Terrifying experiences while observing?

[sanmatt]

nothing really terrifying, but the screams coming from a neighbours bedroom was quite offputting (for the first few minutes i thought she was being beaten up lol)...to the point i woke my wife up to come and have a giggle (if you have seen porkies it was litterally like that!)....all was fine she waltzed out the next day with a spring in her step.

not related to stars but...we had neighbours like that once, they woke up my son when he was about 11. He came rushing in screaming MUM call the police, she's being murdereedddddddd!!

In a total panic.

Nah, she was just a fake 'gasm screamer that's all son. (I didnt really tell him that).

[JamesF]

Actually, the places on the shortlist for any re-introduction have hardly changed at all since the extermination of Wolves, which is why they're on the shortlist. The reasoning for wolves goes beyond the obvious and into other areas. The Capercaillie for instance would be a winner.

I won't dispute that there are potential benefits to the re-introduction as well and to be honest I'm broadly supportive of the concept, but not without reservation. I'd be pleased to have the case made that it's likely to be a safe and sensible thing to do, but for me that hasn't been achieved yet and I'm very wary of the potential consequences should it go wrong.

The issue is that historically farmers and land owners are very skilled at getting what they want, legally and otherwise and without any cost to themselves. I doubt we'll ever see wolves when there's still resentment over the Wildlife Crime act and there were even a few mainstream newspapers drumming up support for the eradication of foxes last year, (no doubt using dogs, horses and drunk rich people in silly clothes). Never mind the lack of scientific evidence to support the extermination of an animal on the protected list.

There are always vested interests and fear-mongers. Best thing to do is to show them up for what they are. I do however rather look forward to seeing the attempt to eradicate urban foxes by drunk people on horseback with dogs. From a distance, at least

James

[steelfixer]

Now theres a thought 20 drunks on horseback with a pack of dogs tearing up Knightsbridge on a Sunday afternoon. lol

[JamesF]

Not much different from kicking out time at the merchant banks during the week, I imagine

James

[steelfixer]

Not much different from kicking out time at the merchant banks during the week, I imagine

James

:D:D:D:D

[JonnyP]

Benji

These stories are just what I need to read, I've just got my first telescope, a 200p dob and I'm planning on heading out onto Dartmoor the next clear night I get! Should be ok in the middle of nowhere though; famous last words...

I could tell you some stories about my time living on the moor. I saw a big cat one night - leopard or jaguar. Or maybe I dreamed it? Maybe even sleepwalking which I used to do a lot back then. All I know is that my housemates were all woken up by the horses on the farm getting panicked!

Oh and Ben Mee, the owner of Dartmoor Zoo down near Plymouth had a definite sighting of a wild puma according to his book. The zoo keepers apparently find evidence of wild big cats quite regularly when the zoo cats are in season.

The other is mountain bikers. There's a group of guys who go out riding near where I observe with high power lights. From a distance, all you can see is a group of lights just bobbling along without any associated noise. Now that is spooky.

Sorry! That's what I do on Thursday nights. I've heard of the police being called to some hills because somebody has called them to report the UFO they can see up there....

Lots of scary stories from night riding because you tend to move up on animals or people quickly and without them hearing you.

[estwing]

don't bring wolves back in the uk...we'ave enough things on this small island already

[4lefts]

Sorry! That's what I do on Thursday nights. I've heard of the police being called to some hills because somebody has called them to report the UFO they can see up there....

i've seen people biking on dartmoor at night. it's cool - at least it's people doing what they're into. and animals, there's way worse things to worry about. it's nutcases, weirdos etc that scare me.

[Spica]

nothing really terrifying, but the screams coming from a neighbours bedroom was quite offputting (for the first few minutes i thought she was being beaten up lol)...to the point i woke my wife up to come and have a giggle (if you have seen porkies it was litterally like that!)....all was fine she waltzed out the next day with a spring in her step.

Hehehe... too funny. Just imagine them noticing you standing there with your telescope. Try convince them you're actually there to watch the stars

And as of the Wolves, we have that racket of a discussion over here as well as there are tons of them. There's not a single report of a wolf attacking mankind, but they get hard on the deer (when you see the deer down on the fields instead of being in the mountains you know there are wolves hunting nearby), and people get their sheep, dogs and horses beaten bad as well.

Personally, I don't see much of a difference in a a wolf hunting it's prey and us standing in the meatcounter in the store deciding what porkchop to get for dinner...

And yes, the question if there's a similar thread in the dog-walking forums is very good

[Kit-Fox]

Not entirely true, there are verifiable reports of wolves attacking humans.

The important bit to understand however is that all of the attacks have been provoked by the humans involved. Usually by trying to hunt the wolf that did the attacking and when the poor thing has been cornered its attacked out of desperation. The people it has attacked then hold that up as an example of how dangerous wolves are, when clearly its a situational setup to get such a reaction.

There are no recorded incidences of *unprovoked* attacks by wolves against humans

[Lynxi]

I had a strange experience once around 7 months ago. Up the road from me there is a farmers field (I had permission to view from the fields) and me and a friend were out viewing one night, getting around to the midnight time and literally nobody was about. We were sitting down on a tree that had fallen down years before hand and we heard this noise coming from some distance away.

Naturally around midnight, pitch black, middle of a field you get scared. We started packing up encase it was anyone bad. In around 10 seconds though as us starting to pack up we heard the sound again coming from about 5 - 10 feet away. We had our torches shining all around but there was nothing at all about. Still though this stupid noise still sounded every 10 - 15 seconds apart.

We finished packing up and ran from the area but as we were running thr sound just seemed to be following us. Quite scary really, and to this day I've been back to the field with a large group of people and with my fiance, no matter who I take though I've never heard the sound since and never found out what it was.

