I met Devon on my walk in the woods this morning.
She and her dog Marshmallow, came up behind me as I was taking a picture of this pond.
Like me, she had a whistle around her neck, and our talk turned to walking in the woods with bears and such.
She said walking with a dog gives her some comfort and more courage. I asked her about the cougars and she answered ….
“The bears are one thing, but if you run into a cougar, well, that’s just your fate.â€
That gave me some comfort.
Hi Jan. I don’t have to go far: the woods are right behind my house (well, behind my 6-foot fence behind my house). That fence is super important because my garbage and compost bins, as well as my garden, stay behind it, away from any bears that might be ambling through.
So we have bears, and moose, coyotes and the occasional lynx. Friends who walk their dogs still take bear bangers or bear spray, as a whistle is not seen to be of much use. Also recommended is to make a lot of noise, as the bears will usually not voluntarily approach you, but you may startle them and they don’t have very good eyesight. Making lots of noise can be accounted for by singing loud enough to be heard (i.e. not “solo”) and it’s a good opportunity to practice. Have you found a choir yet?
http://www.beautyinthebackcountry.com/2014/05/10/bear-awareness/
Some useful info!
Thanks for this. It really is useful.