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When in the national parks or any wilderness area, take precautions with wildlife. Never approach a wild animal or try to feed it anything. Always remember that they are wild and therefore, unpredictable. Respecting that will go a long way in keeping you and your loved ones safe. Always check with the park rangers as to animal behavior in that particular park and follow their instructions. Not all animals are alike in their behavior, especially bears. These are just guidelines, not definitive actions. Again check with your park rangers.

MOOSE
Moose aren’t inherently aggressive, but will defend themselves if they perceive a threat. When people don’t see moose as potentially dangerous, they may approach too closely and put themselves at risk. If you do find yourself close to a moose and if it hasn’t detected you yet, keep it that way. If it knows you’re there, talk to it softly and move away slowly. Don’t be aggressive – you want to convince the moose that you aren’t a threat. If you think the moose is going to charge you, take cover or run away. Watch for signs that the moose is upset – if its ears are laid back and hackles are up it is likely to charge. Most of the time, when a moose charges it is a ‘bluff’, or warning for you to get back – a warning you should take very seriously! Once a moose bluff charges it is already agitated. If possible, get behind something solid (like a tree or a car). Unlike with bears, it is okay to run from a moose. They usually won’t chase you and if they do, it’s unlikely that they’ll chase you very far. If a moose knocks you down, curl up in a ball and protect your head with your arms and keep still. Fighting back will only convince the moose that you may still be a threat. Only move once the moose has backed off to a safe distance or it may renew its attack.

BEARS
Take precautions with bears. Make your presence known. Bears don’t like surprises. Traveling with a group is one of the best ways to avoid a negative encounter. Groups of 3 or more are noisier and easier for bears to detect. Make noise especially where the terrain or vegetation makes it hard to see. You can whistle, sing, clap or use noise makers. Avoid thick brush and try to walk with the wind at your back so your scent will warn bears of your presence. Bears can see almost as well as people, but they trust their noses much more than their eyes or ears. Stay out of their personal space and give them plenty of room. When photographing bears, use long lenses; getting close for a great shot could put you inside the danger zone.

Bears are always on the lookout for food. When picnicking, camping or snacking on the trail, take out only the food you need at the moment and store the rest. If a bear approaches while you are eating, don’t abandon your picnic! Instead, pack it up quickly. Avoid using strong smelling toiletries, like perfumed soap, deodorant or mouthwash – unfamiliar scents may inspire bears’ curiosity. When cooking at a campfire avoid smelly food like bacon and smoked fish, use freeze-dried meals instead. Never sleep in the same clothing you wore while cooking. Store all garbage at least 100 yards from your tent, out of reach of bears. If no trees are available, store it in airtight containers or bear resistance food containers. Do not bury garbage as bears will just dig it up again.

Bears use trails too, so camp at least 1/8 mile from any trails – including game trails. Be especially wary when traveling along streams or rivers when salmon are running. It is a good idea to carry a non-lethal deterrent such as an air horn or pepper spray in case of a surprise encounter – but make sure you know how to use it! Discharging pepper spray improperly won’t help and could make matters worse if you incapacitate yourself. If discharged upwind, they can disable the person using it. The pepper spray may be effective at a range of 6-8 yards. These cans are under high pressure; if you fly with one, be sure to tell the pilot so it can be properly stored. If a bear approaches while you are fishing, stop fishing. If you have a fish on your line, don’t let it splash. If that’s not possible, cut your line. If a bear learns it can obtain fish just by approaching fishermen, it will return for more.

If you do encounter a bear, remain calm and don’t run. Like dogs, bears will often chase fleeing animals. You can’t outrun a bear. They have been clocked at speeds up to 35 mph! Let the bear know you are human. Talk to it in a normal voice and wave your arms slowly or clap your hands. Don’t stare them in the face as it might be interpreted as a sign of aggression. Turn your head away slightly, although some experts report that with some bears it is better to look them in the eyes. If a bear cannot tell what you are, it may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious – not threatening. Move away slowly, but don’t turn your back. If the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. If the bear gets too close, raise your voice and be more aggressive. Make louder noise by banging pots and pans or using other noisemakers, but never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal. If a bear charges don’t run! Bears often make bluff charges, sometimes to within 10 feet of their adversary, without making contact. Usually if you hold your ground they will back off. In rare instances black bears perceive humans as prey – if you are attacked by a black bear fight back. Try to focus your attack on the bear’s eyes and nose. If you are attacked by a brown bear or a grizzly, surrender! Chances are it is only trying to neutralize a perceived threat. Fall to the ground and play dead. Lie flat on your stomach, or curl up in a ball with your hands behind your neck. Typically, a brown bear will break off its attack once it feels the threat has been eliminated. If possible, remain motionless until the bear has left the area. If the bear sees you move or hears you, it may return and renew its attack. If the bear continues biting you long after you assume a defensive posture, fight back vigorously. If a black or grizzly bear attacks at night while you’re in a tent, fight back aggressively with fists or solid objects.

MOUNTAIN LIONS
Retiring and shy by nature and nocturnal by habit, mountain lions, cougars, or panthers are seldom seen in their native haunts. They are solitary creatures except when mating. Contrary to popular opinion, mountain lions seldom use caves as dens. An area under an overhanging ledge, a crevice in a cliff, a dry cavity in a jumbled pile of rocks, an enlarged badger burrow, a cavity under the roots of a tree, or a dense thicket seem to be more desirable. These cats spend most of their time on the ground, but they are adept at climbing trees. The presence of a mountain lion in an area can usually be detected by looking for scrapes, the signpost of the male, which consist of small piles of leaves, grasses, and so forth that he scrapes together and on which he urinates. These are best found on their travel routes along the ridges and rimrocks. Encounters with mountain lions are extremely rare for humans. If, however, you do encounter one, follow these guidelines.

