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Don't sweat the creatures, who are just as anxious to avoid you as you are them.

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This coming from a guy with a rattlesnake for an avatar...
Honestly, those would be MY first concern... and ARE! I try to make reasonable quantities of noise when moving around at a remote dark site, if/when away from the scope. I'm sure the rattlers stay away from where we are, but when "nature calls"....

This remote site i never observe alone at. I'd be totally safe from druggies, weirdo's, & party hounds- but a drive to the nearest medical facility is 45 minutes. Not something i'd wanna undertake, solo, while snake-bit!

Aside from those, wild pigs can be an issue in our region, and they aren't particularly afraid of much of anything. Those i'd like to avoid, as they can be horribly dangerous. Thankfully, we've never seen nor heard signs of them at our site.

A nearby state park is a decent dark-site, but is right off a main highway... possibly prone to late-nite travelers... tho the few times i've been there i've seen NO one. Not even the ranger that supposedly patrols there. Some of those trips i've brought my dog, but honestly, it's not a lot of fun for him.

I don't get a lot of yard visitors, or interested friends... my complaint might run a little opposite of yours? But when scheduling events with others, non-astro types, i generally shoot for the Moon. Seriously. Right around first quarter is perfect, as earlier in the eve they get wow'd by its views, then as it gets lower the sky darkens to where deepsky views are pretty good. Then, when it gets late enough, everyone bails to go home... and the Moon has set, leaving me gorgeous dark (well, such as they are from the edge of a small town) skies to go huntin' faint fuzzies only *i* am likely to appreciate!

For Moonless nites, i *try* to reserve my efforts for myself- and those who are more similarly invested... all things bein' equal.

Still, happy are YOU that so many wish to "observe" with you. I suspect this is a VERY odd "problem" to have among we enthusiasts.

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the biggest hazard is probably mosquitoes.

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My observing site is in my 20 acre yard. Cougars, bear, etc., are around. Rattlers are around, but rarely seen. I observe alone 99% of the time; welcoming it when a fellow CN'r comes to visit, and we can observe together. I love hearing the coyotes, owls, cattle in the far distance. This is music to observe by.

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I love hearing the coyotes, owls, cattle in the far distance. This is music to observe by.

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Agreed! On the edge of town where i live, with undeveloped fields all around nearby, i get overflown by barn-owls all the time. My dog loves them, too... in fact, i think *he* thinks THEY are what i'm scopin' for! Generally he'll spot them first, but if i see one i'll call it out to him, and he'll run around the yard like a nut, arfing at it. It's the highlight of *his* evening of stargazing with me.

We hear the coyotes singing in the night from our darksky observing site, and that's also very cool. Still, as was stated above, i feel a li'l more comfortable when partnered up... not sure how being all alone might factor into one's vulnerability with those rascals.

Many years ago i was out & about with my young boys- day trippin' around some local boonies, my eye set to find a secluded observing spot- one sequestered from view, headlights, etc. from which to scope the night skies. We noticed a few aircraft buzzing about... slightly unusual, but not unheard of; it's a gorgeous place to fly, away from crowded airspace. Then, on our drive back to town, we ended up behind a large white sedan- obviously an "unmarked" gubbermint car of some flavor.

Watching the news that nite cleared up the mystery of the aircraft & car... they'd found the body of a missing rape victim, dumped right out near where we'd been poking around, and would be continuing to search for additional victims.

This pretty well scuttled my plans for observing out there. Since then, it's at public sites that are "rangered", or else private land behind gates... *locked* ones. Unfortunately, it's just the way things are these days...

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I do get a bit freaked by nearby deer-snorts and coyote howls, but I usually just speak loudly to the critters and they go away.

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I am pretty much a lone wolf, observing can be a solitary, meditative experience, I like it that way. I also enjoy observing with a friend or two, it's a different experience. And get togethers are fun but again different.

