What has been your experiences with wildlife on base?

Sgt Packy Flickinger — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 03:12:59 -0400

So whats your experiences with wildlife on base? In Cherry Point NC, we have a challenging mountain biking course. One day, coming back from mountain biking at dusk, I came around a bend in the road and there was a small field opposite the forrest. It was about 50' x 100' and in it was an entire herd of deer. Maybe a dozen. They didn't run when they saw me but did start walking away. It was so cool, I was maybe 50' from them. If only I had a camera.

I know many of you are thinking "if only I had my rifle". I don't hunt but it would have been a photographers dream.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Aug 29 at 2014 3:16 AM

SFC Mark Merino — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 03:16:56 -0400

Alaska was crazy! If it can kill you, it was on post. There are pictures at McDonald's of a moose sticking his head through the drive thru window and them feeding him lettuce. That place is truly the great outdoors!

Response by MAJ Charles Ray made Jun 28 at 2015 5:52 PM

MAJ Charles Ray — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 17:52:21 -0400

Coyote on Ft. Irwin, California.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2015 2:14 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 02:14:41 -0400

I have two:
1. Once I had my company out doing night land nav. The Company Commander and I accompanied a couple of our youngest troops - we were in groups of four as our supply of NVGs was inadequate for everyone to have a set.
The captain was NOT an outdoor cat. He was nervously making small talk about the wildlife on Camp Ripley, asking what was out there. I informed him (truthfully) that there were possums, raccoons... bears... "Bears!" he says. "Well they stay away from people, right?" "Actually sir, I just saw one this morning by the A Range complex. There are also two packs of wolves..." "No there isn't. You're pulling my leg..."
Right on cue, the howls start. I couldn't see him in the dark, but I think the man turned white as a sheet. Voice trembling a bit, he tried to reassure himself, saying "well, we'd hear them coming, right?" Smelling blood in the water, I said something like "you'd probably hear their panting and feel their hot breath right before they clamed down on your throat."
CPT B didn't want to talk much more after that. The two PFCs on point probably got a good chuckle out of the deal.

2. I went to Alaska to work on a road construction project back in 2001. When on down time, I indulged my love of fishing. The Humpback Salmon were running, and with minimal effort you could catch dozens in an hour. We ate like kings.
One day, I was down in my favored spot just below a waterfall where the fish would spawn. It was at the bottom of a ravine, and you had to traverse a bunch of muskeg (a kind of peat that is spongy and darn near bottomless as the vegetable matter never decomposes in the 40 degree wetness) to get there. I had a five gallon bucket about half full with the day's catch when I heard a noise that halted me in my tracks. Looking up from my task and separated by a mere 3 meters of creek, was the biggest damn Brown Bear I have ever seen. It was looking at me intently - too intently. Thinking fast, I tossed it a fish and was going to extort my buddy to retreat up the ravine... he was already well on his way.
Thanks buddy.
I slowly backed out up the incline and once far enough away, beat feet to the road meeting my buddy at the trailhead. He made supportive words about thinking I was right behind him... Whatever.

After a time, we went back down to recover our bucket and tackle. The bear had crushed the pail and consumed all its contents, of course. But at least we could go fishing again.

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Jun 29 at 2015 2:25 AM

TSgt Kenneth Ellis — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 02:25:21 -0400

During mobility training I ran over a turtle in a ton and a half.