Flashlight saved me from a big problem!

[Dirty Bob]

We keep a UK 4AA eLED in our pantry. I recently went out to turn off some water after dark. The spigot's on the side of our house, accessible from the front yard. On a whim, I grabbed the UK light on the way out. I like to hold that light with the bezel out the bottom of my left fist, activating the button with my middle finger.

When I rounded the corner of the house, I heard something down by my feet. I knew it was one of the neighbors' cats, but I decided to shine the light on it.

Looking up at me was an enormous skunk!

I yelped and sprinted in the direction I was facing, which happened to be down the side of the house, toward the locked gate. I turned back to see if the skunk was still there. I put the light on him, and he was walking my way!

I was debating between levitating over the gate (I think I could have done it at that moment), or shooting the skunk with the .38 in my pocket. Fortunately, at that moment, he turned around and wandered off. I think I'd blinded him with the light in the eyes, and he'd been momentarily confused.

The light saved me from what likely would have been a spraying. Had I been bitten, it would have been rabies shots.

Wildlife in my neighborhood is not uncommon. I never step out of the house after dark without a good light, now.

Regards,
Dirty Bob

 

[BlackDecker]

Good story... When my dog barks in the backyard at night and I want to check it out, I always grab my Sam's Element light before venturing out.

 

[yuandrew]

I heard a noise in my yard one night and since I had my Energizer 2 in 1 with me, I got it and shined it out the window. Well, I caught two racoons walking on top of my fence. They ignored me at first. I went and got my camcorder and began to videotape them and they still ignored me until I shined the light at their face and started shouting at them. One stare at me and they started walking really fast and finally disappered over other side of the fence.

Anyway, my neighbor keeps a 3,000,000 CP Vector in his bedroom. Everytime his dogs start barking crazy, he would get that light and shine it out his window. Since his backyard face a hill, it is not uncommon to find wild animals once in a while. Skunks, Racoons, Opossums, Bobcats, and occasionally a Coyote will show up.

Did I mention that I once saw a skunk wandering around in my neighborhood ? She is lucky that I didn't introduce her to the world of potato cannon technology

Skunks will actually run away from you most of the time if you scare them away. Only if you trap them in a corner will they defend themselves by spraying.

 

[TonkinWarrior]

That's a good story, DirtyBob. You prevailed... and you probably saved yourself the hundred bucks +/- it'd cost to replace your clothes and shoes IF that critter had douched ya.

Back when I lived in the mountains, I always carried my big Mag-Charger when I took the dogs for their nightly walks, etc. That habit spared me/us from countless "close encounters" with skunks, porcupines, and aggressive racoons. That "habit" also enabled me to spot/drive-off some felon/druggies in the process of trying to break into a neighbor's house one cold night.

Now, thanks to modern flashlight technology, you can ALWAYS have miniaturized emergency illumination just a pocket-grab away. The trick is to make a daily habit of packing a light when you get dressed, etc.

Many here EDC one -- or several -- lights for life's Little Surprises. I always pack (a) a Peak Matterhorn or Kilimanjaro on a neck lanyard, AND (b) a Surefire E2/KL1 in my left-front Dockers pocket. Just this past summer, that "habit" saved my tomcat's life when I ducked outside for no reason, scanned the dark sideyard to "test" my KL1's batteries... and spotted a big red fox ready to pounce on my cat.

Accordingly, your skunk-encounter now provides bullet-proof justification (to your better half!) for your immediate purchase of several "pocket lights."

Strike while the iron's hot! That man-eating skunk WILL be back!

 

[Vee3]

LOL! Good story....

About a year ago I was camping with the family. There are always very bold racoons around where we camp. I was dozing in a chair by the fire after the family went to sleep when I heard the familiar sound (Couldn't see him in the dark) of a coon getting into the trash bag. I got up to shoo him away, but only put the light on him when I got within about ten feet. OOPS! All I saw was a big fluffy black and white tail sticking out of the hefty bag.

