I have to agree the woods are getting more dangerous every day. Up here in Maine the bears and large predators are getting so aggressive that hunters are afraid to go into the woods and logger are refusing to go into the woods to cut wood. This is starting to devastate the woods industry.
I’m starting to hear more and more stories about mountain lions and bears attaching people here in Maine all the time. It’s getting so people are afraid to go out doors. Probably the reason more people are building attached garages.
The only reason people are still hiking the trails up here is because we’re all just dumb beasts of burden and don’t know any better.
When I work for the Forestry Department back in the 70’s I was pretty good friends with the local warden that lived up by the Allagash. He said that there were mountain lions in Maine back then but the Fish & Game Dept. did not want it be known to the public. Now 30 years later people have gotten video footage of them but the Fish & Game still down plays it saying it was something else and the shadow’s made it look like a mountain lion.
When they find remains of hikers that are nothing but fur balls in the woods coughed up by some puma their just saying it must have been a couple of bob cats and the guy died before they ate him. (Likely story)
I personally know of a guy that was chased literally chased out of the woods by a pack of coyote- wolf hybrids. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was going down. He was back in the woods and it took longer to get out than he thought it would. Anyway he kept hearing something behind he picked up his pace but whatever was behind him picked up it pace also. He got really scared and fired several shots in its direction. He it stopped but when he started back up it started up too. Then he could hear them on both sides of him. He fired all but one round off, which he said he was saving for himself. Anyway he finally made it too a main road and flagged down a car before he needed to use it. Luckily the driver gave him a ride even he smelled like Urine.
My advise to any one hiking in Maine is to pack two canisters of hair spray, I mean bear spray. It comes in three strengths. Get the strongest one have a special holster made to hold them and practice quick drawing them before you start out.
Always hike with someone, never ever hike alone. Take a pee bottle to bed so you won’t have to get up at night. I saw somewhere that you can get a motion sensitive lights that runs on batteries I would carry one of those too. And don’t forget you bible, if all else fail prayer may help.
Just remember what I told you when your out there, alone, just as it gets dark, when those night sounds start up, stay close to the light, be very quite and hope they don’t find you.
Crusoe of Lonesome Lake
