How close have you ever actually been to a live, uncaged opossum, raccoon, or other wild animal? (fish when fishing doesn't count) What was it, and what did you do?
by 
BigDaddyBS
ANSWERS: 50
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Does about a foot on the other side of a window count?
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I have a pack of wolves that come by often I say I was close enough if they wanted they could have attacked me. I say within 5 feet. Although they never have tried. They just recently had some pups in one of my barns. I had a doe (deer) nudge me while out camping recently. I had fallen asleep sitting on a log and had an apple in my pocket. the deer wanted the apple so I gave it to her. a Raccoon during the same camping trip use to come by for a bite to eat every morning and would share my breakfast. not too close but didn't seem to be bothered by me.
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I've been very close to deer, raccoons, squirrels, coyotes, and many different birds before. I actually have a blue-jay that comes on my window seal and I give him seeds.
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Probrably around two feet away from a bear. I was camping this weekend in bear country and while in my tent a bear was sniffing right around the wall. Luckily it found no food and left. But it was scary as all hell.
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I got my Eagle Scout in the BSA and I have been on many many many campouts. The raccoons at Camp Drake fear nothing and know that campers won't hurt them AND they come with coolers full of snacks for the week. There were many times I would wake up in the morning with raccoon tracks on myself and my cot. I was doing a wilderness survival night under the stars and I awoke with a Buck rubbing his antlers on the tree I was sleeping under. While horseback riding in Philmont we had to switch paths because there was a family of bears on the path ahead. I was chased by an opossum mother that thought I was too close to her nest of young ones. These are just a few of the things I've been exposed to.
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The closest I've been is to Mule Deer. They are use to people since they live in town or on the edge of town. I can stand at my front window and watch them eat my flowers and they could care less. Found a shed horn in my yard last year. They bunch up in the winter months and I can have as many as 20 mule deer (does and bucks) in my yard at any given time. . Recently a momma brought her twins through my yard and stopped and let me admire them for a couple of minutes. . I also have Pheasants, and a tons of other type of birds. And rabbits. +5
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Reached under kitchen sink cabinet to grab cleaning liquid, grabbed raccoon by nose, bout shit my pants. Went racing down the street screaming "there's a coon in my house! Theres'a coon in my house!"
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20 yards away from a wild black bear. i told everyone to stop and just chill for a minute, and it went away.
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No bears, but this was just about as scary. I was a nightwatchman for a summer camp one summer and discovered we DO have badgers in our area. A mother and babies! So one night I'm making my rounds, and look up to find her just a few feet ahead, reared up and stretched out like a walking carpet the way they do to look frightening. What I knew about badgers was that once my grandpa went hunting with his best dog and came across a badger and came home with his rifle broken and his dog dead. But I backed away slowly and lived to tell you guys about it.
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I used to rescue animals (although, do you ever really quit once you start?). I've rescued and rehabbed Pelicans, Seagulls, Opossums, Squirrels, and all other manner of wildlife.
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I have a friend who rehabs animals and sometimes I will help her (she lives an hour away from me so I dont get out to see her very often) but I have bottle-fed baby raccoons and possumms before. Another place I got to do some work with wolves. I've been able to pet them and got wolf kisses on my face. I've done volunteer work at our local zoo and personally played with baby tigers and been face to face with a large male lion. And I also held a binterong.
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When I was younger I caught a wild possum and made it a pet, couldnt handle it but I had it caged till it died. Then and now I hunt everything that moves, I also snare alot of things now.
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Very close. I used to have Foxes that I fed every night I have Swam with Dolphins, Fed Kangaroos Fed the Barbary Apes in Gibraltar Held Tarantulas and Snakes. Fed Iguanas on the Eco Island in Cuba Cuddled a Lion Cub and a Chimp.
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I live in Tennesse, and opussums are everywhere. The closest I have been is when I heard my dog, Gadget, barking strangely. It was the middle of the night and I really didn't want to get up, but of course, I had to. A 'possum had decided to curl up on his mattress and he wasn't very appreciative of it. He cornered the 'possum behind the hot tub and as the 'possum hissed and spit, Gadget growled and barked. It was very creepy. Eventually the 'possum crapped a trail off of the deck and was never seen or heard from again.
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Within 6 feet (2m) of a deer; more skittish deer that were obviously more afraid of humans, 20' or 6-7m. I've touched at least one snake. A few months ago I got my beagle inside when he had a possum cornered, and got within 10' (3m) of it.
