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flynnypek
Jan 10, 2003, 6:03 AM
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What do you do when you find yourself in front some wild animal that may want to attack you/eat you?
Mountain lions, aligators, snakes, panthers, etc...
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blackstripe
Jan 10, 2003, 6:08 AM
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buy mace and spray it in thier eyes! no I don't know but there always ways of getting around animals w/o killing them or them killing you
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tradaddict
Jan 10, 2003, 6:11 AM
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That reminds me of when someone asked me "what do you do when you meet a polar bear?" (Apparently I was the only one to direct this question at during a conversation about northern exploration, because I was the only one who'd ever been confronted with a bear, no, not a polar bear)
The only thing I could think of saying was, unfortunately, "shoot it". If it's between me and the bear (insert any other animal which you have no chance in hell of wrestling to the ground once they've decided you're a threat) i'd prefer it if my mother was sad an animal had to be killed, and not that I was killed.
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galt
Jan 10, 2003, 6:24 AM
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I worked at a summer camp and one day I had just such a case. I was taking the kids to rappel and there was a Diamondback rattlesnake in the middle of our trail. I backed the kids up and got an E-Tool (a 3' collapsible shovel). Unfortunately for the snake it was dangerously close to our camp and with 26 7th and 8th graders it was quite a liability. If it were just me I would have simply gone around it or moved it off the trail, but if that thing hit a kid... bad news bears.
Fortunately for the snake I missed with the E-Tool then broke my favorite hiking stick over it's head. It slithered away pissed, but alive. The kids all had a good laugh at me and were all extra cautious when walking around at night. (Although I tried to assure them it was long gone.)
It's just a judgment call. I feel like I did EXACTLY what I should have done in that situation and I would do it again tomorrow. (Though next time I would try and save my favorite Hiking Stick.)
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coldclimb
Jan 10, 2003, 6:42 AM
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Well living in Alaska, that happens a bit. With my moose encounters, I have climbed many trees to wait them out. In my one bear encounter, we dropped three quarters of the deer we were carrying and watched our backs the whole way back to camp. (he followed us most of the way, and didn't care about gunshots at all)
My dad was guiding a few guys on a hunting trip when they got face to face with a bear in the brush. He only heard it from a ways away, but what ended up happening was just enough mace hit the bear to add to the shock of running into these guys that it got scared and left. The wind caught the mace though, and those guys were kinda uncomfortable for a while.
I once witnessed a suirrel attack. I dropped out of a tree, and turned around to see that my friend had just caught this squirrel we had been chasing, with both hands about four inches from his face. The little tail was sticking out behind. Luckily he was wearing gloves and watching the squirrel, or he could have been mauled.
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onelung
Jan 10, 2003, 7:43 AM
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Since you asked "may attack" I would attempt to get out peaceably, but if the choice is me or him, I'll give thanks that night before I eat the poor fool that tried to attack me.
Have eaten much this earth provides, vegans can eat what they want, but I'll take a Bear tenderloin paired with a 98 Opus One and beat any vegan meal out there.
Bill
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flynnypek
Jan 10, 2003, 3:15 PM
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Do you guys carry guns while climbing?
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z0mb1e
Jan 10, 2003, 3:47 PM
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Do you take your gun climbing? I mean why did you get in the situation to begin with. If you are watching closly all you need to do is give wild life a wide berth and it generally leaves you alone.
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marshall84
Jan 10, 2003, 4:06 PM
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I was tracked by a mountain lion on one backpacking trip, I guess it finally got bored and moved on to easier prey. My advice is to make a lot of noise as you move down the trail and stay alert.
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heelhooker
Jan 10, 2003, 6:14 PM
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There alot of things you need to consider. One is where you are at. When I lived in the Midwest and Colorado, I was cautious but not too worried when out in the wild. I could rely more on my wits to avoid encounters and the critters tended to avoid those confrontations too. Conversely, here in Alaska, you need to be prepared for a bit more aggression. It can make for more of a "moral" dilemma. preserving my own life and those of my companions usually ranks high, so yes i will probably have a gun handy.
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thrillseeker05
Jan 10, 2003, 10:14 PM
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I think Martha answered this one perfectly!
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boulderingmadman
Jan 10, 2003, 10:17 PM
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i agree with skibabeage...ive been confronted plenty of times by bear(almost nightly here in mammoth ). ive been confronted by mountain lions, bobcats (in NY), rattlesnakes, copperheads, scorpions, and on and on and on...
the situation dictates the reaction. i personally do not carry a gun. but if im inevitably being attacked by a large mammal, it is him or me, and i will do my best to ensure it is him.
9 times out of 10 confrontation can be avoided through intelligence and avoidance. curiosity is the majority reason for contact with predatory mammals...not the search for food. they want to know who you are, why youre there, and why you deemed it necessary to thouroughly ignore the scent markings and trails they HAVE left all over the area you are in. ultimately, they usually decide that youre simply oblivious to their presence and therefor pose no threat.
for every individual that has a story about contact, there are HUNDREDS whove been tracked, followed and contacted...and they never even knew it.
bottom line--know where you are and what animals inhabit the area. prepare yourself for the worst possible scenario, and you should survive any wildlife encounters.
ps--just for the record, a mountain lion and a panther are the same species of cat. they just get called different things in different areas...ie: in Bishop they are mountain lions, in FLA, they are panthers...but they are the same species...
