Perhaps they go out to observe and see plants over animals. Some noise won’t scare away everything either. I get your point though.
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I think people were talking about carrying a weapon to defend oneself if they are attacked by an animal while in a nature area they are allowed to be in, not seeking out animals to harm or trespassing in restricted areas
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Usually I feel safe, unless someone on the trail is behaving in an unstable or intoxicated manner, or if I am alone and hear signs of a predator nearby, both of which are rare
There are nature areas near cities where I won’t go alone due to crime, but the rural places are fairly safe
The main dangerous animals here (in order of my level of concern about them) are:
American Black Bear (usually runs away, but large enough to be dangerous if provoked, and is known to prey on humans in rare cases).
Yellowjacket wasps (will swarm you, stinging repeatedly, and chase for hundreds of yards if you disturb a nest of some species)
Moose (very large and can be aggressively defensive, or insane due to a brain infection)
Coyote (predator too small to typically go after humans, but can. Can also be rabid and then very aggressive)
Mountain Lion: It’s a rumor that they even exist here, if here at all they are really rare, but they are dedicated predators that can kill a person, though most of the time they don’t want to be near people
White-tailed Deer (Normally scared of people, but could be dangerous if sufficiently disturbed or if a male is encountered in breeding season
Foxes (small predator that only preys on small animals, but rabies outbreaks have resulted in aggressive foxes repeatedly biting humans)
EDIT: Ordered by level of danger I think they pose on an average nature walk, taking into account both abundance and aggressiveness, the moose is probably the one I would be the most concerned if I were to see one, they just aren’t common
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If adequately prepared, dressed, oriented, and equipped I feel perfectly safe.
The main dangers here are:
- The sun, which can easily overwhelm one (encountered daily)
- Some plants one ought not touch, like Chechen tree (plentiful number of such species, best not to touch any unknown plant)
- Stingy things like scorpions and polistes wasps (occasionally seen)
- Venomous snakes (rare, you know they are here but almost nobody has ever seen one)
Cats like jaguars are not a danger in that they will naturally avoid humans. (Wouldn’t it be wonderful to think they would be so plentiful that they could be a danger, though.)
Not really a danger but also best avoided: adorable local skunks, which sport party tails (often smelt, rarely seen).
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Je vis en Polynésie Française. Il n’y a pas d’animaux terrestres dangereux excépté le scolopendre du Vietnam. Par contre dans l’eau, je suis toujours sur mes gardes aussi bien quand je suis dans le lagon avec les murènes et scorpionidae que sur la pente externe où les grands requins peuvent être communs.
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Assuming that I’m properly equipped, I’m more worried about humans than anything when I’m on my nature walks. I usually carry mace on me for that very purpose. I’m VERY careful about which pocket I keep it in now, though…lessons were learned, pants ruined.
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As others have said here, it’s people that I feel unsafe around. Not all people and not all the time, but, I greatly prefer the hikes on which I feel I’ve escaped the human world for a bit. I also prefer to hike as quietly as possible, to minimize my intrusion and in hopes of getting to see and hear (and photograph!) the various critters living there. Seeing signs of wildlife makes me hopeful to see who left them. I do sometimes wonder if this will someday make me a candidate for a Darwin Award, but so far, so good! I’ve been lucky enough to see Black Bears in Yosemite (on my last trip there after not seeing them ever before despite almost yearly visits!); Pronghorn Antelope in Grand Tetons Park; Bison, Elk and Moose in Yellowstone; Coyotes in Joshua Tree National Park, all kinds of amazing animals in wonderful places and they were all joyful experiences. I didn’t walk up to them, but zoomed in from a safe distance, and they just kept doing their own thing.
