I've got about a half dozen solo trips under my belt, and I usually sleep like a baby. The heebie-geebies (technical term) are moderate the first night, but they go away very quickly thereafter.

Anyways, my last trip, I was enjoying a late-night fire when a very noisy rustling in the bushes alerted me to the presence of something definitely unwelcome. First thought was a raccoon, then maybe a bear (or a cub), but it turned out to be a pine marten.

This thing would not leave me alone. All night long, darting here and there, up trees and down, flank attacks and head on ones, etc. I had been in camp for a few hours, no food cooked, all food double bagged and hanging in an Ursack, when the little demon first appeared. I threw some rocks, yelled, etc., all to not avail.

Even when I knew what it was, hearing it running around and climbing trees bugged me. I didn't sleep well. I had planned a few nights at that location, but I moved out the next morning to find quieter surroundings.

Has anyone else had a pine marten do this?

You may have lost a good night's sleep but at the gain of a pretty interesting story! I've never heard of such a thing, but will interested to see if others have. What lake were you on?

Yep. On a trip to the Q. Woke up, thought it was a bear like you. Went charging out of the tent to chase it away. Nope, pine marten. Yep, hung around for hours. At one point three of us were up. We always have a clean camp too.
Never happened before or since.

Nope, never had that experience with a pine marten, but some other critters have hung around annoyingly.

Never, but it sounds pretty cool (of course, I was not there!)!

I was camped on South Lake, just north of North Bay, in the Q. Nice site, and it probably sees some use, but it didn't seem nearly as heavily used as the other popular ones in the area. I've never heard of a pine marten being habituated to humans; they're usually pretty skittish, at least in my experience. It did leave the Ursack alone and seemed more curious than anything. Why it stuck around for six hours, in the face of flying granite and multiple curse words, I don't know.

In hindsight, it was kind of neat. Its eyes glowed a distinct green when hit by the headlamp. And man can those things move. It's amazing how BIG sound the creatures that go bump in the night. After 30+ trips, it still surprises me.

I was camped on South Lake, just north of North Bay, in the Q. Nice site, and it probably sees some use, but it didn't seem nearly as heavily used as the other popular ones in the area. I've never heard of a pine marten being habituated to humans; they're usually pretty skittish, at least in my experience. It did leave the Ursack alone and seemed more curious than anything. Why it stuck around for six hours, in the face of flying granite and multiple curse words, I don't know.

In hindsight, it was kind of neat. Its eyes glowed a distinct green when hit by the headlamp. And man can those things move. It's amazing how BIG sound the creatures that go bump in the night. After 30+ trips, it still surprises me.

One of the reasons I pack a sling shot.

I've had a pine marten hang around my campsite in Sylvania several years ago. It was there for three days. It was bound and determined to catch the squirrel who was using the campsite as his home base.

The pine marten finally caught the squirrel and all was quiet after that. It was actually very entertaining.

Interesting story. I've not seen a pine marten, but would like to, possibly at the expense of a nights sleep.

Reminds me of an alpine trip in New Zealand about ten years ago. Mount Aspiring National Park, if memory serves. We were tenting above treeline near a glacier and these damn Keas - alpine parrots - would not leave us alone. They were pulling at the tent corners, stakes, etc., despite flying rocks, charging, and harsh words they stuck around for hours. Brilliant and beautiful, curious and a supreme annoyance, if you like birds but don't know about the Kea, check out some videos. I'm glad I have the experience but no sleep after a long, physically demanding ascent was quite frustrating at the time!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kea

Cool birds...I'd never heard of them.

There was a communist squirrel at the site, now that you mention it. The marten seemed more interested in me than it, or at least that was my impression, and I don't remember whether I heard/saw the squirrel the next morning. I think it'd be kind of fun to watch a pine marten stalkingchasing one of those little guys; but who knows, maybe I did. :)

quote KarlBAndersen1: "One of the reasons I pack a sling shot."

