View Full Version : Wolves, Coyotes, Mountain Lions and Bigfoot
Once I get my freedom from caregiving and can start my hiking adventures, including a NOBO AT thru, I would like to venture into some of the great National Parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite among others. I understand the rules about dealing with bears and have read up on them quite a bit from other hiker experiences. What I don't know about is dealing with other large predators in other areas outside of the AT. The mountain lion supposedly is fairly elusive and rarely seen, but the wolves probably concern me the most. And I am not referring to the predator LoneWolf of Whiteblaze. :bse
:confused: Any insight and experiences with these predators and any other aggressive mammals like Mule Deer or Elk in rut season would be appreciated. I am not sure what season I may be going to the western parks yet. Thanks.
Definitely be cautious of Bigfoot.
SMSP
Kel, the "Stickman"
01-04-2011, 06:54
...and the Warraghiyagey!
Old Hiker
01-04-2011, 06:58
...and the Warraghiyagey!
Doesn't exist. Have it on great authority: WhiteBlaze.net or some such web site. They had to close the discussion down, as there has been no evidence of said beastie.
Gray Blazer
01-04-2011, 07:30
From my experience, you have nothing to worry about from Big Foot. Now with Mule Deer or Warrrrgys rutting I have no idea. I would say don't get too close. :eek:
4eyedbuzzard
01-04-2011, 08:32
...and the Warraghiyagey!
Doesn't exist. Have it on great authority: WhiteBlaze.net or some such web site. They had to close the discussion down, as there has been no evidence of said beastie.
It was murder she wrote.
jerseydave
01-04-2011, 09:37
There was a video floating around out there in webdom somewhere........
A buck was beating the crap out of a guy that simply got too close at the wrong time..... don't remember all of the particulars, but I do remember the women behind the viewfinder thought it was extremely fun AT FIRST, but it got serious pretty quick...... the thing did a job on him.
I would have to imagine the threat level with all animals climbs significantly during mating season as well as the obvious sow with cubs scenario.
No personal experience here, but from what I understand, wolves are opportunists and most likely wouldn't be the major threat to your wellbeing unless you happened to be the "easiest" meal to acquire at the time.
Shutterbug
01-04-2011, 11:30
Once I get my freedom from caregiving and can start my hiking adventures, including a NOBO AT thru, I would like to venture into some of the great National Parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite among others. I understand the rules about dealing with bears and have read up on them quite a bit from other hiker experiences. What I don't know about is dealing with other large predators in other areas outside of the AT. The mountain lion supposedly is fairly elusive and rarely seen, but the wolves probably concern me the most. And I am not referring to the predator LoneWolf of Whiteblaze. :bse
:confused: Any insight and experiences with these predators and any other aggressive mammals like Mule Deer or Elk in rut season would be appreciated. I am not sure what season I may be going to the western parks yet. Thanks.
Wild life encounters are a great part of the outdoor experience. Give them proper respect and they will not bother you. The important thing is to have a telephoto lense on your camera.
Three times I have felt threatened. All three were similar. I walked up on a sleeping moose. When it jumped up, it ran in my direction. The same thing happened with a javelina and a mountain goat.
The only one that has aggressively come after me was a rattle snake.
randyg45
01-04-2011, 12:53
I walked up on a sleeping moose.
The closest I ever came to getting seriously injured in the woods was a cow moose with a calf. Narrow trail through thick brush, miles from where I should have been according to the plan I had left with my wife (hiking from Jackson Wy to Lander Wy, a lot of it bushwhacking). They seemed to get up under my feet- and ran the other way.
For the OP- it's my understanding there may never have been a fatal wolf attack in NA. I saw plenty of tracks in Yellowstone (and maybe in the Winds), but I never saw one in the woods. Never heard one- and hiked the Lamar River just to try. Maybe next time!
