A weird, big black animal...?

Not really an award winning thread, just wanted to share an interesting experience I had a couple days ago.

So I'm sitting in the woods with my little sister and younger cousin, and we're shooting bottles with my bb gun.

My cousin runs home to use the bathroom. My sister and I are talking, when all the sudden, I hear some really odd noise.

My sister stops talking, just staring at me, indicating that she had heard the noise as well.

It was breathing.

Heavy, husky breathing, coming from somewhere in the distance behind us. We both stand on the rock we were sitting on, turning around. She stands behind me. I'm holding my gun up in the defense, though I know that if it's a big animal, a bb gun won't do much.

So, as we continue to hear the noise and the faint rustling of leaves in the moderate distance, I tell my sister to leave. She does.

For some reason, the paranoid side of me thought; what if it goes after her? Because she was crunching leaves and twigs as she left the woods.

So, I drowned out the noise of her walking by making amazing howling dog noises. I am awesome like that.



Anyway, I slowly back out of the woods, my gun raised towards the direction of the hefty breathing.

As I step out of the woods, I cocked and fired my gun into the trees at least five times in a row.

I turned to my sister and said; "Well, y'know what that means. Let's get the hell outta here."

We speed-walked back home.

She told me she was barely able to see the animal from outside of the woods. It was big and black.

The breathing made me think of a boar, but here's the thing; we were right in between a school's property and a residential area. What would a boar be doing there?

I thought of a bear. I live in Tennessee, after all. But... a bear in a residential area? That's weird in the city, even for us rednecks.

I thought it was rather interesting.


Sorry if I put this in the wrong place, mods. Feel free to edit.

Wait.... you just fired off your gun blindly into the woods?


BB gun or not, you don't see a problem with this?

Originally posted by DaTroof
Wait.... you just fired off your gun blindly into the woods?


BB gun or not, you don't see a problem with this?

Not entirely blindly. I was aiming towards where the noise had come from. It wasn't toward houses or anything.

I wouldn't shoot any kind of gun if I thought I might hit a person by accident.

Besides, I've been shot with that exact bb gun at point blank range a few times. Doesn't do much. It makes a lot of noise when it hits branches, though. I thought those crackling noises might scare the thing off, or at least throw it off the scent.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX



OK, but what if the noise turned out to be a person?

Just seems completely irresponsible to shoot without visually ID'ing a target.

Originally posted by DaTroof
reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

 

OK, but what if the noise turned out to be a person?

Just seems completely irresponsible to shoot without visually ID'ing a target.

Maybe you're right about the "visually ID'ing" thing.

But I have zero faith that it was a person.

I've never heard a person breath like a grizzly bear with strep throat before.

What do you think it might have been?
My first instinct was a possible Big Foot

EDIT: Sorry, I speed read the post. A bear or a boar.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


you were in between a school and a residential area and you fire your gun 5 times blindly into a woods that could easily have kids in there. maybe it was a kid playing a prank on you. i cannot believe, well actually i can believe it, that you would see no wrong with this. this is one of the problems your country has with its affinaty with guns, shoot first and ask questions later. yeah thats the mentality right there. i am enraged by your post.

Originally posted by SecretKnowledge
reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

 

maybe it was a kid playing a prank on you.

i am enraged by your post.

Well then Dennis the Menace finally learned his lesson I guess..

Why are you guys giving this guy such a hard time about shooting a BB gun at what was more than likely an animal? A BB gun! I know, I know, they'll put your eye out but still. If you guys wanna start a grief with someone about discharging they're weapons at unidentified targets try contacting your local police department, geez.

OP, its probably a bear if your near the mountains or thick woods of TN, they're more prone to scavenge in rural areas than a solo hog.

Originally posted by SecretKnowledge
reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

 

you were in between a school and a residential area and you fire your gun 5 times blindly into a woods that could easily have kids in there. maybe it was a kid playing a prank on you. i cannot believe, well actually i can believe it, that you would see no wrong with this. this is one of the problems your country has with its affinaty with guns, shoot first and ask questions later. yeah thats the mentality right there. i am enraged by your post.

First of all, everyone, I'm a female.

And anyway, in response to your petty infuriation; boo hoo.

I did not shoot blindly into the woods. I made sure (like I already said) that I wasn't aiming towards houses, and it wasn't during school hours either.

My sister and cousin and I were in the woods for a good hour or so before this happened. If there were any other human beings around, we would have known long before hand.

And, if you're gonna pull the "Americans are stupid and ignorant because they own guns!" crap on me, I'd like to kindly request that you spread your ignorance elsewhere. I'm really not up for a nationalist argument.

