Animal Encounters in the Backcountry

[Ryan Jordan]

Companion forum thread to: Animal Encounters in the Backcountry

Ryan shares some principles about how to manage wildlife encounters, based on his own encounters with wild animals in the backcountry.

[Monte Masterson]

Good info in the video.

Cattle can be dangerous too, killing on average about 22 Americans each year. https://petkeen.com/how-many-people-killed-by-cows/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Centers%20for%20Disease%20Control%2C%20about,are%20responsible%20for%2010%20of%20the%2022%20deaths.

I have been a little worried lately camping in heavy Whitetail Deer country because many nights bucks will approach about 35 yds away, snort loudly and stomp the ground trying and intimidate me to leave.  Haven’t heard of anybody getting stomped on but I’m starting to think it could be possible. Should I be concerned?

But if you take day hikers into account, along with backpackers, I’ve got to believe dogs would be responsible for the most attacks and injuries on people by far. That’s why I prefer a heavier (9.3 oz) retractable aluminum trekking pole on many hikes because it can serve as an effective spear when extended or a solid club when retracted. Also depending on where I go, I sometimes carry a 4 oz  canister (fog) of 4% OC Fox pepper spray on my pack shoulder strap. Not enough distance for Grizzly but it will reach out about 15 feet and possibly stop black bear and for sure most dogs. Actually the Fox brand is even stronger than the Counter Assault bear spray in the big canisters. https://foxlabs.com/products/44ftm

 

[Dan]

A few years ago, I ran into a group of well over 100 elk. They were females and babies mostly, with maybe 20-30 young males, hanging out by a lake, and I wanted to pass through on the trail. As I started to walk towards the group, instead of scattering, they bunched up and moved towards me. I made some noise and banged my trekking poles together, but they didn’t care. Then a group of about a dozen babies started running towards me, looking very curious, and I decided it was time to turn around and beat a retreat.

This photo shows about half of the group. They were really fun to see, and I had never imagined for a minute that there would be any danger with a group like this. But they just weren’t acting the way I have come to expect elk to act.

[Dustin V]

That was a good, well organized presentation. I had similar presentations when I was a teenager (mid-80s) working in Yellowstone park and this was a lot more comprehensive, but more about practical rules than stories from rangers intending to scare surly teenagers. Also good to see that overall the advice hasn’t changed a lot.

[Monte Masterson]

Coyotes are also something to consider, especially in Southern California. They seem to get bolder and less fearful of humans all the time and they’re worse around suburban areas where they are rarely hunted. When I lived on a small ranch in Cave Creek, AZ coyotes would come right into your yard and grab your small dog or cat without any hesitation…. in broad daylight no less. Just like in SoCal, they use the drainage ditches as superhighways. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_attack

Small children are more vulnerable of course and there certainly have been attacks. Sometimes on adult hikers too. Virtually never fatal but getting bitten wouldn’t be a good thing.

[Glen L]

While this is lion country with the occasional jaguar we normally look out for javalina who are very defensive and the various pit vipers who are extremely defensive. When javalina feel they are encroached upon they always charge a perceived ambush. My eyesight is worse than theirs now and after almost stepping on one it did charge after twisting and snorting all around me.

Lions are more stealthy but we have marked several kill sites, most in the bottom of steep gullies. One deer left a good sized rack of horns.

 

We have more species of rattlesnakes in Arizona than any other state. My favorite is one that only resides in Arizona and northern Sonora, no other state. That would be the Tiger, beautiful horizontal banding, small head and large rattles. Every single one we have encountered rattles immediately. Many of the common diamondbacks don’t rattle at all unless one hovers a bit and then only maybe. Last year we encountered five rattlesnakes, two Tigers and three diamondbacks. Got some stunning images and two very creepy videos.

 

We don’t have much in the way of ticks but mosquitoes are the most deadly animals around.

while we often encounter bears in the high country one did come along  as we sipped our tea in a canyon bottom at 2700’ elevation.

