Where the Wild Things Are
You are about to adventure into the wild! Good for you – that’s awesome! As you enter the Wild Kingdom, the most important thing to remember that you are entering THEIR stomping grounds (literally), and with these wildlife safety tips, you will be much better prepared to adventure….safely! This article will help you understand the most common wildlife encounters in the United States, and give you wildlife safety tips to keep these animals (and you!) happy, healthy, and un-hurt!
1. Long Distance Relationship (It’s not You, It’s Me.)
The relationship between wildlife and humans is better as a long distance relationship. It’s not you, it’s them. I promise. Estimates say you need to be about 7 school bus lengths between you and any Elk or BigHorn Sheep. It’s 12 bus lengths for Moose and Bears. Keep. Your. Distance. Anything else, give yourself at least two or three bus lengths. Just stay far away. Even if you think you are at a safe distance, these are wild animals, and they can move. Fast. You can’t outrun them. You can’t. I know, you were in track in high school. You still can’t. Just give them their space. Like I said, they like their relationships long-distance!
Speaking of distance, make sure to always give the animals the right of way on the road. They are a wild pedestrian and they own that road! Of course, making sure that you drive slow enough (especially at dusk and dawn), and truly paying attention will help keep these animals, and you, safe.
Black Bear
2. Don’t Bug Them
They don’t want you to honk at them, or whistle, or yell, or whimper, or make animal sounds. Maybe you want that perfect shot for your camera, so you call out to a wild animal. It’s the worst idea, ever. First off, you don’t sound like them at all, and you’re not fooling them with your mega-awesome moose call. One huge problem is that bears often do come near the road – especially female bears. They do this to protect their cubs, because they think the male bears will attack them. Regardless, don’t honk or yell or stress them out any more than they already are. Just allow them to exist as they are in nature. Instead, invest your money in an amazing zoom lens! Those are the best pictures, anyway, right?
WILDLIFE SAFETY RESOURCES
This FREE checksheet has wildlife safety resources, as well as a place for you to write notes and keep when you are camping/hiking!
Subscribe and get instant free access to our resource library, the Van Adieu Vault, full of even more helpful checklists, printables, tutorials, itineraries and goodies!
3. Please Don’t Feed the Bears (or Any Animal!)
Also, as tempting as it is, and as cute as they might be – don’t feed the animals. We’ve all heard this, but it true for so many reasons. First off, if larger animals like bears taste human food, they want more. And they come back for more. And that’s when people can get hurt. Yellowstone officials say that ravens have now learned how to open and unzip containers and backpacks looking for food! Even smaller animals that you think are adorable (think chipmunks and squirrels) will then shift their attention to human food if it is provided to them, disrupting the balance of nature.
Also, if you feed an animal, you risk getting a scratch, bitten, or hurt. If you are in a car, it could damage the car or the people in it. Continually feeding animals, can cause them to become even more brazen and more aggressive to obtain human food. As they do this, they oftentimes have to be euthanized, as they are causing a danger to themselves and the population.
Speaking of food, you should not only NOT feed animals, but one of the most important wildlife safety tips many people do not know about is that you must make sure to keep all of your food in bear-proof canisters, so that wild animals can’t even smell it or know that it is there. Also, try to cook your food downwind from your camp, so that wildlife can’t smell the yummy stuff you have cooking!
Huge Elk we saw on our honeymoon in Rocky Mountain National Park
4. Don’t PET them. (Yes, People Have Done This!)
And although you think it may not need to be said, please don’t try to pet the animals. There are videos out there of people petting bison. It’s an incredibly dangerous activity, so, please don’t try this. Ever. If an animal starts to approach you, back away slowly. You don’t want to run because that can look like prey running away, and a wild animal may instinctually attack. If you happen to see an animal that is hurt or wounded, do not approach it. Leave and find the closest authorities to deal with the situation.
5. Tread Lightly
Walk softly. Tread Lightly. As you hike and wander through God’s creation, realize that some of His smallest creatures may be afoot. Literally! Try not to step on eggs, nests, or other habitats. Also, try not to get near any carcasses. Other animals eat them for food, and you don’t want to be near that!
Also, snakes love to hide under rocks and around brush. Mind your step, and be careful wandering through the great outdoors for them. While snakes typically want to escape humans, when they feel threatened, they will attack.
Treading lightly also means leaving your four legged friends at home. Wildlife can attack your pets, and it can create a dangerous situation for everyone involved.
More ways to tread lightly include Leave No Trace principles that should always be used anytime you are in the great outdoors!
6. Take the Path MORE Travelled
This is the one instance in life where you want to take the path MORE travelled. Unless you are a skilled outdoor adventurer, then staying on the path is safest for both you and the animals. Make sure that you have a companion with you, and/or told people where you are going, what your itinerary is, and when you believe you will be back. If you are outside of cell phone service, you can consider purchasing a Satellite Communicator.
