Was it a Sasquatch outside my tent last night? It was, wasn't it.
January 31, 2016 1:16 PM Subscribe
One of the most horrifying sounds I've ever heard woke me up last night as I was sound asleep in my tent. I'm assuming a sasquatch but maybe y'all can help me come up with an alternative explanation.
First, the sound.
It sounded like two cats fighting. But far worse and with more kinds of sounds. And it sounded more like one animal (though hiding underneath my covers in fear probably distorted the sound a bit). This went on for about 30 seconds. Maybe 45. At the end there was a clicking sound kind of like a bird makes or maybe a cat (but louder).
It happened at 3:15 am which, in what I'm assuming was a coincidence, is the exact same time the previous night someone shot off eight rounds about a mile away (apparently at no one). That's a long distance and people in houses wouldn't have heard it at that distance. But at that hour there are no other sounds and I can hear everything. Including the desperate cries y'all make to the goddesses asking for help in crafting a fine fpp. So maybe this evil devil spawn was celebrating the one night anniversary of the other event that woke me from a sound slumber. But that's probably giving it too much credit. Though that is the exact sort of thing a Sasquatch would do.
Second, the geography and fauna.
I live in a small wooded area in Bellingham Washington (part of the Pacific Northwest). I'm in the city but closer to what one might think of as a suburb. All of Bellingham has lots of wooded areas. And wildlife. Like deer.
Speaking of, I could count on one maybe one.5 hands how many times I've seen deer in urban/suburban areas in Texas, Knoxville, and Atlanta. Since moving to Bellingham I'd need all y'alls hands to count how many deer I've seen in the city.
For example, deer routinely walk through my camp and occasionally even bed down near me. They are incredibly unafraid of humans. I have thoroughly mapped out their thought process:
Deer: munch munch
Deer: Hmmm, there's a human 10 feet away. No biggsies.
Deer: munch mun--
Deer: Yo, buddy, you're now 9 feet 11.5 inches away. What is this, one of those countries that don't understand the concept of personal space? But no probs, this land is your land and my land and so forth and so on so I'll be the bigger species and just take a step over here.
Deer: munch munch
Repeat.
As a side note, did y'all know that fawn make a bleating sound when looking for mom? It's like a sheep bleating but without the vibrato. Most folk'll go through life never hearing this sound. I get to hear it once a week. And it pierces the ears. Which I guess is the point.
Anyway, there are deer but I doubt they made this sound. For one thing when they are walking around they are the loudest motherfuckers ever and I didn't hear anything like that walking away.
I guess there are bears in nearby Mt Baker but I've never heard of a bear in the city.
Coyotes do exist outside of the city but that seems unlikely. I'm within the city limits in a small wooded area. Probably too far removed from their normal grounds. But maybe?
Foxes ditto.
Now there are raccoons in these parts. And these raccoons are beasts. I am being totally serious here, they are literally, and without any hyperbole or exaggeration, god's only truth, the size of a VW Bug.
If, say, a VW Bug were the size of a fat Labrador with stubby legs, say. So yeah, huge. Not like the ones in Texas and the SE which are cute lovable little critters that just love hugz and luvz. Nope. These fuckers kill people on a regular basis (according to the rumor I just started).
Once I was sitting in a gazebo in a very lovely park in town just waiting for it to get dark. And then I saw a herd of raccoons descend on my position. There were like six of them and clearly they were intent on eating some fresh me. Fortunately they weren't too bright and left the one exit off the gazebo open and I escaped and have never returned to that park.
Another story. One morning I was walking along a major street in the early morning (5:30 am). Ahead of me an owl flew across the street from the left to the right. And then a raccoon ran across the street from the right to the left. Obviously the two were working together to ambush me. So I cleverly walked down the middle of the street. This confused them and neither knew which to attack first and since they haven't developed species-to-species telepathy yet I was able to make it through.
But yeah, back in the fall I did have a raccoon who liked to scratch in the dirt near my tent. Or I think it was a raccoon. Could have been a skunk. Since legalizing the weed I can no longer tell if I'm smelling a skunk or a Washingtonian. But I think it was a raccoon.
So after 30 or 45 seconds I very bravely said out loud in a very menacing and authoritative voice "Really now, I think we can agree this rabble-rousing has gone on quite long enough, no? Perhaps you fine fellows, or fellow, will kindly move on?". It sounded better in my head.
A few seconds later the sound stopped. A few minutes later I heard it again but much further away and it lasted only like 7 seconds.
I also heard distant "screeching" sounds. I've heard these before. I have no idea what they are. But it is a "screech". Maybe a bird? Might not be related but the screeches did start within minutes of the last of the crazy sounds.
