Was excited to install this app until I found out it was another monthly subscription based app. No thanks, I'll just get a first aid pocket book for a few bucks and have it for life. Good information in this video though, thanks!
The 1-in-a-billion probability of being killed by a mountain lion is for the general population, almost none of whom hikes on trails where mountain lions are known to attack. For someone who hikes a trail where mountain lions are known to attack, the probability of being killed by one is much higher. (In the same manner, a golfer who is foolish enough to golf during a thunderstorm is much more likely to be killed by lightning than a member of the general population.) I will never be killed by a Grizzly Bear while I hike in Rocky Mountain National Park--because Grizzlies don't live there. In Glacier National Park, on the other hand, you'd better watch out.
Thought the exact same thing. You have to pare down the statistic group to YOUR specific behavior. I.e how many attacks happen within a population of hikers. Of course the general population is less likely to be attacked than avid hikers.
Living in bear country and reflecting on the "deer attack" case in Yosemite that you mention, I'm actually closely familiar with the true story, which as I think you suspected has been embellished over the years. This was merely a case of a human habituated animal that ventured into an area where it expected it might find food. The boy was accidentally gored when the deer bobbed its head in a simple case of unnatural proximity. It was not an "attack". I think this is worth mentioning as it illustrates why allowing or encouraging any wild animals to come into proximity to humans is a mistake. At best, it results in a "nuisance animal". At worst...
@@danielmaxim3405 Good luck facing a grizzly bear, you will die very quickly if he sees you as a threat. You have no idea what you're talking about man.
@@harrymills2770 depends on the type of attack. If it’s hungry and opportunist or territorial or protecting its cubs. Context and situation matters. How you react should depend on the behavior of the bear/reason for the attack
Agree. I didn't see a brown bear at Yosemite (got lost from Pohono trail) but he spotted me and stood up, that's how I saw him, about 50 yards away uphill, lasted about 20sec. and gone in a blink.
The only issue I've run into with rattlesnakes is when they've tried to hide in my shadow. They're very fast when they want to be, and it gives the impression that they're "chasing" you when they just want to hide. It's unnerving, though, for sure.
Great video. Lots of good information to consider, not just for hikers but for off-road cyclists as well. Thanks for all the hard work that you put into your channel.
Usually its because they aren't prepared. They get lost and caught in bad weather, they slip and get injured, or as simple as not carrying enough water.
In my area there’s been an increase in mt lion sightings, even around homes. I think about them while hiking, but even more so since I got a mountain bike and ride solo on forest roads. Of all the things that could happen while riding, that bothers me the most, because there’s not much I can do to prepare for it, and like you said I probably wouldn’t even know about it til it was on me… I’ll try to focus more on the statistics…
I almost stepped on a sidewinder in the Mojave, scared the hell out of me. The sidewinders blend in with the ground in color and texture, almost impossible to see in addition the can bury themselves in the sand except for their head and wait outside of animal burrows for their prey. As a result of my encounter around ten years ago I always wear snake gaiters when hiking in those areas where sidewinders may be present.
About three weeks after a fire here in Aliso Woods Canyon below SOKA University. I was hiking on the lower trail and spotted a mountain lion or bobcat ( wasn't sure). I picked up two big rocks put one in my pocket. I started to film the cat who was about 50 ft away. If he made a move toward me I was about to start jumping with my hands high and yell. If that didn't work I was ready to throw my rock and then phone. He just stared at me for about a minute then turned toward the creek.Whew!
Glad you're okay, sounds intense. I haven't seen a local mountain lion in all my miles here, but I've talked to OC rangers who see them in areas like Aliso Woods. If it was a bobcat, it would have been small, a little bigger than a house cat, and would probably have run away. I've seen those around the OC many times, they've always run away for me. Sounds like you probably saw a mountain lion and you did the right thing.
Thank you.. oddly there are so many suspicious hiking deaths lately. Nobody's talking about the gangs and large groups of men hiking together, they come across very angry and motivated. Highly suspicious
Lol I've walked by so many pacific rattlers and they always seem pretty docile. I even walked past one, and came within around 6 inches, from my shoe to its head. The only time I've been rattled at is when I've been motoring downhill and come up on one too fast for its liking. Oh and one time I tossed a few pebbles at one to make it get off the trail, and it rattled at me. But as long as you leave them alone, generally they leave you alone. I've walked past a black bear in Santa Anita Canyon before, and didn't even realize it. The people hiking a ways behind me started screaming to chase it away. And I've walked through a heard of mule deer, but they were kinda used to hikers so they didn't react that much; just kinda gave me room to get through. I came up on a momma deer and some young ones at Baldy the other day, so I just smacked my poles together to scare them away.
Between 7,000 and 8,000 people are bit a year. Maybe your rattlesnakes are chill but that’s not the case across the country. I don’t even live in major rattlesnake territory and someone was bit hiking recently. Maybe because I am an East Coast hiker I am definitely taking procrastination when I hike in the desert or out West. I know the chances are low but I don’t need to take unnecessary chances. When I hike the PCT I will definitely be wearing snake gaiters thru the desert. Some may call it overkill but they weigh next to nothing. If I lose my fear maybe they come off. Take care
@@mtadams2009 As long as you don't step on one you'll be okay. And it always seems there's a small window every year where they all come out of the woodwork and you see a ton of them. Then, not so much the rest of the year. I've only been on the PCT near Big Bear CA, and the trail was clear and wide enough that you'd know if there was a snake on trail with you. So you wouldn't be surprised. I've never actually seen any rattlers in the desert, like at Joshua Tree, Mojave, Death Valley, or Saguaro Natl. Park. Where I see most of them are in the chaparral in the Mediterranean climate around Los Angeles. Lots of grass and scrub for them to hide in on the sides of the trails. One 'jumped' down in front of me off a switchback once, and just sat on the trail so I couldn't get through, so I just quickly ran around them. Good luck with PCT; I assume you'll be doing the desert part when it's still cold so you may not see many snakes at that time of year, but I'm no expert.
Californian's are lucky that the rattlesnake almost always rattles if you get too close and that it takes hours/days to die from a rattlesnake bite. In other parts of the world there are snakes that strike without warning and have much faster acting venom. The creature that scares me the most is a jellyfish that is found in Australia, if you get stung by this jellyfish there is no saving you will die within 10 or 20 minutes and the venom destroys you're nerves you are in alot of pain experiencing terrible uncontrollable muscle spasms and towards the end you're brain cells might even start to crazily fire.
Hello! I have a suggestion for the interview. Could you ask him if he plans to make the app available for Huawei devices? I can download the app but I can't buy an account. Thank you! :)
I don't think im going to get attacked by a black bear because they kind of try to avoid human contact, but i live in an area with lots of bears, after nighfall they roam around the outside of my house and pass through my backyard almost daily, ive had 3 different bears in a single night walk by just last week. Im not afraid because i don't go out at night wandering around the forest, but the odds of personally getting attacked by a bear are much higher than someone in san francisco or downtown san diego.