Remember Ralph Cramdon on the Honeymooners?

"HaminaHaminaHaMaHaMaMa" (Backing away, slooooowly)...

 

[CLHC]

That's a good one there Dirty Bob!

About three (3) months ago I was sleeping in my car while at the Oakland Army Base round 5 in the morning (waiting for JATC to open) when I was awaken to some noise just outside my car window. Lo and behold there was mama raccoon with six of her little ones looking for food! I shined my SFM6 which startled them and sent them up the tree with mama raccoon staring at me from the ground. After a little while they came back down and ignored me despite the fact that I still had the light on them.

I agree with what TonkinWarrior said about making a daily habit of packing a light when you get dressed. You never know when you'll need it.

 

[Unicorn]

Trust me on this, you do not ever want to deal with a dead skunk. Run like hell, or do some cheesey kung fu movie leap onto the roof, anything to avoid a skunk carcass, or even the smallest residue of one.

 

[KevinL]

People ask.. why do you need this fearsomely bright light.. oh, simple. 600 output lumens does a fair job of telling animals they are not exactly welcome. If you can pack this into a Mag2C, the light becomes very small, unobtrusive and very portable, good for walking around the house.

Just the other day I felt that 600 O/P torch lumens was not bright enough, so I pinged myself in the face with it.



I am now *VERY* convinced it is bright enough. :lolsign: :naughty: now if only the green spots would just go away!!

 

[Topper]

close call Dirty Bob, you were very close to a name change: Stinky Bob, still has a nice ring to it.
Glad you had a light with you.
Topper

 

[chmsam]

One of the real big reasons I edc a light was the time my best friend and I were camping near Watkins Glen on the way home from a race. We had rigged up a tarp lean-to and in the middle of the night my buddy starts stirring and cussing. Being grumpy in the middle of the night was normal for me even thirty or more years ago, so I start to get up and find out what the *&#% is going on. He had the nerve to tell me to shut up and go back to sleep. I got fairly loud when I asked him why. He said that the skunk pawing around the foot end of his sleeping bag was getting annoyed.

I did the only logical thing. I pulled my bag up over my head and went back to sleep. Any other move would have been the wrong one.

I now always carry a light, or rather at least one, so I have choices of how many lumens I can use to illuminate rather than irritate. I also no longer use lean-to's but prefer tents with sides and doors.

My sinuses don't need cleaning all that badly.

 

[Lee1959]

Very close call!!! There is almost nothing in life I would rather have happen again than being sprayed by a skunk. My dog chased one INSIDE of my cabin up north when I opened the door for him. It took months for the scent to disapate at the cabin, the scent clung to me and the dog for days, no matter what I used. And I could not eat, it was so sickening. I burned all the clothing, and almost shot the dog but could not aim for throwing up.

 

[PJ]

This doesn't involve a flashlight but it does involve a striped kitty.

I had my truck in the back yard cleaning it out. I was washing the windows and stepped out of the drivers side to get a new roll of paper towel. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something scurrying along the side of my house. "F---in' neighbors cat!" I thought as I was ready to let fly with the windex bottle at the little intruder. At the last second I realized it was a skunk and scrubbed the launch. I don't think I should throw spray bottles at things that could spray back, especially when they are less than 20 feet away.

 

[TonkinWarrior]

This doesn't involve a flashlight but it does involve a striped kitty.

I had my truck in the back yard cleaning it out. I was washing the windows and stepped out of the drivers side to get a new roll of paper towel. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something scurrying along the side of my house. "F---in' neighbors cat!" I thought as I was ready to let fly with the windex bottle at the little intruder. At the last second I realized it was a skunk and scrubbed the launch. I don't think I should throw spray bottles at things that could spray back, especially when they are less than 20 feet away.

-----------------------

PJ, do NOT become my next-door neighbor.

