Learn to behave so that an animal knows about you in advance and leaves on its own — on the trail, in camp, and near food.
The best encounter is the one that never happens
How to avoid an encounter
Almost any animal that knows about you in advance will leave on its own. So on the trail, be a “sound beacon”: talk, clap your hands at blind bends, and in thick brush and near noisy water, where you're hard to hear, speak up more often. Hike in a group and in daylight: dusk and dawn are hunting hours.
In camp, smells are what matter. Cook and store food away from your tent, pack out food scraps and packaging in a sealed bag, and wash dishes right away. It's not only food that smells: to an animal, toothpaste and deodorant are an “edible” smell too, and they don't belong in your sleeping bag.
Give animal “dining rooms” a wide berth: berry patches, carcasses with birds circling overhead, trails to watering holes. Don't touch young animals — the mother is always closer than you think. Keep your dog on a leash: a loose dog will find an animal, provoke it, and lead it back to you.
And an ironclad rule: never feed wild animals. An animal that people feed loses its fear of people, starts demanding food — and becomes dangerous.
Lesson notes
How to avoid an encounter
Almost any animal that knows about you in advance will leave on its own. So on the trail, be a “sound beacon”: talk, clap your hands at blind bends, and in thick brush and near noisy water, where you're hard to hear, speak up more often. Hike in a group and in daylight: dusk and dawn are hunting hours.
In camp, smells are what matter. Cook and store food away from your tent, pack out food scraps and packaging in a sealed bag, and wash dishes right away. It's not only food that smells: to an animal, toothpaste and deodorant are an “edible” smell too, and they don't belong in your sleeping bag.
Give animal “dining rooms” a wide berth: berry patches, carcasses with birds circling overhead, trails to watering holes. Don't touch young animals — the mother is always closer than you think. Keep your dog on a leash: a loose dog will find an animal, provoke it, and lead it back to you.
And an ironclad rule: never feed wild animals. An animal that people feed loses its fear of people, starts demanding food — and becomes dangerous.