That sign for how to deal with a mountain lion unfortunately makes it look like the parent is offering up the child to the lion. Is that just me? I used to work with big cats and they are unbelievably strong. I have spent some minutes with a jaguar clamped to my femoral artery area on the inside of my thigh. This wasn’t predatory though. I would definitely carry bear spray in a known problem area.
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Lions,Tigers and bears wolfs,pikas,Marmots,Eagles,Bucks,elf,Moose,Trout,and of course our Favorite Mosquitoes Count yourself Lucky if you encounter a True wild animal roaming Nothing like it an experience you take home with you. Hate Ticks Get out there
Umm sir? What about the paranormal dangers out there? Don’t you know wildmen and skinwalkers are the reason for all the missing hikers? ALSO, what about the psychotic park rangers disappearing everyone?! */end sarcasm* 😂😂😂
This is a colossal failure on the part of the government. I know the governments trying to keep parks as natural as possible but shouldn't public safety always be the first priority? These parks with a lot of animal attacks tend to have an overpopulation of bears/mountain lions/snakes, there isn't enough food for all of them so they go after less traditional food sources. They should allow hunters into the park to bring the dangerous critter population down to a more manageable level. I used to support the park service alot more but much higher fees without park infrastructure improvements, excessive park rules and inability to control dangerous wildlife have made me think alot less of the park service. There are lots of areas in the park where there is no service and no cell phone app is going to save you. Visitors getting to close to animals is a problem the only tourist death in Olympic National Park was caused by a mountain goat. Someone wanted to get an up close picture and the goat charged and gored/trampled the person. I think the only thing that will solve the idiot visitor problem is a few darwin awards, people need examples of why petting the Bison/Mountain Goat is a bad idea.
@Weathernerd27 I've seen many examples of people going straight beyond the safety signs. Others will get way too close to animals to get that perfect camera pose. For others with a stronger dose of common sense, know the possibilities, be as prepared as you can be and hike within your own capabilities.
I've seen 1 in a tree, another at a distance. Both looked at my direction and didn't bother with me. COWS... How ever I have been chased... 🫠. I think they see a human its time to go somewhere?
I had a black bear encounter in the Los Padres National Forest high country. I believe he was a fairly young adult, but still fairly large. I frightened him as I turned a blind corner and he sprinted away full speed. Then about 100 feet down the trail he appeared standing up about 75 feet away looking right at me. He was behind the trunk of a large downed old growth conifer tree. He then bounded over that tree coming straight towards me only to stop about 50 feet from me, again behind a large downed tree trunk. He again stood up and looked at me. I didn't know what he was going to do next so I decided to start yelling, waving my arms and throwing things in his direction (didn't hit him). After 15 seconds or so of this he decide to amble away. I think he was just being curious. This was a pretty remote part of the forest. Maybe this was the first time he saw a human. He must have stood at least two feet taller than me. I had one other bear encounter in that area and it was just a glimpse of a very large disappearing butt from a good distance away.
I've seen several bears over the 20 or so years I've hiked and I've come to the conclusion that bears don't like to take on something as big and unknown as a person and most of the time they will scamper away at the sight of you. Bears attack only when 1) you provoke the bear 2) the bear is starving 3) You get between a mother bear and her cubs. If a bear approaches you that is not a good sign you need to assume the bear is considering attacking and make you're self as big, loud and threatening as possible. Slowly back away don't turn you're back to the bear and don't run. A ranger once said to throw rocks at the bear and I don't thats a good idea you might provoke it. My friend who is really into target shooting says unload a clip or two into the bear and I think thats a last resort because again there is a good chance you provoke the bear. Bears have thick hides and it generally takes a very well placed shot or several shots to stop a bear, are you going to be that accurate when you are scared? Will you have time to fire several rounds when the bear is rushing at you? My dad got too close to some bear cubs and the bear chased but only for a short distance once he was a few hundred feet futher away the bear left him alone.
I spent over a decade hiking the Beartooth wilderness in Montana and Wyoming. Grizzly country. Our protection was always a gun. The wind can blow 40 to 60 mph without warning at high elevations there. You can't put any faith in a spray. I'm guessing that you're in California where, for the most part, only criminals have guns and I believe that is why you didn't even bring them up. I strongly recommend that you take an effective weapon into grizzly bear territory. Make sure you are proficient with it and don't leave it in your backpack. If you're someone who is afraid of guns, then don't even consider hiking in grizzly country.
I learned this tip from the LNT training, follow the "rule of thumb." Close one eye, put your arm out and thumb up and if you can still see the animal and the thumb doesn't cover it up, you're probably too close. There are probably a few exceptions, like brown bears where you still need a little more space, but it's a simple way to try and ensure you give animals their space.
I have noticed a lot of younger people who are enamored with social media navy seal dorks spouting bs about going way beyond their abilities. I was a Marine and trained with a LOT of these guys as I trained for Recon assignment, and believe me I saw them getting hurt left and right. The backcountry is no place for this nonsense. People like me have to help pick up your bits and pieces when things go bad. Training at Buds and Scuba school has medics and doctors everywhere and are constantly bailing these guys out.
For those of you who want to share that this my logic is incorrect: I'm using national averages so that I can compare against other risks and put attacks in perspective. Yes, if I'm in mountain lion country, my odds could be higher. The odds could also be zero if there are no mountain lions in the area. There are so many variables. How big (or small) the hiker is, has the lion eaten, are there deer around, etc. that I'd challenge you to pin down some type of specific odds that would apply to hikers overall. There have been mountain lion fatalities in back yards. It's not limited to trails. So we use national averages. And the numbers align with the overall message that your chances of being killed by a mountain lion when hiking are much less than anything else. I'd challenge you to watch the video again and focus on the overall message instead of the myopic view that odds are variable.
I hike Whiting Ranch a lot as well. There is a family of resident deer that I see every time I hike there. I figure if the deer haven’t been eaten, then I’m in a good position to live. Great hiking at Whiting Ranch
I know that in general, statistically these attacks are rare but isn't that because most people aren't in their habitat. What are the statistics when now you have placed yourself squarely in their habitat? it definitely does not feel like 1 in 50 million. the app sounds cool.
I fell into an ice cold lake and was submerged for about 10 minutes. I had painful chest and head pains and attempted to warm myself by doing jumping jacks. I only felt warm again maybe an hour or two later after taking a hot shower and putting on lots of layers. I don't know if that was quite near death but definitely scary.
"near death" is probably an overstatement for my experience in the grand scheme of things but tripping on the trail and hitting my head on a rock so that there was blood gushing out of my head scared the crap out of me. In my case I was near the end of a 14 mile round trip hike to window rock in Tucson's Catalina Mountains so I was able to get myself to the hospital for the 10 stitches in my head (and a head scan for any internal bleeding). That woke me up to how quickly things can go wrong which caused me to buy an InReach Mini and subscribe to tracking since I hike alone.
@@paulramsey2000 Oh man, that sounds intense. The whole head injury scares me the most, maybe because I know least about it, but there's something about not being able to see the injury while also having it potentially impact your perception and judgement. Glad you're okay.
