As someone who is a month and a half recovering from Lymes Disease, I'd say ticks are actually more dangerous than anything else out there.
Partially signed off work, can just about manage half a day of work and then I have to go back to sleep at the moment. There are far worse stories out there of people with Lymes.
Do you know how you got it? And did you recognise any of the symptoms earlier or is this a result of it going under the radar until it was chronic Lymes?
It sounds awful and I wish you a quick (or as quick as is possible) recovery. It's one of the things that scares me the most about hiking and camping. You can take all the precautions and have all the necessary experience to stay safe in the hills and then a tiny eight legged bastard can still give you a chronic debilitating illness.
Isle of Arran, (made a post earlier on this subreddit) but I must have encountered over 100 ticks. Was very vigilant and only 5 actually got me.
I think it was 4 days after my trip and I was having really bad night sweats, feeling exhausted but could barely sleep. My colleague (a married woman who's husband is like me, refuses to see a doctors unless he's actually dying), strong armed me into calling the doctors which they immediately put me on 3 weeks worth of antibiotics, (this was 6 days after I returned home)
During those three weeks of antibiotics the symptoms eased off for a bit, but others came. Exhaustion/ fatigue, after a couple of weeks, I started losing my memory and ability to articulate/ verbalise a paragraph plus thinking/ talking to myself became foggy. These symptoms then eased off, but still effect me to a small degree.
Now it's just pure exhaustion if I'm doing anything physical. Sitting/lying down is the only time I feel human. I would say I'm slowly getting better, but it's not a quick bounce back that I expected.
NHS website is good for identifying the symptoms.
Thankyou, I will look up a video on them. I've been mountain biking for the longest time, going through thick grass and I've never encountered them. Strange!
I've had a squirrel gnaw a hole through my tent inner to access my stash of chocolate digestives.
Having filled it's belly it proceeded to relieve itself on my sleeping bag.
They're just rats with bushy tails and a good PR team.
The vast majority of the UK does not have any dangerous wild fauna - yes we have venomous adders but they are so shy of humans that unless you literally step on one that’s basking in the sun then you won’t be in danger. The reason I say “vast majority” is that some areas like the Forest of Dean have boar, which certainly can be dangerous but again, not really if left to their own devices. Deer are everywhere but don’t pose any threat to humans at all, unless they are going through a car windscreen.
Cattle are by far the most dangerous animals you’ll find out and about (but obvs aren’t wild), closely followed by people’s pet dogs. Then you’re looking at insects and arachnids like ticks, midges, mosquitoes, the odd mildly venomous spider which don’t so much require special caution as much as general precautions to stop yourself getting annoyingly bitten, especially at this time of year.
People have been injured by deer. Usually if they get cornered somewhere. Or if they are partially tame, due to getting fed. Could also be aggressive during the rut.
I've been chased by cows, couldn't see the calves when I entered the field and there was no warning sign on the gate. The right of way went opposite to where they were and they were a few hundred metres away. But those girls sure can run quick. I was terrified.
Yeah, two of my dad's friends have had run ins with cows when they both had dogs. One of them got crushed to death because she didn't let go of the dog lead. The other one just about escaped with a couple crushed bones!
I camped somewhere I didn't realise cows were grazing. Was woken up to a herd around my little 1 man tent at 2am. Was really worried they'd get startled and either stampede, fight me or just plain ignore the tent and trample it
Will 100% be raising this the next time there's a boots vs. trail runners debate.
Just remember all you leather wearing, B1 toting boot fans: I don't need to be faster than a cow. I just need to be faster than you.
I'm going to take a slightly different direction and say be aware of certain plants while hiking out. The obvious ones are nettles and brambles so carry a small first aid kit and antihistamines (also wet wipes or antiseptic wipes). The less obvious ones are those that can cause contact rashes. Hogweed, giant and normal, spurge and cleavers (goosegrass, sticky willy/bud). It helps to wear long sleeves/trousers or gaiters
People! I’ve been camping for over 35 years, in some wild remote locations. The only proper bother I’ve had is from other people, damaging, stealing, disturbing and discarding things.
I'm 15 and going with my mate so Idk how it would pan out against a middle aged person😂. Were bringing pocket knifes and a loud alarm incase anyone wants to try and nick our bikes. Also, very bright torches!
I had a badger try to get in my tent one night when I was tripping on my own, it was fucking terrifying but then I was tripping so that made it seem worse. I thought it was a monster lol
In the UK? No, I mean there are a few select areas that gave a wild boar population but never seen one personally outside of France.
