Mind Your Surroundings

During ‘The Great Depression’, too many people lost their job and left their home to wander for the purpose of finding a job to earn some money. They were known as ‘Hobos’ and while traveling from a city to another one, they had too many problems and difficulties along with some serious threats. To warn the ones who would come after them, they developed a secret language that called ‘hoboglyphs’ in which there are lots of weird shapes that could only be understood by the ones who know the language. Carving these shapes on fences or walls, they left signs behind them. By this way, they could avert being hurt and used to travel safely. They did mind their surroundings.

Today, the term ‘Hobo’ is used for the homeless and their secret language isn’t used too much compared to the past. However, you may see one of them during your adventure, fresh carved or not, and you may have to think whether there is a problem in the vicinity. Using this method, maybe a previous camper wanted to warn you about a big snake, drawing an ‘S’ shape on wherever he can.

Mind your surroundings : Signs in nature

In nature, there are also many hidden signs that we have to look at in order not to experience bad situations in our camping trips or other outdoor activities. Feces, holes on the ground or claw scratches on tree trunks. They all say that an animal is near, that we mind our surroundings, that we should be careful. Without realizing, we might have gone into the living area of a specimen. And, none of them want to have an intruder, in where they live along with their family. We can be seen as a clear threat, especially when they are with their cubs.

Recently, in media, we began to read about cougars that followed the hikers. For minutes they followed, and tried to find the weakest moment of the hiker to attack. Like in the following video, a cougar threatened our subject till he decided to knell down to grab a rock for defending himself. Then, the cougar turned around and fled.

This guy from Ohio was lucky even though he didn’t mind his surroundings. Like many others. There happen several confrontations in a year, and most of them are pushed back without being hurt seriously. But, what if you cannot stop the attacks of a predator? That come from a bear? Or, what would you do if you were surrounded by a wolf pack? When they wake up from hibernation or wander with their little successors, they become more dangerous. Seeing them accidentally, how should you act?

How to react

First of all, we don’t want you to see them. Mind your surroundings scrutinizing the tracks to determine how fresh they might be, you must go opposite as soon as possible, evaluating direction of the wind so that they cannot catch your scent. Luckily, the paw prints of the predators are big enough to see, their solid wastes bigger than them. The more important thing is you should do some researches about the region you are planning to be, in fact, if possible, it would be good to speak with local people who know the area well. They would warn you of all possible dangers.

If you see a bear or another wild animal despite all of these, you must first keep calm. Try not to flee!!! Definitely, you mustn’t flee. They all are fast runner than you are and fleeing might stimulate their chasing instinct. Moreover, escaping means not seeing them. So, you cannot know from where they might attack. You should keep them in your sight, slowly backing away.

Bear

For a bear, wait the first step. If it comes, begin to shout as loud as you can, raising your hands along with your coat or backpack to show yourself bigger than you are. The bear must think that you are not an easy target. A friend of Old Ranger reported he survived one, by trowing his backpack. To draw the attention of the bear to the backpack, so that he gains time to escape. With some luck and courage, he was able to tell the story. You should know bears can climb trees by the way. Also, we don’t be sure you might be able to use bear spray in your limited time or how effective it would be. Once it is on you, there remains no choice but for playing dead. Eighty percent of the injures of the attacks are not vital, thanks to not fighting back.

Lonely predators

Both cougars and lonely wolfs tend to keep away from human beings. Like mentioned above, they don’t go mad to attack us because of the size of the target unless they are famished or their instinct to protect the cubs is active. But, in winter and early spring, they cannot find prey easily. Thus, everything might become to seem worth trying. Big enough or not, they might attempt to hurt you. A tree can be a way to escape from a wolf or a pack of them, yet the cats can climb, too. If the cougar continues to approach, you could yell, throw rocks or swing your hiking pole or a wooden stick. Compared to the bears, you have chance to intimidate them.

Wolf pack

The most dangerous animals in this essay are the wolfs that belong to a pack. Trusting in acting with a group, they are unbeatable and savage, courageous enough to challenge a grizzly bear. Standing still, crouching or fleeing would be the signs for them to attack. Not staring them down (seen as a threat), you have to find a higher place to climb, in order not to let them surround you. If you don’t, you are in the middle of them, you must circle around constantly and fast in order to respond to the attempts from every direction. This makes them back off, forcing their leader to take control of the situation. Then, the alpha either decides to leave you alone or continue, depending on how determined you are. Ultimately, you might have to show all of your power, so as to survive. Seeing that deterrence, they may retreat.

As a matter of fact, there is no need to fear that much. These are the worst case scenarios that might happen too rarely. Wild animals usually wander far off that men couldn’t reach easily and they avoid bumping into different kinds, particularly when that kind show up in large numbers. Just giving attention to the surroundings, planning the events carefully and being not alone, you can enjoy nature without having any trouble. Not from animals at least.