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The night I tried the PCT near Crater Lake and got chased by a confused deer at 3 AM
One year ago I was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail near Crater Lake and this deer kept following me for 2 miles thinking I had food, and now I always stash my snacks in a bear can before hitting the trail, has anyone else dealt with a persistent animal on a route?
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martinez.kim17d ago
Oh man, "confused deer" is the perfect way to put it. I had this happen to me last fall on the Tahoe Rim Trail, except it was a buck that decided I was his new best buddy. He followed me for a solid hour, stomping his feet when I stopped walking like I was supposed to play fetch with him or something. I ended up having to duck behind a boulder and wait him out for like 20 minutes until he wandered off. Now I triple check my pockets for any crumb of granola before I even start moving.
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wendysanchez17d ago
Oh man, that is such a classic move. It's like once they figure out humans can be a source of snacks, it's game over for personal space. It's funny because it's not just deer either. I swear this "confused and pushy" thing happens everywhere in life now. Like at the grocery store when someone stands way too close in line and you have to shift your whole cart to create a buffer zone. Or when a dog at the park just decides you're their new favorite person and won't leave your side. It's like the whole world forgot how to read social cues, animals and people both. You did the right thing hiding behind that boulder, that's basically the human version of pretending to be on your phone in a checkout line.
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carter.casey17d ago
Wait so what exactly did you do when you were hiding back there? Like were you just crouched in silence praying the buck wouldn't somehow circle around behind the boulder? I had a similar thing happen with a doe near Donner Pass but I just climbed up on this sketchy rock outcropping and she stood at the bottom staring up at me for what felt like an eternity. Did your buck eventually just give up or did you have to do some kind of weird dance to shoo him away?
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