GoldenBear
01-04-2011, 12:55
1. Wolf attacks on humans in the wild are so rare in North America that they make national news
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35913715/ns/us_news-life/
and people argue whether they happen a few times a century or a few times a decade.
http://www.aws.vcn.com/wolf_attacks_on_humans.html
2. Coyote attacks are similarly rare
http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/coyote_attacks.html
3. Cougar attacks are more common, but still quite rare.
http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks_nonca.html
http://www.cougarinfo.org/attacks3.htm
Summing up, more people are killed and injured in the wild by human hunters than by any other mammal -- it just doesn't make national news unless the hunter is the Vice President. So, logically, you should fear the presence of hunters FAR more than wolves, cougars, or coyotes.
For all three non-human predators, what you have to do is convince the animal that eating you is not worth the trouble involved in killing you -- that means FIGHTING BACK with EVERYTHING at your disposal. Rocks, sticks, a pen (yes, a wife saved her husband by a stabbing a pen in a cougar's eye). Just keep punching, kicking, and hitting the beast till it gives up. You may well come out bloodied and in need of major surgery, but you'll likely survive.
By FAR the most deadly animal you'll face in the wild is the mosquito. Attacks by these animals result in hundreds of deaths in the USA every year.
Old Hiker
01-04-2011, 13:02
It was murder she wrote.
Niiiii-agra falls. Slooooowly, I turned. Step by step, inch by inch............
couscous
01-04-2011, 13:57
The biggest threats are usually the smallest. Most animal related fatalities in the U.S.A. are probably still from hornet, bee & wasp stings. (carry an EpiPen if you know you are allergic) The only animal-caused fatality in Yosemite National Park was a child who was gored by a deer after his parents told him to go stand by the deer so they could take a picture. (give all wildlife their space) BigFoot is busy being a poster boy for the LNT organization (https://store.lnt.org/buy).. not bothering anyone.
Thank you all for your responses...even the smart@ss ones.:p
I don't really have many fears, but I do respect nature and wildlife and would prefer to give them their space and privacy and would rather view from a far distance than stalk one just to get a picture. I hope to not have any face to snout encounters and know to stand my ground in certain situations, back away in others and fight to my last breath if so needed, hopefully not. Even though I know a few people have been stalked and attacked by wildlife, I would guess most attacks were due to human error...either by trying to feed them, leaving food exposed, trying to get to close to them for a picture or countless other stupid human behaviors.
I just wasn't sure about wolves or wolfpacks and how aggressive they could be since I have never been in their territories. Thank you for letting me know the are rarely a problem. I have had one incounter with a coyote when I startled one while clearing brush along side the business I was at. We both stopped dead in our tracks, stared at each in other for about 5 seconds (trying to figure out who we each were) and then he or she took off like a dog after a tennis ball.
What about mountain lions/cougars? Use the same methods as an encounter with a bear? Make noise? Intimidate them? Play dead?:confused:
:rolleyes:To be honest I would be more concerned about ticks, rattle snakes hidden under leaves and stink bugs invading my sleeping bag...as these are more likely encounters with wildlife than the big game predators.
Odd Man Out
01-04-2011, 14:40
I was in Yellowstone NP about 12 years ago for a family vacation. The most dangerous encounter I witnessed was when a Bison was just a few feet off the boardwalk at one of the thermal features (I think it was Mud Volcano). Anyway, there were dozens of tourons (that's a cross between tourists and morons) walking by taking pictures, even though the Bison was acting very agitated. I guess the tourons hadn't seen the posters that were plastered all over the park warning about getting too close to Bison. I wish I had a copy of the poster. It had this very amateurish drawing (as if done by a first grader) of a Bison goring a guy in the stomach.
Not sure why anyone would be afraid of a wolf.
LoneRidgeRunner
01-04-2011, 14:54
I was in Yellowstone NP about 12 years ago for a family vacation. The most dangerous encounter I witnessed was when a Bison was just a few feet off the boardwalk at one of the thermal features (I think it was Mud Volcano). Anyway, there were dozens of tourons (that's a cross between tourists and morons) walking by taking pictures, even though the Bison was acting very agitated. I guess the tourons hadn't seen the posters that were plastered all over the park warning about getting too close to Bison. I wish I had a copy of the poster. It had this very amateurish drawing (as if done by a first grader) of a Bison goring a guy in the stomach.