[Glen L]

One of the most impressive wildlife encounters I’ve ever witnessed was three pronghorn antelope running from south to north at 60 mph in the Petrified Forest. It was hard to wrap my head around that sight. The herds there are interesting. One was very curious about a friend who was out on the edge dividing the grassland from the erosion. Most of the time they run away but this one kept prancing closer then back and forth. There are good herds of pronghorn in northern Arizona along with elk and in southeastern Arizona in the grassland. The “barking” elk are kind of scary in the darkness.

[Brad W]

Loved this podcast. I have a question for those who hike/camp in animal dense areas, especially moose and elk. In the PNW, near my home, there are fantastic mountains close by. They are dense forests with mostly forest roads and some trails throughout.  They have what seems to be a lot of elk and moose based solely on my sightings, tracks and droppings. In almost all of the spots one would want to pitch a tent-a small piece of flatish clearing-there are droppings or game traffic-trails. I have hiked probably 100+ miles in this area looking for that hidden, perfect camp site and in each and every time, if it’s flat or a clearing, a moose or elk has bedded down or have been there recently.

What is the protocol here? Don’t worry about them, set up and hope they don’t pass through?

[Steve S]

I’ve never given it a thought. My only concern is being stepped on carelessly, or having a tentline disturbed. Neither has happened. Once, in an area truly heavily traveled by elk, I moved off to the side as best I could — but was still on tracks — pitched my tent and slept well all night.

[AK Granola]

I wouldn’t even think to consider about where to put my tent in moose country, although I wouldn’t want to be in a big pile of poo. I recently learned that moose poop can carry crypto, even when fully dry. My kids used to pick it up and pelt each other with it, and I didn’t think anything of it. There was also a recent case of an Alaskan moose carrying rabies, per the state veterinarian. But there are moose absolutely everywhere up here, so when you camp you just camp and yes, the moose have always used that same spot. I would watch out for bear sign though, and not camp near anything fresh, nor on an active trail or near water. I give them space.

[Dan]

I also try to avoid camping around big piles of poo, if possible. Not always possible, unfortunately. Other than that I don’t think about it. They know where you are, and they can avoid you if they want to. It’s really the bugling and barking that are the main issue for me. It’s a novelty at first, but it gets old pretty quickly.

[Steve S]

I should have noted that in my previous comment I currently live in NW Oregon and have hiked all over the northwest with minimal concern. Mostly solo. I have had little trouble avoiding much poo, and mostly try to avoid the prickly stuff that can penetrate tent floors and sleeping bag covers.

Some caution about animals or respect for their preferences seems appropriate, and I try to be polite. Staying off obvious trails is one example. Also, the time I was checking a site for cowboy camping at night and realized a cougar was watching me, I decided I could keep moving. (While I was examining the possible site, my headlamp revealed a round yellow reflector that had not been there a moment earlier. I decided the animal — 40-80 feet away I estimated — was curious about the noise in the neighborhood, and was not stalking me, so I just left.)

[Brad W]

Thanks. I thought about laying some fallen branches around the perimeter to dissuade a camp walkthrough.

[Roger Caffin]

The fallen branches might work – if there are enough of them.
One night up in the mountains Sue and I were just going to sleep when there was a huge ‘sprong’ and the tent shook. Turns out a fox had tried to run through our site and didn’t see our tent guylines. He somersaulted.

Cheers

[jscott]

One of my all time favorite animal encounters happened in very early spring. I came down through a steep snowy pass and just entered a meadow when I spotted a grouse with her chick–and she saw me. I stopped and made  some low soothing sounds. After a minute, out came another chick, and then another until there were 8!! chicks gathered around the mother. She was showing off!! I made some appreciative sounds and was on my way.

Birds seem to have a sense of pride, like cats wanting you to see their kill. An0ther early spring I startled up a raptor that then dropped a large animal as it rose. Then it circled back, grabbed its kill and dragged it under a bush. It let me get close enough to take some kinda gruesome shots of the bird feasting on–what? I  don’t know,  but it seemed bigger than a rat. I definitely got the sense that the bird was proud and wanting me to see its kill. And that it knew it was tougher than me if I came after the kill to steal it!

