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[RC] What to do about large predators (long) - ChrystalO.k. since no-one has actually given any advice about what to actually when faced with these animals I 'll take a shot at it- except for the snakes, I have seen maybe two snakes in my life I would probably faint and fall off my horse if I came across one of those huge water things you guys were talking about! UGH! Canada might be cold but that's o.k. if it keeps the snakes out.:-):-) :-) The thing is the chances of seeing any of these animals while at a ride is just about 'nil, they don't like people and a couple of hundred campers and riders milling about is a pretty good gaurantee that all wild animals are gone!!:-) However if you were at a ride in major bear country there a few precautions you can take like don't have ANYTHING in your tent with a good smell, that includes toothpaste,shampoo, canned dog food ( they can smell the food in the can!)put all that stuff in the truck ( I am assuming that you were already smart enough to put the people food in the truck:-) ) Bears can and have "attacked" trucks, broken the windows/doors to get at food etc... but better your truck than your tent! When they have found ( the odd , this doesn't happen very often)women hikers who have been mauled to death by a bear, often only her scalp/hair was torn off, wildlife officers surmise that it is because women often have fruity smelling shampoo/hairspray/gel/mousse etc... and that is what the bear was after!! Really,the less one showers the better when in bear country, I don't know about the States but up here in Ontario that isn't a problem at rides as there are no showers!!:-) If you meet a bear on the trail put your arms over your head,wave your coat over your head and make loud,scary noises at the bear, there a few things bigger than a bear in the woods and nothing really stands up to it ( 'cept the Moose and we will get to them:-) ) so when faced with a tall,screaming person in the forest that isn't runnign away,the bear generally leaves as fast as possible. A bears main diet is berries and fish, they typically will only attack if there are cubs and you are seen as a threat, or they are a rogue bear OR if you smell like a berry( there is that shampoo problem) ), And if you are on your horse I would bet that you could out run a bear with little problems, yeah they are fast but for only a short distance,unlike our endurance horses right??!!:-) Oh, and that playing dead thing will only work with Grizzlies as they like their food a bit decomposed, so if you can lie still while it mauls you and convince it you are dead, it will kick a few leaves over you and leave you for awhile- black bears however will start eating you right away- so if you can figure out which kind of bear it is and have a high pain tolerance you can try playing dead, but really not a good choice.:-) Wolves- well I have lived in wolf territory and never had a problem with them, they tend to be very shy around humans and unless they were starving I can't imagine them attacking a camp and if you met a crazy wolf while riding that decided to attack you then you could outrun it on your horse, I have NEVER heard of a wolf killing a person in the wild. Cougars.......... scare me:-) the best thing to do in their territory is to let them know you are coming as they will usually leave, dogs have been known to save their owners as they attack the cougar and the person can get away ( yes the dog usually doesn't get away :-( )if riding in major cougar country I would ride with a friend and talk /sing whatever to let them know where I am and have dogs in my camp. And carry bear(pepper) spray in case a cougar did attack , although they usually pounce from the back so you probably wouldn't have a chance to use it, but it might make you feel better to carry it!!:-) :-) O.k. Barbara in the East, this is for you.:-) :-).MOOSE are not lumbering,stupid animals, they weigh thousands of pounds and are fast! They can move as fast as a bear when they want to, you definitely could not out run a moose on foot, and they really are tempermental and unpredictable that is one of the reason's they are so dangerous, you never know what they are going to do , if you find one in a bad mood and that could be calving season,rutting season etc.... it can chase/hunt you down and will try to put big holes in you with its antlers or trample you- I have ridden by bears who were on the other side of the road from me and not worried too much, however I would be stressed and watch a moose very carefullyin the same situation and stay FAR away from it. As long as you keep your distance they are usually o.k. Quite honestly people worry me way more than any of these animals- animals don't look for confrontations give them a chance to get away and they usually will. ============================================================ The only thing worse than crewing for a female Endurance rider is crewing ~ ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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