Sometimes, I feel uneasy in isolated areas. I don’t mean being afraid of people, but rather when I come across signs of wildlife—for example, holes where wild boars have dug for roots or the droppings of predators. I start to worry and hesitate to go any further.
I’ve thought about carrying a knife or something similar for such situations, but I actually have no idea how to use one.
What do you think?
There are wild animals out there to be cautious about, certainly. Wild boars could certainly be scary! However, we humans are bigger than most of the wildlife left, outside of parts of Africa. They’re scared of us. So I’m not usually worried about them. Humans, though, can really scare me!
If carrying a knife makes you feel better, carry one, but using it effectively takes more skill than most of us have. Bear spray or mace is probably more effective for dealing with humans as well as aggressive wildlife. Carry it in a pocket or something where it’s easy to get hold of – not buried under a ton of stuff in your backpack.
The only time I carried bear spray was in Yellowstone but I agree that seems like a good defensive tool to carry if you’re concerned about dangerous wildlife, including the human variety. Less likely to be turned against you in an incident.
I agree bear spray would be perhaps be more useful. A knife can certainly be useful, but if someone has one and isn’t sure how to use it, it can also injure them/they can be injured trying to use it. Knives might intimidate/dissuade other humans, but not animals that don’t know what they are. A whistle can also be good to take as it can make a loud (to somethings scary or annoying) sound and can also be used to signal if the user is injured/lost.
I’m a 6’4" big white bearded guy so…I usually worry about trying to look and feel less threatening to others when I’m out in the woods or in the country.
I have no experience with wild boar but I do with bears and moose. I also got trained in proper use of bear spray and then gave quick orientations to visitors (in Alaska) on it’s use. There’s definitely right and wrong ways to use and handle it! I’ve also found that carrying something big, like a black plastic trash bag, that you can quickly pull out of a pocket and then flap hard, is very effective in scaring moose. It might work on wild boar? It’s cheap, easy, requires no training, and effective (although that part’s not guaranteed).
I always go with my dog to alert me to the pumas that live on my farm. In five years he has chased away one juvenile puma and been chased by an adult puma. When he was being chased, his first response was to run to me for help which resulted in the puma towards me, too! A lot of yelling and gesticulating caught the puma’s attention and it stopped, looked at me, then left.
This is a video of the male puma that roams my forest.
https://bsky.app/profile/lostincr.bsky.social/post/3lipqmds62s2e
Although I’ve never been in their territory, the animal I’d personally be the most nervous about in North America is the grizzly bear. I also try extra hard to be on the alert when in mountain lion, black bear or bison country. Wild hogs aren’t much of a danger to people unless cornered afaik, they tend to run away as soon as they know you’re in the area
Interestingly, i’ve never heard of it. Its some kind of tear gas i think. I’ve just checked and yes, its also available commercially in my country too. Very good recommendation. Thanks!
Yeah, i’ve never heard the bear sprey before. Very good recommendation. Thanks!
Overall yes. Mountain lions are extremely rare where I am and bears are practically unheard of. Where I hike there is either no people, or most of them are families.
In Spain yes, UK yes, in South Africa, it depended. Two thoughts about a knife -
1, by the time something gets close enough for you to use it, it may well already be too late
2, do you really want to stab something? How would you feel afterwards?
I used to have a snake hook/walking pole with me (for snakes and walking!), and the advantage is that you can use them at a small distance, and people and dogs are a little scared of them, and you needn’t do any lasting damage to anything.
But in reality, most things, including wild boar, are going to run a mile from you when they see/hear you. And if they don’t, you may be able to de-escalate the situation.
If you’re from North America and there are bears, best of luck to you ;'D
Carrying a knife could create legal issues. And if the scary animals are native then those issues will multiply.
Sunscreen aerosol might be useful; at least it has another use!
If that something was attacking me, and my stabbing made it stop attacking me, I’d feel pretty good tbh. Although defending against animal attacks with a knife would be pretty risky, you’d be better off with a ranged weapon like bear spray or even a gun
The people are what I am nervous about. I didn’t use to worry, but a year or so ago one woman running through forest near my home was attacked but escaped. The attacker has never been identified. Then another woman disappeared in a forest nearby. Someone has been charged with her murder but her body has not been located yet. So yeah, I feel very nervous nature-walking on my own.
I think a stout stick is a better defence than a knife. This is more visible than a knife to any creature that is threatening you and might make them reconsider when they are at a safe distance. Also you can carry a stick when hiking without making other people nervous.
A few days ago I was doing some jungle trekking in Malaysia. I was conscious of the slim possibility of encountering a tiger, panther or bear, however the only animals that threatened me were a group of stray dogs when I was walking in a backstreet of the nearby town. Luckily a guy on a motorbike saw my predicament and chased them off. This is not the first time I have been threatened by dogs in Asia. The locals walk amongst the stray dogs all the time and seem to be ignored. I believe dogs are more likely to threaten a person who looks different to the humans they are used to. I know my daughter is often embarrassed when her dog barks and growls at black people she encounters when out walking.
Sigh. My little, lively, inquisitive, easily fearful dog loves people – runs right up to be petted. However, she lunges defensively at people with umbrellas, people with strollers, and joggers, not to mention bicycles, unicycles, and scooters. And dogs. She really fears dogs. Walking her is never dull, unfortunately.
In case you’re wondering, yes, she is on a leash and yes, I do my damnedest to keep her from scaring people. Fortunately, she weighs only 10 pounds and is unbelievably cute.
Sometimes I do, too. My uneasiness seems to result from being in an unfamiliar place. It doesn’t really center on wild animals, not even necessarily on possible humans. But it’s often there. I start thinking about falling, getting stuck somehow, stepping on a rattlesnake that would bite me in self defense, stepping in a hole left by a burned out root – there are so many things one could worry about, and sometimes I do. Sometimes it even makes me turn back. Once I become familiar with a place, it’s less of a problem.
Sadly, most of the time, I go trekking alone in nature now. Six or seven years ago, I was part of a nature club. There were many trained members—even a police officer who was armed—which made me feel safe. We had a guide who knew every trail by heart and could navigate without a map, as well as two medics.
However, trekking with them was slow, and the large group often scared away birds and wildlife, making it difficult to take proper photos. I also couldn’t afford to wait for the perfect shot due to the strict trekking schedule.
Now, I prefer going alone, but it comes with risks. If I were to pass out, as you mentioned, no one would know. Sometimes, I send my live location to my wife, but it still feels risky.
As others have pointed out, stray dogs are another problem. Just two weeks ago, I saw a pack of them—clearly starving—engaging in cannibalism, eating another dog. I was in my car, but I can’t imagine what would have happened if I had been on foot.
And then, there’s the issue of people. Interestingly, in The Hague, Netherlands, a man followed me for a while. Maybe it was just out of curiosity, or maybe not. Either way, I felt unsafe.
I can honestly say I’ve never been afraid of wildlife of any sort, but that’s probably at least in part because I’ve always frequented countries where the vast majority of wildlife is pretty harmless. Maybe if there were big hungry predators out there, or a plethora of poisonous spiders or snakes, I’d feel differently. Who knows!
On the other hand…
Yes absolutely. There is a part of me that is always on edge, looking and listening for the signs of human presence and when I detect it, I get out of the way as fast as possible. I have even ended up hiding in the bushes… at the risk of looking ridiculous if anyone ever spotted me. As I always have my camera with me, I can always pretend I was taking photos!