Submitted by huch54 t3_xvv0wo in newhampshire
Hi! I'm going to be travelling for a few days doing some hikes in the White Mountains area and wondering if i should be aware about some dangerous wildlife (bears, moose, etc) while in the area Any tips on what to do and not to do? And what i should be careful about?
Much rather see a MA plate than a Trump sticker.
If you’re a man in your twenties, be aware of the cougars here
That’s disgusting, where are these cougars?
😂😂
General wildlife rules apply. If it's eating, don't sneak up on it. If it has babies, leave them alone. Don't try to pet any of them, they are not cute and fluffy.
Bears are out this time of year collecting food before hibernating. They may have yearlings with them.
Moose populations have been decimated by ticks. You probably won't see one.
We rarely have big cats. It's a big cat. If it does get grumpy, appear to be as big as possible and walk away.
Coyotes are like medium sized dogs. They are generally skittish. They avoid people. If you see one out in the daytime, it may be rabid. Don't pet the weird puppy.
1 - Don't go hiking unprepared for weather changes and terrain. That's a way higher risk to your survival than wildlife.
2 - Stay on well-marked popular trails and the risk of any encounters is minimal.
3 - Have fun.
Wear orange it’s hunting season.
If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a moose - awesome. If you find yourself near a male moose right now (they are in the middle of their rut (fall sexy time season,) which makes them a bit salty definitely keep your distance.
Some hikers wear small jingle bells on their packs to let black bears know of their approach.
You're unlikely to see any dangerous animals. If you do just ask yourself if you're feeling the need to do something stupid like approach them and try to pet them. If you answer no you'll be fine.
A bull moose in rut will defend its territory. If you come across one, just get out of there. Other than that, for day hikes the thing most likely to harm you is you. For overnights, mice can be annoying.
Edit: Wrong its/it's
The most dangerous animals I ever run across (by far) are people taking their stupid-ass pit bulls hiking with them..
Ticks are the biggest threat out here! Take it from someone suffering from Lyme/ tick borne illnesses 😑Not cold enough yet, they’re still out. Stick to the middle of the trail, wear light colored clothing, check yourself once you’re done and then check yourself again!
If you are doing day hikes on common trails you probably won't see any dangerous wildlife. It took me daily walks in the woods for about a year before I saw one black bear waaayyy in the woods and it ran away. Be more worried about the ticks, I think someone beat me too it, but use a little bug spray on your legs and check for ticks when you're done with your hike.
Also, check your hair/head even though it's far from the ground, I had a friend who ended up with a massive and gross tick engorged just behind her ear in her hair and thankfully no illness but you don't want a tick anywhere so check well!
Spoonblade t1_ir3b8x7 wrote
Yes, there are some very dangerous animals this time of year. Luckily they can be easily identified by their license plates which read “Massachusetts” 🤣