@@Hikingguy I would love to find a class on "doing first aid on yourself" where there there are hard to reach or see areas or you might be doing some things one handed. The only place I ever see self first aid is in the movies and too often that's someone dealing with a bullet wound (which appears to involve wrapping it up and being tough)
@@paulramsey2000 That's an awesome idea, thank you. Maybe I can get someone from GOES to share some tips / hacks. There's a NOLS Wilderness Medicine class that I took a while ago, but it's over the weekend. A few easy to remember "must have" tips would be good.
I was once hiking in with a group of friends up San Gorgonio and one of them fell and hit their head on a rock. They were a bit scratched up but appeared fine until we continued to higher elevation. That's when they began to become nauseous and vomit a couple times. I debated hitting my SOS button but we camped overnight instead and the next morning they were fine. What should I have done in that situation?
My biggest concern while hiking is tick-borne disease. What is the best practice for preventing tick bites? And for detecting Lyme disease if infected?
Thank you for the great video! I hike a lot around Southern California and have had a few encounters with rattlesnakes this year. Two sitings were from a distance, but the 3rd time happened because I almost accidentally stepped on one and it rattled at me. Was absolutely terrifying. Now I try to avoid narrow trails that are very dusty and rocky, making rattlesnakes harder to see. I'd love a video that does a deep dive on rattlesnakes. I've done the research on what to do if one bites, but I still feel like I'm hiking according to superstition when it comes to other things (e.g. what kinds of SoCal trails they're likely to be on; if I see one, are there likely others in the immediate vicinity?; how much danger am I in if I hear a rattle? etc.)
I love that for some reason. He say grab some rocks and fight. Thats how I always feel about coyotes when I see them following me while walking. When my big dog about twice as big as them was still alive me and him both would start running back at the coyote and it would make them run real fast. Haha a bobcat is a little more scare tho.
I've hiked Topanga State Park multiple times in 95F+ degree weather. I don't recommend it. I'm usually the only one out there during those times; or perhaps I see a handful of people over 2 - 3 hours. But I have some type of genetic problem where I have more red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit than the normal human; like even more than people living at high altitude. Might kill me later in life, but right now it allows me to do endurance type work. And I must say, I've been on some hot weather hikes, where I've just had to abort mission and return to the car because my outcome was unclear if I just kept going. Welcome to SoCal.
@@farbeyonddriven8173 It's unique to the Sierra Nevada national parks. The parks regulate bear spray by classifying it as a weapon, but I don't think that's the reason. I suspect it has to do with not wanting dozens of bear spray clouds affecting nearby campers every night when people fire them at bears rooting through the coolers they left out.
@@matt_w Not sure if you're trying to be funny, but that couldn't possibly be it. Probably more of them thinking it's a weapon, and they don't like weapons. Especially the ones that keep YOU protected.
@@echo6echo419 In the last 100 years, there has been only one fatal bear attack in all of California (this year!) Almost all fatal black bear attacks are predatory, but bears in CA have not learned to prey on humans. Non-fatal attacks are either due a bear being interrupted while trying to access human food or a bear (almost always a mother with cubs) being threatened (often--40% of the time--by an off-leash dog.) The best way to stay safe from CA bears is keep your food locked up in bear-proof lockers and leave your dog at home.
@@matt_w While I agree with you, what's the harm in carrying bear spray? It's like car insurance, you only have it for when you need it. I agree food awareness is a deterrent, but who's to say that I won't happen onto a momma and cubs. All I have is my hands and a hiking stick? I know it's slim, but is carrying bear spray causing an issue?
I was always more worried about the snakes than a cat attack. I grew up in that area and often heard of cat attacks, but never encountered one myself in the thousands of times I've hiked it.
I am sure you are generally correct that the chances of getting attacked by a mountain lion while on the trail are so low as to be insignificant. With that said, if the chance of this happening to an average person is 1 in a billion, for a person regularly frequenting a location that is a) known to be mountain lion territory and b) where previous attacks have been recorded would be running a tremendously higher risk than 1 in a billion. A more accurate stat would be how many attacks in the last x number of years vs the number of distinct hikers on that trail.
There are so many variables that affect the odds that what you're suggesting is nearly impossible to calculate. Based on the advice research sources used for this video, the probabilities are based on the general U.S. population, allowing for comparisons between circumstances, which is what this video is about. Even for someone who hikes at Whiting Ranch, the odds of a lion attack for a strong person who is 6'5" and 250 lbs are dramatically different from those of someone who is 4'6" and weighs 100 lbs. And if you look at the kill list, hiking is one of many activities, which include playing in the yard, skiing, etc. So I stick by the theory that your odds are pretty much nil of getting killed by a mountain lion when hiking.
@@Hikingguy Agreed. You acknowledge the exceptions to the rule, and there is much less to be gained from living life in fear than by taking common sense precautions and educating yourself about dangers and appropriate responses to those dangers.
@@BentbrooksRambles Thanks and yes, the whole reason I did this video (not my favorite thing to talk about ) is that, by far, I get asked most about being attacked by mountain lions, bears, etc. when hiking. While the odds will shift based on where you are, who you are, what you are doing, and a host of other factors, the chance of being attacked is extremely low to no. The regular news will always hype up animal attacks and get folks scared, but I want people, especially newbies, to know that it's generally safer than driving to the supermarket as long as they prepare and treat the situation with respect.
@@Hikingguy I acknowledge all of that and 100% agree. I am an occasional hiker as well and never consider the idea that I will be attacked because it is so improbable as to not be worthy of a thought. I just don't like the use of this statistic because it is meaningless when applied to all the people of the world because only a small minority of people hike. It is like saying 1 in a billion people will die skydiving. The odds are only meaningful when you narrow them to people who partake in said activity. Sorry for nitpicking.
Someone spooked a Moose up the trail from me in the Wind River Range and it came charging down right towards me, then veered off the trail about 10 feet in front of me. It scared the crap out of me and I actually got it on video. Someone commented on my RUclips short saying that I was being overdramatic or something… Lol I’m sorry, but a giant animal charging in your direction is pretty terrifying, especially knowing how dangerous those animals can be when they feel threatened. With that said, I always try to be prepared, but rarely worried about animals out there.
Mose scare me more than bears because they are much meaner. A moose will run you down and trample you if it thinks you are too close. I don't worry too much about bears because they tend to be afraid of people. I worry alittle more about mountain lions because while they are also afraid of people they can sneak up on you and are more likely to catch you by suprise then a bear. I worry the most about moose.
@@reegsgeer Not sure if I can comment with links on here, but it is like the 4th short on my channel. It’s also in the Titcomb Basin video, but not sure exactly where lol
@@Hikingguy Haha Yeah it got my heart rate up quite a bit, that’s for sure! Luckily, I scared the moose just as much and it scared me. We were both hidden from each other by brush and it turned a corner, saw me, and booked it the opposite direction off the trail into the brush. Still terrifying. Lol
My boyfriend and I were hiking Suicide Rock in Idyllwild two weeks ago and received a wildfire warning on our phones. Has anything like this ever happened to you and what do you suggest to do to keep safe, other than heading back? Thank you! ❤
It's a good practice to inform the local wilderness rescued service about your hike or climb, when you start your trip and when you finish it of course.
