Crazed Animals

[Crater Nate]

On top a new object, in the middle of a recent night, my bro is poised on a hand rail ready to jump. As I peer through the veiwfinder of my camera I see him dodge backwards and whisper "Holly Sh1t". A large owl or hawk swooped at his face missing him by about a foot. Has anyone else had strange encounters with animals on or around thier favorite sites?

[base428]

In 1995, I ran into a mother bear and two cubs after stashing my gear on a nice terminal wall in the Western US. Mama bear stood up on her hind legs as I was only about 30' away from her. I had just got my final letter to obtain my BASE number, so I was pumped full of adrenaline. I hid behind a few trees and slowly walked backward until she calmed down and wandered off into the forest....


------------
Jason Bell (BASE428)
Email: jbell@vertical-visions.com
Web: www.vertical-visions.com or www.bridgeday.info

[crwper]

We have a couple of sites like that. Both sites are accessed by ladder, and the ladder either passes near or is a nesting site for some crows.

One of them we discovered while climbing in early morning. We scouted the buildings at the base of the object first. From one trailer we could hear music playing loudly, but it seemed like if there was someone in there, he had fallen asleep. The ladder accessing the object is the external type with a tubular cage around it, and periodic rest stops. As we began climbing the ladder, we noticed these sticks all over the place, and wondered where all the sticks came from. About halfway up, a couple of huge crows started divebombing us and making a terrible racket. Nothing serious, but you know how it is -- we wondered why they were so freaked out, and if they were going to blow our cover. Shortly after that we found a nest with a handful of eggs in it. We stepped carefully over the nest and made our way to the top of the object. The crows initially continued their divebombing activity, but eventually settled down.

The other object we were climbing in "the wee hours" -- perfect darkness. I was leading up the ladder. Coming up to a rest stop, I again encountered a crow which was evidently as surprised as I was. About three feet from my face, it started making all kinds of noise, and I damn near had a heart attack. We climbed quickly past the platform and nest and made our way to the top, where the crow continued to give us a hard time for a little while, and eventually settled down again.

We aren't the only ones who like high, infrequently-accessed places.

Michael

[zennie]

Being in Texas, we have to deal with a bunch of critters. Alligators, feral dogs, coyotes (hear 'em a lot), feral pigs (VERY mean), buzzards on the As.

A bunch of us were walking in to one of our favorite As one night and we started hearing this bizarre, throaty rasping sound. At first we thought it was an alligator... and the noise kept getting closer & closer. We all start backing up, but the gate was a good 1/4 mile from us. The others in the group start saying "What do we do?". Me and one of the other guys say simultaneously "blind him with our flashlights"! Problem was that only me and the other guy had a flashlight.

So we tell everyone else to start moving faster toward the gate and we'd try to distract him. About this time my friend says "That's not an alligator, that's a bull."

Yessir, we had just stumbled upon Mr. Bull in the springtime. Apparently he didn't appreciate us disturbing his little party with Ms. Cow.

So we remember that cows/bulls don't like the sound of sticks cracking (reminds them of their nose getting smacked by branches so I'm told). So me and my friend try breaking some sticks. No dice, he still kept coming.

We kept backing up hoping he'd keep coming slowly, but the rasping was getting louder & louder until he was probably no more than 30 yards from us. The others that were with us were totally freaking out by this point so we told them to high tail it for the gate. About the same time, my friend picks up a rock & throws it at the bull.

The rasping stopped. Only to be replaced with AA-ROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! The unmistakable yell of a seriously pissed off bull.

So now everyone is running with me & my friend laying back shining our lights behind us as we try to run forward.

We made it to the gate and wound up taking an alternate route to the A. The jumps all went well and we left without being revisited by Mr. Bull.

Since then I make sure to carry a can of Bear MACE whenever I walk in to an object.

[pyro]

I see you failed to mention the time you were chasing the "chicken" around site one in the middle of the night. Could've had a very foul ending.

}( Pyro

P.S. There is only one "l" in the word "holy". For Christ's sake, would you please drop Physics and take a Grammer class? Kent read, Kent write, Kent State.

[neiljarvis]

Jumping Courthouse in AZ about 18 months ago;

Hey JJ, ARE THERE ANY SNAKES AROUND HERE....

NAH......

2 mins later s s s s s s s s s

yep, walked between 2 of the little suckers just out sunning themselves-