Best way to describe the sound would be a cross between a boar and a cat gettign strangled.

Strange but it was a hell of an experience.

[Parus major]

The fact is, the places that they would consider introductions are hardly going to result in packs of wolves roaming the lowland countryside, mauling children as they go.

[Parus major]

I had a strange experience once around 7 months ago. Up the road from me there is a farmers field (I had permission to view from the fields) and me and a friend were out viewing one night, getting around to the midnight time and literally nobody was about. We were sitting down on a tree that had fallen down years before hand and we heard this noise coming from some distance away.

Naturally around midnight, pitch black, middle of a field you get scared. We started packing up encase it was anyone bad. In around 10 seconds though as us starting to pack up we heard the sound again coming from about 5 - 10 feet away. We had our torches shining all around but there was nothing at all about. Still though this stupid noise still sounded every 10 - 15 seconds apart.

We finished packing up and ran from the area but as we were running thr sound just seemed to be following us. Quite scary really, and to this day I've been back to the field with a large group of people and with my fiance, no matter who I take though I've never heard the sound since and never found out what it was.

Best way to describe the sound would be a cross between a boar and a cat gettign strangled.

Strange but it was a hell of an experience.

That sounds like mating/displaying foxes.

[Kit-Fox]

Indeed Parus Major, the reintroduction program which if i recall actually started off in Scotland? has been very sensible.

So far all the areas have been closed off and the wolves all fitted with trackers so they can always be found and identified from what I understand of the program.

And given that there is a problem with rabbits, foxes and badgers and other such animals from time to time it makes sense to reintroduce a predator of those animals which would reduce the amount of times controversial culling was needed.

I'm quite the supporter of reintroduciton as you can all no doubt tell.

[Parus major]

The bigger picture is them predating deer, which removes the need for deer-fencing and culls (which are unavoidably environmentally damaging). Fewer deer would result in the end of the non-managed mono-culture in trees and shrubs, which in turn increases variation in insects, then bird species..... All because of a couple of dozen wolves that nobody will see.

It's like rabbits, I'd be tripping over the things like Teletubby land if it wasn't for foxes - and I've really got to go out of my way to see mine!

[nkariuz]

I am used to observing in Scotland and heard many weird noises when out and some have scared me but I never thought about getting hurt etc.....

But when I was on holiday in Canada visiting Jasper and Banff national parks. I took my small travel scope with me and I was leaving the hotel with my tripod and scope in hand I bumped into the travel rep and the last thing she said to me was watch out for bears and mountains lions.

Needless say as I stood at the town limits to get away from street lights every noise I heard I had visions of something big with claws sneaking up behind me, think I lasted 15 mins and legged it back to the hotel !

[Spica]

I am used to observing in Scotland and heard many weird noises when out and some have scared me but I never thought about getting hurt etc.....

But when I was on holiday in Canada visiting Jasper and Banff national parks. I took my small travel scope with me and I was leaving the hotel with my tripod and scope in hand I bumped into the travel rep and the last thing she said to me was watch out for bears and mountains lions.

Needless say as I stood at the town limits to get away from street lights every noise I heard I had visions of something big with claws sneaking up behind me, think I lasted 15 mins and legged it back to the hotel !

Me too have observed in Canada, never faced a bear though, but I was also warned.

However, wanting to see bear in broad daylight, I was hinted to go to the city dump and spend the day there (sitting inside the car) as that was the most likely place to see a bear, looking for eadible houshold garbage... none seen, and as of today I still don't know if I was a victim of cruel Canadian humour or not...

[Quatermass]

All those scared astronomers out there shaking with fear and getting frightend by there own shadows cats slugs badgers deer and fox lol man up guys lol

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[Parus major]

All those scared astronomers out there shaking with fear and getting frightend by there own shadows cats slugs badgers deer and fox lol man up guys lol

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Being fair, I was alone in my garden watching two men trying to break into my house.

[Quatermass]

granted that would be scary. I go night fishing on the norfolk broads so get used to the creatures of the night big and small the senses are hightend at night so you get more jumpy

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[Parus major]

granted that would be scary. I go night fishing on the norfolk broads so get used to the creatures of the night big and small the senses are hightend at night so you get more jumpy

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Btw, the bayonet isn't just for the fiddly jobs

[Quatermass]

my mother in law can be pretty scary but she wont bother me when im out in the garden at 2pm

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[steelfixer]

I am a country boy born and bred.

I grew up in a tiny well spaced out village of smallholdings set in the middle of the Suffolk countryside.

The nearest street light had to be at least 5 miles away in the next village.

As a kid I would roam the surrounding fields and woods at all hours of the day and night (in the school hols) on my own without any fears.

If I heard a strange noise I would go and investigate it to find out what it was.

If I could not find it I could always ask the old timers in the village and they would tell me what it was.

The point I am trying to put across is because the vast majority of people live in towns and cities they never get the chance to experience the countryside first hand.

They have sat in their warm houses for generations watching television programes and films about beasties and the like stalking the night which in turn has created an abundance of irrational fears.

Rest assured there is nothing out there that is going to rip you to pieces or drag you off into the night.

With perhaps the rare exception of another human being.

Graham

[Quatermass]

Yes indeed the more time you spend out there the less scary things get. Mind you theres allways that niggling thought that some evil beasty might creep up on you while your concentrating on the night sky and ....

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[steelfixer]

Yes indeed the more time you spend out there the less scary things get. Mind you theres allways that niggling thought that some evil beasty might creep up on you while your concentrating on the night sky and ....

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:D