You are not doing statistics right. You are saying that you are an average person when it comes to Mt lions. That's wrong you have a much higher chance than the average American because of the paths you walk on. Do users of your trail in a year vs deaths in a year. It won't be a lot, but you are not using stats right.
Don't agree. Your probability changes from many factors, not just where you are or whether you are hiking. You could go to a hiking trail and there are no mountain lions for hundreds of miles. Then your probability is zero. You could be at home get attacked in your backyard (there have been fatalities like this). You could be a large human within 20 feet of a mountain lion, and it ignores you, and if you were small, that mountain lion could attack you. There are a lot of factors that affect your chances of attack. Using a national average is appropriate. If you want something specific to parks, check out my calculation at the end of the video which is for National Parks. It's still astronomically low and practically nil. Also, coincidentally, the population of the USA roughly matches the number of visitors to National Parks every year, so you can piece together some kind of correlation there. And as far as I can tell from research, only 1 person was ever killed by a mountain lion in a National Park, and that was a 10 year old boy in 1997. So your odds are effectively zero, which is the point of this video.
Yeah, for hiking that trail the stats should be for attacks for number of hikers on that trail. Not saying he shouldn't hike it, but the stats are bogus for the situation.
@@Hikingguy While the the original message for this thread summed it up colorfully the statistics you quoted for overall hiking over thousands of trails., not for going hiking on a trail that has tons of signs talking about the danger of mountain lion attacks on that specific trail. There certainly haven't been a billion hikers on that particular trail but apparently there has been one person killed and multiple people attacked on that particular trail. So the statistics for that trail are much much higher than what you talk about. We always have to decide for ourselves how to adjust the stats the particular trail based on available information since we're unlikely to have local statistics but it feels like you lean in a little heavy on the extremely low probability of a problem in this case. As I said in my original comment I'm not saying that going on that particular hike is irresponsible, I just think you're playing down the odds of issues a little too much in this case.
@@paulramsey2000 In the past 25 years there have been 3 mountain lion attacks in Whiting Ranch, including the one fatality in 2004. I'm guessing hundreds of people visit the park every day. It's not very likely you'll be attacked. In the past 40 years, there have been a total of 25 mountain lion attacks in California. Half of them were targeting a child of 10 or under.
@@matt_w Sure, and I would likely hike there too. I just find it to be an odd juxtaposition to go from talking about a particular trail that has had problems to quoting the 1,000,000,000 odds. That sort of invited the original comment (hopefully tongue in cheek) of standing in a field in a lightning storm with an umbrella talking about the odds of getting hit by lightning. The guy in the field will more than likely survive too, but standing in the field in a lightning storm isn't nearly as a much fun as hiking, so makes for a more obvious thing to avoid.
You are far, far more likely to encounter a mountain lion than in the statistics you cited due to your much higher exposure than an average person. It’s still not likely, but it’s thousands of times higher than that statistic.
@@HikingguySure…but…wtf are we even talking about since there are mountain lions in that area… Just pointed out that your statistics portion of this video make no sense.
You mentioned using bear spray on people, however it is illegal to do so. If you want protection from human encounters, there are other, better options.
@@wanderingsoul9387 I think you're missing the point. If you're specifically scared of humans and don't want to get in trouble for defending yourself against an attacker, then carry the 2.5oz pepper spray or a firearm. If I have bear spray to protect myself from animals and a human attacks me, I'm going to use that rather than be beat up / killed / etc. I think you need to apply some common sense here.
Hey guys - from the GOES team: use the code GUIDEWITHGOES for one month of free access to GOES
@@Hikingguy this is GREAT!
Was excited to install this app until I found out it was another monthly subscription based app. No thanks, I'll just get a first aid pocket book for a few bucks and have it for life. Good information in this video though, thanks!
The 1-in-a-billion probability of being killed by a mountain lion is for the general population, almost none of whom hikes on trails where mountain lions are known to attack. For someone who hikes a trail where mountain lions are known to attack, the probability of being killed by one is much higher. (In the same manner, a golfer who is foolish enough to golf during a thunderstorm is much more likely to be killed by lightning than a member of the general population.) I will never be killed by a Grizzly Bear while I hike in Rocky Mountain National Park--because Grizzlies don't live there. In Glacier National Park, on the other hand, you'd better watch out.
@@dr.nigelcool3771 one smart dude who is understanding the importance of reference class
I was thinking the exact same thing when he put those stats up.
Thought the exact same thing. You have to pare down the statistic group to YOUR specific behavior. I.e how many attacks happen within a population of hikers. Of course the general population is less likely to be attacked than avid hikers.
@@prodbymorii2058 even further. Not every places where people hike have cougars!
@@Pawai-e8d exactly, there are so many levels of granularity that putting the stats of the gen pop just seems disingenuous
Living in bear country and reflecting on the "deer attack" case in Yosemite that you mention, I'm actually closely familiar with the true story, which as I think you suspected has been embellished over the years. This was merely a case of a human habituated animal that ventured into an area where it expected it might find food. The boy was accidentally gored when the deer bobbed its head in a simple case of unnatural proximity. It was not an "attack". I think this is worth mentioning as it illustrates why allowing or encouraging any wild animals to come into proximity to humans is a mistake. At best, it results in a "nuisance animal". At worst...
When I lived in Alaska, I was told “If it’s black fight back, if it’s brown lay down and if it’s white, good night.”
never lay down to a brown bear
@@danielmaxim3405 wouldn’t it help to ensure it’s over more quickly? 😅
@@nyps No. You can survive an attack but if you lay down you are like 99% sure to die
@@danielmaxim3405 Good luck facing a grizzly bear, you will die very quickly if he sees you as a threat. You have no idea what you're talking about man.
@@harrymills2770 depends on the type of attack. If it’s hungry and opportunist or territorial or protecting its cubs. Context and situation matters. How you react should depend on the behavior of the bear/reason for the attack
I've never seen a mountain lion, but I bet many have seen me.
Agree. I didn't see a brown bear at Yosemite (got lost from Pohono trail) but he spotted me and stood up, that's how I saw him, about 50 yards away uphill, lasted about 20sec. and gone in a blink.
The only issue I've run into with rattlesnakes is when they've tried to hide in my shadow. They're very fast when they want to be, and it gives the impression that they're "chasing" you when they just want to hide. It's unnerving, though, for sure.
Great video. Lots of good information to consider, not just for hikers but for off-road cyclists as well. Thanks for all the hard work that you put into your channel.
As usual - excellent content well presented. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Nice video. The health app looks handy. Thanks for linking Outside With Mike's Whitney video.
Great episode! We need more safety and knowledge in trail. Thanks
Thanks man! Will be hiking Mt Lafayette this coming Monday with a chance of rain. Learned a lot from your video 🙏🏻
What a great common-sense video. That GOES app is killer and I just joined with your code. Thank you Cris!
This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌
Usually its because they aren't prepared. They get lost and caught in bad weather, they slip and get injured, or as simple as not carrying enough water.
