When I was growing up, we did a lot of “camping.” Of course, our version of camping was a little bit more civilized than the camping that I learned about when I went to college and planned my first “real” camp out. We had a motor home. A motor home that happened to be Dad’s daily driver.
We always had a fully stocked fridge, running water, a shower, a toilet, a functional kitchen, and beds. We stayed in resort campgrounds, mostly Yogi Bear/Jellystone Parks where we swam in heated pools with water slides instead of lakes or rivers. We played video games in the arcade, and the parents cocktailed by the pool. We watched cartoons in an outdoor theater, participated in exciting kid programming like water balloon fights, scavenger hunts, and snipe hunts.
Our favorite campground was in Calendonia, Wisconsin. Occasionally, we would take “nature walks” around Boo Boo Pond. This would always seem like an adventure, but we never really saw anything terribly exciting…Except for that one time we saw a duck. It was a white duck that was just sitting there…hanging out.
Usually, the ducks were in the pond, but not this little guy. Or girl. She was sitting a foot off the path. Just sitting there.
We often brought bread to feed the fishies, so I thought that it would be cool to feed the duck.
Big mistake.
Huge.
I reached out to hand the ducky a little piece of bread. The damn thing reached it’s beak out and bit the crap out of my little hand. I screamed. My mom laughed. My brother laughed. I started crying. I had a big red bite mark covering my entire hand. It was surprising how much it hurt. Stupid duck beak.
Apparently, the duck was sitting on a nest. It was definitely a she-duck. A mommy-to-be-duck. A biting-vicious-beast-duck.
I remember whining about how I got bit by a duck. The whole weekend. I’ll bet my family loved that. Then again, whenever something ridiculous happens to me, I whine for days…
Check out more wild animals at It’s a Dome Life and First Time Mom and Dad!
What about you, friends? Any strange encounters with wild animals?
11 Responses
Ok I’ve never been bitten by a duck but I have been pecked in the head by a Canada Goose when I was in University and lying on the grass reading. Dude wanted my sandwich out of my packpack and was willing to go for it!!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Fuckin’ geese. Those assholes are trying to take over the world!
They really are. There was a pond on campus so there were hundreds of the buggers. Add on that they were totally used to people and you get some scary ass birds. And they’re pretty damn huge.
That must have hurt. Do you still get mad thinking about everyone laughing? I would. I’d be holding a grudge for life!
I should be holding a grudge…But then I would hold grudges at almost everyone…because it seems I get hurt and people laugh…such is life…
Is your last name Griswald? Your family motor home aka Dad’s daily driver is priceless! Fucking. Priceless! The duck bite… Classic! I bet that shit hurt! Reach out and try to touch my kid I’ll bite your ass too. HARD! I’m sorry, I bet it was traumatizing…. wasn’t there a sign that said Don’t Feed The Ducks? Surely.
Yes. Yes it is.
That was funny. My immediate memory from camping was when I found a raccoon in the outhouse in the middle of the night. I was probably 8 or so and was somewhat frightened and partly excited because raccoons were my favorite animal at the time.
That’s awesome! I remember being terrified of raccoons when I was a kid…
LOL!! I’m sure it was very painful, but at least it made for a great story afterwards! 😀
Definitely true!