Oh, and there are possums hereabouts. Generally I only see dead ones. But I do know they are here. I used to have this fear that while sitting in my comfy chair watching TV (this was in Atlanta) that a possum was going to sneak in the house and attack my left arm resting comfortably on said comfy chair. I would freak myself out hard with that.
So does anyone have an idea? The sound was seriously crazy and varied and intense. I suppose there could have been more than one species. When I got up for good a couple of hours later I practically ran out of the woods but I did look in the general area of where I think the action took place and didn't see any carcasses or bits of fur or anything but the foliage is thick, it was dark, my flashlight sucks, and I was running, so I might have missed something.
I've listened to screech owls online and they ain't it.
It was really really scary. Especially for this city boy. I needed to pee but there was no way in hell I was going to step outside my tent for at least another two hours.
If I could move my tent somewhere else I would and tell Sasquatch not this time, not this me. But alas.
First, the sound.
It sounded like two cats fighting. But far worse and with more kinds of sounds. And it sounded more like one animal (though hiding underneath my covers in fear probably distorted the sound a bit). This went on for about 30 seconds. Maybe 45. At the end there was a clicking sound kind of like a bird makes or maybe a cat (but louder).
It happened at 3:15 am which, in what I'm assuming was a coincidence, is the exact same time the previous night someone shot off eight rounds about a mile away (apparently at no one). That's a long distance and people in houses wouldn't have heard it at that distance. But at that hour there are no other sounds and I can hear everything. Including the desperate cries y'all make to the goddesses asking for help in crafting a fine fpp. So maybe this evil devil spawn was celebrating the one night anniversary of the other event that woke me from a sound slumber. But that's probably giving it too much credit. Though that is the exact sort of thing a Sasquatch would do.
Second, the geography and fauna.
I live in a small wooded area in Bellingham Washington (part of the Pacific Northwest). I'm in the city but closer to what one might think of as a suburb. All of Bellingham has lots of wooded areas. And wildlife. Like deer.
Speaking of, I could count on one maybe one.5 hands how many times I've seen deer in urban/suburban areas in Texas, Knoxville, and Atlanta. Since moving to Bellingham I'd need all y'alls hands to count how many deer I've seen in the city.
For example, deer routinely walk through my camp and occasionally even bed down near me. They are incredibly unafraid of humans. I have thoroughly mapped out their thought process:
Deer: munch munch
Deer: Hmmm, there's a human 10 feet away. No biggsies.
Deer: munch mun--
Deer: Yo, buddy, you're now 9 feet 11.5 inches away. What is this, one of those countries that don't understand the concept of personal space? But no probs, this land is your land and my land and so forth and so on so I'll be the bigger species and just take a step over here.
Deer: munch munch
Repeat.
As a side note, did y'all know that fawn make a bleating sound when looking for mom? It's like a sheep bleating but without the vibrato. Most folk'll go through life never hearing this sound. I get to hear it once a week. And it pierces the ears. Which I guess is the point.
Anyway, there are deer but I doubt they made this sound. For one thing when they are walking around they are the loudest motherfuckers ever and I didn't hear anything like that walking away.
I guess there are bears in nearby Mt Baker but I've never heard of a bear in the city.
Coyotes do exist outside of the city but that seems unlikely. I'm within the city limits in a small wooded area. Probably too far removed from their normal grounds. But maybe?
Foxes ditto.
Now there are raccoons in these parts. And these raccoons are beasts. I am being totally serious here, they are literally, and without any hyperbole or exaggeration, god's only truth, the size of a VW Bug.
If, say, a VW Bug were the size of a fat Labrador with stubby legs, say. So yeah, huge. Not like the ones in Texas and the SE which are cute lovable little critters that just love hugz and luvz. Nope. These fuckers kill people on a regular basis (according to the rumor I just started).
Once I was sitting in a gazebo in a very lovely park in town just waiting for it to get dark. And then I saw a herd of raccoons descend on my position. There were like six of them and clearly they were intent on eating some fresh me. Fortunately they weren't too bright and left the one exit off the gazebo open and I escaped and have never returned to that park.
Another story. One morning I was walking along a major street in the early morning (5:30 am). Ahead of me an owl flew across the street from the left to the right. And then a raccoon ran across the street from the right to the left. Obviously the two were working together to ambush me. So I cleverly walked down the middle of the street. This confused them and neither knew which to attack first and since they haven't developed species-to-species telepathy yet I was able to make it through.
But yeah, back in the fall I did have a raccoon who liked to scratch in the dirt near my tent. Or I think it was a raccoon. Could have been a skunk. Since legalizing the weed I can no longer tell if I'm smelling a skunk or a Washingtonian. But I think it was a raccoon.
So after 30 or 45 seconds I very bravely said out loud in a very menacing and authoritative voice "Really now, I think we can agree this rabble-rousing has gone on quite long enough, no? Perhaps you fine fellows, or fellow, will kindly move on?". It sounded better in my head.
