Hiking 101: Wildlife Interactions
As things start to open up again and summer nears its peak, more and more people are venturing out onto trails. It’s great to have all the visitation from excited hikers eager to trek outside, whether to spend some time in nature or get some exercise and a fun photo. However, with increased human traffic into nature comes increased challenges - not necessarily bad, but ones that we need to face. A big issue, especially with growing urban encroachment into wildlife habitat, is the risk of potentially unpleasant wildlife encounters.
Washington is known for its abundance of greenspace, and our beautiful mountains and forests make for great wildlife habitat - especially in the Issaquah Alps. We are fortunate to have a wide variety of wildlife that live here, from red-tailed hawks to mountain beavers, from black-tailed deer to river otters. And one of the joys of being in nature is getting the chance to see wildlife in their natural habitat. Each interaction is exciting, whether it be spotting a regal elk grazing in the trees or watching an invaluable salmon swimming upriver. Maybe one of the reasons you got into hiking is the chance to see wildlife you wouldn’t normally on a walk in a city. With some species, however, face-to-face encounters also bring risks, and as hikers, we need to keep these in mind.
While it’s not common, there are situations where an animal may react negatively to a human, attacking out of fear and sometimes, much more rarely, hunger. You shouldn’t go into the woods fearful about the wildlife that lives there, but you should be mindful of where you are, and come prepared. You are entering their home, and it’s important to be respectful of that.
Given how close many homes in Issaquah are to the forest, you may even encounter wildlife in your own backyard!
The wildlife we often have negative encounters with here in the Alps are most often black bears and cougars. Often these creatures will want nothing to do with you, and you might never even see them even if they’re nearby. But it’s not uncommon to startle another animal in the woods, especially if you’re walking alone or quietly.
Here are some things that you can do to prevent accidental encounters while in the woods:
Make noise - Talk with the people you are hiking with, clap your hands, wear a bear bell or even bring a whistle. This way you are more likely to alert other animals of your presence in advance, and allow them to get away before you come across each other.
Don’t hike alone - Hiking with other people means more noise, of course, but may also discourage wildlife from coming near you if you are being watched. Note that hiking with a dog doesn’t necessarily mean wildlife will stay away; there are other precautions you’ll want to take with a pet too, such as keeping them leashed and putting a bell on them as well.
Be aware and keep your distance - Look and listen for signs that wildlife are near, such as fresh scat or footprints. Don’t wear headphones so that you can hear anything close to you. If you think you are near an animal, try to be loud to make your presence known. And if you do spot an animal, keep your distance. Many encounters go south when people try to get too close to an animal, whether it be for a photo or just a better look.
Be mindful of when/where you hike - Some animals are more active than others at certain times of day. Cougars often hunt at night, and other animals like bears are commonly active at dusk and dawn. You should also familiarize yourself with the area - if you go running on a trail that has a history of attacks, you may catch the attention of a predator whose instincts say to chase you. That’s not to say you can’t hike in areas with wildlife presence or at times when you prefer, but you’ll want to follow other tips in this list to encourage wildlife to stay away.
Be sure to Leave No Trace - This doesn’t just mean leaving behind trash or putting food in enticing easy-to-access places - which you certainly shouldn’t do. It also means don’t leave behind an action or memory, such as by feeding wildlife or again, getting too close. These actions can help wildlife become accustomed to human presence: Maybe you get close enough to take a picture and have no issues, but eventually that animal will no longer be afraid of humans and will spend more time close to them. Then one day down the line some human isn’t going to be okay with that animal getting close, and that situation could turn south very quickly - for both creatures.
If you cross paths with wildlife and find yourself in a dangerous situation, you're not doomed. Often the animal might just be startled and run away. But if that isn’t the case, and the animal makes it clear that you are not welcome, there are some things that you can do. First and foremost, keep your cool. Stay calm and don’t panic - running away and screaming is not going to help the situation and could trigger an animal's predatory instincts. Instead, you’ll want to react in different ways specific to the animal you see.
