The Boogie Man

Lark Bunting

New member
Sep 14, 2016
710
Help me get over this irrational fear that every twig snap while in the woods is some six legged monster that is out to eat my son or myself. It seems I am perfectly fine when i\'m hiking into some remote fly fishing location by myself but when my son is with me I am in defensive mode the whole time. It isn\'t horrible during the day but at night...I am ready to fight any noise heard while in camp. It sucks because I don\'t sleep as I am \"on guard\" the whole time. I just read about people taking sleep aid while hunting. I couldn\'t do it as I feel i\'d sleep through some emergency, or a bear in camp, or the Boogie Man.

This past scouting trip, while walking through tall grass, taller than my son in spots, I was really afraid I was going to jump a moose and it was going to stomp our brains in. Irrational fears?
 
Lark, you are not alone with those fears. Quite a few people have to deal with them.
I was very mean to a young lady one time. She asked me about the bears and how dangerous they were. The young Forest Service employee was hired to go out alone into the forest and do inventories of some kind. I said to her, \"never mind the bears. They are normally not aggressive and will run from you. It is the cats that will get you.\" They drag off and bury their prey.\" Within three weeks she was a Park Service employee.
I knew she was to afraid to go out and do her job. I wished after that, I had handled things better.
Truthfully, I doubt there is anything I or anyone will say, that will remove all your fear of the forest, especially after dark. I too am a little anxious when out in the forest alone after dark. It does not slow me down or interfere with what I am doing. I camp alone a lot. My advise is, remind yourself that there is nothing out there, at night, that is not there in the day. There is nothing there in the day that really wants to eat you. Use reasonable precautions. More and more experience and time alone will help a lot.
 
I am really afraid on dark timber during bad weather days and nighttime. I was once stuck in it hiking out after dark on a moonless night. I was only 300 yards from the road. I ended up doing a detour to get the heck out of it and to the road the long way. I felt like I was in a nest. I am not claustrophobic. I have since upgraded to a much stronger headlamp.

I am now more afraid of the dark in the woods than when I was younger. Not sure why. My eyesight is now worse at night.

This year, I have far better hearing. I thought while camping this weekend that the noises I now hear for the first time in 30 years would keep me awake. Thankfully, my hearing is still poor enough without my hearing aids that I did not hear any nerve racking sounds. Sometimes, I like being oblivious to sounds. I don\'t\' think I would hear a gun go off near my tent without wearing my hearing aids.

A certain level of fear can be good. It does help keep us safe. I don\'t think you had irrational fear. It was practical fear.

For my scouting trip, I came across fresh moose and moose calf tracks next to the wetland area. I scanned the wetland area before I crossed. That may not always be possible. I have been around moose before. I have never been charged at. I would like to keep it that way. If I could not see into a wetland area, I am not sure I would go into it. A moose calf can easily be hidden in there and mama moose would not be too happy with you approaching her offspring.
 
I remember Swede\'s dad one time telling me he always felt closer to God in the woods....as if he could feel a presence there unlike anywhere. I don\'t know why I remember that so well....maybe because I feel a presence out there too. Sometimes, I am not sure what to make of if...as if somebody or something is out there. Not sure i like it either. I know what you mean about heightened concerns when kids are involved. I think it just makes you a better dad personally. I am extremely protective of my girls. I\'m the classic helicopter dad. It gives me concern for when they are older and boys. Oiesh. :mg:
I know in the woods I feel more at ease packing a gun. I\'ve never had to remove it from it\'s holster, but like a security blanket for a kid....it makes me feel a whole lot more comfortable. If you feel you are in a situation where it is getting the better of you...make some noise. Any critter out there won\'t stick around.
 
There are a couple of things that might put a guy just a little on edge out there. Those big white sheep guard dogs and a big old range Herford or Angus bull.

Other than that, there are three cures for your problem but I won\'t mention any of them here.
 
\"Olympushunt\" said:
I know in the woods I feel more at ease packing a gun. I\'ve never had to remove it from it\'s holster, but like a security blanket for a kid....it makes me feel a whole lot more comfortable.

This would be my solution. Having a gun nearby whether walking through the woods or while in your camp asleep always seems to calm my nerves.
 
I do carry while in the woods but honestly, how many of us have been through a truly traumatic experience where we needed to draw a weapon quickly to stop an honest to goodness threat? I hope to never have to pull my firearm in self defense and quite frankly...not sure I\'d be as quick as what I\'ve practiced in a real world situation.

:mg:
 
Lark, if you have practiced it, I think you would be surprised how much your natural instincts kick in once the adrenaline hits. I haven\'t had to draw a weapon on anyone, but I have had other circumstances where I have been amazed by the natural instincts I have. The \'fight or flight\' part of a person is pretty amazing.
 
Derek could not have said that any better. When you practice enough it just comes natural. That gun will be drawn before you even realize it.
I realized this last weekend when I had my little episode in the woods with the poachers. Everything just happened for me naturally and I was fine. It actually scared me more after it was over..... it started settling in after the adrenaline wore off.
 
Many years ago I can remember one time when I got caught up
Over 11000 ft chasing bugles at dark. I had a long ways to go to get back to the trailhead and truck.
I decided to drop off the mountain instead of taking the long way around.
About 1/2 way down my gps ran out of batteries and I had no spares.
It was big country and not a place to be stuck.

You damned right the boogie man followed me outta there.
I made good time, fell a few times and used the Lords name in vain.

But it is when times get tough is when we learn.
When things are easy not much learning goes on.
 
\"cnelk\" said:
Many years ago I can remember one time when I got caught up
Over 11000 ft chasing bugles at dark. I had a long ways to go to get back to the trailhead and truck.
I decided to drop off the mountain instead of taking the long way around.
About 1/2 way down my gps ran out of batteries and I had no spares.
It was big country and not a place to be stuck.

You damned right the boogie man followed me outta there.
I made good time, fell a few times and used the Lords name in vain.

But it is when times get tough is when we learn.
When things are easy not much learning goes on.

Kinda takes us back to Mt. Mutts post doesn\'t it. Get a compass and learn how to use it! Never know when that GPS will fail.
 
\"cnelk\" said:
Many years ago I can remember one time when I got caught up
Over 11000 ft chasing bugles at dark. I had a long ways to go to get back to the trailhead and truck.
I decided to drop off the mountain instead of taking the long way around.
About 1/2 way down my gps ran out of batteries and I had no spares.
It was big country and not a place to be stuck.

You damned right the boogie man followed me outta there.
I made good time, fell a few times and used the Lords name in vain.

But it is when times get tough is when we learn.
When things are easy not much learning goes on.

That\'s the only thing that bugs me...coming out of a hellhole in the pitch dark and getting off the trail (or just trying to find a trail through blowdowns and stuff). Having a compass is great, but it\'s not going to show you the best route through the giant pick-up sticks. :?
Have to stop...take a breath, make myself think rationally about the best direction to go. Easy to get turned around in that type of terrain.

I don\'t worry about critters...but then again, I do not hunt in Griz Country. :angle:
 
My post wasnt about not having a compass. I carry a compass but rarely do I need it.
It was about the feeling the \'boogie man\' is near.
 
Back
Top