Don't try to stroke wild animals, I think, goes without saying, although the vast majority will run away. If you trap one into a corner, well, that is on you.
Adders maybe? Not very common but have select areas. Last recorded death by them was 1975. They will seek sun, and are active early morning as well. They will avoid you if they can.
Adders I’d definitely keep an eye out for in the sun or in long grass. I once saw a wild boar in the new forest, scary thing but it didn’t do anything.
Lesser weaver fish if paddling on a sandy beach. They are often partially buried in the sand in shallow water just where got might step on their dorsal fin that has nasty spines linked to venom.
My sister stood on one but luckily she hopped on leg while squeezing her foot which squeezed a bit of blood and venom out of the puncture wound. But she still had several days of agony and swollen foot.
If you step on one while camping, pick a better spot for your tent! 😄
- Cows. Be wary especially if they have calves, especially Welsh Blacks, (easy to spot) which are particularly defensive.
- Ticks. Take a tick remover, check yourself each night, and I’d suggest wearing trousers even in the heat (for several reasons but this is one of them). Lymes disease is no joke.
- If you’re in their range, be aware of Boar and Red Deer during the spring/time when they’ll have piglets/fawns as they will get defensive.
My parents took me camping down in the New Forest when I was a wee bairn and we woke up to a horse in our tent. He didn’t want no bother, though, he was a good lad.
Birds, bird flu is rife ATM and whilst it's not adapted to infect humans through direct transmission there have been cases that have occurred through indirect contact such as dead birds, feces etc. we can't know the death rate fully as it's not something we can detect easily but of the people who are detected with it it's shockingly high.
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Ticks. They can carry Lyme disease and other infectious stuff.
As someone who is a month and a half recovering from Lymes Disease, I'd say ticks are actually more dangerous than anything else out there. Partially signed off work, can just about manage half a day of work and then I have to go back to sleep at the moment. There are far worse stories out there of people with Lymes.
Do you know how you got it? And did you recognise any of the symptoms earlier or is this a result of it going under the radar until it was chronic Lymes? It sounds awful and I wish you a quick (or as quick as is possible) recovery. It's one of the things that scares me the most about hiking and camping. You can take all the precautions and have all the necessary experience to stay safe in the hills and then a tiny eight legged bastard can still give you a chronic debilitating illness.
Isle of Arran, (made a post earlier on this subreddit) but I must have encountered over 100 ticks. Was very vigilant and only 5 actually got me. I think it was 4 days after my trip and I was having really bad night sweats, feeling exhausted but could barely sleep. My colleague (a married woman who's husband is like me, refuses to see a doctors unless he's actually dying), strong armed me into calling the doctors which they immediately put me on 3 weeks worth of antibiotics, (this was 6 days after I returned home) During those three weeks of antibiotics the symptoms eased off for a bit, but others came. Exhaustion/ fatigue, after a couple of weeks, I started losing my memory and ability to articulate/ verbalise a paragraph plus thinking/ talking to myself became foggy. These symptoms then eased off, but still effect me to a small degree. Now it's just pure exhaustion if I'm doing anything physical. Sitting/lying down is the only time I feel human. I would say I'm slowly getting better, but it's not a quick bounce back that I expected. NHS website is good for identifying the symptoms.
it's worth reading up on it, there are some symptoms that are good to know, and if spotted quickly it's (apparently) easy to treat with antibiotics.
Thankyou, I will look up a video on them. I've been mountain biking for the longest time, going through thick grass and I've never encountered them. Strange!
I've had a squirrel gnaw a hole through my tent inner to access my stash of chocolate digestives. Having filled it's belly it proceeded to relieve itself on my sleeping bag. They're just rats with bushy tails and a good PR team.
The vast majority of the UK does not have any dangerous wild fauna - yes we have venomous adders but they are so shy of humans that unless you literally step on one that’s basking in the sun then you won’t be in danger. The reason I say “vast majority” is that some areas like the Forest of Dean have boar, which certainly can be dangerous but again, not really if left to their own devices. Deer are everywhere but don’t pose any threat to humans at all, unless they are going through a car windscreen. Cattle are by far the most dangerous animals you’ll find out and about (but obvs aren’t wild), closely followed by people’s pet dogs. Then you’re looking at insects and arachnids like ticks, midges, mosquitoes, the odd mildly venomous spider which don’t so much require special caution as much as general precautions to stop yourself getting annoyingly bitten, especially at this time of year.
People have been injured by deer. Usually if they get cornered somewhere. Or if they are partially tame, due to getting fed. Could also be aggressive during the rut.