I hear enough of that ignorant garbage every day.

I have to say, though. If it's that easy to enrage and offend you, then you are up for a rough time in the world. Good luck.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


After twenty years in Mississippi - just south of Memphis - I'll bet it was a Russian boar/pig. My landlord used to shoot them whenever he saw them. I lived in a rural area, but these things are bold and have nearly killed off the AR razorbacks.

And don't feel bad about firing into the woods, it was only a bb gun and if it was a person he should have identified himself rather than scare the wee-wee out of you and your sis.

Originally posted by Ittabena
reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

 

After twenty years in Mississippi - just south of Memphis - I'll bet it was a Russian boar/pig. My landlord used to shoot them whenever he saw them. I lived in a rural area, but these things are bold and have nearly killed off the AR razorbacks.

And don't feel bad about firing into the woods, it was only a bb gun and if it was a person he should have identified himself rather than scare the wee-wee out of you and your sis.

edit on 10-2-2013 by Ittabena because: (no reason given)

Right on.

I kind of wish I could have hunted it, if it was a boar. I'm probrably not good enough to handle a boar... but I'm trying to get the stomach for hunting. Prepping for a more "independent" lifestyle, ya know.

I was so upset by your story about blindly firing a gun that I had to take double my normal dose of tranquilizers!
You crazy Americans with your guns!
Geez, people, lighten up. From some of the comments, you'd think the OP was re-enacting this scene in 'Predator'



As for what the critter was, I'll agree with those who are suggesting a bear or wild pig.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

I thought of a bear. I live in Tennessee, after all. But... a bear in a residential area? That's weird in the city, even for us rednecks.

Bears always go into residential areas
Why would that be weird.
Residential areas are encroaching into bears area more every day.
Also they come looking for garbage.
Black bears are all over north America.

Also, never shoot at one. If you injure it, it's just to going to take it out on the next human it sees

People have to learn go live peacefully with wild life.

My first thoughts were bear, black wolf or wild boar. In the fall, in the city where my Mom lives, a police office shot 1 of two wild boar that had meandered into a residential area. This is the first time I've ever heard of wild boar being in this area. Link to story: www.uticaod.com...


Wild boar have a 10 mile radius they consider their turf. Maybe the property you were on was on the fringe of that 10 miles. My cousin has gone hunting for wild boar before and says that for their size they are amazingly quiet and swift.

I think anyone who has fired a BB gun before should know that firing it into a wooded area is quite safe. I think guns should be handled with respect, but I have shot many BB guns and can see myself firing one into the woods (especially if I thought there was a bear/boar in there). Most BB guns can only achieve an FPS of 600 or lower and a range of 50 yards or lower. I doubt they could shoot far in a wooded area.

As for the animal- -Well I am quit certain it was a bear (probably a black bear)- -I have seen many and they fit your description very well.

I do not think it is a cryptid.

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

i live in a down town area and my wife allmost hit a doe a half a block from our house and ive heard boars along the railroad tracks 1 and a half blocks down the hill from us

Bear.

Woodland Creature.

Someone trying to scare you.

Vegabond in the woods stalking people.

Military Black Ops Team looking for Conspirators.

Pick one.

...or it could be bigfoot aliens from the Shard Tower on the moon coming with their assault rifles to enforce their idea of enlightenment on you while preaching to you about the evils of America, Obamacare and gun control. Did I cover most of the bases?

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


G,day mate. dont worry about the clowns going off at you for firing your bb gun. you did fine.

Originally posted by pronto
reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

 

G,day mate. dont worry about the clowns going off at you for firing your bb gun. you did fine.

Thank ya.


I suppose it could have been a bear... thing is, I've never seen a bear in this particular town before. It's a bit urban, and slightly radioactive here. Nuclear plant.

I see deer and whatnot in other towns, but never here... I rarely even see squirrels. That's why I doubted that it was a bear.

Originally posted by XxNightAngelusxX

Originally posted by DaTroof
Wait.... you just fired off your gun blindly into the woods?


BB gun or not, you don't see a problem with this?

Not entirely blindly. I was aiming towards where the noise had come from. It wasn't toward houses or anything.

I wouldn't shoot any kind of gun if I thought I might hit a person by accident.

Besides, I've been shot with that exact bb gun at point blank range a few times. Doesn't do much. It makes a lot of noise when it hits branches, though. I thought those crackling noises might scare the thing off, or at least throw it off the scent.

edit on 10-2-2013 by XxNightAngelusxX because: (no reason given)

seriously???

Oh for the love of God!!

Glad it was only a bb gun and not an actual gun in the hands of such an immature child

Hopefully you'll never be in position to have an actual gun in your hands