Not sure why anyone would be afraid of a wolf.
There hes NEVER been a documented case of a Wolf attack on a human being..Only in the movies. Deer attacks are very rare as are attacks by Elk and Moose but of those 3 the Moose has the reputation of being the most likely to attack when in rut. In Maine once a rutting Bull Moose charged a freight train. The moose lost and is now dead.
Sow black bears with cubs USUALLY only do "bluff" charges but they say a surprised Grizzly with cubs will almost always attack. A good solution to not being attacked by bears (of any species) is don't surprise them. A good way to avoid surprising them is to wear a "bear bell", which is just a small bell of any kind that will jingle when you walk so they are aware of your presence before you step on one of her cubs which will piss her off.
Shutterbug
01-04-2011, 18:00
What about mountain lions/cougars? Use the same methods as an encounter with a bear? Make noise? Intimidate them? Play dead?:confused:
Don't worry about mountain lions. They only attack when they are hungry.
Seriously, seeing a mountain lion in the wild is a rare thing. I have seen only three. One of them stalked me for about an hour. I assume that he was just curious. He kept peeking at me from the ridges along the trail.
The only occasion of a mountain lion attacking a hiker that I know of was in Roxborough State Park near Denver. The hiker had a dog with him and the lion went after the dog. The hiker was injured attempting to save the dog.
There was also an incident near Boulder, Co a couple of years ago, when a mountain lion killed a jogger.
Bottom line -- it is highly improbable that you will be attacked by a mountain lion. If you are, fight back and pray.
Skidsteer
01-04-2011, 19:13
I was in Yellowstone NP about 12 years ago for a family vacation. The most dangerous encounter I witnessed was when a Bison was just a few feet off the boardwalk at one of the thermal features (I think it was Mud Volcano). Anyway, there were dozens of tourons (that's a cross between tourists and morons) walking by taking pictures, even though the Bison was acting very agitated. I guess the tourons hadn't seen the posters that were plastered all over the park warning about getting too close to Bison. I wish I had a copy of the poster. It had this very amateurish drawing (as if done by a first grader) of a Bison goring a guy in the stomach.
Not sure why anyone would be afraid of a wolf.
http://c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I00001zU..ig92ik/s
What I don't understand is why photo embedding is disabled in the Wildlife forum.
Wise Old Owl
01-04-2011, 20:11
There was a video floating around out there in webdom somewhere........
A buck was beating the crap out of a guy that simply got too close at the wrong time..... don't remember all of the particulars, but I do remember the women behind the viewfinder thought it was extremely fun AT FIRST, but it got serious pretty quick...... the thing did a job on him.
I would have to imagine the threat level with all animals climbs significantly during mating season as well as the obvious sow with cubs scenario.
No personal experience here, but from what I understand, wolves are opportunists and most likely wouldn't be the major threat to your wellbeing unless you happened to be the "easiest" meal to acquire at the time.
The moron was covered in doe urine......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGGbozilko
jerseydave
01-04-2011, 20:33
The moron was covered in doe urine......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGGbozilko
That's the video I was talking about, there was a link down the bottom to another, longer version. I don't know if it was edited or not, but I remember the woman laughing when the ordeal first started. He got his arse kicked.
Sorry to wander off topic.
Back to the original subject.
>>>>>>
:confused: Any insight and experiences with these predators and any other aggressive mammals like Mule Deer or Elk in rut season would be appreciated. I am not sure what season I may be going to the western parks yet.
<<<<<<
DrRichardCranium
01-04-2011, 21:05
What about R.O.U.S.s?
Odd Man Out
01-04-2011, 23:23
What about R.O.U.S.s?
You killed my father. Prepare to die.
sheepdog
01-05-2011, 01:32
...and the Warraghiyagey!
don't believe in warghys, moose , bigfoots , or black hikers.
sheepdog
01-05-2011, 01:33
You killed my father. Prepare to die.
does he have six fingers on his left hand??
don't believe in warghys, moose , bigfoots , or black hikers.
