Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

General => Meets, places, trips and reviews => Topic started by: specimanYak on September 27, 2018

Title: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: specimanYak on September 27, 2018
Went for a camp out at Slieve Commedagh on Saturday. The weather was ideal, balmy with very little wind. I started at The Granite Trail then over the top of Thomas' quarry for a look at the small waterfall and rock-pool. I worked my way along the side then down to the ice house, crossing at The Glen River then up through the forest and joined on to The Slievenamaddy Trail and on up to Commedagh for the night.

It was a fun night. Mister fox had decided to join me and stole the rucksack from my tent while I was in the shelter keeping warm. I only noticed he was about when I popped out to take in the view and he came slinking against the wall, up to the shelter. He stopped, spied me, turned then quietly slunk away. I followed him, and noticed my rucksack with ripped pockets on the ground. There was some chewing gum in a hip pocket so he had went after the strange smell. I checked the tent and he'd pushed the pole about a foot or so trying to get in, thankfully nothing else was ripped or damaged. I gathered everything up and headed back to the shelter. About 15 minutes later, he returned to the tent again so I headed out to see what he was at and he ran off into the dark. I went back to the shelter to find he'd been in, a quick hit and run, he'd bit or gnawed at the rubbish bag but finding nothing he went for the next smelliest object. The remainder of my fire log, about a third of one. He'd pinched it and ran off into the night leaving me with no more heat for the rest of the evening. Hopefully he didn't eat it and after a bite realises that but still, what a fecker.

The thing is, I've run into this fox before on Commedagh, a few years ago when he took the rucksack out from my tent while I was sleeping, at 4am in the morning. Which was nice to wake up to the sound of gnawing and scraping at the tent door on a lonely mountain-top. Again, what a fecker.

A little video of the trip:



https://imgur.com/a/q8VlEQ0

Title: Re: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: Rugged Track on September 27, 2018
Great views night views.  Must watch out for the fox, surprised you got raided on the summit, I had heard of foxes down in woods. Great video.
Title: Re: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: specimanYak on September 27, 2018
Thanks RT, I've spotted him on three separate occasions now and two of those he raided the tent, both on Commedagh summit. Never had any problems with foxes in forests (yet!), just this guy.

Great views night views.  Must watch out for the fox, surprised you got raided on the summit, I had heard of foxes down in woods. Great video.
Title: Re: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: Fred on September 28, 2018
Thanks for sharing this with us. I'm surprised that a fox would be living on top of the mountain, it would be a hard life up there. I have seen mice about the summit who probably live under the shelter and survive on food dropped by day trippers.

Fred
Title: Re: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: specimanYak on September 28, 2018
Thanks Fred, I'm assuming he must roam up from Donard Wood or Tollymore looking for left-overs and easy pickings from the days hikers then back down to the safety of the woods.

Thanks for sharing this with us. I'm surprised that a fox would be living on top of the mountain, it would be a hard life up there. I have seen mice about the summit who probably live under the shelter and survive on food dropped by day trippers.

Fred
Title: Re: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: Glenn B on September 28, 2018
Good stuff Yak next time your up take a quarter of Cherry lips with you they'll keep old foxy chewin for a while  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: specimanYak on September 28, 2018
He went after the chewing gum with some gusto. Imagine the sound of smacking lips coming from the darkness  ;D

Good stuff Yak next time your up take a quarter of Cherry lips with you they'll keep old foxy chewin for a while  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: NIPupper on September 28, 2018
epic, mr fox is off enjoying a firelog with some tasty chewing gum. bet he's wearing a smoking jacket and chillin in a rocking chair as well.
sweet video. great camping spot.
Title: Re: Slieve Commedagh 22.09.18
Post by: specimanYak on September 28, 2018
He'll be rocking in his chair planning his next raid for the week-end. Thanks, Commedagh's a great spot with the shelter and water pipe.

epic, mr fox is off enjoying a firelog with some tasty chewing gum. bet he's wearing a smoking jacket and chillin in a rocking chair as well.
sweet video. great camping spot.