WILD BOAR ENCOUNTER!! Day 28 on the Camino del Norte

[@EvanYeahMe]

I love it “rustling in the cornfields is never good”. Truer words have never been spoken. 😂 Hello from Canada Nadine !

[@NadineWalks]

Hahaha, seriously! (I also grew up watching the horror movie 'Children of the Corn' so things in cornfields always feel creepy/concerning...)

[@FrScottHikes]

You definitely did the right thing. Those wild boars can be vicious. 👍👍

[@NadineWalks]

A hospitalera had been telling us about how unpredictable and potentially dangerous they could be... just a few days before the boar encounter... it's a good thing that conversation was fresh in my mind!

[@clivewright5437]

Fantastic Route Thanks for sharing Love and Rainbows

[@jasonburke4665]

Hey it's Erin. This is the one I've been waiting for!!! Thanks for showing your experience with boars. I'm going to research what to do around pasture/field animals!!!

[@NadineWalks]

Yes, I think having a general sense of what to do around animals is smart! I had no idea if I should make noise, if I should be quiet, if it would have been okay to pass or not (though I did have a feeling that the best thing to do was to not get too close). My heart was definitely racing but luckily the boar didn't seem interested in me at all!

[@bmtdoc]

Thanks. Boar-ing start but sow what! The views of the coast are spectacular. After your feet and boots got wet, did you get blisters?

[@NadineWalks]

No blisters from that incident (though I DO tend to get blisters when I walk with wet shoes/socks!). When I stopped for a break I put on a pair of dry socks, so I think that helped :)

[@sarahsundstrom1425]

they're all over Arizona on the AZT I never had a problem those ones in the corn are more interested in eating

[@NadineWalks]

Good to know!! They certainly seemed more interested in eating, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

[@barbrarobinson7077]

Currently about to start our 30th day from Baamonde. We used an app called Komoot to help navigate off the Camino to the alternative routes along the coast. Some amazing coastal sections.

[@NadineWalks]

That app sounds great, I'll have to look into it for future walks! Enjoy your last few sections to Santiago!

[@corwynoneil]

I had my first wild boar encounter when I was a teenager in the Black Forest of Germany. I wish I had had your sense to steer clear. I learned Boars can be very aggressive when they feel threatened.

[@peterfontaine4627]

Such beautiful coastline! In all your Caminos, what wildlife (besides the boars of course) have you actually seen? It seems like in most people's videos, it is mostly farm animals. Are there deerish animals, badgery type animals, or reptiles, etc?

[@NadineWalks]

Yes, mostly farm animals, but over the years I've seen deer on several occasions (and, actually, several times this past summer! Just couldn't capture them on video, they were too fast). I saw an otter on the beach this year too! And of course the boar, and the possible wolves on the San Salvador. Come to think of it, this was a big year for wildlife for me! Usually it's cats, dogs, cows, horses, sheep, goats :)

[@allencorson]

There was a lady I watched who had the same problem with boars on the same route maybe a month or two before you I will probably go back and see if it’s the same spot. I plan on walking the trail next May it will be my third time back to Spain

[@NadineWalks]

Hmm, I wonder if it was in a similar spot! Maybe the same family of boar...

[@dathang]

Detouring the wild boars was the right thing to do even if it resulted in wet feet. Though encountering them certainly added to the adventure, eh? Cheers and adventure on!

[@NadineWalks]

Yes, definitely made for an adventurous morning!! But I'm very glad I detoured, that was definitely the right decision!

[@ginaherold]

OMG I am doing part of the Norte next month (not that part though), but had never considered that I might encounter wild boars 😮 I also would have chosen a detour :)

[@NadineWalks]

There are definitely wild boar in some sections of the walk, but the odds of encountering them are rather slim (I met one other pilgrim who saw boar off in the distance one day, but that was it, and I've never seen any on all my other walks. That being said, just wait until you see my next video...)

[@ginaherold]

@@NadineWalks I can’t wait to see what happens 🤩

[@ginaherold]

@Debed Probably, but I decided to give it a try in case the weather is fine. If it’s bad I figured I can bail out and go walk part of the Frances since I don’t have time for a complete Camino anyway :)

[@ginaherold]

@Debed Buen camino to you too 😊

[@ramblingsofagirlonaboat]

What time of year did you do this? Looks amazing! The Del Norte is the Camino I’d love to experience especially after driving it and seeing the beautiful coastline of northern Spain.

[@NadineWalks]

I walked the Norte this past summer, in July. Many other parts of Spain were experiencing extreme heat, and while I definitely had hotter temperatures than usual on the Norte (and HIGH humidity!), overall it wasn't too bad!

[@ramblingsofagirlonaboat]

@@NadineWalks thank you. I have plans to do it in July 2023. Loving your videos.

[@hilarymac3706]

I never realized there were wild boars in Spain - that’s crazy

[@NadineWalks]

I know!!!

[@davewong4834]

They come in a group, could be aggressive, very dangerous. Just like what you said. Not sure what to do when we encounter something like this either.

[@NadineWalks]

That's what I had heard too... these two boar seemed so uninterested in me that for a brief moment I did think about trying to pass them, but got way too nervous (and I'm glad I backtracked instead).

[@timbarrett5598]

Eek. The Professor and Her Passport lady was attacked by cornfield boars too.

[@NadineWalks]

They were attacked?? That's really scary!

[@timbarrett5598]

@@NadineWalks It's ok, she warded the boar off with her warrior cry and a swing nf of her walking stick. She's a tough lady 🤣

[@kimvelker]

I know of someone else that came into contact with boars on the del Norte. It scared her a lot.

[@NadineWalks]

They can definitely be scary!

[@patrickmooney4135]

Good to know about the wild boars in Spain. If I had one or two walking sticks that I could use for defense, I probably would have taken my chances by just walking slowly on the other side of the path since they seemed busy eating. Of course, there could have been 10 or 20 more just beyond those first two and then I would have been surrounded... LOL. In any case, I might now think about taking a knife along. I've watched a lot of Camino videos where people have gotten lost or even can't find their way through a city to get back on the path, have you ever considered using a Garmin with the GPS and Maps? Thanks.

[@NadineWalks]

Someone said that if you're ever attacked by a boar, try to poke them in the face with your walking stick (for what it's worth... but lets hope that none of us run into this problem!) I've never felt that I've needed a Garmin with gps on the Camino routes- but then again, I've always walked routes that have been fairly well waymarked (and I try to do a little research beforehand to make sure that there are enough arrows and signs so that I won't lose my way). The Buen Camino app has a gps track that shows where you are on the route, so I often refer to that when I'm in cities and get turned around and/or lose the route. But some pilgrims use a Garmin with GPS and it definitely adds an extra layer of security!

[@anthonyrebock5351]

A walk Not so boaring....

[@NadineWalks]

Hahaha, definitely not boring!!