You really want to make racist comments on here? You may think that is funny, but I can't stand ignorant idiots! It is 2011, when will people wake the hell up and grow up. I am not the P.C. police, but keep your racism out of the forums.
mister krabs
01-05-2011, 08:48
You really want to make racist comments on here? You may think that is funny, but I can't stand ignorant idiots! It is 2011, when will people wake the hell up and grow up. I am not the P.C. police, but keep your racism out of the forums.
Lighten up, It's a joke based on the "black hiker" video with blair underwood. Google it.
The critter that concerns me the most is the deer tick. Lyme disease is very serious.
Second on the list is non-hiking humans. I avoid them by not camping near roads. Most are too lazy to walk more than 1/4 mile to make trouble.
Just looked at that video on YouTube. Very funny, IMO not racist at all.
beakerman
01-05-2011, 10:04
Teh running joke in myu scout troop is "sasquatch got it/him...or what ever"
This stems from a back packing trip we took a few years ago to get the 50 miler patch. This is not much of a chalenge but we have enough experience to know that there is going to be a boy ot two that just can't do it so we always plan the trip with bail out points along the way...anywho we had one boy that bailed on day one..before lunch. So rather than trash talking him while we did the remainder of the hike we started the joke that Sasquatch got him becasue we came across a group of people actualy out looking for the beastie...anyway now in the troop when ever someone bails on something or something breaks or disappears then we all say Sasquatch got him or Sasquatch must have gotten to this...
this thread just sparked that though train and put a smile on my face so i decided to share..maybe one of you get a smile out of my tale...maybe not it doesn't matter much to me.
sheepdog
01-05-2011, 12:28
You really want to make racist comments on here? You may think that is funny, but I can't stand ignorant idiots! It is 2011, when will people wake the hell up and grow up. I am not the P.C. police, but keep your racism out of the forums.
No racism intended
just breath deep and say "it's OOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKK" ;)
beakerman
01-06-2011, 17:36
No racism intended
just breath deep and say "it's OOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKK" ;)
not being racist about it as there was at least one thread not too long ago that beat this topic to death but I'm hard pressed to remember seeing anymore than half a dozen black hikers...other than some day hikers. that's on any trails I've been on so there is some point to the comment evenif it was made tounge-in-cheek.
jerseydave
01-06-2011, 17:43
Racism is the new "black".
I just love how freely that word is thrown around anymore.
Skidsteer
01-06-2011, 17:54
You really want to make racist comments on here? You may think that is funny, but I can't stand ignorant idiots! It is 2011, when will people wake the hell up and grow up. I am not the P.C. police, but keep your racism out of the forums.
Herd mentality describes how people are influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors, follow trends, buy Apple company products and forward chain emails. And label people racist without doing a thorough forum search. :D
LoneRidgeRunner
01-06-2011, 19:20
The moron was covered in doe urine......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGGbozilko
Takes a real idiot to have Doe urine all over him in Whitetail rut..he was asking to get raped ...LOL...
TallShark
01-08-2011, 01:42
I just stumbled across this and I hate to perpetuate the argument/ discussion but I just have to... how the hell is that racist 2.0.? you good sir are a wiener.
And to add to the original topic… it’s all about respecting the fact that you are amongst wild animals in their domain, be aware, be cautious, be smart, but don’t be paranoid. Saw my first bear in November and it decided to follow us, kind of scary but you just have to be smart and self-assured.
Buzz Saw
01-08-2011, 10:49
My friends in Canada call bear bell dinner bells.
Majortrauma
01-08-2011, 12:30
Ditto Mister Krabs. Most of us understood it as a joke as well. The video is hilarious and really has nothing to do with blacks and it certainly is NOT racist.
I've hiked solo in grizzly country (seen one, too), heard wolves howl, done night hikes in the Boulder foothills with its large mountain lion habitat, seen elks in rut just beyond my camp, had a Momma Moose give me the stink eye and so on.