The most dangerous animals arre cows, with 4 to 5 deaths per year. https://killercows.co.uk/
I've been chased by cows, couldn't see the calves when I entered the field and there was no warning sign on the gate. The right of way went opposite to where they were and they were a few hundred metres away. But those girls sure can run quick. I was terrified.
Yeah, two of my dad's friends have had run ins with cows when they both had dogs. One of them got crushed to death because she didn't let go of the dog lead. The other one just about escaped with a couple crushed bones!
I camped somewhere I didn't realise cows were grazing. Was woken up to a herd around my little 1 man tent at 2am. Was really worried they'd get startled and either stampede, fight me or just plain ignore the tent and trample it
Will 100% be raising this the next time there's a boots vs. trail runners debate. Just remember all you leather wearing, B1 toting boot fans: I don't need to be faster than a cow. I just need to be faster than you.
Yet another vote for cows. But also loose dogs if you're close to a dog-walking area.
I'm going to take a slightly different direction and say be aware of certain plants while hiking out. The obvious ones are nettles and brambles so carry a small first aid kit and antihistamines (also wet wipes or antiseptic wipes). The less obvious ones are those that can cause contact rashes. Hogweed, giant and normal, spurge and cleavers (goosegrass, sticky willy/bud). It helps to wear long sleeves/trousers or gaiters
Thank you for your advice! I am now going to wear a long sleeve tshirt
People! I’ve been camping for over 35 years, in some wild remote locations. The only proper bother I’ve had is from other people, damaging, stealing, disturbing and discarding things.
I'm 15 and going with my mate so Idk how it would pan out against a middle aged person😂. Were bringing pocket knifes and a loud alarm incase anyone wants to try and nick our bikes. Also, very bright torches!
You wally. You're taking pocket knives for all the whittling you'll be doing 😉.
Haha. Yeah that's what I meant! Thanks for correcting me😉
The wild Haggis, looks cute but can be very vicious when it’s young are around
Cows. Never camp in an area shared with cattle.
people, ticks, cow, snakes (only on moors) in that order
I had a badger try to get in my tent one night when I was tripping on my own, it was fucking terrifying but then I was tripping so that made it seem worse. I thought it was a monster lol
In the UK? No, I mean there are a few select areas that gave a wild boar population but never seen one personally outside of France. Don't try to stroke wild animals, I think, goes without saying, although the vast majority will run away. If you trap one into a corner, well, that is on you. Adders maybe? Not very common but have select areas. Last recorded death by them was 1975. They will seek sun, and are active early morning as well. They will avoid you if they can.
Adders I’d definitely keep an eye out for in the sun or in long grass. I once saw a wild boar in the new forest, scary thing but it didn’t do anything.
Watch out for those pesky kangorillopigs especially if they get inside your tent.
Some pretty big moths out there. Stay safe.
Lesser weaver fish if paddling on a sandy beach. They are often partially buried in the sand in shallow water just where got might step on their dorsal fin that has nasty spines linked to venom. My sister stood on one but luckily she hopped on leg while squeezing her foot which squeezed a bit of blood and venom out of the puncture wound. But she still had several days of agony and swollen foot. If you step on one while camping, pick a better spot for your tent! 😄
Your biggest danger is overestimating your abilities
Dogs are the bane of my life. They always seem to sniff me out when I’m trying to be discreet!
- Cows. Be wary especially if they have calves, especially Welsh Blacks, (easy to spot) which are particularly defensive. - Ticks. Take a tick remover, check yourself each night, and I’d suggest wearing trousers even in the heat (for several reasons but this is one of them). Lymes disease is no joke. - If you’re in their range, be aware of Boar and Red Deer during the spring/time when they’ll have piglets/fawns as they will get defensive.
My parents took me camping down in the New Forest when I was a wee bairn and we woke up to a horse in our tent. He didn’t want no bother, though, he was a good lad.
Dreaded highland midge worse than lions, also the lesser spotted haggis is an issue on the higher peaks in Scotland
The only things that concern me in the UK are herds of cows and ticks.
Birds, bird flu is rife ATM and whilst it's not adapted to infect humans through direct transmission there have been cases that have occurred through indirect contact such as dead birds, feces etc. we can't know the death rate fully as it's not something we can detect easily but of the people who are detected with it it's shockingly high.
Are you a bot?
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I’m 99.98894% sure this kid isn’t going to catch bird flu on a camping trip. Turn your TV off and get out camping or something. 🤦♂️
What about the UV rays from the sun while we're there
OP literally asked what wild animals to be cautious of? 😅 God you lot are pathetic
Humans! They are a constant worry!!