week later he bought a camper and hasn't been in the back country since. :rolleyes:
Funny you mention the camper, my brother has wanted one ever since!
Somethings you just can't get over I guess :chuckle:
Post by: Cougartail on March 22, 2016, 07:06:05 PM
I guess it depends where the back country is.......
In Alaska I had a hard time.
In Washington not at all.
Sleep like a baby in both places. Getting to the "backcountry" in Alaska is far more dangerous.
Post by: Magnum_Willys on March 22, 2016, 07:33:54 PM
Post by: SCRUBS on March 22, 2016, 07:47:37 PM
Post by: Karl Blanchard on March 22, 2016, 07:50:19 PM
Really not sure why I ever got scared though. I mean.......your in a tent for gods sake! Everyone knows if you are in a tent and pull your bag over your head, nothing can get you. Its science :chuckle:
Post by: Bango skank on March 22, 2016, 07:52:38 PM
I only had trouble sleeping a couple nights. Tent was in the brush along a river in Alaska. Something walked by a few hours after dark and I knew it was a brownie lol. No gun or anything so for a few nights it was tough falling asleep after that. Never did find out what it was.
Regards, Branden
What is wrong with you going unarmed into brown bear country? Need to change your username to T Treadwell. :chuckle:
Post by: Fl0und3rz on March 22, 2016, 08:19:55 PM
Post by: Westside88 on March 22, 2016, 08:32:38 PM
Post by: HardCorpsHuntr on March 22, 2016, 08:34:35 PM
I'm not one to medicate my assistance to sleep, especially in the wild's, where unpredictable weather and the rare rogue beast have the upper hand. I've had to make too many middle of the night decisions where a clear mind is crucial; all to find out it was just a dream :chuckle:
Post by: rtspring on March 22, 2016, 08:43:57 PM
I always have a pistol at thd ready and a very sharp knife. Ive read many survival stories that a knife is dang near as important as a gun should issuses arise!
Those critters are way more afraid oc you than you are of them. Go to sleep and enjoy the mtn air. Get up and go kill something, it dong get any better than that..
Post by: kentrek on March 22, 2016, 08:49:26 PM
I never have a problem in a wall tent, with mice running across my face, though.
Mice are probably one of my favorite forms of entertainment at night while way back in the deep....i used to love trying to kill them but the last couple years mouse watching after the crib game is almost something I look forward too...lil suckers can really go after pumping em full of snickers :chuckle:
Post by: Karl Blanchard on March 22, 2016, 09:00:29 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on March 22, 2016, 09:07:18 PM
I fell asleep last year with a mouth full of mountain house, :yike: :yike: :chuckle: :chuckle: NO BS
Was half in my sleep bag and obviously passed out. Woke a couple house later. I was like "WTF is in my mouth".
HUNT HARD :chuckle: :chuckle: SLEEP HARD
Post by: Bango skank on March 22, 2016, 09:08:01 PM
Sleep aids help you fall asleep, they don't render you unconscious
Different sleep aids work in different ways. Some can be dangerous! Example: a coworker was trying the sleeping pill thing, i forget which kind, but it apparently would put him in a semi conscious state where he would say random things and have no control over it. His wife was driving and he just looked at her and said "you look fat." :yike: No joke.
Post by: grundy53 on March 22, 2016, 09:10:13 PM
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Post by: saylean on March 22, 2016, 09:24:07 PM
Washington, not too nervous. I sleep pretty well. My biggest concern are blow downs where I hunt...I do take an advil pm or Nyquil sometimes, but that is just so I sleep comfortably.
Post by: IBspoiled on March 22, 2016, 09:24:33 PM
Post by: Jason on March 22, 2016, 09:57:28 PM
Post by: jackelope on March 22, 2016, 10:01:39 PM
Post by: Ice Cap on March 22, 2016, 10:02:30 PM
Sleep quite well. :-)
Post by: JoeE on March 22, 2016, 10:05:21 PM
http://www.brite-strike.com/CAPSS.html
Post by: grundy53 on March 22, 2016, 10:05:27 PM
I just go to bed with the mind set that I am the most dangerous beast in the woods!The mice don't care how dangerous you are..... :chuckle:
Sleep quite well. :-)
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Post by: Ice Cap on March 22, 2016, 10:12:48 PM
That's why I sleep in a 1 man tent with an attached floor. LolI just go to bed with the mind set that I am the most dangerous beast in the woods!The mice don't care how dangerous you are..... :chuckle:
Sleep quite well. :-)
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Post by: kentrek on March 22, 2016, 10:19:18 PM
I .
