I believe that the final conclusion on any animal threat is best summarized by BE AWARE.

I live in Missouri and in a recent post someone commented about snakes. Sure there are a heck of a lot of snakes where I live, copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes to name a few. Nonetheless, after miles and miles of hiking I have seen thousands but never have been bit. Why? Well I attribute it to the fact that I pay attention. One time I nearly got hit, a friend and I were strolling, not in the wilderness, but on my own farm. I went to step over a shallow part of the creek when my friend told me to look down. There, laying in the shallows, between my spread legs, was a cottonmouth. I slowly and calmly stepped back and backed away. I nearly caught a hard one in a bad place. I assumed that I was safe because I knew my surroundings. I was not aware.

Preparation is a great thing but being aware and paying attention to your surroundings is more important.

I often thought to myself, hey at least we don't have bears.

http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=3357239&nav=0jshZyGE

This happened two miles from my Cabin. Guess I have got to not only look down for those snakes but look around now for those bears.