Terrorizing Kids

[steelslaver]

My brothers and I used to tent camp a lot. Kids were always welcome. Great fun teaching them outdoors stuff, how to catch fish, birds etc. One of the things we used to do when some new kids came along was first have a conversation about Big Foot and how they like to hang out in the area. We would also inform them that they didn't like fire. Then a while later as it was getting dark, we would start in on the subject of snipe hunting. How easy it was how good they taste etc. My brother would get them all fired up, each gathering up some kind of sack to stick their snipe in etc. I would decline to go on the expedition, As soon as he lead them out of camp I would put on a big brown coat and hat and head out at an angle to find a place to hide. I am 6'4" and in those days weighted in about 250-260 but would stick a few pine boughs in my sleeves and one down the back of my coat. to increase my size effect. My brother would have a the kids going cheep cheep cheep to call for snipe and once I was setup I would start cheeping back to help guide my brother and his flock to my location. Once they got really close I would raise up from my spot with a roar. Interesting reactions, some froze solid in mid stride for a second or two while others took off running immediately and wildly usually in the direction of the camp fire. We were always careful to stay away from any steep drops or fast water. One nephew flew into camp, jumped the fire while screaming Sasquatch. When his mom asked where are your sisters? He replied there is a Sasquatch, not my problem. My youngest who had trouble walking because of cerebral palsy was pissed because everyone except my brother abandon him. Then he was really torched to find out it was a prank, he could have had a heart attack you know. Everyone of them was always gung ho to bring another kid along on the next trip to scare the crap out of them however.

Were we mean or what.

 

[mtgianni]

In my neighborhood you would have been considered normal.

 

[CalifEd]

A grand tradition that needs to continue.

Many of my friends that were transplanted from the mountains, having experienced a Snipe Hunt, had to be convinced that a Grunion Run was a real thing.

Seems they were traumatized, didn't trust this local activity, and avoided any night time animal seeking expeditions entirely.
Once they relaxed, or found a worthy partner, the night time submarine races or meteor hunt didn't seem to bother them.

 

[madmikeb]

The apex of my parenting (terrorizing), was many years ago.

It was around easter, I was cleaning solids out of a catbox with a paper towel by picking them up and taking them to the toilet. My stepdaughter was watching so me being me I started chasing her around the house with a loaded paper towel. She quickly ran into her room and shut the door. Seizing the opportunity I quickly washed my hands, got a fresh paper towel, unwrapped a small chocolate easter egg, put it in the paper towel and waited. Shortly she came back out of her room and I renewed the chase with the easter egg laden paper towel. Shortly I stopped, started laughing like a maniac, rolled my eyes back in my head and popped the egg into my mouth. The look of horror on her face was extremely gratifying and made it all worth while. To this day she remembers and talks about this. Made it all worth it!

The epitome of my parenting.

 

[Tom S.]

What's the plural of Big Foot? Big Feet? Big Foots? Would three of them be called Big Yard?

 

[steelslaver]

I have been watching survivor man and his now doing some searching for bigfoot episodes.

I have my doubts about their actual existence, But, can not say they don't exist with 100% certainty. There is a lot of empty space out there where an intelligent creature could exist and hide. I have lived most of my life in mountain lion country where there are estimated to be as many as 5,000 in the state, yet I have only seen 3 of them in my 74 years and except for one instance it was a pretty quick look. Same thing goes for wolves, there are estimated to be over 1000 of them in this state. I have only got a glimpse of 2. Despite the fact you can buy multiple tags and trap them only 260-280 are taken each year. Nether lions or wolves approach humanoid or even primate intelligence.

I have gone up and down the inside passage from Washington to Alaska over a dozen times, fished all over Southeast Alaska, driven from Prince Rupert to the US and I am here to tell you there are plenty of empty areas where Sasquatches could be riding around on mammoths and we wouldn't ever see them. While British Columbia has 5 million people, most of them are in the Vancouver metropolitan area and that leaves a whole lot of empty in the other 350,000 square miles. There are areas at least half the size of Wyoming with no roads. Same with Alberta and the rest of the providence's except for the little ones on the east coast. Canada is larger than the US and only has 40+ Million people but over 90% of those live within 100 miles of the boarder.