The only time I ever been attacked? IN FREAKIN' RHODE ISLAND!!!!!
The second most densely populated state in the country (where two trees counts as wilderness... I kid! I kid!) and I get my head almost clawed out a by a Goshawk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Goshawk) in the George Washington Mgmt Area. (http://alltrails.com/trail/us/rhode-island/george-washington-management-area)
Hiking along in the vast wilderness of NW Rhody (I kid again!) and I hear this strange cry, look up, and see a bird I have never seen before. Cool.
As I continue to hike along, I hear a WOOOOSH behind my head.
I continue to hike along, I hear a WOOOOSH and see the bird fly in front of me.
I did my first ever trail run that day...
So to heck with wolves, bear, cougars Sasquatch and Snow Wampuses. Look out for the dangerous wildlife of Rhode Island!!!!!!
bronconite
01-08-2011, 22:41
There hes NEVER been a documented case of a Wolf attack on a human being..Only in the movies.
While extremely rare, there are attacks.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35913715/ns/us_news-life/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_attacks_on_humans
sheepdog
01-09-2011, 10:17
don't forget coyotes
they chewed up a canadian hiker last year
mweinstone
01-09-2011, 21:39
i dare you all to read shardik by richard adams who wrote watership down. the leader of the animal world is a bear named shardik. once you read it, you will never be scared in the woods again. unless your a hunter.
It's funny. As much time as I've spent in the wild, I've never seen a Black Bear. People ask if I'm scared. Heck they are on a list of "can't wait to see" along with moose and porcupine. Last 2 not real common in Tennessee!
And FWIW a black hiker sighting would probably be noteworthy.
john gault
01-17-2011, 08:43
Once I get my freedom from caregiving and can start my hiking adventures, including a NOBO AT thru, I would like to venture into some of the great National Parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite among others. I understand the rules about dealing with bears and have read up on them quite a bit from other hiker experiences. What I don't know about is dealing with other large predators in other areas outside of the AT. The mountain lion supposedly is fairly elusive and rarely seen, but the wolves probably concern me the most. And I am not referring to the predator LoneWolf of Whiteblaze. :bse
:confused: Any insight and experiences with these predators and any other aggressive mammals like Mule Deer or Elk in rut season would be appreciated. I am not sure what season I may be going to the western parks yet. Thanks.
Maybe you should start reading up on wooly mammoths:)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japansciencemammoth
Researchers aim to resurrect mammoth in five years
TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese researchers will launch a project this year to resurrect the long-extinct mammoth by using cloning technology to bring the ancient pachyderm back to life in around five years time.
The researchers will try to revive the species by obtaining tissue this summer from the carcass of a mammoth preserved in a Russian research laboratory, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
"Preparations to realise this goal have been made," Akira Iritani, leader of the team and a professor emeritus of Kyoto University (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japansciencemammoth#), told the mass-circulation daily.
Under the plan, the nuclei of mammoth cells will be inserted into an elephant's egg cell from which the nuclei have been removed, to create an embryo containing mammoth genes, the report said.
The embryo will then be inserted into an elephant's uterus in the hope that the animal will eventually give birth to a baby mammoth.
The elephant is the closest modern relative of the mammoth, a huge woolly mammal believed to have died out with the last Ice Age.
Some mammoth remains still retain usable tissue samples, making it possible to recover cells for cloning, unlike dinosaurs, which disappeared around 65 million years ago and whose remains exist only as fossils
Researchers hope to achieve their aim within five to six years, the Yomiuri said.
The team, which has invited a Russian mammoth researcher and two US elephant experts to join the project, has established a technique to extract DNA from frozen cells, previously an obstacle to cloning attempts because of the damage cells sustained in the freezing process.
Another Japanese researcher, Teruhiko Wakayama of the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology, succeeded in 2008 in cloning a mouse from the cells of another that had been kept in temperatures similar to frozen ground for 16 years.