[ This Message was edited by: boulderingmadman on 2003-01-10 14:18 ]
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mark_e_wallace
Jan 10, 2003, 10:21 PM
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>> when they got face to face with a bear in the brush.
Solution: Show him your gun.
>> I once witnessed a squirrel attack.
Solution: Show him your nuts.
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machina
Jan 10, 2003, 10:22 PM
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last time I was in this situation... my traveling companion started doing this funky thing with his clothes and actually seduced the animal in question.
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hugepedro
Jan 10, 2003, 10:24 PM
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Eat them before they eat you!
No. Really. If you notice, most people who have lived in areas where large, prickly, sharp animals live are not really afraid of those beasties. Healthy respect, yes, irrational fear, no. I grew up in Northern B.C. where bears and moose and wolves were part of everyday life. When I was a little kid bears would walk out of the woods and through my yard at least a half dozen times every spring. Why are we not afraid? Because we know something about the behavioral patterns of these animals.
Take the time to learn about the animals you fear, then maybe you won't feel the need to carry a gun. Unless you need it for other purposes. Like my former girlfriend who said she as going to pack a "belay pistol" so that she could just shoot me if she didn't want to follow what I was leading.
Peter
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flying_dutchman
Jan 10, 2003, 10:55 PM
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dont just shoot the poor creature cause it scared you and made you piss ur pants. There are only a handful of animals that actually go and attack people, some species of sharks, lions mabe, the odd polar bear... but most animals act defensively so just know about them and avoid them.
If anything, theres too many people on this planet and not enough bears. Things should go the other way around IMO.
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alpnclmbr1
Jan 10, 2003, 11:31 PM
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Most time people get hurt by getting run over by a critter trying to run away from you.
wearing a bell on your pack can help
in camp a bottle of ammonia and a road flare can help.
Alaska is a different story in many cases.
few people carry a big enough gun to do more than make a grizzly even madder if you actually shoot them, they mostly work as a noisemaker.
I wish a mountain lion would stalk me, it would be worth taking a small chance of getting eaten, for the chance to be able to see one.
It is their home and your tresspassing on their territory.
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rockpossum
Jan 11, 2003, 12:04 AM
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I've worked in the wilds of Canada for decades. Know your critter! is the best advice I've heard here.
In North America the really dangerous creatures are Bull Moose in rut season, hungry/starving Mountain Lion and "civilized" Bears, in that order. Your chances of coming across a grizzly are pretty small. They're not only the king of the wild up here but smart enough to avoid us unpredictable primates.
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totigers
Jan 11, 2003, 12:18 AM
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I just divorced the animal.
Think of what you have with you. If your climbing in the wild, you must have a lot of noise makers that can double as weapons to save your life if need be. Think of the tools you carry when in the wild.
If that don't work, then invite them to climb with you.
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pancaketom
Jan 11, 2003, 12:34 AM
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Well, I'd say the most dangerous animal out there happens to walk on 2 legs. Luckily they aren't too thick out where I like to climb. Pay attention to who/what is around you and it is unlikely you will have any problems, but if it comes to me or something else, I'll try to make sure that I am the one that is still there the next day.
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astrocrag
Jan 11, 2003, 12:41 AM
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Show no fear, and be the agressor. If it senses your fear, or you run, good bye.
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rideandclimbkid
Jan 11, 2003, 1:12 AM
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You guys are all right, except I highly disagree with the "your a guest in their home" bit. THIS IS EARTH PEOPLE. THERE ARE NO HOMES. we're all just animals, and since i share my air, water, and sunlight with that bear, well hes damn well gonna share his 17 million acres of DIRT with me. vegans take heed, if its me or that bear, and my life is close to the line, bet your ass I'll be doing everything in my power to eat him for dinner. most humans live in a distorted dimension of safety. there ARE animals out there, and they ARE hungry, and given the right circumstances, you COULD be looked at as FOOD.
"sure mr. animal rights activist, im going to lay down and let mr. Grizzly knaw on my leg, instead of doing all that i can to protect myself, because bears live in the woods." yeah...ok...
put yourself in that bears point of view. thats all you have to do.
Just my 3.14 cents
The Kid
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astrocrag
Jan 11, 2003, 1:24 AM
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I wouldn't expect a bull moose would want to eat me, so I wouldn't react that way if I happened upon one. I would say, "Nice Moosie"! And hope it isn't mating season.
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galt
Jan 11, 2003, 1:52 AM
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I only carry my trusty bolt gun while climbing. If it worked in Cliff Hanger it'll protect me from those pesky bears!
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jgill
Jan 11, 2003, 4:51 AM
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Try diplomacy first. If you can't come to a mutual understanding, a .44 magnum may help.
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