Out in the mountains

How do yourself safe while you are camping out in the mountains? I live in a country which has a lot of bears and even wolves are said to be around the mountains, even though I never seen one of those on a trip, I have seen their feet following on the ground. What safety measure do you take just in case you meet with one of these two creatures? I personally take some firework sticks along with some fire crackers hoping the animals would get easily scared by those.

 

I usually stick to the more open areas for the sake of my safety from not only animals but people, I do live in South Africa after all so anything goes. The firework sticks thing reminds me of the time I was camping as a 13 year old with a group of friends and some hunters at a little camping weekend that our local hunting club organized. It was about 12 AM and I woke up to the sound of a wart hog snorting around our tent and almost running into it until the loudest noise I had ever heard boomed into my ears. The next morning the hunters were sitting by the fire, ready to serve us bacon. One of the scariest experiences I had as a child.

 

Yes I worry more about other people then anything else around here. I always carry a small pepper spray. Luckily I have never needed it.

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...I've had bears (black) come into camp. Magnificent. I didn't have any fear and did the right things.

Way back I was at my fire finishing breakfast and to my utter amazement a wolf trotted through my base camp. My mouth dropped open and I almost spilled my precious coffee on the ground. "What was a wolf doing in camp and why?"

I checked with the Wardens because this was a phenomenon; wolves stay away from these dangerous and violent humans. The wolf was injured (actually I did notice he had a bit of a limp) and had been turfed from the pack.
He was hungry and had come into the camps to scavenge.

Rudyard Kipling said, "The strength of the wolf is the pack and the strength of the pack is the wolf."​

Anyway, they finally shot the wolf as the Wardens determined that it was becoming dangerous. Sad.

When humans act with cruelty
we characterize them as "animals".
Yet the only animal that displays
cruelty is humanity. ​

 

This is fabulous -
we have a Romanian,
a South African,
an American,
and a Canadian taking part in this.

GREAT STUFF!
​

 

I think that the only animal we worry about when we are camping in the mountains here in my country are snakes, especially cobra snakes. We don't have bears or wolves here but snakes in the warmer areas are venomous and fast. There have been several stories of people dying from venomous snake bites here. Luckily though, we have never encountered cobra snakes in all our camping trips. There were times when we encountered snakes but the non-venomous ones.

 

I don't particularly care about snakes. In this area we have 2 poisonous snakes copper heads and rattle snakes. They blend in very well with their surroundings. I have had snakes swim up to my latern at night when I was at the waters edge fishing. I never tried to identify them. Some people claim they are poisonous ones, but I realy can't say. Sometimes their persistence is a bit un-nerving.

One camping trip my brother and I were in the boat fishing near shore, and as usual, I got my lure hung in a tree limb. Just about the time we drifted in to get it loose, a pretty green snake fell out of the limb my lure was in. My brother came totally unglued. If that snake fell in the boat I think my brother would've got out and walked on water like they say Jesus did.

I do like to carry a small thing of pepper spray just incase I need to fend off an unwelcome critter.

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...we are fortunate in that there are no poisonous snakes in my neck of the woods and the only wild life I've seen of recent date was the party next door.

 

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You are hilarious! With all the other talents you have you might think about writing short stories. I've always enjoyed your stuff and thought more could be written.

 

Thanks. True stories tho I might stretttcçhhh them a bit. Yes I am thinking seriously about career change. Retirement!

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...not just retire but transfer into a life style that you might enjoy more.

 

I don't know but I really have this thing with these crawling creatures that just makes my all the hair on my body stand up whenever I see them. In the warmer parts of my country, snakes could be very aggressive and venomous but luckily my family and I now live in a cooler area where snakes are more laid back and would just avoid you if they happen to meet you along the way.

I remember when I was still in my college years. My course required the students to be immersed in the mountains 3 times in a week. There was this particular trail that we dreaded the most because it's surrounded by bamboos and the trail is so full of fallen bamboo leaves. Snakes have been known to live in bamboos here so we would always be wary whenever we pass that trail. There was one time I almost stepped into one which was maybe sleeping or crawling beneath the fallen leaves. Good thing it didn't attack me but I almost fell off a ravine because of that.

 

There are not a lot of people who like creepy, crawly things including snakes. I seem to have a aversion to earwigs. [Not native to this country.] I just don't like them. But then again...there are so many wonderful things in the world.

 

My safety measures are my choices and not necessarily items, depending on the time of year and where I am (by where I am I mean if I'm on a North, East, South or West facing slope and the specific locale) because as the seasons change so does the food source and supply.

Prime example; Right now on the Eastern slopes of the Rockies a bears' primary food source are specifically Buffaloberries, a plant that grows in low laying areas like alongside a trail. It's considered "peak season" here, highest report I read, years old mind you, was 9 grizzlies in a 3.1 sq. km radius in Banff National Park.

So I'm a little more cautious with where I will be hiking/fishing/camping and constantly calculating the risk based on what I see such as Buffaloberries, tracks and scat (or there lack of). I always carry bear spray, lost my bear bell and can't be bothered to use "bear bangers" (firecrackers). I'm convinced a bell does nothing to deter a bear and unsure a firecracker will scare a bear when it needs to eat berries for 16 hours a day before autumn.

 

Faust I read your post with much interest and agree with your observations. I've learned to clap my hands that sound like a gun shot. Other than that I have my sling shot and bear spray. I'm in black bear country and though your experience is different the same principals apply.

I place bear bells on the elevated pack as a warning for me that some creature or critter is checking it out. I sometimes think there are gizmos in the market place that are there for one reason only - maka da money.