http://www.brite-strike.com/CAPSS.html
That might work well to put around your elk/deer if you gotta leave it over night
Or better yet....around the dang horse/mule corral..sneek devils
Post by: Bushcraft on March 23, 2016, 09:58:17 AM
Seriously though, you might think about bringing a good dog with you. It used to take me a while to doze off on solo trips, but I sleep like a baby on my scouting trips with the four legged perimeter alarm...except for the rare occasion where he rudely charges off into the dark of night with hackles raised and teeth gnashing. Then the G20 with TLR3 close to hand is mighty comforting.
Post by: 2MANY on March 23, 2016, 10:18:49 AM
Post by: theleo on March 23, 2016, 10:31:08 AM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on March 23, 2016, 11:18:05 AM
I woke up 2 summers ago to a damn mouse running across my face. That was my first and last floorless shelter.
Squirrel! Was as big as a bear! He must have tight-roped the hammock line at my foot end. Then he decided to get to the tree at my head end via the bridge. No slowing down to pay the toll. Bastage rain right across my face. I've got scars to prove it!
:chuckle:
Listening to Wolves near and far have kept me awake for hours.
I don't use plastic tent pegs anymore.. Mice like to chew on them. In the dead of night, that's quite noisy.
Oh... Hint to everyone. If you hike in in the dark and find a nice flat spot to lay out your mat, bivy and bag, DO NOT lay yourself down to sleep IN a Deer Trail! Did you know that at 4:am waking to several mule deer does, stomping, coughing, jumping can nearly give a guy a heart attack?
I've heard large animals right outside my tent. So, yeah.. I could be tired as heck but I sleep pretty light in the back country. I may nap during the day. :dunno:
-Steve
Post by: Bill W on March 23, 2016, 11:33:06 AM
I found out I did not care for mice running across my face and to a lesser degree deer tripping over tent ropes.
Later I carried a handgun for the mice. Run across my face once and expect the worst... mouse.
Post by: jkthomps on March 23, 2016, 11:59:46 AM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F16%2F03%2F23%2F9192a6bed7f3346e39664602327b27c0.jpg&hash=6db05f9e0c8f02a751d6fda0b0dc64df36dd7532)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F16%2F03%2F23%2Fcf8d89804af8f24782c7e752c205c077.jpg&hash=8980f370c9fe8d3dabed1f8fb3265e8d9e75cbc4)
Post by: ghosthunter on March 23, 2016, 12:14:13 PM
The best sleep I get is in a tent hunting.
Post by: WAnoob on March 23, 2016, 12:24:14 PM
My wife and I's bedroom is like a tomb compared to the nighttime noise level in the backcountry. It's a little annoying to have to listen to ants hiccupping far off in the distance the first night or two before everything normalizes. :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Seriously though, you might think about bringing a good dog with you. It used to take me a while to doze off on solo trips, but I sleep like a baby on my scouting trips with the four legged perimeter alarm...except for the rare occasion where he rudely charges off into the dark of night with hackles raised and teeth gnashing. Then the G20 with TLR3 close to hand is mighty comforting.
:yeah: I used to bring my golden retriever scouting for sheep in Alaska in heavy bear country. Definitely put my mind at ease, more than a few times he detected bears well before we encountered them, most likely saved me from a bad encounter. I used tylenol PM religiously when I hunted with my dad as his snoring would collapse the tent walls.
Post by: Shawn Ryan on March 23, 2016, 12:38:08 PM
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Post by: DTaylor86 on March 24, 2016, 08:07:37 AM
Post by: REHJWA on March 24, 2016, 09:00:27 AM
I woke up 2 summers ago to a damn mouse running across my face. That was my first and last floorless shelter.
Squirrel! Was as big as a bear! He must have tight-roped the hammock line at my foot end. Then he decided to get to the tree at my head end via the bridge. No slowing down to pay the toll. Bastage rain right across my face. I've got scars to prove it!
:chuckle:
Listening to Wolves near and far have kept me awake for hours.
I don't use plastic tent pegs anymore.. Mice like to chew on them. In the dead of night, that's quite noisy.