Why is that? To kill it?

quote Minnesotian: "

quote KarlBAndersen1: "One of the reasons I pack a sling shot."

Why is that? To kill it? "

Why jump to the worst possible accusation? This is so prevelant among the smear crowd. A good smack just might get the critter to think twice about hanging around for hours.

I recently went to Isle Royale and due to a past experience at their shelters I packed a mouse trap (regulations be ignored in this case) to yes, kill any rodent incursions into my domicile. Try sleeping while a big fat rodent is scurrying around investigating all your gear. Fortunately everything was tight and I didn't need it but I wouldn't think twice about it.

I watched a pair of Pine Martens play on scaffolding inside Paradise inn one winter while it was closed. It would of definitely gone viral if I could got it on video. Any Olympic gymnast would of been envious and I have never seen such acrobats.

I tried running a trap line once for Marten but it was easier said than done and my line got buried under 3ft of snow and I spent a rather dicey day on snowshoes and skis getting in and pulling my traps. Marten have been historically a winter mainstay for many trappers.

I used to pack a Wrist Rocket on my fire engine when I worked out of Isabella.
Hit a few grouse but never killed any, I also hit a few Moose with it, but never killed any of them either.
(I'm not sure if the moose ever felt it, because they never flinched)

They trap a lot of Martin here in Ak, using a suspended log at a 45 degree angle, the end is 4-5 feet above the ground.
The trap is set at the high end of the log with bait suspended above it.

quote mastertangler: "

quote Minnesotian: "

quote KarlBAndersen1: "One of the reasons I pack a sling shot."

Why is that? To kill it? "

Why jump to the worst possible accusation? This is so prevelant among the smear crowd. A good smack just might get the critter to think twice about hanging around for hours.


"

I wasn't trying to smear anyone. I was legitimately asking a question. I have never owned a sling shot but just assumed that it could kill animals of a certain size, a pine martin being one of them.

You brought a mouse trap to Isle Royale? Is that really stated in the regulations that you can't?

Well I owe you an agology don't I Minnesotan? My sincere regrets for having mischaracterized your statement. I hope you will overlook my transgression.

As per mouse traps in a national park.......pretty sure that trapping of any kind would be against the rules. The first time I went to Isle Royale I had a war with a very fat mouse which was waged far into the night. Hard to sleep with the blasted thing clambering about. I finally cornered the pesky critter and dispatched it with the broom which is kept in every shelter. Pretty sure that was probably against national park rules as well.

Indeed linden I am well aware of the typical angled log set. Typically the trap is set on the log and a 1/2 red squirrel, their favorite prey, is tacked in place above the "gangplank" as it were. Those were good years walking in the woods for months at a time all day long. I gave my kit, all my equipment, to a childhood friend when I moved to Florida. He's talking about us teaming up someday to run a line together. I loved everything about it except the dispatching part, not so sure my heart would be in it anymore.

No worries. Water under the bridge.

I have stayed at those same shelters on Isle Royale. I found the Daisy Farm ones to be pretty overrun with critters.

quote Minnesotian: "
No worries. Water under the bridge.


I have stayed at those same shelters on Isle Royale. I found the Daisy Farm ones to be pretty overrun with critters. "

Thank you for the gracious response.

My first trip to Isle Royale I had a long night at Daisy Farm as well. I called it "war with a mouse, may he R.I.P" in my journal. But oddly enough the the two subsequent trips, including the last in which I spent 25 nights in various shelters around the island, I had zero rodent problems. They may have done a better job sealing things up perhaps?

I wonder if Martens eat mice as well as squirrels?

A pine marten is far too large to kill with a sling shot of the type I use.
I'm a pretty good shot. I compete.
So a couple good smacks on the ass would get his attention. And I'm bettin' good money - he'd be gone.

