Back to the subject of tents has anyone ever had a bear, raccoon, snake or any other animal try to enter their tent?
Years ago Dad and I were setting up our homemade wall tent in the Colorado Rockies for the Muzzleloader Elk season, when a couple guys on their way out stopped to warn us about a bear that had been wrecking their camp the past week.
We thanked them, and chuckled, we had a bear tag too, and would welcome a bear that we wouldn't have to pack back to camp.
Later that day another group of hunters moved in, and put up an electric fence corral for 2 horses right beside our tent. We hoped we would be the only other hunters there, but one more group wasn't bad.
Two or three days later I wake up with a start at about 3 am, the horses are going nuts, I ask the old man whats goin' on, and he said I bet that bear is back.
All of a sudden the horses take off, we hear the wire from the electric fence zinging through the trees, and then silence.
We had set our ice chest right outside our tent flap, under a small overhang. We also had a blue tarp down, to help keep the tent clean.
I light the lantern, and start thinking about how I'm going to shoot a bear in the dark, when we hear heavy, slow footsteps on the blue tarp. Dad and I look at each other, he pulls out his 357 from under the pad on his cot, and hands it to me.
By this time the animal stops right outside the tent flap, I imagine a huge bear sniffing the ice chest. I cock the hammer, grab the flap with one hand, and get ready to open it.......identify my target, and shoot as fast as possible.
I throw the flap back, and instantly A BIG BLACK HORSE HEAD COMES into the tent. Pure, sweet adrenalin. Thank God I didn't shoot it.
That was the end of it, woke up the guy with the horses, got dressed and went Elk hunting.
Tent camping is great, as long as you have a good heater, and a good cot with a thick foam pad. I have lived for weeks in my wall tent, and always enjoy it.
