“I Will Never Forget That Sound”: 30 Terrifying Things These People Experienced When Exploring The Great Outdoors

It really is, one time I was scared enough that while I was running my adrenaline allowed me to perfectly vault over an obstacle, I can barely even do a hurdle jump when prompted!

What is a brownie, if you don’t mind me asking?

Mountain lions usually want to avoid you. Pigs, on the other hand, assume they're being attacked and attack back.

I heard once, if you see the mountain lion you aren't in danger and they don't care that you saw them. It's when you don't see them. Because they hunt by stalking and are very very good at it.

Once had a group of about 10 wild boars blocking our path after a night walk on our way back to our camp (veluwe) we sort of shuffled through the group, they were pretty chill. But yeah, in hindsight maybe we should have taken the long way around them

Oh, I don’t know about that. A boar was shot in my area a couple of years ago; 460 kg of rage equipped with razor sharp 20 cm fangs. You think they look dull, but it turns out they’re not - you cut yourself on them like you do on a knife. And they can reach 50 km/hour if they’re angry. And they’re usually angry. Here the rules for people who hit an animal are to stop, try to find it, and call authorities. Except for when you hit a boar. Then the rule is to not leave the vehicle under any circumstances, because now, that boar is unlikely to be dead but almost guaranteed to be pίssed off. Mountain lions are bad, granted, but wild boars aren’t all that much less dangerous.

IDK what kinda boars y'all got there but we got wild hogs too.... I'd prefer the mountain lion

Mountain lions should be fine most of the time, because they usually don't attack humans. But one with a cub might be dangerous, if it feels it needs to protect its cub. Also the stories about mt. lions that DID attack humans are... truly the stuff of nightmares. You will never see or hear them coming before you're dead. They will silently drag your body away and people might never find it. There are stories that sound like alien abductions that are probably actually mountain lion attacks.

Chewie Baron

Chewie Baron

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Where’s Obelix when you need him?

My dad once out biked one

Mountain lions are actually kind of wusses. As long as you stay looking at them, make sure you're backing up at a calm and steady pace, and never take your eyes off them, you'll be good, especially if you're trying to get away from their den and not cause trouble. Ever seen that video of the guy backing away from the puma to get out of its range? They're scary, but they're terrified of humans. They're just wanting you to leave. If this guy had been followed by one, he did the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do, and the thing would have caught up to him rapidly from what he described. Makes me think a hunter was actually nearby and that's why it was silent.

Polar bear

So you're saying the worst thing you can encounter in your country ISN'T a bunch of drunk American college students? Live and learn. /s

You forgot the wolf altough mostly harmles towards humans here

Not in the Netherlands, but this reminded me of the time my grandpa's car got chased down the highway by a boar!

"They" was meant as a gender neutral pronoun in this case

It’s easier to use “they” as a singular pronoun especially if your native language doesn’t have gender specific pronouns like mine. When I first moved to the US I’d sometimes say “he” instead “she” and vice versa. Started using “they” to make things simpler. The English language is crazy! Haha

The English language

You've never heard of singular they before?

…3 miles is really not that long of a hike. And clearly he felt comfortable carrying the kid if needed. I don’t see the problem here

He was ten, he probably had the trousers full of interesting rocks!

no...they are in his pocket. No point in carrying a wrist rocket without ammo for it.

For those of us who had sling shots and were 10 years old. You always picked up a dozen or so smooth rocks and put them in your pockets before going exploring in the woods!

Probably had them for the slingshot. You find a good rock for it, you pick it up!

If a kid has a slingshot, you can bet he's got pockets full of ammo.

He’s a kid, they collect them.

I would guess feral dogs. For example in poorer suburbs of Athens they are really dangerous, in packs of 5--10... He's in walking distance to his house here so that's what I'm guessing.

They have basically lost their domestication. They no longer view humans as companions, but as just another animal, possible food source in the woods. They have reverted to more wolf-like behaviors.

A wild dog is exactly what the title suggests. They are a feral pack of dogs looking for food. They aren't a bunch of cute little Yorkshire Terriers running around doing zoomies. That is different.

It's also possible that they were coyotes or wolves, although it's difficult to mistake a wolf for a dog because of the sheer size difference. A frightened 10 year old alone in the woods, recalling the traumatic event, might not have realized they were coyotes. Or they could have been exactly as described - a pack of feral dogs. Not very common in the United States but elsewhere they can be rampant.

I'm guessing a slingshot

Unreliable, they are not. They can be relied upon to view you as prey. Unpredictable is that they are.

& most dangerous

The last time that I camped at a primitive camping area with my family. There were 3,late teens/early 20's, young men, harassing several other people in the other camping spots with a machete and about an hour into that, an SUV comes flying through the parking lot and down the boat ramp straight into the lake. A husband had discovered that his wife was there with another man and drove her SUV into the lake. The cops were there about 15 minutes later and investigated both issues. The SUV wasn't fully submerged yet and a tow truck got it right out nearing about 2:30am. The husband and the young man who had the machete were arrested, while the other two young men had to leave. The wife and her boyfriend left as well and left all their things behind for him to get later. I know stuff can happen anywhere but I decided that it was only paid camping for me from now on. I've never encountered anything like that in a nice paid campground. That primitive spot was on Dale Hollow, priceless.

The pressure walking in 2 legs are the only ones who kill their own kind for fun

And the most deadly.