Do not hike alone, but rather go in groups, with adults supervising children. Keep children close to you. Observations of captured wild mountain lions reveal that the animals seem especially drawn to children. Keep children within your sight at all times.

Do not approach a mountain lion. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape. Do not run from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up if possible so they don’t panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.

Do not crouch down or bend over. In Nepal, a researcher studying tigers and leopards watched the big cats kill cattle and domestic water buffalo while ignoring humans standing nearby. He surmised that a human standing up is just not the right shape for a cat’s prey. On the other hand, a person squatting or bending over looks a lot like a four-legged prey animal. If you’re in mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children. Do all you can to appear larger by raising your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.

Fight back if attacked. You can use a rock, sticks, caps, jackets, camping tools, or your bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal. As with any animal encounter, report it immediately.

WOLVES
Historically most wolves avoid people, if possible and do not consider humans to be a food source-in fact; there has never been an instance of a healthy wolf killing a person in the lower 48 states. Wolves can, however, get rabies, as can other wild animals. It’s important that people avoid feeding or trying to “habituate” wolves and that they respect and take precautions to avoid conflicts with them.

BISON
Be especially wary of bison. They can run up to 35 miles per hour and turn faster than a horse. People who get too close to them may be gored by antlers and horns or trampled or bitten by sharp teeth. Always stay well clear of these animals and give them the right-of-way. Do not ride horses closer than 100 yards to any bison. If you surprise a bison, it is best to stand your ground if there is no escape route, such as a tree or sod table. Bison can scramble into seemingly unlikely places. Your best prevention is to admire these beauties from afar.

ELK
Along with moose, elk are among the largest animals in the deer family. A mature male can get up to 875 pounds and stand 5 feet tall (from the shoulder) and 8 feet long. Their antlers can weigh over 30 pounds and grow up to 6-8 points or tines on each antler. They are generally mild mannered and will run away from you, except during rut season.

Rut season occurs in the autumn and testosterone levels run very high in the males, making them extremely aggressive. Often, two mature males will lock antlers and fight for dominance, pushing each other back and forth. They do not fight to the death, but often the ritual ends in one or the other becoming injured by the antlers.

Although many people desire to witness this time, it can be dangerous. Cars and people have been attacked during this time causing a lot of damage. During this time as you are driving through the parks, be very watchful and keep your distance from them. If you are hiking through the wilderness where much of the rutting process occurs, make a wide berth of them when you see them, especially if they haven’t detected you yet. Do not try and tempt them with any bugling or elk calls. If they do charge you, run away and place a large object such as a big tree between you and the elk. If you do not smell like a female, they will soon loose interest.

POISONOUS SNAKES and LIZARDS
Snakes are widely distributed. They are found in all tropical, subtropical, and most temperate regions. Some species of snakes have specialized glands that contain toxic venom and long hollow fangs to inject their venom.

There are two kinds of poisonous snakes, pit vipers and the coral, cottonmouth and copperhead snakes. Pit vipers are called that because of the ‘pit’ between the eyes and the mouth that is heat-sensing and allows them to strike their victim even if they can’t see it. They have two fangs that act as a hypodermic needle. The rattlesnake is an example of prevalent US pit vipers. The rattlesnake often shakes its rattles as a warning, BUT NOT ALWAYS! They range from mildly toxic to very venomous. The most toxic being the Mojave rattlesnake with Black-tailed rattlesnake, Massasauga rattlesnake, Pacific rattlesnake, Prairie rattlesnake, Speckled rattlesnake and the Timber rattlesnake all capable of fatalities. Of the other three ‘coral’ type snakes, the coral and cottonmouth snakes are the most toxic.

Yellow-bellied sea snakes can be found near the Hawaiian Islands and are highly venomous snakes belonging to the cobra family. This snake is truly of the pelagic species-it never leaves the water to come to shore. It has an oar-like tail to aid its swimming. This species is quick to defend itself. Sea snakes do not really strike, but deliberately turn and bite if molested. A small amount of their neurotoxic venom can cause death.

Although venomous snakes use their venom to secure food, they also use it for self-defense. Most snakes get out of the way and are seldom seen. Nearly all snakes avoid man if possible. Human accidents occur when you don’t see or hear the snake, when you step on them, or when you walk too close to them. Following a few simple rules will reduce the chance of accidental snakebite.

Don’t sleep next to brush, tall grass, large boulders, or trees. They provide hiding places for snakes. Place your sleeping bag in a clearing. Use mosquito netting tucked well under the bag. This netting should provide a good barrier. Don’t put your hands into dark places, such as rock crevices, heavy brush, or hollow logs, without first investigating. Don’t step over a fallen tree. Step on the log and look to see if there is a snake resting on the other side. Don’t walk through heavy brush or tall grass without looking down. Look where you are walking, especially if you are in known snake country! Don’t pick up any snake, dead or alive. The nervous system may still be active and a dead snake can deliver a bite. If you are in an area that is heavily infested with venomous snakes, pack a snake kit to help remove the venom.

There is little to fear from lizards as long as you follow the same precautions as for avoiding snakebite. Usually, there are only two poisonous lizards: the Gila monster and the Mexican beaded lizard. The venom of both these lizards is neurotoxic. The two lizards are in the same family, and both are slow moving with a docile nature.