A few seconds later the sound stopped. A few minutes later I heard it again but much further away and it lasted only like 7 seconds.
I also heard distant "screeching" sounds. I've heard these before. I have no idea what they are. But it is a "screech". Maybe a bird? Might not be related but the screeches did start within minutes of the last of the crazy sounds.
Oh, and there are possums hereabouts. Generally I only see dead ones. But I do know they are here. I used to have this fear that while sitting in my comfy chair watching TV (this was in Atlanta) that a possum was going to sneak in the house and attack my left arm resting comfortably on said comfy chair. I would freak myself out hard with that.
So does anyone have an idea? The sound was seriously crazy and varied and intense. I suppose there could have been more than one species. When I got up for good a couple of hours later I practically ran out of the woods but I did look in the general area of where I think the action took place and didn't see any carcasses or bits of fur or anything but the foliage is thick, it was dark, my flashlight sucks, and I was running, so I might have missed something.
I've listened to screech owls online and they ain't it.
It was really really scary. Especially for this city boy. I needed to pee but there was no way in hell I was going to step outside my tent for at least another two hours.
If I could move my tent somewhere else I would and tell Sasquatch not this time, not this me. But alas.
Horrible bone-chilling godawful noises in the middle of the night outside in the nature parts of the world are usually just some of our four-footed friends having a wild fuckfest.
posted by poffin boffin at 1:22 PM on January 31, 2016 [36 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 1:22 PM on January 31, 2016 [36 favorites]
Fishers? They sound like something is eating a baby. You can look on YouTube for some people who have recordings of them. I assume you know what a screech owl sounds like.
posted by jessamyn at 1:23 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 1:23 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Where I tent, there are deer and coyotes. A few times a week, I hear the coyotes go nuts with yipping sounds and the screams of a dying animal. I assume it to be a deer, simply because I have seen deer in the area. This typically takes about 30 seconds or so.
I will suggest you heard a large predator take down some kind of prey.
I am hoping people will post audio or video clips asking "Did it sound like THIS?" and that I shall finally get to verify if it is or is not deer the local coyote pack is feasting upon.
posted by Michele in California at 1:23 PM on January 31, 2016
I will suggest you heard a large predator take down some kind of prey.
I am hoping people will post audio or video clips asking "Did it sound like THIS?" and that I shall finally get to verify if it is or is not deer the local coyote pack is feasting upon.
posted by Michele in California at 1:23 PM on January 31, 2016
I shall add that I have never run across a carcass nor even a blood spattered movie style crime scene. I have seen what looks like a piece of an old thigh bone, but no new remains. I have gone looking for the kill sites. I cannot find them. I see hoof prints at times. That is about it. So I think you are unlikely to find the kill site. I have no idea how they cover them up, but having heard plenty of kills, I have yet to find a kill site.
posted by Michele in California at 1:31 PM on January 31, 2016
posted by Michele in California at 1:31 PM on January 31, 2016
Foxes can make some unbelievably terrifying noises. They don't even have a distinctive cry - they have a horror movie sound effects compilation reel. If it sounded like a murder victim and a supernatural winged horror and a portal to hell opening all at once, I'd put money on a fox.
posted by Catseye at 1:33 PM on January 31, 2016 [24 favorites]
posted by Catseye at 1:33 PM on January 31, 2016 [24 favorites]
Best answer: Raccoon fights are like cat fights on really special, terrifying drugs. They sound like the world might be ending. So that's my vote.
posted by SMPA at 1:36 PM on January 31, 2016 [41 favorites]
posted by SMPA at 1:36 PM on January 31, 2016 [41 favorites]
Best answer: Came here to suggest Raccoons too. During my term in Ithaca where I had my digs close to one of the gorges-and-their-shrubs (and the window open at nights because: warrrm), they did that every night. It's basically like psychedelic cats fighting over a whisky keg with a leak.
posted by Namlit at 1:41 PM on January 31, 2016 [20 favorites]
posted by Namlit at 1:41 PM on January 31, 2016 [20 favorites]
Are any of these close?
Irritated (o)possum (US, not Australian possum) noise
Baby possums calling for mom. Mamas and babies click to each other.
Here's raccoons making inquisitive vocalizations - very birdlike.
Defensive raccoon.
They are screamier when they fight and mate.
Fox calls are terrifying even when you know what they are.
Goats make an unholy array of noises, and they've got big lungs - it carries farther than you'd think at night.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:42 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Irritated (o)possum (US, not Australian possum) noise
Baby possums calling for mom. Mamas and babies click to each other.
Here's raccoons making inquisitive vocalizations - very birdlike.
Defensive raccoon.
They are screamier when they fight and mate.
Fox calls are terrifying even when you know what they are.