Great video. Thank you for sharing!
Great video, thank you for sharing!
Another excellent video with a lot of useful information as usual.
I've encounter 3 bears in the last 10 years. All ran away from me
I've seen more grizzly bears than that in one day.
In my area there’s been an increase in mt lion sightings, even around homes. I think about them while hiking, but even more so since I got a mountain bike and ride solo on forest roads. Of all the things that could happen while riding, that bothers me the most, because there’s not much I can do to prepare for it, and like you said I probably wouldn’t even know about it til it was on me… I’ll try to focus more on the statistics…
Because of how stealthy they are, not to mention how strong and agile they are, mountain lions scare the heck out of me. Beautiful animals though.
I almost stepped on a sidewinder in the Mojave, scared the hell out of me. The sidewinders blend in with the ground in color and texture, almost impossible to see in addition the can bury themselves in the sand except for their head and wait outside of animal burrows for their prey. As a result of my encounter around ten years ago I always wear snake gaiters when hiking in those areas where sidewinders may be present.
O'neill and whiting? Ya i hike there too, not worried about it at all. Ive seen them on my trail cameras, but it doesn't scare me.
About three weeks after a fire here in Aliso Woods Canyon below SOKA University. I was hiking on the lower trail and spotted a mountain lion or bobcat ( wasn't sure). I picked up two big rocks put one in my pocket. I started to film the cat who was about 50 ft away. If he made a move toward me I was about to start jumping with my hands high and yell. If that didn't work I was ready to throw my rock and then phone. He just stared at me for about a minute then turned toward the creek.Whew!
Glad you're okay, sounds intense. I haven't seen a local mountain lion in all my miles here, but I've talked to OC rangers who see them in areas like Aliso Woods. If it was a bobcat, it would have been small, a little bigger than a house cat, and would probably have run away. I've seen those around the OC many times, they've always run away for me. Sounds like you probably saw a mountain lion and you did the right thing.
Thanks again, Chris!
Great video! Got a new subscriber, Thanks for sharing
Great video. Thank you!
Thank you.. oddly there are so many suspicious hiking deaths lately. Nobody's talking about the gangs and large groups of men hiking together, they come across very angry and motivated.
Highly suspicious
Excellent advice.
When exerting yourself in the back country at what point should one take electrolyte tablets if you are sweating a lot.
Great video! I guess at the end, you just said - ok, later...lol
Cut out at the end there, but thanks for the informative video.
thanks a lot
GOES app is $22/year. Do you have a voucher code?
Lol I've walked by so many pacific rattlers and they always seem pretty docile. I even walked past one, and came within around 6 inches, from my shoe to its head. The only time I've been rattled at is when I've been motoring downhill and come up on one too fast for its liking. Oh and one time I tossed a few pebbles at one to make it get off the trail, and it rattled at me. But as long as you leave them alone, generally they leave you alone. I've walked past a black bear in Santa Anita Canyon before, and didn't even realize it. The people hiking a ways behind me started screaming to chase it away. And I've walked through a heard of mule deer, but they were kinda used to hikers so they didn't react that much; just kinda gave me room to get through. I came up on a momma deer and some young ones at Baldy the other day, so I just smacked my poles together to scare them away.
Between 7,000 and 8,000 people are bit a year. Maybe your rattlesnakes are chill but that’s not the case across the country. I don’t even live in major rattlesnake territory and someone was bit hiking recently. Maybe because I am an East Coast hiker I am definitely taking procrastination when I hike in the desert or out West. I know the chances are low but I don’t need to take unnecessary chances. When I hike the PCT I will definitely be wearing snake gaiters thru the desert. Some may call it overkill but they weigh next to nothing. If I lose my fear maybe they come off. Take care
@@mtadams2009 As long as you don't step on one you'll be okay. And it always seems there's a small window every year where they all come out of the woodwork and you see a ton of them. Then, not so much the rest of the year. I've only been on the PCT near Big Bear CA, and the trail was clear and wide enough that you'd know if there was a snake on trail with you. So you wouldn't be surprised. I've never actually seen any rattlers in the desert, like at Joshua Tree, Mojave, Death Valley, or Saguaro Natl. Park. Where I see most of them are in the chaparral in the Mediterranean climate around Los Angeles. Lots of grass and scrub for them to hide in on the sides of the trails. One 'jumped' down in front of me off a switchback once, and just sat on the trail so I couldn't get through, so I just quickly ran around them. Good luck with PCT; I assume you'll be doing the desert part when it's still cold so you may not see many snakes at that time of year, but I'm no expert.
Mountain lions are mostly afraid of people. If you stand tall and charge them they always run.
Thanks.
@11:50 anyone know which trail this is? (I'm guessing it's Grand Canyon rim)
This is very informative. I remember seeing 2 bears in Sequioa but they just kept to themselves but I have seen a lot snakes
Californian's are lucky that the rattlesnake almost always rattles if you get too close and that it takes hours/days to die from a rattlesnake bite. In other parts of the world there are snakes that strike without warning and have much faster acting venom. The creature that scares me the most is a jellyfish that is found in Australia, if you get stung by this jellyfish there is no saving you will die within 10 or 20 minutes and the venom destroys you're nerves you are in alot of pain experiencing terrible uncontrollable muscle spasms and towards the end you're brain cells might even start to crazily fire.
Greetings from an expat in Thailand. Here, worry about pit viper or cobra😂
Hello! I have a suggestion for the interview. Could you ask him if he plans to make the app available for Huawei devices? I can download the app but I can't buy an account. Thank you! :)
I don't think im going to get attacked by a black bear because they kind of try to avoid human contact, but i live in an area with lots of bears, after nighfall they roam around the outside of my house and pass through my backyard almost daily, ive had 3 different bears in a single night walk by just last week. Im not afraid because i don't go out at night wandering around the forest, but the odds of personally getting attacked by a bear are much higher than someone in san francisco or downtown san diego.
That sign for how to deal with a mountain lion unfortunately makes it look like the parent is offering up the child to the lion. Is that just me? I used to work with big cats and they are unbelievably strong. I have spent some minutes with a jaguar clamped to my femoral artery area on the inside of my thigh. This wasn’t predatory though. I would definitely carry bear spray in a known problem area.
What’s the difference between the free version and the paid version?
I think the lower subscription rate is just for the info, the more expensive option includes the call a doctor feature.
@Hikingguy @pmedic523
The free version includes:
ACTION-ORIENTED WEATHER FORECASTING - Look ahead using daily and hourly weather forecasting to see impacts on your plans and your health with 125+ extreme weather alerts and easy-to-understand actionable tips.
LOCATION-BASED HEALTH RISKS - Understand how your current environment such as extreme temperatures, UV exposure, air quality, precipitation, wind speed, and elevation may impact your outdoor experience and the steps you can take to care for yourself and others.
WORKS OFFLINE, NO MATTER HOW REMOTE - Assess and manage unexpected situations in remote environments when help is out of reach.