The scientists extracted a cell nucleus (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japansciencemammoth#) from an organ of a dead mouse and planted it into the egg of another mouse which was alive, leading to the birth of the cloned mouse.
Based on Wakayama's techniques, Iritani's team devised a method to extract the nuclei of mammoth eggs without damaging them.
But a successful cloning will also pose challenges for the team, Iritani warned.
"If a cloned embryo can be created, we need to discuss, before transplanting it into the womb, how to breed (the mammoth) and whether to display it to the public," Iritani said.
"After the mammoth is born, we will examine its ecology and genes to study why the species became extinct and other factors."
More than 80 percent of all mammoth finds have been dug up in the permafrost of the vast Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia.
Exactly why a majority of the huge creatures that once strode in large herds across Eurasia (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japansciencemammoth#) and North America died out towards the end of the last Ice Age has generated fiery debate.
Some experts hold that mammoths were hunted to extinction by the species that was to become the planet's dominant predator -- humans.
Others argue that climate change was more to blame, leaving a species adapted for frozen climes ill-equipped to cope with a warming world.
sheepdog
01-17-2011, 12:42
will pepper spray deter the attack of an enraged wooly mamoth??
Buzz_Lightfoot
01-17-2011, 12:59
will pepper spray deter the attack of an enraged wooly mamoth??
Must contain 50% nair.
sheepdog
01-17-2011, 14:57
Must contain 50% nair.
hahahahahahaha
Skidsteer
01-17-2011, 17:24
Maybe you should start reading up on wooly mammoths:)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japansciencemammoth
Researchers aim to resurrect mammoth in five years
TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese researchers will launch a project this year to resurrect the long-extinct mammoth by using cloning technology to bring the ancient pachyderm back to life in around five years time.
The researchers will try to revive the species by obtaining tissue this summer from the carcass of a mammoth preserved in a Russian research laboratory, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
"Preparations to realise this goal have been made," Akira Iritani, leader of the team and a professor emeritus of Kyoto University (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japansciencemammoth#), told the mass-circulation daily.
Under the plan, the nuclei of mammoth cells will be inserted into an elephant's egg cell from which the nuclei have been removed, to create an embryo containing mammoth genes, the report said.
The embryo will then be inserted into an elephant's uterus in the hope that the animal will eventually give birth to a baby mammoth.
The elephant is the closest modern relative of the mammoth, a huge woolly mammal believed to have died out with the last Ice Age.
Some mammoth remains still retain usable tissue samples, making it possible to recover cells for cloning, unlike dinosaurs, which disappeared around 65 million years ago and whose remains exist only as fossils
Researchers hope to achieve their aim within five to six years, the Yomiuri said.
The team, which has invited a Russian mammoth researcher and two US elephant experts to join the project, has established a technique to extract DNA from frozen cells, previously an obstacle to cloning attempts because of the damage cells sustained in the freezing process.
Another Japanese researcher, Teruhiko Wakayama of the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology, succeeded in 2008 in cloning a mouse from the cells of another that had been kept in temperatures similar to frozen ground for 16 years.
The scientists extracted a cell nucleus (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japansciencemammoth#) from an organ of a dead mouse and planted it into the egg of another mouse which was alive, leading to the birth of the cloned mouse.
Based on Wakayama's techniques, Iritani's team devised a method to extract the nuclei of mammoth eggs without damaging them.
But a successful cloning will also pose challenges for the team, Iritani warned.
"If a cloned embryo can be created, we need to discuss, before transplanting it into the womb, how to breed (the mammoth) and whether to display it to the public," Iritani said.
"After the mammoth is born, we will examine its ecology and genes to study why the species became extinct and other factors."
More than 80 percent of all mammoth finds have been dug up in the permafrost of the vast Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia.
Exactly why a majority of the huge creatures that once strode in large herds across Eurasia (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japansciencemammoth#) and North America died out towards the end of the last Ice Age has generated fiery debate.
Some experts hold that mammoths were hunted to extinction by the species that was to become the planet's dominant predator -- humans.
Others argue that climate change was more to blame, leaving a species adapted for frozen climes ill-equipped to cope with a warming world.