Oh... Hint to everyone. If you hike in in the dark and find a nice flat spot to lay out your mat, bivy and bag, DO NOT lay yourself down to sleep IN a Deer Trail! Did you know that at 4:am waking to several mule deer does, stomping, coughing, jumping can nearly give a guy a heart attack?
I've heard large animals right outside my tent. So, yeah.. I could be tired as heck but I sleep pretty light in the back country. I may nap during the day. :dunno:
-Steve
I can sleep through helicopters landing 50 yards away, C5s and C17s with in 300 yards but a mouse chewing on a tent stake wakes me every time....
Last trip had three get stuck in an empty 5 gal bucket and had to get up each time because they would jump up and land with a THUMP until I tossed them out....finally just turned the bucket over around midnight to get some sleep....
Post by: Magnum_Willys on March 24, 2016, 09:10:41 AM
Post by: REHJWA on March 24, 2016, 12:21:57 PM
Put water in bucket !It was late...
Post by: zike on March 24, 2016, 06:16:33 PM
Post by: Utah on March 24, 2016, 09:59:22 PM
Post by: Magnum_Willys on March 24, 2016, 10:17:16 PM
I do better sleeping alone in the mountains then I do hiking through the brush in the dark. Via headlamp. My favorite nights in the backcountry are heavy thunder storms and heavy rain. Drown's out the sound of zombie's. Just wait until you know your alone and start hearing voices! :yike: :yike: :yike:
now that would freak me worse than any bear.........
Post by: RadSav on March 24, 2016, 11:56:55 PM
Post by: GoldenOscar on March 25, 2016, 01:08:24 AM
Post by: 7mmfan on March 25, 2016, 08:52:15 AM
:yeah: I used to bring my golden retriever scouting for sheep in Alaska in heavy bear country. Definitely put my mind at ease, more than a few times he detected bears well before we encountered them, most likely saved me from a bad encounter. I used tylenol PM religiously when I hunted with my dad as his snoring would collapse the tent walls.
This is my deal. My dad snores so flippin loud! When I was kid I just passed out and that was that. As I've gotten older, its tougher to fall asleep. Dad doesn't seem to have any problem falling asleep, he does it mid sentence. Going to try ear plugs and Tylenol PM this year I guess.
Post by: bradslam on March 26, 2016, 08:36:29 PM
Post by: Jonathan_S on March 26, 2016, 08:42:46 PM
Post by: jackelope on March 26, 2016, 09:08:39 PM
Right now, thanks to closed roads, I am seven miles from where I parked. Not backcountry by any stretch but I worked enough to make it feel that way. There is a large moose walking around and grunting outside of the tipi. Really hoping it doesn't turn this cone of silnylon and me into a frosting tube full of human paste.
This post is useless without pictures.
Post by: jasnt on March 26, 2016, 09:14:12 PM
Post by: JakeLand on March 26, 2016, 10:23:21 PM
I think if you are having a hard time sleeping in the back country you aren't hunting hard enough. :chuckle: Honestly, I'm usually so damn tired I fall asleep quite easily.
Plus fresh air, no lights, no honey do list, no computer, no television, almost complete silence...dang near heaven! :tup:
X2 I sleep like a baby but I also set camp or sleeping nook in a isolated small area
Post by: steeliedrew on March 27, 2016, 11:59:44 AM
This year my hunting partners are moving out of state so I'll be solo. Planning "up to" a 9 day solo hunt. I'm sure it will be a different feeling hiking in knowing that my buddies will not be coming in to meet me but I think it will be a great experience. I'll get a few solo scouting trips under my belt to ready myself. :tup:
Post by: Tbob on March 27, 2016, 05:59:30 PM
Took my older brother scouting with me one time a few years back for a 3 day backcountry trip. We got to the trailhead about 9:00pm Thursday night. My brother said, "well let's get some sleep and we'll hit the trail early". I was like, "Huh? Hell no dude, were packing up and going in now".. He was super freaked out.. "We're gonna hike in in the dark"?! Yep. He sang crappy songs all the way in. He was crazy freaked out by all the monsters that could come get us. Cracked me up. Now he just tells me to go on ahead and he'll meet me in the morning..
Post by: runamuk on March 27, 2016, 06:57:46 PM
Post by: HardLoadHunter on April 20, 2016, 01:49:37 PM
Guess ill have to report back on it after season.