Black bear - While chubby and omnivorous, a black bear encounter can be very dangerous. These bears often only attack when feeling threatened, such as when you surprise one, or when protecting their young, so when you hike you want to be sure to make noise and stay alert. Never come between a mother and her cubs! Bring bear spray and make sure you know how to use it; a 2012 study of more than 200 bear attacks shows that bear spray is effective nearly 98% of the time. If you come across a bear, back away slowly. If you remain within its sight, talk quietly, which will help alert the bear to your presence if you’ve spotted it first. If the bear charges, you’re going to want to act like a predator: Stand your ground, wave your arms and be loud, and prepare to use your bear spray. Oftentimes the charge will be a bluff meant to scare you off, and acting tough will likely scare a black bear away. If it does attack you, fight back.
Grizzly bear - These bears are less common, but if you do come across one, you should be prepared. As with a black bear, you’ll want to back away slowly and talk quietly and calmly, especially if it sees you and starts to approach. With grizzlies, you don’t want to be seen as a predator or a threat. Have your bear spray ready and do your best to get away slowly. If the bear does attack and the bear spray doesn’t work, immediately get into the fetal position and cover your neck with your hands and your face with your elbows. You can learn more about how to prevent a grizzly attack and what to do in this Outside article.
Cougar - First and foremost, despite the hype, cougar attacks are not common and there have been less than two dozen fatal attacks in North America in the last century. While populations are increasing, that doesn’t mean that cougar density and therefore attacks are, it just means that there are more cougars in new areas. In some places, people just accept that cougars are a likely presence, and you just need to be mindful of if you’re in cougar country or not. To prevent attacks, don’t run on trails where cougars have been recently spotted, and when you hike, travel in groups and make noise to scare a cougar off. A dog can alert you to a cougar presence but might not scare one away, so don’t count on your pet to save you. Also note that many attacks occur on kids under 16, so if you take youth into cougar country, keep them close and monitor them. If you do come across a cougar, stand tall and be loud. Make yourself appear larger by raising your arms or waving a stick, but don’t make sudden movements. You’ll want to act like a predator and show that you are a threat. Don’t run, turn your back, or bend over. If the cougar does attack, fight back with all your strength, but make sure to protect your neck and face. Check out some more tips about how to prevent a cougar attack.
Elk - These beautiful ungulates are not uncommon to come across, and they are certainly an incredible sight. But while these animals would often rather avoid dealing with us, sometimes they can charge, especially if provoked or if you are close to their calves. If you come across an elk, keep your distance and back away slowly. If they do charge, again, don’t run away. Rather, find shelter behind a tree or boulders - anything to put space between you and the elk. You want to avoid being underhoof and getting trampled. If you do fall and don’t have time to get up and away, cover your head and neck to protect yourself from stomping hooves.
Video of black bears near Park Pointe PUD taken by John Sherwin
For more tips about what to do with different wildlife encounters, check out Wildlife Safety Tips from REI.
Not all encounters are bad for humans exclusively - we can be just as dangerous to wildlife. We don’t want animals depending on humans for food or thinking that we’re safe to be around. For some animals, relying on humans for food can be harmful to their health - for example, feeding ducks bread prevents them from getting vital nutrients from other foods. Feeding wildlife can teach that animal that they can get food from us, and one day maybe someone the animal is looking to get food from will assume that they themselves are the preferred meal and will act in self-defense, such as with a firearm. Leaving out your trash so that raccoons and coyotes get used to finding food or prey in urban areas means more encounters, as well - wildlife-vehicle collisions, dogs or cats getting eaten, etc. It’s important that while we appreciate and are awestruck by wildlife, that we remember to respect them and understand how our actions can negatively affect them.
As humans encroach more and more into wildlife habitat, through urbanization and habitat loss or more people spending time outdoors, wildlife may become more and more accustomed to our presence. This is one of the big reasons we have many unfortunate human-wildlife interactions, and why sometimes the wildlife gets punished for it. Remember, these are wild animals, not tame pets. So just because you want to get that good selfie or feel like a princess feeding a deer doesn’t mean you should get close to them. Doing things like this causes wildlife to get adjusted to human presence, and the more comfortable the animals are, the more likely a future interaction will go south - for either or both participants. So to prevent other outdoor adventurers from running into wild animals and having to use the tips above, and to keep animals safe, try to prevent wildlife from getting interested in closeness in the first place.
That doesn’t mean that sighting a wild animal isn’t exciting, and if you do see one near your home or while hiking, consider reporting it on the Woodland Park Zoo’s community science program Carnivore Spotter. You can also learn more about this project and the Coexisting with Carnivores program that the IATC supports here.