SD against animal attacks....

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Self defense from animal attacks is certainly a concern for me. I recreate in areas with deer, elk, moose, mountain lion, and black bear. Dogs are a concern in town, and on some popular trails. But there's no feral dog population to speak of, so no people means no dogs.

When I see large wildlife within 50 yards, I do a quick mental preparation check. And even when I don't see anything, I'm always looking. But half the reason I go out is to see wildlife. Bears aren't a common sight, and I've never seen a mountain lion in the wild. But I know they're around, because I see scat.
 
Self defense from animal attacks is certainly a concern for me. I recreate in areas with deer, elk, moose, mountain lion, and black bear. Dogs are a concern in town, and on some popular trails. But there's no feral dog population to speak of, so no people means no dogs.

When I see large wildlife within 50 yards, I do a quick mental preparation check. And even when I don't see anything, I'm always looking. But half the reason I go out is to see wildlife. Bears aren't a common sight, and I've never seen a mountain lion in the wild. But I know they're around, because I see scat.

And, I’m sure you know.....even though you’ve not seen them (mountain lions), they’ve likely seen YOU,
 
And, I’m sure you know.....even though you’ve not seen them (mountain lions), they’ve likely seen YOU,

Every time I go out to a canyon or a deep gulch, I assume there's one watching me. Camouflaged into a rocky hillside. The only time I doubt it is when I'm in dark timber. But even then, I'll see sign occasionally.
 
Deer attack and injure more people than most of us realize. I tried to find some stats, but every thing I found included people killed in a vehicle collision with a deer. That number is 120-130 per year. I couldn't find anything on actual attacks, but they do happen. Especially during the rut. There was an older man killed here by a buck several years ago in his yard when a buck pinned him to the ground with his antlers.

Snakes I don't worry much about even though they are probably the most likely way for me to die in the outdoors. I don't really see the point in having a snake gun. If I see a snake, I can easily avoid it. It is the ones you don't see that get you and by then killing it doesn't help. I always hike with a trekking pole and if there is enough ground cover to conceal a snake I wave the pole in front of me much like a blind man would use his walking stick. Hopefully if there is one there they will strike at the pole before I get too close.

But I do carry a handgun in the woods. Mostly due to threats from 2 legged predators. There was a young lady abducted while hiking near here several years ago. Her killer was caught and after searching his vehicle evidence was found that led to him also being convicted of murdering hikers in both NC and FL. He turned out to be a serial killer with at least 5 known victims.

Using that gun for animal defense is way down my list of priorities, but something I do consider. I spend a lot of time in black bear country and do have encounters with them often. I've never felt threatened, even with a bear with cubs. But it only makes sense to be prepared.

Left alone bear won't bother humans. The problem is that some hikers/campers will feed bear either intentionally or through carelessness. Once a bear associates humans with easy food they can be a problem. I can do everything right, but have no control what others who came before me did.
 
Probably the largest animal (heck we rarely see bears except in neighborhoods) I'd have to deal with would be a puma. Honestly in some areas I frequent feral dog packs are the biggest problem. For whatever I usually have this.
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I mostly frequent the desert and usually keep the first round up a snake load.
 
I bicycle on Florida Wilderness trails and have been fortunate to see a panther, bear, of course alligators and heard feral hogs. I’ve taken to riding with a 9mm high capacity pistol in a chest mounted Hills People Runner Kit, when on more remote, less travelled trails.
 
The most dangerous animal on the planet walks on two legs. ;)
Minimum pistol I'd prefer in hand is a Glock 19 and I carry accordingly, most of the time more (bigger) than my minimum (Glock 20SF/35/41).
 
I live in Montana so I always have at least one gun when I'm out in the woods and mountains, often more than one. We have Grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and cougars along with elk and deer. There's virtually no cell service once you hit the edge of town so you're pretty much on your own. Plan accordingly.
 
I don't spend much time in the woods these days, although the small development that I live in is surrounded by a nature preserve. My closest encounter was a black bear that knocked over my neighbor's garbage can about two years ago, and then dragged the bag into my yard to chow down right outside my bedroom window. Shining a flashlight in its eyes and banging on the window eventually made it wander away -- or maybe there just weren't enough goodies in the bag. Anyway, not a really dangerous encounter, but I had a Mini-14 in the cabinet about two steps away if I should have needed it.
 