Being in San Diego, my favorite local dark sky locations are all within a few miles the US-Mexico border in remote regions where all sorts of smuggling goes on. I have never had any sort of an incident, but it is always in back of my mind and a few times an Owl on a post or a falling branch has brought me back from the distance reaches of the universe to the earth, startling me. The adrenalin rush certainly helps keep me awake.

Realistically, it is a region where there is a lot smuggling but it is heavily patrolled, the inner cities should have it so good. The area is flooded with Border Patrol agents, helicopters with infrared detectors, cars and trucks, agents on ATVs looking for tracks on narrow paths.. I feel extra safe...

Jon

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Unfortunately, it's just the way things are these days...

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She jumped back (it's amazing how fast they can move), and let out a huge, "Mooooooooooo". Needless to say, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I probably lost a couple of years off the end of my life

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Yes, all the time. I am too old to be spooked or scared. Some say I,m crazy but mom got me tested, whatever that nerd show qoute is.

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Thats a.. cemetery. Isn't it? *BLEEP* that takes the cake for all time spooky observing sites. I'm sure the dead make good observing companions

As for me. If I can't find a buddy to go with me my .44 makes for a loyal companion. So na.. no worries.

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Yes, all the time. I am too old to be spooked or scared. Some say I,m crazy but mom got me tested, whatever that nerd show qoute is.

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Thats a.. cemetery. Isn't it? *BLEEP* that takes the cake for all time spooky observing sites. I'm sure the dead make good observing companions

As for me. If I can't find a buddy to go with me my .44 makes for a loyal companion. So na.. no worries.

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Well, with telescopes we view the past, why not view from a place we all end up at in the future???? They're also very quiet, and dark (ever seen a well-lit graveyard?)

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Carol!! I love your articles, I just wish we can receive the magazine earlier :\. Loved your Jupiter sketch!!

So many great stories, thank you for sharing.

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Thank you, Sean!

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I observe alone on my 15 acres of bush in northern Saskatchewan. There are bears, moose, elk, eagles, etc. Last August when I was there many gunshots were fired on the other side of the river. Guess someone was getting an early start on hunting season? Or maybe they thought my dob was a cannon - it's a little red of neck round there.

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I have a patient that I told to get rid of his guns. At follow up they were gone but he refused to get rid of the cannon in his front yard! He will still shoot it off into the national park! I think/hope he uses blanks

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Too funny! I hope he wears a napoleonic hat when he's firing off his cannon.

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Yes, all the time. I am too old to be spooked or scared. Some say I,m crazy but mom got me tested, whatever that nerd show qoute is.

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Thats a.. cemetery. Isn't it? *BLEEP* that takes the cake for all time spooky observing sites. I'm sure the dead make good observing companions

As for me. If I can't find a buddy to go with me my .44 makes for a loyal companion. So na.. no worries.

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I have a cemetery right behind my house. I usually don't observe IN it, but occasionally I'll take a walk back through it to get a view to the south away from the perpetually lit parking lot of the church off to the west.
As for guns, I have them and enjoy shooting, (my favorite is the 1911 .45,) but one can only use them when his life is in danger, which is highly unlikely in this part of rural Iowa. In the outside chance I might be seriously bothered by meth types or just punks out at one of my dark sky sites, I do have a sort of collapsible club that helps me relax.

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It's truly amazing how a small Raccoon can sound like an 8ft 400lb Bigfoot when your alone in the dark.

Steve

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There was one time I was really sure there was someone out there... We had the motorhome at our secret spot, it was less than 10 miles from the US Mexico border right on a smuggling route that bypassed the normal check points.

About midnight I heard what sounded like someone taking careful steps every 15 seconds or so through the surrounding brush. I was quite fearful. Went inside, woke up my wife, to her what was going on. Got a big flashlight and went outside to look.

I couldn't see anything, just the sound.

After a couple of minutes, I just caught a glimpse of a large owl flying away...

