On our stroll back to the lot, we did uncover some unwelcome news. Turns out that a woman was allegedly attacked on Saturday night at the Pine Knob shelter. The perpetrator: a raccoon, possibly rabid, we were told. We were also told that the attack, which was apparently extremely bloody and vicious, was completely unprovoked. The shelter has been closed until further notice, according to a sign posted on a tree there. Another sign said a managed hunt was underway. If anybody knows what happened, we would appreciate details and any updates, and we certainly wish the victim a speedy recovery. But, judging from the evidence, we're pretty sure this isn't just another one of those tall tales that imaginative through-hikers conjure up to amuse themselves and passers by.

raccoon attack update


Just got off the phone with Laurie Botteiger, information services coordinator with the Appalachian Trail Conference. She offers confirmation for the raccoon attack story. She said the victim, a thru-hiker, was writing in her journal at the picnic table by the Pine Knob shelter at about 10 o'clock on Saturday night, when she heard a screech and a raccoon leaped up and bit her on the back. In the ensuing struggle, the raccoon then bit the victim twice on the ankle and on the hand. The victim said she was unable to shake the deranged animal loose on her own. Fortunately, other hikers came to her rescue and managed to beat the animal off. A father/son team of hikers used a cell phone to call 911 and administered first aid. The victim was taken by amublance to a hospital in Hagerstown. "I understand there was a lot of blood," Ms. Botteiger said. The hiker, according to Ms. Botteiger, is planning to continue her hike, although she will need to visit medical facilities weekly for the next month or so to get her rabies shots. ATC representatives said they didn't know whether the raccoon had been captured or killed. They also did not know who actually closed the shelter or is conducting the managed hunt.

I heard it was drug related.

Fortunately, other hikers came to her rescue and managed to beat the animal off.

In my ongoing attempt to find the humor in ANY situation...

http://www.studioeec.com/raccoon_zombie.jpg

Am I a bad person because I am laughing my ass off?

hehe

On a related subject, I shot a groundhog yesterday, but I shot it in the head. Should I be worried that the groundhog will become a brain eating zombie, or does shooting it in the head work the same way as it does on human zombies?

hehe

Am I a bad person because I am laughing my ass off?

ATC representatives said they didn't know whether the raccoon had been captured or killed.

Where's the killing small animals with slung #7 hexes since 2002 guy when you need him??

No moral to this story, except maybe if you're gonna handle wildlife, it helps to be belligerent drunk. Oh yeah, and be sure to keep it rotating.

In my ongoing attempt to find the humor in ANY situation...

http://www.studioeec.com/raccoon_zombie.jpg

Just wanted to verify that the raccoon attack story is true. I was there when it happened. I'm the father in the "father/son" hiking team. A female hiker did experience an unprovoked attack. She was sitting at the picnic table writing in her journal. All other hikers (including my son and I) were bedded down for the night. Thus, her headlamp was the only light on at the time. The raccoon came out of the woods and bit her on the back, then on the leg several times (it hung on and would not let go for some time), then bit her hand as she tried to hit it away. When she yelled, everyone woke up/got up, but because it was so dark, no one was much help. At last the animal ran away into the woods. The 4 of us who were there besides the victim helped her stop the blood-flow (there was a lot of blood) and bandanged her wounds. I called 911 and we helped her hike down to the Rt. 40 parking area where we met the ambulance. We followed them into town (I had my truck parked there) and after they cleaned her up and gave her numerous shots at the emergency room, we all spent what was left of the night in a hotel room. I then drove everyone back to the trail and she continues her thru-hike to Maine. Quite a brave lady, considering that she's 60 years old.

These guys are like ghosts, like commandos...... We'd had these little bastards run off with a whole sack of groceries a few days earlier (one 'coon grabbed each side of the sack and off they went).

This kinda sucks, I have a few cousins that walk that route to Annapolis Rock every weekend....think I'll give em a call and check if they haven't heard.

Lots of land on the backside of that ridge to run around in....sucks too cause there are alot of communities not even a mile down the mountain that could be endangered by the critter.

Nope, not kidding sorry, sorry if I somehow offended someone by saying I'm gonna call my uncle who takes his 8 month yr old - 10 year old children up there. My bad, I guess concern and prevention is a horrible thing. I swear trolls comb the forums just to criticize.