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MichelleM
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| Posted: April 18 2006 at 11:37pm | IP Logged
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In light of the recent tragedies with the bear mauling in the Great Smoky Mountains and the Mountain Lion attack on the 7 year old in Boulder, Co (which is just over an hour from my home), I've come to the conclusion that I am probably not taking the necessary precautions when I do nature days with my children. I often take all five out to Open Space areas by myself. I usually  have water & a cell phone & if I'm really prepared a whistle in case anyone gets lost. But I do not bring anything to defend anyone from a bear such as bear spray. The oldest usually takes the lead (she is eight) & I bring up the rear with the two year old holding my hand and the baby in the sling. Am I crazy for taking such risk?
The thing that bothers me most about the attacks is that in BOTH cases the individuals were in groups of people! 
We have been getting ready to put our house on the market because a vicious Rottwiller moved in next door. (She would like to eat my dc for lunch and my husband and I for dinner!) We had been planning on moving to the mountains because we felt that it would be a great benefit to our children's education but now I'm really questioning if that is too great a risk with young children.
I don't want to overreact but quite frankly I'm wondering if I haven't been taking the threat of these animals seriously enough.
What precautions do others take when out doing nature study? Does anyone else live where wildlife can be a threat? What precautions do you take to keep your kids safe?
Bear
Mountain Lion
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~Michelle
Mommy to 5 Blessings
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Our nature blog: All of Creation
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Dawn
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| Posted: April 19 2006 at 4:35am | IP Logged
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Michelle, you bring up a good topic with spring luring all of us into the woods (and animals out of hibernation).
We don't have too much around here other than coyotes but I do worry about those. Several towns away from here a coyote came into a family's yard and attempted to drag their 4 yo dd away by the leg. The father had to beat the creature off her and was bitten several times as he did so.   
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 19 2006 at 11:41am | IP Logged
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The story of the bear is familiar to me, as I live quite near there and we hike in the area alot- not the Cherokee National Forest, but the Great Smokies park whichnis adjacent to it.
Truthfully, we don't do much by way of bear precautions. We do stick together and I have educated my children as to what to do in event of seeing a bear, but we have never seen one up close. Perhaps because we make such a ruckus while hiking that it gives the bears plenty of opportunity to run away. And that is what Black bears typically do. If you'll notice in the story, this was only the second bear fatality EVER recorded in Tennessee. Black bears just usually are not a problem. (And btw, I heard on the news yesterday that they have caught and killed that bear.)
Now, when we were in Alaska I was much more cautious due to the grizzlies there. I do NOT want to run into one of those! Bear bells, pepper spray, staying in the open, keeping food locked up tight, etc.
I would not hesitate to move to a rural environment for fear of bears or mountain lions. True, accidents happen, but they are so much more rare than the many dangers all around us in a city or suburb. As the old addage goes, you are in more danger in your own bathroom than in the woods. I would add to that your own car as well.
here is a link that might help. Bear safety
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mary
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| Posted: April 19 2006 at 5:54pm | IP Logged
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i wondered about this issue but in terms of 2 legged predators one day when i took my kids letterboxing. we were out far from home, out of cell phone range and didn't see any pple. when i passed a few empty beer bottles, it made me realize how vulnerable we were. i have since taken to hiking at the nature center. and even there, i wondered if my kid fell down a ravine, how would i get him and the others back to safety? (there is no cell phone service because of the trees.) there aren't many (any) wild animals to worry about in cincinnati, but still i think we are wise to be thinking about how we would handle emergencies when we hike. i'm wondering if the best answer is to ask at the nature centers of wherever we are hiking?
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andibc
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| Posted: April 19 2006 at 8:24pm | IP Logged
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Last week the newspaper announced that our area is now considered "Bear Country." In 1997 there were 2,000some bears and now there are over 10,000. Our neighbors have seen black bears at their birdfeeder and my husband saw a cub by the side of the road in front of our house. When the children go out I watch them like a hawk. We enjoy this rural neighborhood, but I am always looking into the woods and feel a little uncomfortable when we are outside now. If I was in your shoes I wouldn't move to the mountains. If the bear population continues to increase, we'll be moving.
