I hike in the sierras, and although I have never seen a bear, I have seen a mountain lion on more than one occasion. One left in a trot, the other stood there looking at me strangely before he leisurely walked back into the woods. I believe I was lucky! he probably had just finished a big meal. What do you carry as repelent for mountain lions, bear(I hope I never see one), snakes, etc? I don’t know if I will always be as lucky.
Urbanmonk
Hikingmonk
I think the best defense is courage and confident, because animals can sense it if you are afraid. A rabbit runs from a mountain lion, but a bear does not run—he will stand his ground.
Stand your ground, do not be afraid. If you run, the lion will view you as prey. If you stand your ground, the lion will view you as an equal or higher----and you do stand taller than a lion does so he looks up at you and you look down at him. He may be curious about you and if hungry, he may try to see if there is a meal to be had, but a sharp whack on his nose or head with a hiking stick and he will head for the hills.
Lions and bears are solitary hunters and are most often encountered one on one. Not much of a problem providing of course we are talking black bears and mountain lions (not Grissleys, Browns or Polar Bears----which are huge compared to us and can easily snack on us if they so desire and can catch us).
Some say hiking in a group is a nice thing to do, because you do not have to outrun the lion or the bear, you just have to outrun your hiking buddies. LOL. Some of the old time trappers and hunters, if attacked would throw their pelts at the attacker and this would keep the attacker busy, while they could make a get away.
I don’t think mountain lions and black bears are much of a problem providing you stand your ground and if approached by them, whack them real good with a hiking pole or hardwood stave. Let them know you mean business and are not an easy meal and they will leave you alone. Those mountain bikers in CA, who recently got attacked (one killed, one injured) by a mountain lion were viewed as prey because they were riding bikes (running away). If they had stopped, fought, hollowed, screamed, before the attack began or the lion was already on top of them; then they may have prevented the attack completely-----but who knows, this same lion may have feed on human prey previously (children) and realized he liked the taste and that humans are fairly easy prey-----some of us are, some ain’t.
Which brings up another point, the lion was hunted down almost immediately and killed; and this is done almost always when an animal begans attacking and feeding on humans. The reason of course is that they have learned what easy prey humans are, they will continue to prey on humans, teach it to others, and their young. And we as humans can’t be having that situation.
See you out there. :cheers
Maintain
Thanks! I will consider this as a form of protection, and perhaps buy a whistle.
Urbanmonk
Hikingmonk
I carry a large bottle of Counter Attack, which will spray beyond 20 feet. Anything we can do that will convince these large predators that they want absolutely nothing to do with humans is, in my opinion, as important as NOT FEEDING them.
Sawnie Robertson
I carry a large bottle of Counter Attack, which will spray beyond 20 feet. Anything we can do that will convince these large predators that they want absolutely nothing to do with humans is, in my opinion, as important as NOT FEEDING them.
Sawnie Robertson
Due to the large numbers of lions and tigers and bears all around it is very important to stay under your bed.
Blue Jay
In my ten years of hiking, I have seen nine bears. I’m sure that quite a few more have seen me. I can hear them in the woods. The first five ran when they heard or saw me coming. In fact, the first one I would never have seen if he hadn’t run. Yes, I have a face that scares bears! The only two that I’ve seen on the AT (excepting the Trailside Zoo at Bear Mountain) were just north of Abol Bridge. It took a lot of yelling to get the cubs to move off the trail. The eighth bear sat and watched me while I took his picture. I prefer bears that run away!
We’ve got over three thousand bear in Jersey, so I know that I will encounter more. I try to make a lot of noise when hiking, expecially during blueberry season. Whistling lets the bears know that I’m there.
The only cat that I know about is the bobcat that my sister saw in Massachusetts. She scared it off; I didn’t see it. But bobcats are ‘mythical’ in Mass.
Harry Dolphin
HM:
most mags i’ve read lately have suggest the high-powered pepper spray for bear deterrant. (spray of 20 ft or more)
i would think it would work the same for mountain lions & other critters.
i’ve seen several bears in the Smokies…they’ve all turned & ran…
Jaybird
Most bears will leave you alone. Just don’t sneak up on them and startle them. My husband and I had a few close encounters with bears on our hike in 2001. We became noisy hikers - singing, whistling, talking, and clanging our hiking poles together every so often. If you’re worried about it you can get a bear bell. However, if you are hiking with a group or if there are a lot of people around, you won’t need the bell, as there should be enough noise to alert bears of your presence, and the bear bell might annoy your companions.