My most startling encounter with a wild animal was actually when I accidentally spooked a deer and it screamed! I didn’t even know they could do that! I didn’t react fast enough to photograph it, but I did manage to record some of the screaming it did after it dashed into the trees. It was a startling encounter, but I was thrilled by it and got a nice audio observation from it. (I did feel bad that I upset the deer so much though.) The only time I felt unsafe near a wild animal was when that animal was in a cage. There was a jaguar at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - it was beautiful, but the look in its eyes was genuinely spooky, they seemed to tell me I would be dead if it could get out.
I have found people to be aggressive in their attention more often than not when they see me (on trails). Usually they’re just being friendly, but this so often causes me to lose my observation opportunity that it is frustrating. There are also those who seem too friendly/attentive, or worse, predatory. I have not yet felt like prey amongst the free-roaming wildlife I’ve seen, but there have been people whose attention has led me to abandon hikes mid-way through. Someone also mentioned that hunters are allowed on the trails here…I have a feeling that my preference for being unobtrusive/unobserved makes them a greater danger than animals.
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I only feel unsafe because of arachnids.
Honestly, the only animal that might make me feel unsafe and may find quite often is another human being.
In Spain, I think I’d only be somehow worried if I encounter a bear, a boar, or a pack of wolves (or feral dog). And the odds of finding a bear or a wolf in the wild, sadly, are quite slim.
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Here in the DFW area I’m mostly worried about other people or off leash and uncontrolled dogs. Pepper spray and a concealed handgun (where legal) go a long way to mitigate that for me but I have practiced with them a fair bit and know how to deploy and use them. I wouldn’t carry something as a weapon unless you’re competent with it.
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I get that some people find them creepy, but arachnids pose little to no realistic danger to people exploring outdoors. Very few spider species have dangerous venom, most are completely harmless, and even from the few that do have potent venom, spider bites are quite rare. Unless you pick one up or get one in your clothes or shoe, they won’t bother you
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I’m from the Netherlands, where natural areas are generally small and full of people. Carrying weapons is not allowed by law and people are generally friendly, especially the kind of people you find in nature. Hunting is not allowed in most natural areas and I feel the few hunters focus more on animals like geese on farmlands anyway. Also, we hardly have any big mammals or venomous critters. I’ve never had any upsetting encounters in my country and never feel unsafe.
This has caused me to greatly forget that not everyone is friendly and in other countries, there are dangerous animals. Last year in Türkiye, I just started a hike, when I was charged by a pack of about seven very aggressive, big feral dogs. They looked somewhat like German shepherds. That was the only moment I truly feared for my life, as they kept running towards me while barking loudly. Since I had nowhere to hide and nothing to defend myself with, I just stood still and looked the leader of the pack right into the eyes until she stopped charging. And, well, that worked.
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I have carried a stick to remove webs that cross the trail in front of me. I despise walking into them.
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Well, I’m 5’3" and 110 lbs. I’d feel safer with a moose than a 5’8" 140 lb mugger bent on grabbing my camera.
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Even in the most dangerous areas I’ve traversed I’ve never truly felt in danger. I’ve grown up with rattlesnakes, javelina, and many other animals that I’ve learned how to be cautious while exploring. I often also learn about protecting myself in other locations like when I went to Montana and had to learn how to use bear spray.
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They do when you count tick-borne diseases. And I find that even people with a fear of spiders tend to fear ticks even more.
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I completely forgot about ticks when I wrote that. Yep, spiders are cool but ticks are not
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After taking photos of any spiders that might be on it, I hope! :-)
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I feel relatively safe in my nature walks. I always go with at least one other person. The wild areas around me have good cell coverage, and I always share my location with someone who isn’t hiking with me. Emergencies could still happen, but I’d have support for them.
I mostly worry for my usual hiking partner, because she has zero fear of anything, and will do things like get way too close to poisonous snakes so she can take pictures of them. On the other hand, if there were an emergency, I trust her not to lose her head.
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I confess I’m a little leery of the feral hogs here in south Texas, as they’ve been known to be aggressive. The Peccaries don’t concern me, although THEY can get aggressive as well in places where they’re fed…
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