A winter camping trip with the Pine Marten trying to steal our lake Trout. We ran after him and he dropped it. I think later on he got the free innards of the lake trout
Also Ruff Grouse hunting walking a long trail by Isabella lake I shot two grouse right away and decided to put them behind a tree and pick up when returning on the same trail. Well all I had left was a pile of feathers from I am sure was a Pine Marten visit.

Cool photo, Pinetree!

In May of 2016 I took my son; who was 8 at the time, on his first trip. We went with my normal tripping buddy as well. After his 2nd trip from the latrine that first day I hear him running back to camp: "dad, there is a HUUUUGE squirrel in the tree behind the toilet!"

I walk back with him and sure enough, there is Mr. Marten scolding us. The entire trip he was getting into the latrine at night and leaving the lid up. We deemed him "the Poop Monster." I'll tell you what, they are crazy athletic and I'm a huge fan because they take out those pesky red squirrels!

Here is the tree he was in scolding us behind the latrine:

I've had a few encounters with Pine Marten in the bush and always enjoy them. I just can't resist the cuteness of that face, even when they turn vicious. It's their space, is my thinking, and for the brief time we cross paths I can tolerate the nuisance factor.

Two years ago, a pine marten took residence under the deck of the cabin and decided to raise her young there. I would find remants of critters scattered here and there, and sometimes on the deck. Occasionally, the smell of rotting something emanated from underneath the deck and that wasn't too appreciated but after she was done raising them they scattered and weren't seen again. Now there's a fox looking to take up residence there. Here's the original culprit - beautiful:

kona: "Interesting story. I've not seen a pine marten, but would like to, possibly at the expense of a nights sleep.


Reminds me of an alpine trip in New Zealand about ten years ago. Mount Aspiring National Park, if memory serves. We were tenting above treeline near a glacier and these damn Keas - alpine parrots - would not leave us alone. They were pulling at the tent corners, stakes, etc., despite flying rocks, charging, and harsh words they stuck around for hours. Brilliant and beautiful, curious and a supreme annoyance, if you like birds but don't know about the Kea, check out some videos. I'm glad I have the experience but no sleep after a long, physically demanding ascent was quite frustrating at the time!


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kea "

Cheeky birds! They have been known to rip all of the rubber weatherstripping off of car windshields and completely destroy bicycle seats. They were all over Arthur's Pass when I was up there at a hostel.

carmike: "Cool photo, Pinetree!


"

Agreed. I'm wondering if the marten isn't territorial similar to the chipmunks in the backcountry that scream and titter as you walk over the portage trails or set up camp? That might account for it's aggressive behavior. I'm guessing obviously -- I'm not an ethologist by trade.

Fishing the salmon run on a Lake Ontario pier buddy caught a decent salmon and had it laid out on the concrete. The boulder rip rap that was the foundation of the breakwall also was the home of a burgeoning Marten family, and doesn't one of them come out when no one is looking and runs off with buddy's salmon. All we heard was the neighbour saying "Well there goes your fish" just in time to turn around and see a tail disappear into the boulders.

The rest of the night you could hear them feasting, chittering, and basically having a Marten house party. Buddy was not amused, haa haa.


As for being kept up on a solo trip, there was one night where I was woken by what sounded like somebody dragging a body by my tent. SSSSHHHHHHHuuuuuuPPPP, SSSSHHHHHHuuuuuPPPPPP. Turns out I was camping next to a beaver pantry, so all night, ALL night, this damned beaver was knocking down birch trees and dragging them by my tent. And a beaver dragging half a birch by your tent sounds a lot like Leatherface dragging a corpse back to a kill room, lol.

One of many cool moments in the BWCA was when I spotted a pine marten on the portage to Knife lake. I saw movement and stood still, he/she stared at me for several moments, shook it's tail and then went into the woods. I had assumed a mink, but it was not until I got home that I confirmed it's identity. I dunno, annoying or not, I consider most wildlife encounters a privilege.