This past holiday weekend Angela and I were invited to a small gathering of my high school friends, many of whom I had not seen in many years. One of my school friends was particularly interested in our truck camping lifestyle and peppered us with questions. Then he asked one we hadn’t heard before, “What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened while you’ve been truck camping?”
The story that came to mind is more funny than terrifying. On our first truck camping trip we went to Yellowstone National Park. One night we woke up to our alarms going off and a nearly dead battery bank. We had an onboard generator, but didn’t want to wake up our neighbors with the noise. So we drove our rig out of the campground, parked far enough away to avoid waking anyone up, and started up the generator.
About an hour later we thought our batteries would be charged enough until morning and began our return to the campground. It was about 2:00am and was pitch dark with dense fog. Then, out of a thick fog bank on our passenger’s side, a huge Bison emerged within a couple feet of our rig. Its enormous head was even with our truck as this beast looked right at us. Naturally we both screamed like schoolgirls. We still laugh about that today.
Sharing this story reminded me of one of our all-time favorite Questions of the Week. Back in July of 2009 we asked our readers if they had any stories about encountering wild animals while truck camping. The responses were some of the most fun, funny, and all-out terrifying reader stories ever published in Truck Camper Magazine.
Since we asked that question over seven years ago, there has to be more wild animal truck camping stories to share. We know you’re already thinking of one now. “Remember when that bear…”
This week’s Question of the Week is, “What’s the wildest wild animal encounter you’ve experienced while truck camping?”
Wild animals can be chipmunks, moose, bison, wolves, ducks, squirrels, geese, or any other wild animal you have encountered while truck camping.
Did a moose stop you in your tracks in Montana and poop on the road? Tell us! Did a snake camp out under your stairs and refuse to slither away? Oh do share! Did a pack of birds descent on your rig and try to eat your television antenna? That counts!
This QOTW is now closed. Read about TCM reader wild animal encounters.
