Ok…bad assumption but perhaps y’all got a bit close for its liking…or it was a female with a nest nearby or something. As I said…I’m not ignoring the possibility, but think the incidents result in a bit of overhyping the danger…but then I think the same about bears, moose and other wildlife. Sure…unplanned en punters occur but the likelihood is pretty low overall. No worries though.
Moose kills Photographer
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It's certainly important to know your subject - but that can lead to being "too comfortable".
Wild animals - and domestic animals - can do things that are unexpected. Many of these animals are incredibly powerful and very fast for short distances. Alligators can move at speeds of 35 mph on land for short distances, and 20 mph for longer distances in water. That's faster than a dolphin. A moose can run as fast as 35 mph and weighs 1500 pounds. Bears can reach speeds of 30 mph for short distances - and arrive with teeth and claws. In the Smokies, the even the bears know to avoid the elk in calving season (I'm not sure why tourists get too close, but that's another question). Snakes can move at speeds of 15 mph and faster, but venomous snake strikes occur in 1/24 second - about the speed of a blink of your eye and too fast to evade.
My concern when I'm in the field is snakes. I've been around snakes for a long time and don't fear them, but being surprised by a snake is different. When a 5 foot watersnake is coming directly at you, my response is to turn and run - not stop to verify that its a harmless watersnake and not a venomous water moccasin.
And I have walked in western parks and seen rattlesnakes quietly resting a couple of feet from a busy sidewalk.
Wild animals - and domestic animals - can do things that are unexpected. Many of these animals are incredibly powerful and very fast for short distances. Alligators can move at speeds of 35 mph on land for short distances, and 20 mph for longer distances in water. That's faster than a dolphin. A moose can run as fast as 35 mph and weighs 1500 pounds. Bears can reach speeds of 30 mph for short distances - and arrive with teeth and claws. In the Smokies, the even the bears know to avoid the elk in calving season (I'm not sure why tourists get too close, but that's another question). Snakes can move at speeds of 15 mph and faster, but venomous snake strikes occur in 1/24 second - about the speed of a blink of your eye and too fast to evade.
My concern when I'm in the field is snakes. I've been around snakes for a long time and don't fear them, but being surprised by a snake is different. When a 5 foot watersnake is coming directly at you, my response is to turn and run - not stop to verify that its a harmless watersnake and not a venomous water moccasin.
And I have walked in western parks and seen rattlesnakes quietly resting a couple of feet from a busy sidewalk.
RikWriter
Well-known member
We didn't even know it was there until it charged out of the reeds. Scared the living crap out of us.
Yes. Even normally timid whitetail deer bucks can become aggressive during the fall rut (Mating season). I've never been charged by one but I have been on the receiving end of the "stink eye" stare and a couple of hoof scratches. I give the bucks, especially the big boys a wide berth during the autumn rut. 200 pounds of testosterone fueled muscle, dagger sharp tines and sharp hooves isn't something I really want to tangle with.It's certainly important to know your subject - but that can lead to being "too comfortable".
Wild animals - and domestic animals - can do things that are unexpected. Many of these animals are incredibly powerful and very fast for short distances. Alligators can move at speeds of 35 mph on land for short distances, and 20 mph for longer distances in water. That's faster than a dolphin. A moose can run as fast as 35 mph and weighs 1500 pounds. Bears can reach speeds of 30 mph for short distances - and arrive with teeth and claws. In the Smokies, the even the bears know to avoid the elk in calving season (I'm not sure why tourists get too close, but that's another question). Snakes can move at speeds of 15 mph and faster, but venomous snake strikes occur in 1/24 second - about the speed of a blink of your eye and too fast to evade.
My concern when I'm in the field is snakes. I've been around snakes for a long time and don't fear them, but being surprised by a snake is different. When a 5 foot watersnake is coming directly at you, my response is to turn and run - not stop to verify that its a harmless watersnake and not a venomous water moccasin.
Eric, I haven't been t the Smokeys during calving season but I have during the rut. The people who will try to walk up to a bull elk was astonishing to me. 800 pounds of, once again, testosterone fueled daggers, muscle, and sharp hooves could stomp a human into something resembling strawberry jelly. Rangers were busy trying to keep people from getting hurt. Funny story about it, a woman was standing next to me by the road and told her husband she was going out in the field to get a closer view of the elk. I, very politely, suggested it would be a bad idea. I told her, to that big bull elk, while he is interested in mating, anything walking up to him is a potential mate or a potential enemy. Since you don't look like a female elk, then you are an enemy. I didn't think she would win the fight. Discretion was the better part of valor ad she opted to just walk down the road a bit. The husband lip synched "thank you" to me as they walked by.
Jeff
Would scare me too…but you accidentally invaded its space…because it was hidden..or perhaps it was hungry although depending on size it might or might not have considered you as lunch. One can’t help it if that happens. My overall point was that attacks by animals get overhyped generally by media and YouTube…and beyond the tourons at Yellowstone and other parks encounters/attacks are inevitable when we go in their world but statistically aren’t very likely…and definition as likely as hype would have you believe. Back when I was in high school the water moccasin that fell almost on the guy in front of me out of a tree scared the crap out of us too.