(meteorobs) Wild Animals: Lions & Tigers & Bears Oh My!

[Jim]

--- In meteorobs at yahoogroups.com, Meteorites USA <eric at ...> wrote:
>
> I would agree with Chris that normally we needn't worry about animal 
> attack. However many of us who do observe meteors and hunt for 
> meteorites in remote areas and in wilder areas than your neighborhood 
> suburb need to remember that you're not in your home, and you need to be 
> aware of your surroundings.
> 
> I've been an avid camper, outdoorsman, and survivalist since I was a 
> teenager. My brother and I practically spent our entire childhood 
> growing up in the sub-tropical wilds of Florida. I've moved out west now 
> and things are much different here. You still have to watch for snakes 
> just like in Florida, but you have the added benefit of watching out for 
> mountain lions, bears, and coyotes.
> 
> Chris is absolutely right that you needn't /worry/ about attacks, but 
> you should be /aware/ that they could occur, and take proper precautions 
> to prevent them from happening. It's all about the numbers really. You 
> could go out into the wilderness 100 times without incident and be fully 
> prepared each time. Then one day you leave on a spur of the moment trip 
> and you don't have all your gear or are unprepared. This is when things 
> happen.
> 
> There are three things you need to prepare for and be ready for just in 
> case:
> 
> People - Wild people can be a threat to safety and security.
> Predators - Normally leave you alone, but be prepared with proper 
> protection and prevention.
> Poisonous Snakes & Insects - Again be prepared with proper clothing and 
> footwear.
> 
> There are some things that can make your life much easier and safer in 
> the wilderness, and if you are the worrying type, or are safety minded 
> enough to prepare then perhaps this short list will be something you can 
> use to provide protection for you and your loved ones in the wild.
> 
> I've read most of the posts in this thread on this subject and I don't 
> remember reading about protecting the children many of us have. Children 
> are small and fast moving, and when in mountain lion country it's wise 
> to keep them very close by and within sight.
> 
> Get a concealed carry permit for your state if you would like to carry a 
> firearm. If you don't know how to use one, there are federally mandated 
> and sponsored accessible firearms courses and safety courses one can 
> take as well. The concealed weapons course is also a relatively 
> inexpensive precaution to take and the law requires it if you carry 
> concealed at all. It's a felony in most states to carry a concealed 
> weapon. Be aware of the law!
> 
> If you don't like firearms, or they scare you which is the case with 
> many people, there is a non-lethal alternative. I heard stun guns 
> mentioned once or twice in this thread, and while they are good they 
> don't work at distance!
> 
> You must be within arms reach of your attacker whether that be a human 
> or an animal. (yes there are stun batons but most people won't carry 
> them) I don't know about you, but I would much rather keep would be 
> attackers as far away from me and my family as possible. Check your 
> state laws as many states have banned stun guns from civilian use.
> 
> A Taser can work well up to 15ft away. It doesn't work the same way as a 
> stun gun. The Taser sends a high frequency electrical signal that 
> actually interrupts the signal from the brain to the muscles and sends 
> the whole body into involuntary convulsions and the attacker becomes 
> powerless to stop it.
> 
> The stun gun works on a high voltage low amperage flow of electrical 
> energy only and is more locationally centered in that it makes the 
> surrounding muscles spasm. The effects of the stun gun do not last as 
> long as the Taser and in my opinion does not offer the same level of 
> protection, though it is effective against human attack, I am unaware of 
> the effects of a Taser on attacking bears, mountain lions or other 
> predators. Stun guns also fall into this unknown effectiveness area too 
> when considering their effects on animals. I would imagine they work, 
> but I don't want to find out they don't when it's too late.
> 
> Forget mace. Mace is a breath freshner for large predators and some 
> people. (personal opinion) Mace works but not nearly as well pepper spray.
> 
> Pepper Spray (Oleoresin Capsicum or OC Spray: Inflammatory defense 
> spray) - Pepper spray is cheap, it comes in a variety of types, and it's 
> a very effective deterrent. Pepper spray effects the respiratory 
> systems, eyes, nose, throat, and mucous membranes within the nose and 
> throat. It causes severe pain, irritation and swelling. The effect on 
> the eyes is one thing, as it temporarily blinds the attacker when they 
> close their eyes in defense of the spray.It also makes it very hard to 
> breathe. If animals can't see or breathe they tend not to like that very 
> much.
> 
> In addition, animals may also be frightened away by the loud hissing 
> sound of the spray canister itself. Many smaller prey animals hiss at 
> attackers and predators when threatened and the pepper sprays sound when 
> discharged from the canister makes a loud hissing sound. In addition, 
> many brand of pepper spray have a bright red dye and creates a large 
> stream of material and a cloud of vapor in the air further adding to the 
> frightening effect. An illustration of the spray effect is here: 
> http://www.udap.com/Bearspecifications.htm
> 
> I was in the security and safety business for about 5 years, during that 
> time I sold personal protection products and tested ALL of them. Yes 
> I've been sprayed in the face with pepper spray, and mace, and been 
> zapped with a stun gun. They all hurt! But pepper spray by far works the 
> best in my opinion. Animals really don't like it either.
> 
> Bear spray (also a form of pepper spray) is another: 
> http://www.udap.com/ This guy actually got attacked by a bear, and 
> created his own formula of bear spray. Though I'm unfamiliar with it, 
> and have never tested it, I would probably buy it since I am familiar 
> with the way pepper spray works. I'm not promoting this guys products, 
> and I've never tested them, but many others have and it seems like a 
> good non-lethal safety product.
> 
> He has a very long list of testimonials on his site from people who say 
> his product has worked well on many types of animals including moose! A 
> little known fact is that moose actually kill more people per year than 
> bears!
> 
> Bears: http://www.udap.com/testify.htm
> Other Animal Stories Including a Moose and Mountain Lion, oh and a 
> Tiger: http://www.udap.com/othertestimonials.htm
> 
> So to summarize all the choices of protection.
> 
> Gun - Works well in most scenarios, however limitations are law and 
> personal preference.
> Stick - Not discussed but might be somewhat effective.
> Stun Gun - Limited effectiveness because of the dangerously limited 
> short range capability. Perhaps it would be best as a last resort 
> defense weapon.
> Taser - Keeps human attackers at a distance. Untested on animals?
> Pepper Spray - Effective on both animals and humans alike. Works well in 
> many circumstances and scenarios. Cheap and legal in most areas.
> Knives - Not discussed. Limited effectiveness because of the dangerously 
> limited short range capability.
> 
> Hope this helps...
> 
> Regards,
> Eric Wichman
> Meteorites USA
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Chris Peterson wrote:
> > I'm outside at night all the time, in an area with cougars, bears, and 
> > coyotes. I've seen all of them. I don't remotely worry about attacks, which 
> > are vanishingly rare with any of these. I've never felt it necessary to take 
> > any special precautions or to arm myself.
> >
> > Chris
> >
> > *****************************************
> > Chris L Peterson
> > Cloudbait Observatory
> > http://www.cloudbait.com
> >   
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