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alicegunther
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| Posted: April 19 2006 at 8:44pm | IP Logged
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When I was a child, we spent a good portion of our summers in rural upstate New York. One day, when I was about twelve or so, a friend and I were walking home from town on a country road with no houses and, at least in those days, few cars. All of a sudden and without the slightest bit of warning, an enormous black bear ambled out from the brush only a few feet in front of us.
My friend was telling a story and looking at me, so I saw the bear first and began to stammer, "A-a-a-a ddddo--do--dog." (Now, of course I knew it was a bear, but in my extreme fear and surprise, my ability to name the animal completely left me.) The bear stood up on its hind legs to look at us, and the two of us just turned around and RAN! We were city girls and hadn't the faintest notion of the proper thing to do in that situation. Frankly, I'm still not too sure.
As I looked back over my shoulder, I could see him meandering across the road without the slightest interest in following us. Still, we did not stop running. Moments later, my parents came speeding up in their car. They had seen the same bear pass the house and realized it would be heading right toward us, so they were on the way to the rescue.
Anyway, it was an experience I have never forgotten, especially when I read these terrifying bear stories. A couple of years ago, not far from my parents' summer home, a bear killed a nine month old baby. I was very concerned about my little ones that summer and kept them fairly close to the house the whole time we visited.
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MichelleM
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| Posted: April 19 2006 at 11:18pm | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
The story of the bear is familiar to me, as I live quite near there and we hike in the area alot- not the Cherokee National Forest, but the Great Smokies park whichnis adjacent to it.
I would not hesitate to move to a rural environment for fear of bears or mountain lions. True, accidents happen, but they are so much more rare than the many dangers all around us in a city or suburb. As the old addage goes, you are in more danger in your own bathroom than in the woods. I would add to that your own car as well.
here is a link that might help. Bear safety |
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Teresa,
Thanks for the link. It is so strange that that bear acted the way it did!
I'm curious; do you have panthers where you live? I have an incredible fear of panthers from too many books and movies describing their "scream"!
I do have to agree that when I tally up the risks of living where we are now, suburban plains, there are quite a few risks that I'm not always mindful of such as cars driving too fast around the blind turn, s*xual predators, vicious dogs, unknown meth labs operating out of suburban homes, hand guns being "shown off". Not to mention the wildlife that we do have in our neighborhood, or at least have had, such as fox, coyotes, bobcats, & rattlesnakes. One town over had a mountain lion wondering about as well as a colony of prairie dogs with Black Plague! I should also mention the mosquitoes that carry West Nile. (I guess we would be trading those for ticks although I've read Rocky Mtn. Fever is very rare.)
I usually do not pay close attention to the news because quite frankly it overwhelms me! They do say ignorance is bliss! Perhaps though, education and a watchful eye, along with preparation/training for emergencies for myself and the children would be the most prudent choice.
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Our nature blog: All of Creation
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 20 2006 at 8:33am | IP Logged
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No, sadly we do not have any panthers (same as mountain lions) left in our immediate area-too much growth and hunting. Or if there are any left they are very rare and secretive. We do rarely have bobcats, also known around here as Catamounts- a smaller cousin to the Lynx. But they are fairly small and harmless.
I agree that education, preparation, and a watchful eye are the best attitude. But that goes anywhere, right? Truthfully, I was much more fearful for my children when we lived in suburban South Florida. I could never let them go out to play unwatched for fear of them being snatched away. Here they are outside by themselves alot and I am very comfortable with it.I love the rural life for that very reason. I guess we all have our own special fears for our children, and mine is more of other people than animals or the outdoors.
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MichelleM
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| Posted: April 20 2006 at 9:32am | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
| No, sadly we do not have any panthers (same as mountain lions) left in our immediate area-too much growth and hunting. Or if there are any left they are very rare and secretive. |
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For some reason I always imagined these to be black panthers & thought they were the ones that "screamed". Perhaps, I didn't want to equate them with what I know as mountain lions. I'm learning quite a bit!
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Mommy to 5 Blessings
Visit my blog: House of Grace
Our nature blog: All of Creation
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Safety Precautions? Bears & Mtn. Lions