A Japanese researcher working on the project was overheard saying, "Here, hold my beer."
Wise Old Owl
01-17-2011, 19:28
will pepper spray deter the attack of an enraged wooly mamoth??
No - you must have Spanish Peanuts, and a big spoon. :eek:
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/WINDOW%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.png
sheepdog
01-17-2011, 19:42
No - you must have Spanish Peanuts, and a big spoon. :eek:
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/WINDOW%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.png
wooden spoon or metal??
Wise Old Owl
01-17-2011, 19:43
wooden spoon or metal??
Wooden - with a dose of nair....
sheepdog
01-17-2011, 19:44
I'll ad it to my pack immediately
I think I'll use a shoulder holster
jerseydave
01-17-2011, 19:45
If I remember correctly, they made a few movies about something very similar to this.........
Didn't go too well :eek:
sheepdog
01-17-2011, 19:46
If I remember correctly, they made a few movies about something very similar to this.........
Didn't go too well :eek:
a wooden spooon in a shoulder holster movie??
jerseydave
01-17-2011, 19:59
a wooden spooon in a shoulder holster movie??
You didn't see that one?
sheepdog
01-17-2011, 20:10
You didn't see that one?
was eastwood in it??
jerseydave
01-17-2011, 20:21
was eastwood in it??
No it was this guy (http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac25/namelessmember/Whiteblaze/holster.jpg)
sheepdog
01-19-2011, 11:26
No it was this guy (http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac25/namelessmember/Whiteblaze/holster.jpg)
now thats funny :D
There hes NEVER been a documented case of a Wolf attack on a human being..Only in the movies.
Tell that to the teacher who was killed by them in Alaska.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/13/nation/la-na-wolf-attack13-2010mar13
AS for animals in general... the more I hike, the less I worry. You keep your distance and they will not bug you. Except in Alaska - take people with guns when you go there. The more I read and talk to folks who have moved from Alaska, the more I know better than to assume the bears there will act anything like the bears in the lower 48.
Bears in California will not bother you. They may cause property damage if you go to Yosemite without cleaning out your car, or take your food if you fail to take food storage rules seriously, but there have been maybe a handful of injuries related to black bears in Yosemite NP (where they are the least afraid of people and the biggest problem) - those were directly related to people not paying attention to food storage regulations.
The deer that killed the child in Yosemite was eating in a meadow. The child left the family and went off to feed the dear, without the family noticing. Something startled the deer (a spike) and it jerked its head up, catching the child right about the armpit and severing a major artery. Freak accident.
The Cleaner
01-19-2011, 13:36
Can't say much about the large predators...But the shelter mice can do a number on your sleeping bag .:eek:
[QUOTE=lori;1097554]Tell that to the teacher who was killed by them in Alaska.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/13/nation/la-na-wolf-attack13-2010mar13
Anybody have any follow up info on this? Why would you rule out scavenging of a body?
icemanat95
01-28-2011, 10:25
The idea that there has never been a "Documented" attack by a wolf or wolves on a human is brought out frequently, and depending upon how you define "document", may actually be true. However, the term "documented" must be defined as "filmed" or witnessed by an objective abserver.
There is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence. And while you cannot rule out scavenging in a few cases, you can't rule out a direct attack either. Further, wolves are predators...top of the food chain in their habitat in fact. They are hardwired to hunt mammals for food, so if a human looks like the best option out there, wounded, sick or weak, it would be unreasonable to assume that the wolves wouldn't target the human and kill and consume if possible. It's what they do and what they are. There is no evil in it, no malice. They are just hungry. When humans wander into wolf habitat, they are taking a calculated risk, whether they realize it or not, that they will not get hurt and become viable wolf prey. It's a pretty safe bet though. Wolves have learned that humans aren't a good risk, and they tend to be afraid and shy of us. that's good for both of us. But it can, has and will happen.
Do you need to take special precautions? Nope, just hike carefully and stay healthy, and it would be better to stay on trails.