Goats make an unholy array of noises, and they've got big lungs - it carries farther than you'd think at night.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:42 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Foxes. Foxes fucking or hoping to fuck.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:46 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 1:46 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
I live very close to a whole lot of coyotes, and have never heard them make any kind of sound like what you describe, so I'd rule that out.
I too vote for raccoon. Specifically, it sounds like the sound of a raccoon who is alarmed by the presence of a sasquatch.
posted by ernielundquist at 1:50 PM on January 31, 2016 [10 favorites]
I too vote for raccoon. Specifically, it sounds like the sound of a raccoon who is alarmed by the presence of a sasquatch.
posted by ernielundquist at 1:50 PM on January 31, 2016 [10 favorites]
I know you said not deer but they really do make some weird sounds.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:53 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:53 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Definitely animals fighting, mating or both. In descending order of likelihood, based on the description and the animal population in that area:
* Feral house cats
* Coyotes
* Foxes
* Everything else. Down around this number, it's a fraction of a fraction of the possibilities. Cougars probably lead the list as the most likely of the least likely group.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:54 PM on January 31, 2016
* Feral house cats
* Coyotes
* Foxes
* Everything else. Down around this number, it's a fraction of a fraction of the possibilities. Cougars probably lead the list as the most likely of the least likely group.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:54 PM on January 31, 2016
Just chiming in to say foxes too. I thought a woman was being murdered in my back yard but it was just foxes doing ?? foxly things? But they really can make a lot of weird noises.
posted by bluebelle at 2:05 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bluebelle at 2:05 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Some good answers so far so I'll go ahead and jump in:
Cougar: Certainly possible but I feel like I'm a bit too far in the city for one of these guys. I'm not in downtown Bellingham but I'm not completely in the sticks either. Also this was a bit higher-pitched than what I'm hearing from cougars.
Fishers: Holy god! I had never heard of these before. Pretty scary but maybe a bit too low-pitched.
Feral cats: I feel like I've heard a lot of cat fights in my life and would recognize another one. And while similar I didn't feel like it was them. But cats gone really feral? Maybe.
Large predator & prey: But how large? Other than the deer I have a difficult time imagine anything too big being this far in the city limits. But now I'm really scared. Thanks.
Foxes: Pretty scary as fuck. Definitely a possibility.
Raccoons fighting: This seems the most reasonable. I didn't know raccoons made so much sound but I did hear one making a kind of throaty gurgling sound (similar to a cat's purr) a couple of months ago.
And I found this page with fox, raccoon fighting, and fisher cats. Holy god those raccoons. The sound as I recall had a bit more cat-like noise in it but it's hard to discount raccoons. Or maybe a raccoon and cat in a fight.
posted by bfootdav at 2:10 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Cougar: Certainly possible but I feel like I'm a bit too far in the city for one of these guys. I'm not in downtown Bellingham but I'm not completely in the sticks either. Also this was a bit higher-pitched than what I'm hearing from cougars.
Fishers: Holy god! I had never heard of these before. Pretty scary but maybe a bit too low-pitched.
Feral cats: I feel like I've heard a lot of cat fights in my life and would recognize another one. And while similar I didn't feel like it was them. But cats gone really feral? Maybe.
Large predator & prey: But how large? Other than the deer I have a difficult time imagine anything too big being this far in the city limits. But now I'm really scared. Thanks.
Foxes: Pretty scary as fuck. Definitely a possibility.
Raccoons fighting: This seems the most reasonable. I didn't know raccoons made so much sound but I did hear one making a kind of throaty gurgling sound (similar to a cat's purr) a couple of months ago.
And I found this page with fox, raccoon fighting, and fisher cats. Holy god those raccoons. The sound as I recall had a bit more cat-like noise in it but it's hard to discount raccoons. Or maybe a raccoon and cat in a fight.
posted by bfootdav at 2:10 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Rabbits make terrible sounds when they are being attacked.
posted by HuronBob at 2:15 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by HuronBob at 2:15 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Large predator & prey: But how large? Other than the deer I have a difficult time imagine anything too big being this far in the city limits. But now I'm really scared. Thanks.
Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I am not afraid of coyotes. I wouldn't want to run across a pack of them by myself in the dark, but I have seen plenty individually and they do not bother adult humans. They will kill your dog and they will occasionally attack children. I don't leave the tent when I hear them making a kill near-ish where I am, but it usually doesn't particularly scare me. I only mentioned it because the 30 seconds or so you mentioned is the time frame a kill takes, from what I hear.
I was thinking more mountain lion/"big cat" type thing and probably deer. From what I gather, if big cats don't find themselves above and behind you, they are unlikely to attack a human. If they do find themselves there, they will pounce due to instinct. Watch where you walk and try to not position yourself where there is a perch above and behind you.