[AK Granola]

Grouse can be mellow or truly nasty! When we camped at Elizabeth Lake Foot in Glacier NP last summer, we went on an evening berry picking walk. A very angry grouse attacked my friend who was in front of me. It kept coming back and attacking her leg with its feet and bill. She had to kick it to get it to back off. Over and over as we gradually backed down the trail. We found later in comments on FarOut that this grouse is infamous! I think there was a note in the outhouse too, warning of the attack bird.

We wanted to give our friend the trail name “grouse kicker,” but she was not a fan.

[jscott]

I’ve seen a number of grouse play “wounded” when their chicks were nearby, in order to distract me from the young ones.  And the chicks were  always great at hiding! I recall one mother grouse getting all Shakespearian in her performance, and can imagine her attacking me had I made a move towards her hidden chicks.

This is why I was so  surprised by the mother grouse bringing out her eight chicks for me to admire! It was a one off, for sure.

I guess there’s a reason why we say, “my friend was grousing about his neighbor for an hour until I had to leave.” for example.

[Todd T]

Grouse are never afraid to tell it like it is.  I had one block the trail for a while as her little ones scurried off into the brush…

Then after showing me what she really thought, she rejoined the kids.

[Dan]

Speaking of baby animals hiding, it’s always a treat to run into a baby deer curled up in a ball lying perfectly still waiting for its mother to return. I’ll never forget one occasion in the Sangre de Cristos when I stopped to check a map, happened to look down, and saw a baby deer right next to the trail. For a moment, I didn’t know what I was seeing, and then my perspective shifted and I couldn’t believe it was right there, less than a meter from my foot. My dog Zelda didn’t even know it was there, apparently they have no scent as babies? I wish I had a photo, but at the time, I just wanted to get Zelda away from it quickly before she noticed it.

[Philip Tschersich]

We were hiking along the shore of  Natalia Lagoon on Sitkalidak Island in the spring, and saw 13 large dark objects at the head of the bay. As we got closer we realized it was seven brown bears and six buffalo, peacefully grazing together on sedges. It was late evening and the light was poor, but here is one picture.

[AK Granola]

Gorgeous photo Philip! the bear clearly is aware of your presence, the bison don’t give a rip.

[jscott]

I hate rattlesnakes. Especially in early spring when they’re really mean tempered. Here’s one encounter: chilly day, some  snow, I reach what I know is a good campsite near a river. I spread out my tent on the ground, take a few steps back, spread out my arms while muttering “now THAT’s a good flat site.” I turn around and a six foot rattler is spread out just a few feet behind me. Whoa!! It’s early season and it’s barely moving. Clearly it’s just come out of some  gadawful hibernation. I give it plenty of room and watch as it ever so slowly makes its way towards the river. the damn thing is huge.

what to do? I’m tired. evening is falling, and it’s cold. I stay put. I thought, the snake is cold  and defenseless. it wants to avoid me. I have a zip up double wall tent–yay! I know it’s out there. I’ll be careful come 3 a.m. when I go to pee. And so I made dinner and went to bed.

Had I been in an open tarp, I would  have moved on.

[Philip Tschersich]

I ran into the ‘Waterfall’ Roosevelt elk herd on north Afognak Island. Well, the cows and calves anyway. The bulls were traipsing around the mountains in small bachelor groups.

The animals I have felt most under threat by in Alaska have been birds. Bald eagles that want to peel the top of your scalp off; getting absolutely clocked in the back of my head by a goshawk; getting beaned in the temple by a pissed off ptarmigan; etc. Birds are territorial and scary.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I am glad the birds and animals are still out there with all the human race conspiring to do away with them and their habitat. I do not like insects, especially the flying biting ones, but I’ve come to appreciate the insects, too.

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