GOES Standard includes:
ASSESS SYMPTOMS & KNOW WHEN TO EVACUATE - Figure out what’s wrong through an interactive health assessment to manage common injuries and illnesses with 25+ self-guided medical protocols, 30+ visual how-to guides, and determine when to evacuate.
EXPAND YOUR WILDERNESS MEDICINE KNOWLEDGE - Avoid high-risk surprises by expanding your outdoor safety acumen using GOES’ Wilderness Medicine Library - covering 60+ medical topics with 200+ prevention tips.
GOES+ includes:
24/7 EXPERT SUPPORT THROUGH THE GOES+ HELPLINE - Get unlimited access to call with our team of wilderness medicine doctors, 24/7.
nice
You left out the biggest animal danger of all, humans.
Half dome
Now im scared to drive!
You stay alert and carry an air horn.
Lions,Tigers and bears wolfs,pikas,Marmots,Eagles,Bucks,elf,Moose,Trout,and of course our Favorite Mosquitoes
Count yourself Lucky if you encounter a True wild animal roaming
Nothing like it an experience you take home with you.
Hate Ticks
Get out there
I think you're wrong. Im sticking with the Bigfoot theory.
Tis is Planet Earth 🙂
In bear and cougar country, carry a fire arm.
Why did you delete me comment?
? I don't delete comments
Umm sir? What about the paranormal dangers out there? Don’t you know wildmen and skinwalkers are the reason for all the missing hikers? ALSO, what about the psychotic park rangers disappearing everyone?! */end sarcasm* 😂😂😂
You value your life and your loved ones? Carry a large caliber firearm wherever in the woods!!
This is a colossal failure on the part of the government. I know the governments trying to keep parks as natural as possible but shouldn't public safety always be the first priority? These parks with a lot of animal attacks tend to have an overpopulation of bears/mountain lions/snakes, there isn't enough food for all of them so they go after less traditional food sources. They should allow hunters into the park to bring the dangerous critter population down to a more manageable level. I used to support the park service alot more but much higher fees without park infrastructure improvements, excessive park rules and inability to control dangerous wildlife have made me think alot less of the park service. There are lots of areas in the park where there is no service and no cell phone app is going to save you. Visitors getting to close to animals is a problem the only tourist death in Olympic National Park was caused by a mountain goat. Someone wanted to get an up close picture and the goat charged and gored/trampled the person. I think the only thing that will solve the idiot visitor problem is a few darwin awards, people need examples of why petting the Bison/Mountain Goat is a bad idea.
No where near as bad as their failure at traffic safety or controlling dogs.
@Weathernerd27 I've seen many examples of people going straight beyond the safety signs. Others will get way too close to animals to get that perfect camera pose. For others with a stronger dose of common sense, know the possibilities, be as prepared as you can be and hike within your own capabilities.
I've seen 1 in a tree, another at a distance. Both looked at my direction and didn't bother with me. COWS... How ever I have been chased... 🫠. I think they see a human its time to go somewhere?
This is another example why this is my favorite hiking channel on RUclips. The pacing, the clear communication, articulate, and genuine. Thanks.
Thank you!
@davidj8658 I second that. This is a really helpful video and I'm checking that app out.
I had a black bear encounter in the Los Padres National Forest high country. I believe he was a fairly young adult, but still fairly large. I frightened him as I turned a blind corner and he sprinted away full speed. Then about 100 feet down the trail he appeared standing up about 75 feet away looking right at me. He was behind the trunk of a large downed old growth conifer tree. He then bounded over that tree coming straight towards me only to stop about 50 feet from me, again behind a large downed tree trunk. He again stood up and looked at me.
I didn't know what he was going to do next so I decided to start yelling, waving my arms and throwing things in his direction (didn't hit him). After 15 seconds or so of this he decide to amble away.
I think he was just being curious. This was a pretty remote part of the forest. Maybe this was the first time he saw a human. He must have stood at least two feet taller than me. I had one other bear encounter in that area and it was just a glimpse of a very large disappearing butt from a good distance away.
I've seen several bears over the 20 or so years I've hiked and I've come to the conclusion that bears don't like to take on something as big and unknown as a person and most of the time they will scamper away at the sight of you. Bears attack only when 1) you provoke the bear 2) the bear is starving 3) You get between a mother bear and her cubs. If a bear approaches you that is not a good sign you need to assume the bear is considering attacking and make you're self as big, loud and threatening as possible. Slowly back away don't turn you're back to the bear and don't run. A ranger once said to throw rocks at the bear and I don't thats a good idea you might provoke it. My friend who is really into target shooting says unload a clip or two into the bear and I think thats a last resort because again there is a good chance you provoke the bear. Bears have thick hides and it generally takes a very well placed shot or several shots to stop a bear, are you going to be that accurate when you are scared? Will you have time to fire several rounds when the bear is rushing at you? My dad got too close to some bear cubs and the bear chased but only for a short distance once he was a few hundred feet futher away the bear left him alone.
I spent over a decade hiking the Beartooth wilderness in Montana and Wyoming. Grizzly country. Our protection was always a gun. The wind can blow 40 to 60 mph without warning at high elevations there. You can't put any faith in a spray. I'm guessing that you're in California where, for the most part, only criminals have guns and I believe that is why you didn't even bring them up. I strongly recommend that you take an effective weapon into grizzly bear territory. Make sure you are proficient with it and don't leave it in your backpack. If you're someone who is afraid of guns, then don't even consider hiking in grizzly country.
I learned this tip from the LNT training, follow the "rule of thumb." Close one eye, put your arm out and thumb up and if you can still see the animal and the thumb doesn't cover it up, you're probably too close.
There are probably a few exceptions, like brown bears where you still need a little more space, but it's a simple way to try and ensure you give animals their space.
I've seen some brown bear on RUclips fully charge a drone, getting close to them. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near one of those.
I have noticed a lot of younger people who are enamored with social media navy seal dorks spouting bs about going way beyond their abilities. I was a Marine and trained with a LOT of these guys as I trained for Recon assignment, and believe me I saw them getting hurt left and right. The backcountry is no place for this nonsense. People like me have to help pick up your bits and pieces when things go bad. Training at Buds and Scuba school has medics and doctors everywhere and are constantly bailing these guys out.
Right? Nobody is unbreakable!
For those of you who want to share that this my logic is incorrect: I'm using national averages so that I can compare against other risks and put attacks in perspective. Yes, if I'm in mountain lion country, my odds could be higher. The odds could also be zero if there are no mountain lions in the area. There are so many variables. How big (or small) the hiker is, has the lion eaten, are there deer around, etc. that I'd challenge you to pin down some type of specific odds that would apply to hikers overall. There have been mountain lion fatalities in back yards. It's not limited to trails. So we use national averages. And the numbers align with the overall message that your chances of being killed by a mountain lion when hiking are much less than anything else. I'd challenge you to watch the video again and focus on the overall message instead of the myopic view that odds are variable.
I hike Whiting Ranch a lot as well. There is a family of resident deer that I see every time I hike there. I figure if the deer haven’t been eaten, then I’m in a good position to live. Great hiking at Whiting Ranch
I know that in general, statistically these attacks are rare but isn't that because most people aren't in their habitat. What are the statistics when now you have placed yourself squarely in their habitat? it definitely does not feel like 1 in 50 million. the app sounds cool.