There are big cats known to be in the area where I sleep. I haven't seen any, but I know there is at least one known to be in the general area. I don't worry about it too much.
posted by Michele in California at 2:20 PM on January 31, 2016
Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I am not afraid of coyotes. I wouldn't want to run across a pack of them by myself in the dark, but I have seen plenty individually and they do not bother adult humans. They will kill your dog and they will occasionally attack children. I don't leave the tent when I hear them making a kill near-ish where I am, but it usually doesn't particularly scare me. I only mentioned it because the 30 seconds or so you mentioned is the time frame a kill takes, from what I hear.
I was thinking more mountain lion/"big cat" type thing and probably deer. From what I gather, if big cats don't find themselves above and behind you, they are unlikely to attack a human. If they do find themselves there, they will pounce due to instinct. Watch where you walk and try to not position yourself where there is a perch above and behind you.
There are big cats known to be in the area where I sleep. I haven't seen any, but I know there is at least one known to be in the general area. I don't worry about it too much.
posted by Michele in California at 2:20 PM on January 31, 2016
Response by poster: Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.
I was being overly dramatic there for the sake of humor. I really don't think there are any big cats this far in the city. I'm not even sure if there is a direct wooded connection out of the city to areas they are more comfortable in so it would require them to cross some major roads to get in this far.
Rabbits make terrible sounds when they are being attacked.
According to Youtube, yes they do. It's definitely possible one of them was being attacked by a raccoon or maybe a cat.
Sasquatch for sure.
I knew it! The rest of y'all tryin' to pacify me lying to me like the Man does. But we've seen through it, the truth is out there and I do believe!
posted by bfootdav at 2:26 PM on January 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
I was being overly dramatic there for the sake of humor. I really don't think there are any big cats this far in the city. I'm not even sure if there is a direct wooded connection out of the city to areas they are more comfortable in so it would require them to cross some major roads to get in this far.
Rabbits make terrible sounds when they are being attacked.
According to Youtube, yes they do. It's definitely possible one of them was being attacked by a raccoon or maybe a cat.
Sasquatch for sure.
I knew it! The rest of y'all tryin' to pacify me lying to me like the Man does. But we've seen through it, the truth is out there and I do believe!
posted by bfootdav at 2:26 PM on January 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
Oh man, I just re-read the last line and you can't move your tent? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you more. From the 'city boy' bit I figured you were there for the weekend only and I'm a city girl who is convinced all forrested areas are full of evil beasties.
I still think that if so many cultures have gigantic humanoid type creates then they probably exist, but to be reassuring I'm sure they are super far from you, like further north British Columbia or somewhere. Not outside your tent.
posted by kitten magic at 2:27 PM on January 31, 2016
I still think that if so many cultures have gigantic humanoid type creates then they probably exist, but to be reassuring I'm sure they are super far from you, like further north British Columbia or somewhere. Not outside your tent.
posted by kitten magic at 2:27 PM on January 31, 2016
Best answer: Racoon sex noises are the most bloodcurdlingly terrifying noises I have ever heard. A pair got busy in our alley one night and woke up the whole building and probably the houses next door, too.
posted by rtha at 2:29 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by rtha at 2:29 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
There are cougar and mountain lion sightings in my pretty urban neighborhood in Seattle. It is entirely possible. Do you have the NextDoor app? Maybe post about this on it and see what others think. That is also my #1 source for critter sightings in my hood.
posted by k8t at 2:35 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by k8t at 2:35 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Best answer: It is almost undoubtedly raccoons. I used to like them (or at least feel neutral towards them) until one terrifying camping trip. I was too scared to get out of the tent to pee so I peed a little at a time in my whiskey cup and poured it outside the tent, my husband cruelly laughing the whole time. Seriously, though, Occam's Razor says it's raccoons.
posted by Specklet at 2:37 PM on January 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by Specklet at 2:37 PM on January 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
Response by poster: who is convinced all forrested areas are full of evil beasties.
They are. Don't ever step foot in the woods. Evil shrines to evil they are.
What I said about deer being really loud when they walk is true. I almost had a heart attack when I heard one walking nearby but then I saw what it was and now can identify its walk with some certainty. They don't even try to be quiet. Unlike a human who tries to avoid the really loud branches and stay on easy paths, deer just walk wherever the fuck they like.
but to be reassuring I'm sure they are super far from you, like further north British Columbia or somewhere. Not outside your tent.
Dude! British Columbia is only like 30 miles away! Yep, definitely a Sasquatch.
Racoon sex noises are the most bloodcurdlingly terrifying noises
I was too scared to get out of the tent to pee
Yep, raccoons in some capacity seem to be winning out here. When the temps hit the 20s a couple of months ago I didn't hear any more raccoons after that. But now that's it warming up I guess they had to return. Bastards.
Yep, too scared to go outside to pee is the clincher (as in my story).
posted by bfootdav at 2:43 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
They are. Don't ever step foot in the woods. Evil shrines to evil they are.
