Recently in San Bernadino Co. California, one mountain biker was killed and another badly injured by an older lion. Large,dangerous animals periodically evoke questions, usually resulting in recommendations for stopping weapons worthy of a Stewart Granger movie. The aftermath was sadly predictable: a police officer shot another lion that turned out to be a very fat pet cat. Pepper spray, Rambo knives and one hiking staff/spear appeared on my local trails and cougars were spotted behind every wildflower. For all this, animal attacks are rare, as is common sense among people venturing where the sidewalk ends. Once again, If you are concerned learn about the animals. If you go in THEIR home keep your head on a swivel,eyes and ears open, go slow and don't step on the local skunk and her kittens- BTDT <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The current issue of Blade magazine has a story about a gent that was attacked by a black bear and forced to kill it with a pocket folder (man is still the most dangerous animal).

Unprovoked attacks from black bears are comparatively very rare, but apparently this one had a broken jaw, was in bad shape, and driven to it by desperation and/or pain.

I think the moral may be that, no matter what we think we know about animals, there are always exceptions.

Never ceases to amaze me how people refuse to understand who was here first. If you chose to move into the urban interface get used to deer/elk eating your flowers and the occassional lion lunching on your favorite tabby. If you chose to put out feed for the wildlife (keeping them frequenting the same area) then expect lions to move in and stay, you've estahblished a buffet for them. Go into the bad side of town, expect deralicts, robbers and thieves. Venture into outback, expect to have encounters with the residents who are probably doing what comes natural, hunting for their survival!

Sometimes I get the feeling that many city dwellers gain their knowledge about wildlife from Walt Disney movies. In some of our bigger cities wild boar found a new home. People start feeding them to see the cute piglets. The animals are kind of ungrateful though. They dig up gardens and the moms don´t exactly appreciate people coming too close to their piglets.
Usually the animals get killed for being fed. Of course you´re callous when you tell people that feeding those animals in their backyard comes pretty close to shooting them straight away.

There was a situation recently about a self made grizzly lover who's luck ran out when he an his girl friend were both killed and eaten because he was too sure of the bears "love" of him.

My favorite story is about the "stupi-dicidal" nature photographer who set up his camera to record his approach to a pride of resting lions in Africa. The camera caught everything, and a casket was not necessary at his wake as there was no body to bury.

The "BAMBI" syndrome lives in the minds of too many and they act accordingly.

Bountyhunter

"Common sense is the rarest commodity in the world."

That was said by Mark Twain over a hundred years ago, and it will still be true a thousand years from now.

Bad stuff is going to happen to people who have always let others do their thinking for them.

My worst encounter by far out in the sticks has been the two legged kind. No amount of coffee will awaken you in the morning quite like having a few unkown men walk into your camp from behind cover with loaded rifles and their hands in shooting position. There's more than one reason why I keep a loaded 44 in the cook tent, along with a big pot of coffee and extra cups. It's a whole lot easier to drink coffee if you aren't brandishing a weapon.

Now for 4 legged critters, I've only had one bear and a nest of raccoons harass me at mealtime, on separate occasions of course. I did have a 6 point white tail in velvet come into camp and eat a half a can of fresh coffee grounds once. It was easier dealing with the bear and the coons than it was that wired up buck!!! <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

My worst encounter: When I was 6 years old I was attacked by a mole <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> (Yes, the little critter that burrows under ground and makes those tiny sand dunes in your garden).

I still don't know why it chased me <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />. Luckily my jack russel was there to relocate it to critter heaven!