Jon

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I observe alone on my 15 acres of bush in northern Saskatchewan. There are bears, moose, elk, eagles, etc. Last August when I was there many gunshots were fired on the other side of the river. Guess someone was getting an early start on hunting season? Or maybe they thought my dob was a cannon - it's a little red of neck round there.

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I have a patient that I told to get rid of his guns. At follow up they were gone but he refused to get rid of the cannon in his front yard! He will still shoot it off into the national park! I think/hope he uses blanks

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Yep, only a red neck would shoot across a river at a guy with a cannon............

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My biggest fear is stumbling across a nervous astronomer with a gun.

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Approach with caution!

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My biggest fear is stumbling across a nervous astronomer with a gun.

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Would that fear expand to include a "yard cannon"?
I think my Dob qualifies, when properly shrouded, anyway... tho it's generally not loaded, so yer safe to approach.

*ME*, on the other hand- i'm known to fire off bad puns with Gatling-gun ferocity, so you've been warned!

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I haven't been killed or eaten yet.

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This brings up a curious angle on the matter; is it possible to be eaten, yet not killed? Perhaps this is an IRS question?

Our li'l group's darksky site, in the dry-grass + oak hills of central-coastal CA, has none of Jim's larger beasts... more the crawling variety. I s'pose that wouldn't include tweekers, tho i could be mistaken on that.

When asked by the squeamish about rattlesnake concerns, we tell them "no worries, the tarantulas scared them off long ago."

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..surrounded by woods and anything coming out of the woods at a high rate of speed would probably be on me

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The worst part is when you are fully preoccupied with observation. I once was alone on the hills and have been at the eyepiece for few minutes but when I took by eye off the eyepiece there was a Raccoon few feet away from me just staring at me and probably wondering what the heck I was doing in its backyard. It startled me to death.
Jason

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AP during the night....I Love the Night<<a song title for those who know<<same group/band also has a song titled: Astronomy<< no cheating (ie; looking it up on the internet.)

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..surrounded by woods and anything coming out of the woods at a high rate of speed would probably be on me

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The worst part is when you are fully preoccupied with observation. I once was alone on the hills and have been at the eyepiece for few minutes but when I took by eye off the eyepiece there was a Raccoon few feet away from me just staring at me and probably wondering what the heck I was doing in its backyard. It startled me to death.
Jason

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The same thing happened to me. But in a suburban white zone backyard.

I'm out observing by the garage with a hood over my head. Suddenly I have the feeling I'm not alone. I flip back the hood and there I see the neighborhood raccoon not three feet from me. He was probably annoyed that I was blocking his path to the garbage cans.

Anyway, knowing their reputation for nastiness(and rabies!), I yelled at him as loud as I could. At the same instant he hissed at me...

...and we both ran off in opposite directions!

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Setting aside issues of safety, my best observing memories are from a cross country trip with a 10 inch Dob. There is something about the solitude, under a dark sky, with the silhouette of mountains in the distance. Just you, the sounds of coyotes and 10's to millions of light years of distance. There is a magic to that, that nothing else quite reproduces.

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I am lucky in that there is a state park with a hilltop picnic area that astronomers are allowed to use at night, for the usual $5 day-use fee, of course! They even have red lighting in the restrooms. I usually head up there alone, but if it's a decent night near the New Moon but you can usually count on a couple others up being up there too. Sometimes I'm alone at several of the other more remote and rustic sites, but with all the solo backpacking I've done, I know there aren't too many animals that I should fear in the night. I do have a CCW, and my 9mm is usually on my person when I'm not headed to the state park, but that is for the sketchy methheads you run across at strange hours in rural places. I have had some very enjoyable observing experiences with the guys I have met up at the park, but I also very much enjoy my solitude with the Cosmos too.

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So if someone lists a 9mm in their sig, it could be a lot different than the 9mm in mine (ES100)?

Seriously though, I go observing with my observing buddy unless I am in my backyard or doing outreach. One day when I get my other 9 milli I can go out by myself

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