Walking/running and wildlife

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  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,107 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    chelsmaee7 wrote: »
    Has anyone ever had an encounter with a wild animal while walking/running?

    Pademelons :)

    And echidnas

    4303003405_0ef377a733_n.jpg


    And more ... scene while walking, cycling, and otherwise being out and about ... :)

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-bb/sets/72157623280801300/
  • SBRRepeat
    SBRRepeat Posts: 384 Member
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    Around here we just have garden variety deer, rabbits, squirrels, and loose dogs. The biggest danger is that they'll dart in front of my bike when I'm going 20 mph. That wouldn't end well.

    While trail running in other locales, however, I've come face to face (came around a turn and, oh, hello!) with a Gila monster, a porcupine, and a black bear. Obviously not all in the same trip, lol. Every time, the have been 100% uninterested in me and went about their business with just a quick hiss or snarl.

    The skunk that rubbed up against my leg in the dark like a cat, now that was scary...
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
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    Generally animals are more scared of people than the person is of the animal. I jog at night and in the dark have not come across anything more than deer or opossums so far.
  • teacton11
    teacton11 Posts: 65 Member
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    To be honest, you should be more worried about snakes than the rest of what you listed. The other animals can hear and avoid you. Snakes on the other hand...you will most likely run up on them before they can get out of the way.

    When it turns spring then they become active and are kinda on the move until they get their bearings to stay away from more high traffic areas. So yeah, when you are not worrying about a grizzly mauling then you should keep your eyes on the trail or else you can join the lucky club of runners who have had to jump a snake at the last minute bc they weren't paying attention. You should take care to avoid all snakes but you really need to be informed of those that can cause harm and what to do if you are bitten. Most people do the exact opposite of what you really need to do bc they watch too many movies.


    YEAHH TRAILRUNNING!!!
  • HillOE
    HillOE Posts: 61 Member
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    Nothing other than skunks and an occasional deer. What about a bear bell?
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
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    I've seen black bear, deer, elk and other wild critters while running trails without issue.

    The only animals I have had a problem with are dogs. Owners go in the woods and unleash the monsters. I have had face to face standoffs and have been chased by man's best friend. Most owners aren't even apologetic for the animal's behavior.

    One time I yanked the leash out of an owner's hand as I got tangled in their extra long leash. The dog was on one side of the trail and the inattentive owner was on the other side. I didn't see the leash until it was on my legs.

    I really like the trails in national parks because they normally don't allow dogs on trails.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Bobcat, coyote, chupacabra, skunks, deer, wild pigs, cows, snakes, armadillo, possum, squirrels, ducks, geese, dog, cat, horse, and much much more.

    They're all scared of you and want to get away from you. It's true.
  • DeeTee68
    DeeTee68 Posts: 198 Member
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    Wow reading the above posts makes me realise how boring it is in England. I get excited when I see a Roe deer or a Fox never mind Black Bears and Kangaroo's :) you lucky people.
  • greghenley1
    greghenley1 Posts: 90 Member
    edited April 2015
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    The strangest animal I have ran into was a very tame donkey on trail in Germany.
  • aarar
    aarar Posts: 684 Member
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    I was running on a trail, turned a corner and almost literally ran right into a huge momma moose and her 2 babies. She wasn't scared and started to walk towards me; she only stopped when I started to slowly back up. It was a bit scary.
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Strange, I thought I posted here a couple days ago...I guess not!

    Anyway, I ran into a small herd of deer once on a trail. I was the only one that really seemed surprised...I'm sure they heard me coming and to this day I have no idea why they had not scattered before I came around. There was a buck in the group who I spotted first and I just kept going, hoping I was not going to be chased by any pointy antlers. They never moved and just watched me go right on by.

    I have never crossed paths with a skunk but there is one that lives around a trail I frequent, I smell it nearby fairly often.

    I usually get startled by squirrels of all things. In the fall particularly they were regularly darting out from the brush and leaves along the side of the trial right in front of me and the rustling and sudden movement usually gives me the biggest spook out of any animal I've run across so far. Harmless as they are (although I wouldn't want to be bitten).
  • PAtinCO
    PAtinCO Posts: 129 Member
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    Like what others have said, most animals will run away when you cross their paths. There are exceptions though. If you walk in Grizzly country, they'll usually just ignore you unless you get too close. Watch for cubs though.

    Also moose tend to not be very afraid of people either. I had a close encounter with a moose in Rocky Mountain park last year while in a dense part of the forest. I turned a corner in the trail and there he was, 15-20 feet away at most. He put his ears back and made a grunting noise at me and I backed away as quick as possible. He wouldn't get off the trail either. We waited about 20 minutes while several other hikers caught up and no dice. We ended up having to go off trail up a hill too the right and circle around him to get by and finish the hike.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    I thought the flock of wild turkeys I run into occasionally was pretty cool, but compared to some of you it's right boring.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,107 Member
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    Most of my wildlife encounters in Canada and Australia have been while cycling ... not so much while walking.

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