What I said about deer being really loud when they walk is true. I almost had a heart attack when I heard one walking nearby but then I saw what it was and now can identify its walk with some certainty. They don't even try to be quiet. Unlike a human who tries to avoid the really loud branches and stay on easy paths, deer just walk wherever the fuck they like.
but to be reassuring I'm sure they are super far from you, like further north British Columbia or somewhere. Not outside your tent.
Dude! British Columbia is only like 30 miles away! Yep, definitely a Sasquatch.
Racoon sex noises are the most bloodcurdlingly terrifying noises
I was too scared to get out of the tent to pee
Yep, raccoons in some capacity seem to be winning out here. When the temps hit the 20s a couple of months ago I didn't hear any more raccoons after that. But now that's it warming up I guess they had to return. Bastards.
Yep, too scared to go outside to pee is the clincher (as in my story).
posted by bfootdav at 2:43 PM on January 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Dont try to compare it to the sounds different animals make in social situations. A fawn calling for its mom sounds quite different from a fawn getting its stomach ripped open by a predator.
From your description this sounded like a fight.
Did you go check out the area the sound came from ? You can even go back and do it now, several days later, there should still be bits of fur and blood and disturbed vegetation. Plenty of clues identifying the animals involved.
posted by Willow von Vald at 2:45 PM on January 31, 2016
From your description this sounded like a fight.
Did you go check out the area the sound came from ? You can even go back and do it now, several days later, there should still be bits of fur and blood and disturbed vegetation. Plenty of clues identifying the animals involved.
posted by Willow von Vald at 2:45 PM on January 31, 2016
Response by poster: Did you go check out the area the sound came from ? You can even go back and do it now, several days later, there should still be bits of fur and blood and disturbed vegetation. Plenty of clues identifying the animals involved.
It was last night. And, er, it's not really in my best interest to check it out during the day. As in I have to leave early in the morning before the sun comes up and come in after the sun sets.
When I left my tent this morning I did look for evidence of a fight/kill but given how dark it was, how much my flashlight sucks, how dense that area of the ground is with growth, and that I didn't really want to stick around too long, I didn't see anything. If I can muster the courage I'll take a closer look tonight when I go back in even though it'll be dark. I'm also going to try to work out a method to record any sounds should it occur again.
posted by bfootdav at 2:52 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
It was last night. And, er, it's not really in my best interest to check it out during the day. As in I have to leave early in the morning before the sun comes up and come in after the sun sets.
When I left my tent this morning I did look for evidence of a fight/kill but given how dark it was, how much my flashlight sucks, how dense that area of the ground is with growth, and that I didn't really want to stick around too long, I didn't see anything. If I can muster the courage I'll take a closer look tonight when I go back in even though it'll be dark. I'm also going to try to work out a method to record any sounds should it occur again.
posted by bfootdav at 2:52 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Was it a Sasquatch outside my tent last night? Posted by bfootday...
Eponysterical.
More helpfully, did you see/listen to this post?
posted by carmicha at 3:16 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Eponysterical.
More helpfully, did you see/listen to this post?
posted by carmicha at 3:16 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Fishers or foxes? Here's a link comparing their noises.
posted by salvia at 3:41 PM on January 31, 2016
posted by salvia at 3:41 PM on January 31, 2016
Oh man. When I was pregnant and regularly couldn't sleep at 3-4am, I would hear what sounded like a Satanic ritual party in my back yard. It wigged me right out.
Eventually I figured out it was owls, and (mystery noise) but ye gods, it was a bonechilling nature sound.
posted by 41swans at 4:26 PM on January 31, 2016
Eventually I figured out it was owls, and (mystery noise) but ye gods, it was a bonechilling nature sound.
posted by 41swans at 4:26 PM on January 31, 2016
The first time I heard raccoons do whatever bizarre thing they do, I was convinced there were dinosaurs in my back yard. It was the most freaky sound I had ever heard. Absolutely surreal. Raccoons get my creeped out vote. (And I love nature. Still creepy.)
posted by Vaike at 4:32 PM on January 31, 2016
posted by Vaike at 4:32 PM on January 31, 2016
Response by poster: Was it a Sasquatch outside my tent last night? Posted by bfootdav...
Eponysterical.
Nice! I didn't even notice that. (Unfortunately the "b" stands for "bare" as in "barefoot dave", my college nick).
did you see/listen to this post?
Yow! Fairly similar (though my memory is fading and being corrupted by all the Youtube videos I've been listening to). I'm fairly certain there aren't any wild boars out here. But if there are then I'm even more creeped out as they seem like the kinds of jerks that'd attack my tent.