 

[Rule3]

Good old snipe hunts! Really funny when we would shout "I got one" then a little later a novice would shout "Me too"

 

[Rustyt1953]

Snipe are quite common in the UK. When I waded onto these shores I had a hard time convincing the locals that they exist.

 

[Rule3]

Snipe are quite common in the UK. When I waded onto these shores I had a hard time convincing the locals that they exist.

We have them in the US.

 

[Rudi]

That is a great story! RUN KIDS RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Onomea]

Gotta put salt on their tails to catch 'em, ya know.

 

[Greyman50]

Stories bring back many good memories of summer camp close to where I grew up. I worked on the weekends teaching horsmanship and riding ( Western Only) but went to camp with all the city kids. Every week each cabin would sit around their fires and the counselor would tell ghost stories or stories about the local swamp monster( near Great Dismal Swamp). Another camp guy would be in the bushes near the cabins making noises, what a good time it was…..

 

[Kinman]

Whenever I would take off for a week or so to do some serious fishing while tent camping or later using a camper and in the last few years an RV I always made of point to tell a few stories to people that wandered into my camp asking questions and generally being neighborly which is not why I'm out to get away from it all and even though I understand the whole idea of public campgrounds I always made a point of bringing up the subject of rabies carrying mosquitoes and to be sure you wear lots of repellent and "Oh, by the way if you see my old hound dog would you let me know, he took off after a mountain lion a few days ago and I haven't seen him."

 

[Phenix]

I have been watching survivor man and his now doing some searching for bigfoot episodes.

I have my doubts about their actual existence, But, can not say they don't exist with 100% certainty. There is a lot of empty space out there where an intelligent creature could exist and hide. I have lived most of my life in mountain lion country where there are estimated to be as many as 5,000 in the state, yet I have only seen 3 of them in my 74 years and except for one instance it was a pretty quick look. Same thing goes for wolves, there are estimated to be over 1000 of them in this state. I have only got a glimpse of 2. Despite the fact you can buy multiple tags and trap them only 260-280 are taken each year. Nether lions or wolves approach humanoid or even primate intelligence.

I have gone up and down the inside passage from Washington to Alaska over a dozen times, fished all over Southeast Alaska, driven from Prince Rupert to the US and I am here to tell you there are plenty of empty areas where Sasquatches could be riding around on mammoths and we wouldn't ever see them. While British Columbia has 5 million people, most of them are in the Vancouver metropolitan area and that leaves a whole lot of empty in the other 350,000 square miles. There are areas at least half the size of Wyoming with no roads. Same with Alberta and the rest of the providence's except for the little ones on the east coast. Canada is larger than the US and only has 40+ Million people but over 90% of those live within 100 miles of the boarder.

I don't think there is such a thing as a Bigfoot.
In our country there are at least 320,000,000 people with cell phone that have cameras that are out everywhere, all the time yet somehow not one has ever gotten a good picture of any Bigfoots/feet.

 

[pmanton]

Many years ago it was Halloween around 9-9:30 at night. The doorbell rang and it was my buddy Tex. He was wearing a very realistic Gorilla suit.
From the bedroom, my 2 girls started chattering away. Go to sleep I said! Giggle giggle chatter chatter from the girls.

If you don't shut up I'll send the monster in! More giggle-chatter. In walked Tex in his Gorilla suit!!
It took months before the girls would sleep without the light on. They remember it to this day.

