Cougars, & Snakes & Bears Oh My!

[IrishIroamed]

Good video, but I just saw a story that said if attached by a grizzly - don't play dead because they eat dead things, old kills, etc. So now I'm just confuzled.

And Beth - OMG! Now I'm moving rear and side cameras from my wish list to must haves

[Bethers]

You wouldn't have found that bear with either when it first was around my rig - unless your camera shows all of the sides and back. Put you would have heard him - he was just being curious. And that is a very rare occurance. My close encounters OUTSIDE are what you want to worry about - not when you are safe inside. Both this summer and last, I've crossed paths with bears just walking in the TOWN of Valdez. I don't have to go on trails to do that. One of my crew members had to watch out her back door to make sure momma and cubs weren't in the back yard before they'd let their dogs out this summer. While everyone says black bears aren't as dangerous - getting between a momma and her babies - in almost any animal species (human included) is not a good idea.

Grizzlies you don't play dead - you move around, act big, make noise. For all bears (and many other animals) it's not bad to make noise, etc when hiking. But with a black bear, it might just want to play with you - so playing dead makes it not interested. Ever seen a cat with a mouse? I've actually had a cat let a mouse go because it thought it was dead - mouse was playing dead. The cat wanted a toy.

My first trip to Denali up here, the bus drivers told me they call bicyclists "meals on wheels". No, they haven't had any attacked and killed, but many animals are attracted to the movement of bikes (and even motorcycles and scooters) and will pursue - not to harm, but it's a game. I've seen it happen with many dogs. Peaches used to want to chase bikes, but now wants to go after skaters and those little scooter things (can't think of what they are called) - so I have to watch out for them.

[IrishIroamed]

I remembered we talked about this - it was just posted today on Yahoo (not sure how long the link will work).

It tells you what to do if you encounter a wild animal, so thought I'd pass along.

http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/how-to-prevent-animal-attacks-215911319.html

[Bethers]

Actually, I found that to be very good and very informative ... unlike lots of the crap on the subject the media tells us lol. Thanks for sharing that.

[Deeann]

I find this to be an interesting topic. I've camped a bit in the mountains and have read lots of information on animals and what to do if you encounter one.

Someone here said that they hiked a lot but had never seen a mountain lion. That does not mean that this person wasn't seen by a cougar though. They are very secretive and quiet. You don't know they're there. You could be 5 feet from one hiding in the bushes and not know it. Caution is the best way to be safe.

And let me assure everyone that being in an rv does not always guarantee your safety from bears. Bears have gotten into rv's many times and attacked a person inside. Some people have been killed in such instances. If you are camped in a new location inquire of the locals about wildlife in the area. Make sure the person you are asking knows what they are talking about. Just asking someone in the rv across the road might not get you good information. They might not know the area anymore than you do. If you are in bear territory it is very wise to have bear spray. And don't leave it in the rv if you go for a walk. Don't put it in a backpack. Keep it where you can get to it NOW. I've camped in Yellowstone and Yosemite when the rangers had to come and scare off a bear. They came right into the camp area. Never leave food outside. I don't wear perfume in bear areas. I don't walk around scared all day but I do try to be cautious, especially if I am boondocking in bears areas. Bears can be anywhere in that situation. I was boondocking with a friend in a very overgrown area in the Rockies. I didn't really like the spot when we arrived. Very isolated and spooky. We fixed dinner and went to bed when it got dark. (Camped in a pickup truck, not my rv). The longer we laid there the more worried we got. We finally got up, got dressed and left the are. I always follow my intuition in situations like that.

Paranoid, no. Cautious, yes.