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And don't forget moose. A cow moose with a calf can be "formidable" if she takes a notion to be.:eek:

We do have moose but not nearly as many as folks do over in Idaho. When I lived in CdA I saw a good amount of moose around the Wallace area. My buddy's mom gave me a few jars of canned moose last time I was there.
 
We do have moose but not nearly as many as folks do over in Idaho.
Hmm, I did not know that. We have a daughter in Missoula (Rattlesnake Canyon area), and black bears and deer wandering the streets are fairly common there. I just assumed there were as many moose there as there are around here - which is a lot.
So I guess it must be irony, or fate, or just bad luck that I love moose meat, and there's a lot of it on one animal. Yet neither my wife nor I have ever drawn a moose tag, and we've been putting in on them for 40+ years. You'd think the Idaho Department of Fish and Game would take pity on us old folks, and just issue a moose tag to either my wife or me one of these days.:D
 
A few years ago my dad "saved" an eight point whitetail buck by chasing off three dogs which had run it down in a field. As the deer lay there exhausted, dad walked slowly forward, talking to it. Suddenly the buck jumped up and butted him in the hand and chest, leaving some bruising and minor puncture wounds. Then it ran back into the woods. He found the incident funny, although he later realized the amped up pack of dogs were probably a much bigger threat than the buck. He was a fit, muscular 65 year old at the time.
I have thought that if ever attacked by a whitetail buck for whatever reason, I would strangle it and take the head to the taxidermist, meat to the freezer. (I am a light heavyweight with with years of judo, jui-jitsu, and mma experience.)
I like dogs but would shoot one before playing any such games.
 
Hmm, I did not know that. We have a daughter in Missoula (Rattlesnake Canyon area), and black bears and deer wandering the streets are fairly common there. I just assumed there were as many moose there as there are around here - which is a lot.

I'm a bit east of there in Bozeman. Supposedly there are about 5000 moose in Montana but I think there's more in the western edge. We do have some here but I think you're better fixed for moose. On the other hand, we have more Grizzlies although maybe we could trade.:rofl:
 
As much as I resent any effort to bring reason into a potential bear thread, I must admit that the existence of other threats in woodland carry merit some consideration. Mikey the Meth Head or his altered ego are very serious considerations. As to animals, one should carry for what one considers the apex predator in the geography. Whether that's bears, lions, or feral dogs, bring enough gun.
 
Having had a pit bull chew on my left arm about 6 years ago I can[ersonally attest to the danger that dogs can present.. the dog was chasing balls being tossed by its owner. I was just walking down the street. The dog just ran over to me, jumped up, and then had my arm in its mouth. The owner. Oils not get it to release. I did get it to release with one 9mm round tote head. Wild animals deserve observant caution because they are wild, but so do domesticated animals. It is just another reason I carry 24/7.

Ive never had that happen...but it's always occurred to me that in a struggle like that one could shoot through an animal and hit theirself if conditions were right.
 
It’s very interesting to hear and to know the variety of “dangerous” animals one can run across here in the good ole USA. Both in urban environments and on the trails, farm, ranch, back country.

I remember my grandfather having to shoot an ole bull (cattle) because it had gone off its rocker and was causing damage, and if someone got to close it could have easily killed them. Shot it In the head with a 45-70. Over the course of my lifetime working on his ranch weekends, summers etc while he was alive he has had to shoot numerous various different animals in defense of his livestock, or our pets. Most of the time he used a rifle, but he always carried a Colt 45 6 shooter with him at all times, and a 45-70 hanging in the back window of the truck. Yes this was the 60’s and 70’s. You no longer find anyone hanging their rifles in the back window of their truck anymore. Lol

Any animal can be dangerous and cause extensive damage to yourself or your livestock, or even your pets.

Recently out near Mineral Wells Texas, a friend of mine who has an acreage out there shot a coyote because it was about to attack their pet. So sometimes the use of our firearm isn’t always in SD of ourselves but of our livestock, or our pets and children as well.

My motto like a Boy Scout, is be prepared. Because it’s always better to have and not need, then to need and not have.
 
It is dogs that I have been attacked by. Broken femur and a stroke resulted. I was cycling when they attacked (in a pincer movement so it was an intentional ambush). I was stalked once while hiking by a brown bear. That was unnerving. If a dog I do not know gets near me and bares it's teeth at me it could go badly for that dog.
 
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