 

[lihpster]

Be careful scaring your camping companions. Many years ago, a family friend was "invited" to go along with his stepdaughter's fiancé and his friends on a camping trip. A chance for them to bond, the women said. Don reluctantly agreed.
The first night, they were sitting around the fire after dinner and Don decided to turn in. What he didn't know was the young guys had placed a rubber snake in his sleeping bag to mess with him. What they didn't know was Don was extremely afraid of snakes and ALWAYS armed. I never saw him without at least 1 gun and usually 2 or 3.
So, Don heads off to his tent and the boys are listening, waiting to hear the yelling. What they heard was 5 .38+Ps being sent through the floor of his tent. Then a short silence. They heard a zipper and then Don comes out of the tent. In his underwear with his bare feet stuffed in his boots. One hand had a Model 60 and the other was dragging his sleeping bag with down feathers trailing out of it. He didn't say a word, just walked past them, as they sat by the fire with their mouths hanging open, and strode directly to the fiancé's tent. He threw the remnants of his sleeping bag in the tent, pulled out the future son-in-law's sleeping bag and went back to his tent, not saying a word. Needless to say, the expected bonding didn't happen, and Don went home the next morning before sunrise, still without saying a word. Their relationship went downhill from there.
Fast forward a couple years, the kids get married and one day, Don and his wife take the couple out to celebrate the girl's birthday. The SIL gets a little tipsy and starts an argument with his MIL, Don's wife. As they are leaving the restaurant, walking through the parking lot to the car, the young man had a lapse in judgement and called his MIL the "C" word. Don hit him so hard he broke his hand on the guy's face. So, the evening ended at the hospital where they fixed Don's hand and the SIL's nose. Thankfully the marriage ended soon after that or Thanksgivings and Christmases were gonna be awkward.

 

[Onomea]

Whoa, Phil! A lotta lessons in that story!

 

[lihpster]

Whoa, Phil! A lotta lessons in that story!

One of which is: No matter what they have done to deserve it, don't punch a guy in the face. Use a stick of some sort.

 

[65-2x2]

The dads did that same thing when I was heading a Webelo group. Instead of Bigfoot is was a bear, we had the park ranger come and warn the men (in hearing of the children) about a bear being on the prowl; then we went on the snipe hunt. What took me by surprise is that some of the kids got madder than hell when they found out that they had been had... Oh well!

The best fun I ever had terrorizing children was when my kids were trick-or-treat age. On halloween we went all out to prepare for masses of kids in the suburban neighborhood. Outdoor decorations were an invitation to trick-or-treat. I placed a rocking chair near the front door, in reach of the doorbell, and I made myself up as a scare crow. It was a good disguise, and I am fairly experienced playing a dummy. I let the little kids have a pass, and just sat there very still, listening to the comments. When the teenagers came along, I would wait until they rang the doorbell and reach out and grab them. I scared the heck out of some of them! It was a hoot!

 

[oberon]

A couple decades back there was a Sasquatch that used to cut thru my back yard on his paper route. Haven't seen him in many years. Nowadays there are no youngsters with paper routes. The newspapers are delivered by automobile, and everybody knows Bigfoots can't drive.

 

[Timothy2700]

Not so scary but I think it fits in the thread…..
When I was a scoutmaster the adults always had their own cooking group and the boys did their cooking by patrols. ….One morning it was my turn to cook eggs and bacon for the adults while one of my assistant scoutmasters made fancy camping coffee for us. A pile of coffee grounds ended up next to me at the stove. One of our younger Scouts came by to see what the adults were making for breakfast and he noticed the grounds in the dirt next to me…... Mr R? What is that stuff? Me….I dont know. Maybe fox scat? Let me see. I picked up some the coffee grounds, rolled them in my fingers…… I sniffed……Then I took a taste. I said yep it's from a fox.

Pretty sure Ian wasn't traumatized for life after that…but he may have been for the next hour or so judging by his expression.

 

[olfart]

I've been known to advise new hunters on the ways of the wilderness. In areas where wild goats roam, it's important to be able to tell the difference between deer scat and goat scat. The appearance is almost identical, but the goat scat is a little sweeter.