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I have held a Caymen, and stroked a baby aligator.
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I've strangled a grizzly bear with my bare (or bear) hands...lol. Obviously kidding, but I've touched many wild animals to include snakes, possum, raccoons, fish, birds, rabbits etc. Do recently deceased deer count?
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We have so many deer in our area maybe I shouldn't count them. When hiking through a preserve in Virginia Beach, I came upon two large brown snakes on the path in front of me, who looked totally disinterested in my presence. Turns out they were harmless anyway! When I lived in Central America I looked out the window to see a sloth hanging on our clothesline. And the school I taught at was on an Air Force Base in the middle of a jungly area; you wouldn't believe all the critters we saw there, noticeable a bright green katydid about the length of a ruler, scorpions, and the odd tarantula hanging out on a wall.
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I've fed raccoons, geese, and ducks from my hands. Not sure how "wild" they are, since the raccoons and geese were on a college campus and the ducks were in a duck pond, but I wouldn't consider them "domesticated" either. Love used to have a cell phone photo of me crouching down feeding the ducks... not two feet from a "do not feed the waterfowl" sign.
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I'm an animal rehabilitator, so I've seen the gamut of native wildlife. THe last thing I rehabbed was a possum. I had to give it amoxycillin for a nasty eye infection, but I saved the eye. He was eaten up with fever when I first got him, so much so that he would eat right out of my hand. Ever tried to admin liquids antibiotics to a possum? It aint easy!! They hate it! My daughters and I catch snakes, turtles (I was bitten by a hatchling alligator snapping turtle and various snakes last summer), bats, lizards, birds, deer, possum, coons....all the native wildlife in Georgia. When they're sick, I have a deal worked out witht he local vet to exchange goods for services. I've even fed a bear Gatorade. Man, they LOVE that stuff!! THe bear has THE softest toungue in the animal kingdom. It's like velvet. I've also owned a marmoset, a kinkajou and a bobcat. Bobcats are EXTREMELY loving. In fact, they are downright obnoxious with their affection, at times. +5
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We get coons, skunks, deer, possums and coyotes around here. I have almost had my leg taken off as a kid by a raccoon, our dog, Dude, saved me before it actually latched on. We also had a skunk that stayed the winter in our cat houses with the cats, ran out to eat with 'em and everything. Also had a big ol' possum that came up and was sitting on the porch in front of our door. I took a spray bottle of water and sprayed him away. Occasionally early in the morning there might be a few deer traveling thru our yard. I have only heard the coyotes, that's scary enough as it is!
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All of the above and then some. I've encountered wild raccoons that came in to be fed at a restaurant in a state park, along with foxes, deer and groundhogs. I've encountered deer, wild turkeys, snakes, foxes, and others on the various farms where I've lived and worked. In fact, I've been able to imitate a fox call well enough to call in a fox twice in my life. We had a possum in the barn where I worked one day, in the stall we used for an office and hay and feed storage. Both of the guys (who were country boys and hunters) were afraid to even go in the stall with it. I went in, scooped it up in a bucket and carried it outside and dumped it. After that, I had the respect of both guys, even though they typically didn't have much respect for women.
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There is a family of raccoons by my dumpster.. The first time i saw them, all i saw was there eyes kind of glowing so i ran. I see them every night now and we have become very good friends. If i leave them food, they dont tear up my garbage.
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A deer jumped over the hood of my car once. I didn't do anything as I was going about 50 miles an hour. Also, there was a big moose walking down the middle of the road in Maine one time. Slowed down as I passed him. He was only a few feet away. I've snorkeled with all the multi-colored fish off the great barrier reef in Australia and also in Hawaii. Those guys ate from your hand.
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Nothing exotic. Been within a couple of feet of deer, raccoons, bats, owls, opossum, skunks, rabbits. Held turtles - even snapping turtles, snakes and frogs.
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If you can name it, I've probably been in very close close contact with it :)
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an opossum came into my home and i was close enough that i could have touched it so unexpected i screamed like a banshee ! as far as other wild life i am close all the time i live at the foot of mountains and wild game is always near by. +5
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I've had an oppossum attack me before so yeh, pretty close. I screamed and the dog went after it. I also had a family of raccoons live under the porch of my house and they used to come right up and take the catfood off it and eat it right in front of you.
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Last night when I was dumping the garbage, a possum jumped out of the can and ran inches past my feet. Ew. Too close.
