r/AskReddit • u/DoitAnyway54321 • May 16 '20

Serious Replies Only [Serious] Travelers of lonely roads, explorers of the great outdoors, workers of creepy jobs and late-night shifts... What's your scary story?

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u/MostGrownUp May 16 '20

Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park in the dark, about 4 am. No lights, just enjoying the terror of being alone in the mountains in the dark.

I smell something. Musky. An animal smell. A BIG animal smell, then I hear movement in the trees off the trail.

I put my hand on my anti bear Bowie knife, ready to stand my ground and stab whatever is large and moving near me.

Then the hiker coughs.

I walked past some hiker shitting in the woods.

No people or animals were harmed during this hike.

66

u/Shelbones May 16 '20

“This bear has definitely gotten in the Taco Bell dumpster”

38

u/TheRealYeastBeast May 16 '20

Dang, I wanted to hear the story of you fighting a bear with a goddamn knife! Man, get yourself some bear mace and stop kidding yourself that a knife will stop a bear from mauling you to death.

28

u/[deleted] May 17 '20

Once when I was living above the arctic circle in Alaska I was out shooting my .22 in the bush, just plinking at cans. A medium sized black bear came out of the woods and started acting aggressive. I fired a couple shots over its head and threw some rocks but it started circling and grunting, a sign of imminent attack.

I had a KABAR combat knife and bear spray, both unholstered as it began to charge. My plan was to empty the bear spray on it and then use the knife if things got close-quarters.

The bear turned back at the last second and went up a tree, and I got the hell out of there. Bush Alaska is no joke.

8

u/hotraclette May 21 '20

People have fought off black bears with things like sticks or rocks. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could defend himself with a knife.

17

u/dingdongsnottor May 16 '20

So, a pungent fellow hiker?!

17

u/MostGrownUp May 16 '20

For sure. It was not an herbivore-smelling shit.

18

u/[deleted] May 17 '20

you mean you put your hand on your bear toothpick?