I once had a neighbor whom I witnessed throwing things at my friendly-to-all, ever-vigilant, neighborhood mouse-killer-on-patrol (i.e., Tomcat).

So, I had a little chat with that neighbor. Told him I was not a member of PETA, Save-The-Whales-For-World-Peace, or MillionCommieMommies... but that I WAS one of those, umm, "violence-prone" war veterans... with a buncha similarly violence-prone buddies... who had a soft-spot for domestic animals... and a hard-spot for domestic animal-abusers.

My neighbor "decided" to move away.

And the mouse population remains in decline.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I've been known to make a 75 or so foot walk from the back porch to the back garage door in the dark without a light. One night I spooked (and was spooked by!) a large black snake at the back garage door.

I don't go anywhere on the property now without a good light!

 

[Dirty Bob]

I've been known to make a 75 or so foot walk from the back porch to the back garage door in the dark without a light. One night I spooked (and was spooked by!) a large black snake at the back garage door.

Gee, in parts of southern NM (where I used to live), that almost certainly would have been a rattler, especially if Murphy's Law was in effect!

Alright, let's all say together:
"I solemnly promise not to set foot outside my house without a good flashlight!"

I haven't seen a skunk since the incident, but I'm keeping my eyes open and a River Rock 2AAA clipped to my shirt. When I venture out after dark, I take along a Streamlight TL-2 LED light, as well. My wife takes along her River Rock 2AA (lotsa throw for a AA light). I don't intend to get so close and cuddly with the wildlife again!

Thanks for all the great replies!

Any raccoon stories out there?

Dirty Bob

 

[CLHC]

The other night I was talking with a friend of mine in front of the garage door when I thought I saw a cat walk past us and head under the car. Wondered why it didn't veer away from us as the neighborhood cats around here usually do.

So I shined my 3[M]iniMag under the car and found out it was a rather large oposum/possum! Funny it didn't even play dead it just hissed at us with them sharp teeth! It then moseyed on across the street. . .

These city oposums aren't like the ones out in the country where I did see them drop and feign death.

 

[Dirty Bob]

These city oposums aren't like the ones out in the country where I did see them drop and feign death.

I agree!

Right after moving into our house (before I fixed the fence), we looked out into our back yard one night to see a possum and a skunk there at the same time.

You'd have thought I would'a learned my lesson from that incident...

Dirty Bob

 

[CLHC]

Here's another can't be true but it really is experience. . .

When I was going to college, I had to catch a ride into town from a neighbor across the highway who left his home at 4:30AM in the morning. From town I would get another ride onto Monterey. Anyways, the trek to his property takes a good 20 or so minutes of walking. Since the morning was still dark, the only lights available are what's up above in the heavens, if it's clear skies, and what you had on your person. It was dark and all I had on me was a SureFire 6P.

Since I lived out in the boonies at that time, while coming around a bend I heard to my right a snorting sound and like pawing or stomping on the ground. I slowed down a bit and shined the SF.6P towards the direction of the noise, my right. I saw this huge Texas Longhorn standing there and snorting at me and bobbing his head with hoof scratching! Yes indeed I was alarmed but kept my composure, did not panic. It was the neighbor's and it somehow came onto the road I was traversing. I don't know how I missed seeing him in front of me until I closed our proximics. Side by side we were only about 20 or so feet. Too Close For My Comfort Especially With Those Large Horns!

I eased away from him and didn't take my eyes or the light away until I was clearly across the other side of the road. I was expecting that he would charge! That way I would have had my morning run—but didn't. Maybe it too was startled like I was but don't know. All I know is that I'm still here in one piece! Had I not have my SF.6P with me, Mai O Mai I don't know. . .

It really did happen. . .

 

[dandruff]

out of curiosity...

i live in the tropics and hence have never encountered a REAL skunk.

how bad do they stink?

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

REALLY REALLY Bad! Rotten egg bad. My feet bad! And it don't go away easily!