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An opossum was on my stoop just last night. Came to join me for a night cap, I suppose. Thank you for including the "o" in opossum. +2 for that alone
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All kinds of critters - possums, armidillos, squirrels, racoon, ground hogs (they bite!), skunk, bobcats, bears, & beavers! Just about anything you can find in the woods of NE Texas I've touched or been around.
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Hand fed possums Hunted a kangaroo out of my tent Scooped funnel web spiders out of my swimming pool Came face to face with a snake that was on my property Got stuck on the road behind a very slow wombat I was picnicing by a river and saw a Platypus (that was amazing? I have been swooped by Magpie birds (not fun)
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An alligator came up to me when I was visiting the Everglades. I started taking photos of it and it ran away. I chased after it with the camera, but it outran me. I think I must have let it do that because I really didn't want to catch up to it!
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Well...I see my mother in law everyday
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While tent camping a bear tried to get in our car.
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I live in a rural part of New Brunswick, Canada and we're known for our wild life. Most of it lives in my back yard! On any given day I see deer, moose, geese, partridge, rabbits, foxes, coyotes, bears and racoons. One morning I got up for my walk just as the sun was coming up. I had on my iPod quite loud, walking in a straight line but looking over to the right at a woman waving frantically at me from her window. When I turned to face front, there was a doe standing nose to nose with me! Stupid me said "Good morning", walked around her and kept going. She followed me home and then kept walking through my yard to the lake. Too funny!!!
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Yes,I have seen bear,elk,deer,bobcat,mink,rabbit,possum,raccoon,coyote,fox,rattlesnakes,frogs turtles,skinks,lizards,salamanders,raptors,waterfowl,gamebirds and songbirds .I just watch them and appreciate their beauty:)
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AN Opossum and it really sucked. I was home on Xmas break and in my old room in the basement after a night of really good times....out like a light and I get woken up by this click click scratch scratch. This goes on for 15 minutes until I had enough and flick on the light and right there face to face with me is this *Ugly* slimy opossum in my window well...I figured he was trying to stay warm and all and tried to sleep but the critter just made this awful racket. I ended up having to get dressed.... tarped it and hauled it 5 blocks away and let it go on my buddies property! lol!
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Racoons, opossums: I can get so close i COULD touch them. But the fear of rabies makes me not touch them. The critters run rampant in my back yard at night ;) Other animals: Goats, deer, wild horses, a black bear. I love encountering these animals, but im usually hesitant to touch :(
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I was chased by one of these lovely beasties whilst strolling through a rainforest in North Queensland about 25 years ago. I managed to run up a steep hill which these birds find hard to do. I have never been so frightened in my life. I had nightmares for weeks. http://www.amazingaustralia.com.au/animals/cassowary-attacks.htm
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Heck our house is backed up to a preserve in Florida. It is full of raccoons, opossums, and even wild pigs. I go out and feed them if we have left overs from the night. They let me pet them and everything. Probably not the best idea. But I did get a rabies shots a few years ago when a dog bit me..
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I found a youngster opossum on the sidewalk on my way to my local greasy spoon for breakfast. I had a hooded sweatshirt with a panel pocket in the front. I kept it in my kangaroo pouch during breakfast. The waitresses were curious. I kept it in my locker at work. It had a soft place to sleep. I was told to call Fish and Game and they would put it out in the wild. So I called and the officer showed up at work. I had the critter in a baseball cap with some socks under it. The officer took the hat and dumped it into a paper sack. He said he would take care of it. Later, I learned what that meant.
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i have been about one metre of a kangaroo while camping. it was quite scary as i could of sworn it was trying to jack off
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Last night one almost tripped me. I was jogging and the little bastard ran right out in front of me. I owned wild raccoon. But they get nasty eventually, and too big to manage.
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Moose, deer, porcupine!
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Possums have been walking around my back porch. Yuck!
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About 30 ft. to both, but I've been on the other side of the glass from an uncaged bear. I just walked past the opossum and racoon. We drove slowly past the bear.
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Linda Joy I picked up a squirrel once when I was in 3rd grade. It bit me and it had to be quarantined for rabies. It didn't have rabies. I was also bit by a praying mantis I tried to pick up once. I trapped a scorpion once, but tried not to touch it.
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I saw my sister naked once, does that count?
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Wild I don't know about, but college kiddies that moved out apparently had an opossum they left behind, which invaded when I had the door open to cool the place down before bed. Heard it rustling around in some boxes I was saving. Since it didn't attack when I threw a towel on it, and carried it outside, I assume it was tame.
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bears in my driveway
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