Rachel Bearbait
Bear defense is a big issue when hiking in the rockies, sierras and in alaska. Both Black bears and Brown (griz and relatives)have been known to attack when surprised. Most backcountry guidebooks say to wear “bear bells” on your clothes, like christmas bells, so they can hear you coming and will move away. also, carry oc pepper spray in big cans, as firearms are illegal in parks. you can usually tell if a bear is in the area by the scat on the trail.
black bear scat will be brown or black and contain fruit bits, berrries, seeds and small animal bones.
grizzly and brown bear scat will contain small brass and copper bells and smell like pepper!
(heh heh)
Big Dee
In truth, pepper spray is a good defense if used properly…use the biggest can you can find and carry…some look like small fire extinguishers…that shoot 20 feet or more minimum. DO NOT use the spray as a deterrent! don’t spray your tent or food bag/box in order to make bears leave it alone, as it does the opposite and actually attrats bears to you. it only deters bears if sprayed in their face. use only as last second defense if all other things like being carefull, wearing bells, making noise, etc. don’t work.
remember that more people are killed every year and historically by BLACK BEARS, not grizzlies. yes griz are deadlier, but BLACKS are far more common and easier to run into and surprise.
as for defense from big cats, don’t forget to look UP!. kditties like to pounce, usually from above. be wary of overhanging large or dead trees and rock bluffs. they are fast, and pepper works on them too, if you can get a squirt on them, which is hard as they attack like snipers, not like an amored calvary division.
coyotes are scared of humans, as are wolves, but be leary of wolves in montana, idaho, yellowstone, alaska and western canada. no RECORDED attacks on humans.
BiG Dee
“grizzly and brown bear scat will contain small brass and copper bells and smell like pepper!”
ROFLMAO!!!
Ardsgaine
I would watch that being noisy thing. The reason is that animals are attracted to noise and will come to see what all the noise is all about and perhaps to see if there is a meal to be had. Foxes, bobcats, lions, cougars, wolves, and bears also will come a running to dying rabbit call or a fawn cry/bleat of a baby deer being in distress. So being noisy many in fact get you killed especially if it is grissly bear or really hungry big black bear or a previously wounded bear, which has trouble catching other prey and is real hungry.
All the other advice about the pepper spray, etc is good. But bells, whistles and just be noisy to alert wildlife to your presence may in fact not be a good thing to do. I would not want to advertise my presence to a hungry grissly bear or black bear.
As said above: “grizzly and brown bear scat will contain small brass and copper bells and smell like pepper!” LOL
So I’d leave the bells and whistles at home, and be as quiet as possible when I’m in the woods. Maybe you will get of glimpse of them and they will not see you. It has so happened to me many times.
Best to “See and not been seen”. Walk quietly, observe the peace and quiet of nature and be ever alert. Better you hear and avoid them, then they hear you and come after you. They may hear you and run, but they may not run and in fact come after you.
See you out there. I’ll be the one being quiet. :cheers
Maintain
Was hiking in Yosemite Valley and coyote was walking down the trail towards me. I stepped off trail and backed up against a tree hoping that I could blend into it. In my mind I was telling the coyote to just walk on by, I mean no harm. I put my emergency whistle into my mouth ( 3 blasts may summon help), but I was afraid to blow it as I wondered if it would piss off the coyote. It walked on by.
Few days later I watched a bobcat walk on by, again I was not about to use the whistle unless it attacked. I now carry Counter Assault at all times in the woods, as unleashed dogs have injured and killed people here in Chicago Forest Preserves.
Both Yosemite incidents happened only a couple hundred yards from campground. Ranger says in late fall wildlife comes down to the valley looking for food.
kathy h
It is imperative to especially carry mace when around humans. Some told me they kill more humans than cougars. This is not acceptable. They will even kill their own family! I also heard they are more likely to attack in a city than on a trail, most often with a two-ton ramming device on rubber wheels. They’re closing in! Maybe we should save our fear for after the trail! :eek:
Tha Wookie
It’s grizzley tough pepper spray. I found it at local REI and also bought a holster type holder for it and a caribiner so I can clip it easily to shorts waist loop, pants, or pack strap. Has a range of 30 feet. Hope I never have to use it - supposed to be upwind from the attacker and by the time I figure that out, it may be too late.
kathy h
I ran into 3 bears last year. Never a problem. Usually bears won’t bother you unless it is a mother with cubs. Mt Lions on the other hand can be dangerious. I was stalked by one once. Pepper spray is good, but a firearm if you are trained, and is legal is better. I worry more about some nut person than animals.
ekaphoto