Has anyone had any near-death experiences on the trail? Share them here so that others can learn
I fell into an ice cold lake and was submerged for about 10 minutes. I had painful chest and head pains and attempted to warm myself by doing jumping jacks. I only felt warm again maybe an hour or two later after taking a hot shower and putting on lots of layers. I don't know if that was quite near death but definitely scary.
"near death" is probably an overstatement for my experience in the grand scheme of things but tripping on the trail and hitting my head on a rock so that there was blood gushing out of my head scared the crap out of me. In my case I was near the end of a 14 mile round trip hike to window rock in Tucson's Catalina Mountains so I was able to get myself to the hospital for the 10 stitches in my head (and a head scan for any internal bleeding). That woke me up to how quickly things can go wrong which caused me to buy an InReach Mini and subscribe to tracking since I hike alone.
@@paulramsey2000 Oh man, that sounds intense. The whole head injury scares me the most, maybe because I know least about it, but there's something about not being able to see the injury while also having it potentially impact your perception and judgement. Glad you're okay.
@@Hikingguy I would love to find a class on "doing first aid on yourself" where there there are hard to reach or see areas or you might be doing some things one handed. The only place I ever see self first aid is in the movies and too often that's someone dealing with a bullet wound (which appears to involve wrapping it up and being tough)
@@paulramsey2000 That's an awesome idea, thank you. Maybe I can get someone from GOES to share some tips / hacks. There's a NOLS Wilderness Medicine class that I took a while ago, but it's over the weekend. A few easy to remember "must have" tips would be good.
That sounds like an awesome app. I’m a paramedic and am going to become checking it out and recommending it. Thanks for including it in this video.
What questions do you have about wilderness medicine or backcountry emergency situations for Dr. Grand Lipman?
I was once hiking in with a group of friends up San Gorgonio and one of them fell and hit their head on a rock. They were a bit scratched up but appeared fine until we continued to higher elevation. That's when they began to become nauseous and vomit a couple times. I debated hitting my SOS button but we camped overnight instead and the next morning they were fine. What should I have done in that situation?
@@elliottwiley2450 that's a great one, thank you
My biggest concern while hiking is tick-borne disease. What is the best practice for preventing tick bites? And for detecting Lyme disease if infected?
Thank you for the great video! I hike a lot around Southern California and have had a few encounters with rattlesnakes this year. Two sitings were from a distance, but the 3rd time happened because I almost accidentally stepped on one and it rattled at me. Was absolutely terrifying. Now I try to avoid narrow trails that are very dusty and rocky, making rattlesnakes harder to see. I'd love a video that does a deep dive on rattlesnakes. I've done the research on what to do if one bites, but I still feel like I'm hiking according to superstition when it comes to other things (e.g. what kinds of SoCal trails they're likely to be on; if I see one, are there likely others in the immediate vicinity?; how much danger am I in if I hear a rattle? etc.)
How about wildfires A little knowledge would help. Thanks.
I love that for some reason. He say grab some rocks and fight. Thats how I always feel about coyotes when I see them following me while walking. When my big dog about twice as big as them was still alive me and him both would start running back at the coyote and it would make them run real fast. Haha a bobcat is a little more scare tho.
Uh a sidearm should be mentioned before spray, its funny so many people avoid this fact
I've hiked Topanga State Park multiple times in 95F+ degree weather. I don't recommend it. I'm usually the only one out there during those times; or perhaps I see a handful of people over 2 - 3 hours. But I have some type of genetic problem where I have more red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit than the normal human; like even more than people living at high altitude. Might kill me later in life, but right now it allows me to do endurance type work. And I must say, I've been on some hot weather hikes, where I've just had to abort mission and return to the car because my outcome was unclear if I just kept going. Welcome to SoCal.
I carry a gun. It allows me to go anywhere.
Just a note: bear spray is not allowed in the national parks of the Sierra Nevada: Yosemite, King's Canyon, and Sequoia.
Sounds like something unique to California. Why is this?
@@farbeyonddriven8173 It's unique to the Sierra Nevada national parks. The parks regulate bear spray by classifying it as a weapon, but I don't think that's the reason. I suspect it has to do with not wanting dozens of bear spray clouds affecting nearby campers every night when people fire them at bears rooting through the coolers they left out.
@@matt_w Not sure if you're trying to be funny, but that couldn't possibly be it. Probably more of them thinking it's a weapon, and they don't like weapons. Especially the ones that keep YOU protected.
@@echo6echo419 In the last 100 years, there has been only one fatal bear attack in all of California (this year!) Almost all fatal black bear attacks are predatory, but bears in CA have not learned to prey on humans. Non-fatal attacks are either due a bear being interrupted while trying to access human food or a bear (almost always a mother with cubs) being threatened (often--40% of the time--by an off-leash dog.) The best way to stay safe from CA bears is keep your food locked up in bear-proof lockers and leave your dog at home.
@@matt_w While I agree with you, what's the harm in carrying bear spray? It's like car insurance, you only have it for when you need it. I agree food awareness is a deterrent, but who's to say that I won't happen onto a momma and cubs. All I have is my hands and a hiking stick? I know it's slim, but is carrying bear spray causing an issue?
Great video and advise, thanks!
Always look forward to your videos HG, this was very informative and appreciated. Good day sir.
WTH?!? Video just cut off. Part 2 maybe? Thx for the info.
"Being qilled by a dog"
and he shows an ankle biter growling; I died!
Well Done!!
Hi, Brazil here. Your accent is easy to understand and the information is very clear! Thank you twice.
I was always more worried about the snakes than a cat attack. I grew up in that area and often heard of cat attacks, but never encountered one myself in the thousands of times I've hiked it.
Thanks for the info on the app. I will definitely use it. very helpful.
Thank you for suggesting this app and for the discount code I have downloaded it and subscribed.
Keep in mind with the 15% fatality rate, this is for attacks, not encounters. The vast majority of puma encounters don't result in attacks.
I am sure you are generally correct that the chances of getting attacked by a mountain lion while on the trail are so low as to be insignificant. With that said, if the chance of this happening to an average person is 1 in a billion, for a person regularly frequenting a location that is a) known to be mountain lion territory and b) where previous attacks have been recorded would be running a tremendously higher risk than 1 in a billion. A more accurate stat would be how many attacks in the last x number of years vs the number of distinct hikers on that trail.
There are so many variables that affect the odds that what you're suggesting is nearly impossible to calculate. Based on the advice research sources used for this video, the probabilities are based on the general U.S. population, allowing for comparisons between circumstances, which is what this video is about.
Even for someone who hikes at Whiting Ranch, the odds of a lion attack for a strong person who is 6'5" and 250 lbs are dramatically different from those of someone who is 4'6" and weighs 100 lbs.
And if you look at the kill list, hiking is one of many activities, which include playing in the yard, skiing, etc. So I stick by the theory that your odds are pretty much nil of getting killed by a mountain lion when hiking.