Post by: The scout on April 20, 2016, 08:34:55 PM
Post by: kentrek on April 20, 2016, 08:42:34 PM
But holly smokes once that moon moved across the sky and the wind stopped...the stars blew up and it was all worth it
Would have missed it if I was on sleep aids
Post by: Caretaker on April 20, 2016, 09:11:55 PM
But in the woods I still take ambien.
Post by: The scout on April 20, 2016, 09:21:09 PM
I take Ambien most times, got to be careful with them though, as other readers mentioned they can make you say some weird things. One time when I was with my ex gf, I took 10mg ambien and about 15 min later she asked me "Do you think I could be one of those Nordstrom models?" I said "sure, all you need to do is lose weight, dress better and wear better makeup", I rolled over in bed and was pretty proud of myself of the thought that I just said something pretty profound. And I went right to sleep like a baby. It wasn't until the morning that she told me what I had said, she didn't speak to me for a week and noticed I said she is my EX :dunno: :dunno:
But in the woods I still take ambien.
maybe not weird things but truth :dunno: :chuckle:
Post by: Caretaker on April 20, 2016, 09:25:03 PM
Post by: WaltAlpine on May 06, 2016, 02:49:52 PM
The dosage amount was critical for me to sleep well but not feel groggyish the next day.
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Post by: dreamingbig on May 06, 2016, 08:46:23 PM
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Post by: Nmesub on May 22, 2016, 05:58:23 PM
Post by: Kit Carson on May 22, 2016, 10:53:36 PM
I take Ambien most times, got to be careful with them though, as other readers mentioned they can make you say some weird things. One time when I was with my ex gf, I took 10mg ambien and about 15 min later she asked me "Do you think I could be one of those Nordstrom models?" I said "sure, all you need to do is lose weight, dress better and wear better makeup", I rolled over in bed and was pretty proud of myself of the thought that I just said something pretty profound. And I went right to sleep like a baby. It wasn't until the morning that she told me what I had said, she didn't speak to me for a week and noticed I said she is my EX :dunno: :dunno:
But in the woods I still take ambien.
:chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: Jim/WA on June 08, 2016, 11:06:00 PM
Post by: 7mmfan on June 09, 2016, 09:27:42 AM
I do get a little weirded out sometimes sitting next to my tent with my back to the woods. Standing up, no problem. Once I'm in my tent, I sleep like a baby. Two years ago in the Pasayten, something pushed up against the side of my tent right into my face and took a big sniff. When I got out in the morning, there were moose tracks outside the tent which led right down the trail and eventually to a nice bull working his way along a creek bottom.
Now that would freak me out, but I feel like it would be only for a while. I am still of the opinion that everything in the woods is more afraid of me than I am of it. Except Grizzly bears.
Post by: seth30 on June 10, 2016, 11:23:41 PM
Post by: RadSav on June 11, 2016, 05:21:50 AM
I am still of the opinion that everything in the woods is more afraid of me than I am of it. Except Grizzly bears.
I must be lucky. Every grizzly I have run across has run away the moment they know I'm there. Though I have seen where they wait for hunters and hikers to leave camp and then they come in and destroy the place. I wonder if some of the stories are of bear who come into camps thinking there is nobody there.
I know from experience that black bear come in out of curiosity. They've dug through things that should not have any smell of food. I remember one in particular that was fascinated with a new packable camp chair I had bought the day before. He played with that thing for about five minutes. To me it looked like he was simply fascinated by it. Looked like he was about to poop on it when I said, "What are you doing?" with a loud sharp voice. Not sure he could have left in a bigger hurry had I shot at him.
In my youth we hunted a lot in areas with serious black bear population issues. We've had them poke heads in tents, chew on guy ropes, take my boots and run off, tear into camp stoves... It gets the blood pumping for sure. But at the first yell of our presence they have always bugged out in a hurry. I've found it more exciting than scary. Seldom after the first night does it effect my sleep. Just part of what makes the back country great!
I have run into some cats that flat out scare the Bee Gees out of me. But that has never been at camp. Have had a few feral dogs that scared me a bit. One that I likely would have shot had I had a pistol on my side or a bow in my hand. Pigs...I hate pigs when tent camping! But we don't have much worry about them in the WA high country. My biggest concern is when people come by and refuse to say a word or even acknowledge your presence. That is the scariest IMO.
Considering how many house prowlers and home invasions there are in the city on a daily basis I feel pretty darn safe in the woods by comparison. For me I feel much safer in the back country and sleep more soundly as a result.