Eventually I figured out it was owls
There was something of a bird-like quality to the noise but I haven't been able to find an owl that made all the sounds I heard. The clicking sound at the end really sounded bird-like. Maybe an owl snagging a rabbit?
posted by bfootdav at 4:37 PM on January 31, 2016
Eponysterical.
Nice! I didn't even notice that. (Unfortunately the "b" stands for "bare" as in "barefoot dave", my college nick).
did you see/listen to this post?
Yow! Fairly similar (though my memory is fading and being corrupted by all the Youtube videos I've been listening to). I'm fairly certain there aren't any wild boars out here. But if there are then I'm even more creeped out as they seem like the kinds of jerks that'd attack my tent.
Eventually I figured out it was owls
There was something of a bird-like quality to the noise but I haven't been able to find an owl that made all the sounds I heard. The clicking sound at the end really sounded bird-like. Maybe an owl snagging a rabbit?
posted by bfootdav at 4:37 PM on January 31, 2016
Even if it wasn't a Barn Owl you might want to google barn owl sounds because if you do hear them at a later time you will be grateful that you know that horrible sound is coming from an owl and not a murderus living tree.
posted by lepus at 4:38 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by lepus at 4:38 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Mod note: Comment removed. bfootdav, I can appreciate the goofy intentions here but you really need to not be either super jokey or hyper-responsive in here; if you've got an additional followup you need to post, that's fine, but just stick to clarifying the question.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:01 PM on January 31, 2016
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:01 PM on January 31, 2016
Skunk fights sound horrible. Weird screams. If not raccoons, consider skunks. Was it a foggy night? That is when they tend to be active around here.
posted by mermayd at 6:53 PM on January 31, 2016
posted by mermayd at 6:53 PM on January 31, 2016
[Wild boars] seem like the kinds of jerks that'd attack my tent.
This is no joke. Quoting myself from another thread, "The scariest thing that ever happened to me was when a wild boar stormed our tent, tearing through the screened opening. The ex and I were fast asleep during a camping trip on Catalina Island, which lies about 26 miles off of Long Beach, CA. We had taken precautions and had no food in our tent so we could only speculate about his motivation. There was a bright moon, thank goodness, or it would have been worse. We were kicking and punching him as hard as we could, aiming for his belly and testicles or really anywhere we could land a blow.
However, our feet were ineffective and we were very vulnerable because both of us were stuck in our sleeping bags and lying on our backs. It was also impossible to shove him towards the tent opening. Neither of us went for his eyes or neck because we could see his tusks and wanted to stay away from them. I remember smelling his breath and trying to shove/hit his head away from my face, but that was the closest I came to following the standard directions for what to do in a wild animal attack. I have never hit anything as hard as this one particular punch I remember landing on his ribcage. My knuckles were bruised for weeks.
We were both screaming at him too-- there were no humans around to hear us. The ex made it to his feet and grabbed two fistfulls of skin/fur at the boar's shoulders, trying to propel him towards the tent opening. That gave me a moment to get upright too, and so in a few seconds we went from seeming very vulnerable to looming. The boar left as abruptly as he arrived. His hooves were sharp enough to rip our sleeping bags and we were both very scratched up. We broke our plans to camp out a second night.
In the years since, the Catalina Conservancy and other groups have worked hard to eradicate the wild boars from the island and claim success. It does not take many generations for a feral pig to revert to its wild past, e.g., to regrow tusks, etc. I watched a few episodes of a TV show about people who hunt feral hogs but it left me with an ambiant anxiety I prefer to avoid."
TL; DR If there is any chance that your tent has been scouted by wild boars, consider moving.
posted by carmicha at 7:52 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
This is no joke. Quoting myself from another thread, "The scariest thing that ever happened to me was when a wild boar stormed our tent, tearing through the screened opening. The ex and I were fast asleep during a camping trip on Catalina Island, which lies about 26 miles off of Long Beach, CA. We had taken precautions and had no food in our tent so we could only speculate about his motivation. There was a bright moon, thank goodness, or it would have been worse. We were kicking and punching him as hard as we could, aiming for his belly and testicles or really anywhere we could land a blow.
However, our feet were ineffective and we were very vulnerable because both of us were stuck in our sleeping bags and lying on our backs. It was also impossible to shove him towards the tent opening. Neither of us went for his eyes or neck because we could see his tusks and wanted to stay away from them. I remember smelling his breath and trying to shove/hit his head away from my face, but that was the closest I came to following the standard directions for what to do in a wild animal attack. I have never hit anything as hard as this one particular punch I remember landing on his ribcage. My knuckles were bruised for weeks.
We were both screaming at him too-- there were no humans around to hear us. The ex made it to his feet and grabbed two fistfulls of skin/fur at the boar's shoulders, trying to propel him towards the tent opening. That gave me a moment to get upright too, and so in a few seconds we went from seeming very vulnerable to looming. The boar left as abruptly as he arrived. His hooves were sharp enough to rip our sleeping bags and we were both very scratched up. We broke our plans to camp out a second night.