@@Hikingguy Agreed. You acknowledge the exceptions to the rule, and there is much less to be gained from living life in fear than by taking common sense precautions and educating yourself about dangers and appropriate responses to those dangers.
@@BentbrooksRambles Thanks and yes, the whole reason I did this video (not my favorite thing to talk about ) is that, by far, I get asked most about being attacked by mountain lions, bears, etc. when hiking. While the odds will shift based on where you are, who you are, what you are doing, and a host of other factors, the chance of being attacked is extremely low to no. The regular news will always hype up animal attacks and get folks scared, but I want people, especially newbies, to know that it's generally safer than driving to the supermarket as long as they prepare and treat the situation with respect.
@@Hikingguy I acknowledge all of that and 100% agree. I am an occasional hiker as well and never consider the idea that I will be attacked because it is so improbable as to not be worthy of a thought. I just don't like the use of this statistic because it is meaningless when applied to all the people of the world because only a small minority of people hike. It is like saying 1 in a billion people will die skydiving. The odds are only meaningful when you narrow them to people who partake in said activity. Sorry for nitpicking.
@@Hikingguy excellent info in your vid. Great service to the community.
I love the Whiting Ranch trail! Mountain Lions will put you in the dirt insanely quickly. Would you carry a gun on the trail if it were legal?
It's the humans I'm worried about.
Great video Cris, thank you!
Someone spooked a Moose up the trail from me in the Wind River Range and it came charging down right towards me, then veered off the trail about 10 feet in front of me. It scared the crap out of me and I actually got it on video. Someone commented on my RUclips short saying that I was being overdramatic or something… Lol I’m sorry, but a giant animal charging in your direction is pretty terrifying, especially knowing how dangerous those animals can be when they feel threatened. With that said, I always try to be prepared, but rarely worried about animals out there.
@@ManivanAdventures how do I find your video
Mose scare me more than bears because they are much meaner. A moose will run you down and trample you if it thinks you are too close. I don't worry too much about bears because they tend to be afraid of people. I worry alittle more about mountain lions because while they are also afraid of people they can sneak up on you and are more likely to catch you by suprise then a bear. I worry the most about moose.
I've turned a corner in ME and was about 100 feet away from a Moose, scared the hell out of me, I can't even imagine them charging.
@@reegsgeer Not sure if I can comment with links on here, but it is like the 4th short on my channel. It’s also in the Titcomb Basin video, but not sure exactly where lol
@@Hikingguy Haha Yeah it got my heart rate up quite a bit, that’s for sure! Luckily, I scared the moose just as much and it scared me. We were both hidden from each other by brush and it turned a corner, saw me, and booked it the opposite direction off the trail into the brush. Still terrifying. Lol
My boyfriend and I were hiking Suicide Rock in Idyllwild two weeks ago and received a wildfire warning on our phones. Has anything like this ever happened to you and what do you suggest to do to keep safe, other than heading back? Thank you! ❤
It's a good practice to inform the local wilderness rescued service about your hike or climb, when you start your trip and when you finish it of course.
Thanks for the tips. btw, why the video end abruptly?
Good thing gunz are illegal.
You are not doing statistics right. You are saying that you are an average person when it comes to Mt lions. That's wrong you have a much higher chance than the average American because of the paths you walk on. Do users of your trail in a year vs deaths in a year. It won't be a lot, but you are not using stats right.
@@WS-gw5ms exactly. Most people have little to zero exposure to mountain lion, grizzly areas
Don't agree. Your probability changes from many factors, not just where you are or whether you are hiking. You could go to a hiking trail and there are no mountain lions for hundreds of miles. Then your probability is zero. You could be at home get attacked in your backyard (there have been fatalities like this). You could be a large human within 20 feet of a mountain lion, and it ignores you, and if you were small, that mountain lion could attack you. There are a lot of factors that affect your chances of attack. Using a national average is appropriate.
If you want something specific to parks, check out my calculation at the end of the video which is for National Parks. It's still astronomically low and practically nil.
Also, coincidentally, the population of the USA roughly matches the number of visitors to National Parks every year, so you can piece together some kind of correlation there. And as far as I can tell from research, only 1 person was ever killed by a mountain lion in a National Park, and that was a 10 year old boy in 1997. So your odds are effectively zero, which is the point of this video.
When I hike I carry bear spray. .357 brand bear spray.
Man stands in field with umbrella during thunderstorm and pontificates about how lightning strikes are actually quite rare
Yeah, for hiking that trail the stats should be for attacks for number of hikers on that trail. Not saying he shouldn't hike it, but the stats are bogus for the situation.
How are the stats bogus?
@@Hikingguy While the the original message for this thread summed it up colorfully the statistics you quoted for overall hiking over thousands of trails., not for going hiking on a trail that has tons of signs talking about the danger of mountain lion attacks on that specific trail. There certainly haven't been a billion hikers on that particular trail but apparently there has been one person killed and multiple people attacked on that particular trail. So the statistics for that trail are much much higher than what you talk about. We always have to decide for ourselves how to adjust the stats the particular trail based on available information since we're unlikely to have local statistics but it feels like you lean in a little heavy on the extremely low probability of a problem in this case. As I said in my original comment I'm not saying that going on that particular hike is irresponsible, I just think you're playing down the odds of issues a little too much in this case.
@@paulramsey2000 In the past 25 years there have been 3 mountain lion attacks in Whiting Ranch, including the one fatality in 2004. I'm guessing hundreds of people visit the park every day. It's not very likely you'll be attacked. In the past 40 years, there have been a total of 25 mountain lion attacks in California. Half of them were targeting a child of 10 or under.
@@matt_w Sure, and I would likely hike there too. I just find it to be an odd juxtaposition to go from talking about a particular trail that has had problems to quoting the 1,000,000,000 odds. That sort of invited the original comment (hopefully tongue in cheek) of standing in a field in a lightning storm with an umbrella talking about the odds of getting hit by lightning. The guy in the field will more than likely survive too, but standing in the field in a lightning storm isn't nearly as a much fun as hiking, so makes for a more obvious thing to avoid.
You are far, far more likely to encounter a mountain lion than in the statistics you cited due to your much higher exposure than an average person. It’s still not likely, but it’s thousands of times higher than that statistic.
Unless there no mountain lions in the area, then the chance is zero. Read my comment pinned to the top.
@@HikingguySure…but…wtf are we even talking about since there are mountain lions in that area…
Just pointed out that your statistics portion of this video make no sense.
You mentioned using bear spray on people, however it is illegal to do so. If you want protection from human encounters, there are other, better options.
If a human attacks me I'm probably not worried about breaking laws, I just want to stay safe.
She's right. Using bear spray on humans is illegal.
@@wanderingsoul9387 I think you're missing the point. If you're specifically scared of humans and don't want to get in trouble for defending yourself against an attacker, then carry the 2.5oz pepper spray or a firearm. If I have bear spray to protect myself from animals and a human attacks me, I'm going to use that rather than be beat up / killed / etc. I think you need to apply some common sense here.