Big Horn Sheep
But what do you do, if you are actually attacked?
In ALL cases, out of all the wildlife safety tips in this article, the most important is that you TRY to remain calm.
Running and screaming only provokes the animal to chase and attack you.
1. Bear
Bears typically don’t attack unprovoked. Typically, they are provoked because they are frightened. Some hiker walking on a trail simply startled them, and they attacked. There are some ways to attempt to prevent this. Some people wear bells on their shoes, but while this is a good start, it simply isn’t enough. You should be making a LOT of noise (even better travel in a group) so that a bear will not be startled, and it will give him a good head start to run away. Scream, clap, sing, do what you need to do. Don’t feel silly. It’s for your safety and the bear’s safety. So, sing those show tunes – now is your time to shine!
If you see a bear, get out your Bear Spray. You should have this, on your person, all the time when you are in bear territory (which is pretty much the entire Eastern US, along the West Coast, Rocky Mountains, Sierra Mountain range and of course, in Alaska.) You should practice using this tool before you actually need it. Also, check regulations because some national parks (such as Yellowstone) do not allow this in their parks.
If you do see a bear, remain as calm as you can. If the bear hasn’t noticed you, talk softly and walk backwards slowly so that it might notice you are there, and then leave. If the bear does see you, walk slowly backwards and give him plenty of room. Do not turn your back on it. Look to see if the bear has a hump on its back, if so, then it is a grizzly, even if its not black, and they are more prone to being aggressive.
When the bear starts snorting, or hitting the ground with his paw, then again get your bear spray out slowly, keep walking backwards, and talking softly so he can hear you.
If you are attacked, spray the bear spray in short bursts (1-2 seconds) and aim lower than his head so when he gets to it, he will be passing through it. Remember, you should truly read up on this more if you are going to visit bear country. Use this spray only when necessary, since the bear spray can go 25 feet for a total of 7 seconds, make sure you make your shots count!
Worst case scenario – he continues to attack. Play Dead. Protect the back of your neck with your hands and arms. And stretch yourself out, so that it’s harder for him to flip you over. If he does attack, fight back. And pray.
2. Snakes
Snakes are pretty much everywhere. For the most part, they try to hide and leave humans alone. They strike when they are startled. If you happen to be in rattlesnake territory, listen for that tell-tale rattle. They will rattle on the side of the trail if they feel threatened. This is for your benefit. They are trying to tell you they are there, they are scared, and they will attack. Believe them.
If you are bitten, try to stay calm. It’s very important to try to remember what kind of snake it was that bit you. Keep your heart rate down, and call for help. It’s been said that the snake kits dont work, and tourniquets don’t work. That said, I truly believe in Sawyer products, and the Sawyer brand. I’m not a paid sponsor to say that, although I do make money from any affiliate link on Amazon. I have never had to use this product before, but the Sawyer Products B4 Extractor Pump Kit states that it is for the “Removal of Poisons from Snake Bites, Bee and Wasp Stings, Mosquito Bites, and More.” I’ve never had to use it, and I hope I never have to use it, but I will admit, I do carry it with me. The most important thing, is to get help. I’ve mentioned it before, but definitely consider a GPS device. It could save your life!
WILDLIFE SAFETY RESOURCES
This FREE checksheet has wildlife safety resources, as well as a place for you to write notes and keep when you are camping/hiking!
Subscribe and get instant free access to our resource library, the Van Adieu Vault, full of even more helpful checklists, printables, tutorials, itineraries and goodies!
3. Elk and Moose
Elk appear aloof, distant, almost harmless. But in recent days, visitors to Yellowstone National Park have been attacked by Elk while visiting. Again, make sure that you stay calm and don’t run, but back away slowly. If you have bear spray, you can consider using it. On the chance that the elk begins to charge, then try to get behind a tree or car. If the elk or moose has attacked you, then play dead. And pray. I always say pray, but it is how I live my life, so I share that!
4. Wild Cats
Here, kitty kitty! Except for wild cats! Again, as in all the other scenarios, make some noise! You want these animals to hear you coming, so that they have the opportunity to get away from you, which is what they really want to do. If you do encounter a wild cat, then again back up slowly. Wild Cats are a bit similar to bears in their aggressiveness, so you need to look and act big. Maintain eye contact and actually act aggressive. And if you are attacked? Fight back!
In the end, these are all dangerous scenarios. You should attempt to think of the wild animals where you are going, each and every time you go on hikes or outdoors in nature. It truly is their world, and we are just visiting it! These wildlife safety tips are a good start, but you need to make sure that you know the area you are visiting by doing research and visiting with park rangers upon entrance to these areas. Enjoy the great outdoors! Stay safe!
It’s a wild world out there!
Tell us your best methods of staying safe, and protecting yourself outdoors? Have you had any luck or success with different outdoor gear or tools to prevent attacks and remain safe? We would love to hear your wildlife safety tips!
Adieu for now!
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