The types of animals a hiker can expect to encounter while on the trail depends on several factors, including the geographical location of the trail and the time of year. In virtually all animal encounters, hikers should do their best to give the animal a wide berth and refrain from any direct interaction. That said, specific animal encounters may require specific behaviors from humans. Other basic animal encounter tips include never feeding wild animals and refraining from traveling too far off a marked trail, especially at night.
A few of the most significant animal encounters a hiker may experience in North America include bears, snakes, and insects.
Seeing a bear while hiking can be both a breathtaking and terrifying experience. Regardless of an individual hiker’s feelings on the matter, humans should avoid direct encounters with bears whenever possible. In a best-case scenario, bears will become overly familiar with humans and either become reliant on human support or be shot by a hunter. A worst-case scenario for a hiker encountering a bear is death.
As is the case with all potential animal interactions on the trail, hikers must research a specific location and determine what species of bear live in the area and what times of the year and day they are most active. Most bears have no interest in humans and will avoid interactions before humans are even aware of the animal’s presence. With this in mind, hikers should frequently talk to one another and otherwise make noise, which notifies bears and other animals of their location and direction of travel.
That said, bears are much more interested in human food. Hikers and campers should never cook where they are sleeping and should do everything they can to safely contain food and otherwise bear-proof the campsite.
In the event of a bear encounter, hikers should remain calm, avoid eye contact, and slowly back away from the animal. Eye contact can be interpreted as a sign of aggression while turning and running can trigger the bear’s predatory instincts.
Again, hikers must be familiar with what types of bears they might interact with, as different species demand different actions. For instance, playing dead can be an effective strategy with grizzly bears. Black bears, on the other hand, are more likely to view humans as a potential meal and will not stop attacking a “dead” food source, meaning hikers will have no option but to fight back.
Hikers should observe many of these same tactics when encountering snakes in the wild. Due to their size, snakes are much harder for humans to spot, making it all the more important to stay on the trail and avoid overgrown areas that can conceal snakes. Hikers should wear long pants or gaiters and durable footwear when hiking in snake-infested areas.
Contrary to popular belief, individuals who are bitten by a snake should not try to capture the animal and bring it back to a doctor or anti-venom specialist. They should do their best to describe the animal so that medical professionals know how to best treat the wound.
Finally, insects might seem harmless compared to bears and snakes, but mosquitoes and ticks are some of the most dangerous animals. Hikers should avoid areas associated with ticks and should consider scheduling hikes for the middle of the day during the summer months when mosquitoes are most active. Various attire and bug repellents have been designed to mitigate a hiker’s chances of being bitten by either insect.
If a hiker returns from a trip with an unusual amount of mosquito bites or tick bites that appear inflamed or infected, they should immediately schedule an appointment to see their primary care physician.