In the years since, the Catalina Conservancy and other groups have worked hard to eradicate the wild boars from the island and claim success. It does not take many generations for a feral pig to revert to its wild past, e.g., to regrow tusks, etc. I watched a few episodes of a TV show about people who hunt feral hogs but it left me with an ambiant anxiety I prefer to avoid."
TL; DR If there is any chance that your tent has been scouted by wild boars, consider moving.
posted by carmicha at 7:52 PM on January 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
My mom asked my dad what the horrible screeching, growling, howling death noises of extreme violence outside their Florida condo could possibly be. He immediately said, "Raccoon." My mother refused to believe that a raccoon could make such terrifying sounds. He dug up a YouTube video. She was convinced. And also impressed at his wildlife identification skills. (He used to trap 'coon in the 70s during the early years of their marriage, but she stayed home while he roamed the woods.)
You were right to stay out of it. Raccoons are best avoided.
posted by xyzzy at 8:17 PM on January 31, 2016
You were right to stay out of it. Raccoons are best avoided.
posted by xyzzy at 8:17 PM on January 31, 2016
A number of summers ago my roommate and I were awakened in the middle of the night by the most god-awful bloodcurdling growls and shrieks. After huddling together in fear for a while we heard *something* moving loudly away across the rooftops of our string of row-houses. This went on for over two weeks. Growls, shrieks, the sound of something on the fire-escape or the roof. We couldn't seem to catch sight of whatever was making the noises - flashlights shone nervously out the window only ever occasionally revealed a sinister roiling in the branches of the tree in the neighbour's yard.
One morning, after a particularly noisy night, my roommate found a dismembered pigeon carcass abandoned on the fire escape outside his bedroom window. This was, I think, the point where we started half-seriously discussing whether we should be reconsidering our lack of belief in werewolves.
Finally the troupe of adolescent racoons decided to have one of their play-fights out in the open where we could see them and the mystery was solved.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 8:52 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
One morning, after a particularly noisy night, my roommate found a dismembered pigeon carcass abandoned on the fire escape outside his bedroom window. This was, I think, the point where we started half-seriously discussing whether we should be reconsidering our lack of belief in werewolves.
Finally the troupe of adolescent racoons decided to have one of their play-fights out in the open where we could see them and the mystery was solved.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 8:52 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
This sounds a lot like an owl; where I'm from it would be a barred owl, but I don't know how common they are in WA. Listen to the pair caterwauling here and see if it sounds similar.
posted by Empidonax at 9:18 PM on January 31, 2016
posted by Empidonax at 9:18 PM on January 31, 2016
I'd like to throw out the idea that perhaps it was raccoons having .. relations.
There was a raccoon couple that used to mate on the picnic table in my backyard. It sounded like possessed cats on meth. It is seriously part of why I moved. I sometimes still hear them in my nightmares.
posted by dotgirl at 9:08 AM on February 1, 2016
There was a raccoon couple that used to mate on the picnic table in my backyard. It sounded like possessed cats on meth. It is seriously part of why I moved. I sometimes still hear them in my nightmares.
posted by dotgirl at 9:08 AM on February 1, 2016
And while I don't want to frighten you, coyotes are pretty much city critters at this point. There are even coyotes in Manhattan. One coyote alone isn't really a danger to you as a grown person, but if one caught a rabbit or something last night, those sounds would be pretty awful.
Still, the worst sound I've ever heard was a fight between a raccoon and a skunk when I was camping once. If you'd told me based on the sounds it was a bear vs. mountain lion, I would have believed it. Only seeing it with my own eyes convinced me other. (Never been camping since, by the way because that stressful moment when I didn't know what it was scarred me for life.)
posted by GilvearSt at 9:21 AM on February 1, 2016
Still, the worst sound I've ever heard was a fight between a raccoon and a skunk when I was camping once. If you'd told me based on the sounds it was a bear vs. mountain lion, I would have believed it. Only seeing it with my own eyes convinced me other. (Never been camping since, by the way because that stressful moment when I didn't know what it was scarred me for life.)
posted by GilvearSt at 9:21 AM on February 1, 2016
Dumbest thing I ever did as a kid was raise a pair of raccoon kits, second only to baby goats in cuteness... at first. But for the variety of voicalizations, only Mel Blanc comes close.
P. S. Get a better flashlight, like blinding, even Yeti are slowed way down after you ruin their night vision.
posted by ridgerunner at 11:15 PM on February 1, 2016
P. S. Get a better flashlight, like blinding, even Yeti are slowed way down after you ruin their night vision.
posted by ridgerunner at 11:15 PM on February 1, 2016
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posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:18 PM on January 31, 2016