Creature you'd most like to avoid on a trail

[Eric267]

This was a couple years back. 85 year old woman had been feeding the bears: https://www.inforum.com/news/accide...d-montana-woman-killed-rare-black-bear-attack

There was an article in the paper a few years back that talked about the Tahoe community and living with bear as the come closer and become more accustomed to people and living off garbage. One of the statistics they stated was that about 1/2 of the bear attacks in the US involved people feeding the Bears weather it be wild bear around their house or captive like in the zoo or as pets.

I like to joke black bear are like big chocolate labs because of their disposition. But, if you've ever raised a large dog (especially a food driven lab) you know how hard you have to work on training them not to jump up on you, especially well feeding or giving treats. This is where people go wrong with feeding bears. Its a wild animal that (around here) weighs 250-400 pounds. It may seem docile but it is food driven and the outcome of it "jumping up on you" even if it's not vicious by nature has devastating results!!

 

[Scrundy]

Sasquatch is only thing that worries me, but you can smell them far off. I carry a pistol on my side when in the woods so not to worried about much really.

 

[David Chaus]

I think this would be “other”

 

[Mothertucker]

Which species of cougar?

There is only one species, the ones with the slightly more serious claws I call catamount.

 

[Jim Kenney]

I was skiing at Wintergreen, VA about a week after Groundhog Day 2013 and a big fat southern cousin of Punxsutawney Phil ran across the slope right in front of me. I could have gotten a real close-up, but it took me a moment to pull out my camera.

PS: he saw his shadow, more winter that year.

 

[Mothertucker]

I got cougars stalkin' me all the time. Liger.

Which species of cougar?

There is only one species, the ones with the slightly more serious claws I call catamount.

I had another one sneak up on me yesterday, I think it was a '72 Mercury, and well preserved.

 

[slowrider]

Speaking of Bears. A sad and unusual accident.

http://www.ktvz.com/news/off-duty-bend-firefighter-dies-in-hwy-26-bear-motorcycle-crash/748989884

 

[Sibhusky]

And then there's rattlesnakes whose heads were decapitated an hour ago...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/severed-rattlesnake-head-bites-man-who-decapitated-it/

 

[Tricia]

And then there's rattlesnakes whose heads were decapitated an hour ago...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/severed-rattlesnake-head-bites-man-who-decapitated-it/

Holy crap! 26 doses of anti-venom!
From the article:
"A normal person who is going to get bit is going to get two to four doses of antivenom," Sutcliffe told KIII-TV. "He had to have 26 doses."

 

[Bad Bob]

A 2nd tourist got stomped by an elk at Yellowstone today. That is 2 in 3 days or so.

They still make tourists like they used to.

 

[VickieH]

Holy crap! 26 doses of anti-venom!

Just reading about rattlesnakes this week. As I understood the article, the decapitated head will still have the instinct and ability to bite, but does not have the ability to release.

 

[Sibhusky]

And the hits just keep on coming..

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-gored-in-bison-attack-in-yellowstone-national-park/

 

[Tricia]

The human/wildlife interactions seem to be more frequent. Crazy!

 

[Philpug]

I think the animals have been meeting and are now revolting.

 

[James]

And the hits just keep on coming..

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-gored-in-bison-attack-in-yellowstone-national-park/

Just the usual idiots getting too close to an emormous wild animal. Surprising it on a trail is different.

People are thinking this is like an amusement park with a petting zoo. In some ways it's the park's fault just having a road through wild animals gives a sense of that. Maybe you should be required to watch goring films before entering.

Quote from the article:
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The National Park Service (NPS) advises visitors should never be less than 25 yards from most wildlife. Predators like wolves and bears require greater caution and a minimum distance of 100 yards. The NPS rule of thumb is, "If you cause an animal to move, you're too close," noting that it is "illegal to willfully remain near or approach wildlife, including birds, within any distance that disturbs or displaces the animal."
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[MarkP]

Just reading about rattlesnakes this week. As I understood the article, the decapitated head will still have the instinct and ability to bite, but does not have the ability to release.

@VickieH, this seems in conflict with the assertion in the article. Could you post a link to where you got your information?

 

[kimmyt]

As someone who has worked with animals, wild and domesticated, almost my entire life, I am always shocked at how close people will get to wild animals without a thought. When I was in Thailand people would be approaching the monkeys. These are wild monkeys, people! With canines the size of my pinky finger! It floored me.

I'm reading a really good book right now, called 'The Animal Dialogues' by Craig Child. Its all short stories of his various encounters with wild animals. Not only are some of the chapters terrifying (one in particular where he encounters a mountain lion is jaw dropping), but the way he writes about how he tries to make as little impact on the animals with his presence as possible are really incredible. Its a really good read, I highly recommend it.

 

[Tricia]

@VickieH, this seems in conflict with the assertion in the article. Could you post a link to where you got your information?

I think what she meant is that it doesn't have the ability to release the bite, not the venom.
That makes it worse for the person who can't get the head to stop injecting the venom.

 

[Bad Bob]

The human/wildlife interactions seem to be more frequent. Crazy!

As shown before here, this is selling too well.

 

[MarkP]

Just the usual idiots getting too close to an emormous wild animal. Surprising it on a trail is different.

People are thinking this is like an amusement park with a petting zoo. In some ways it's the park's fault just having a road through wild animals gives a sense of that. Maybe you should be required to watch goring films before entering.

Quote from the article:
-------------------------
The National Park Service (NPS) advises visitors should never be less than 25 yards from most wildlife. Predators like wolves and bears require greater caution and a minimum distance of 100 yards. The NPS rule of thumb is, "If you cause an animal to move, you're too close," noting that it is "illegal to willfully remain near or approach wildlife, including birds, within any distance that disturbs or displaces the animal."
---------------------------

Education and a good healthy respect for nature would go a long way.

Unfortunately, that could be in direct violation of American's inalienable right to be as clueless and ignorant as they want.