We have already discussed the weather so lets turn to some other hazards. The first is wildlife. Wyoming is home to several species that can be dangerous.
BEARS: We have both Black and Grizzly bears. The GRIZZLY bear resides in the northwestern part of the state, primarily Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. These are the largest bears in the lower 48 states. They are at the top of the food chain and they do not fear anything. When hiking in their territory carry Bear Repellant Spray, pay attention to your surroundings, and make some noise as you hike, this allows the bear to avoid you. If you encounter a Grizzly, stop and back away SLOWLY. DO NOT RUN, running signals the bear that you are prey! Don't try to climb a tree, you won't get high enough to do any good before the bear is on you. If attacked use your spray, if you run out or it doesn't work, drop to the ground and roll up in a ball.
BLACK BEARS are found throughout Wyoming. Normally they will avoid contact with humans, but Wyoming has been in a drought for several years now and food is scarce. They will visit your camp, so hang your food in a tree at least 100 yards away from your campsite and do all your cooking there. Do Not leave any food at your camp, not in your tent or your packs.
Now a word about Bear Deterrant, DO NOT USE IT LIKE INSECT REPELLANT! The active ingredient is Oleoresin Capsicum or Pepper, it only works when you spray the bear in the face. If you spray your tent or equipment, it will ATTRACT bears! When you buy your can, make sure it is EPA approved, and carry it with you. Bear sprays should be replaced every three years. GUARD ALASKA BEAR REPELLANT SPRAY is the best spray to use, it is EPA approved for use on ALL bear species. Check out the link below to purchase.
MOUNTAIN LIONS(aka, Couger, Puma) are here but you are unlikely to even see one. They usually avoid humans, but will take a young child if given the opportunity. Keep your children close, stay together and it is unlikely a lion will bother you. If you do run into a couger the advice from the experts is to stand your ground,spread your arms to make you look larger and FIGHT BACK!
WOLVES Thanks to the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wolves are back. Don't worry, there have been no reports of wolf attacks on humans and, like the Grizzly, the packs are only located in the northwestern part of the state, but their numbers are increasing and they are spreading outside the parks. If you are camping with small children keep them close and there should be no problem.
MOOSE are very large and not too intelligent. A couple of years ago I had a young bull following me and my son while we were deer hunting. During the Fall 2004 Deer season I saw a family of four near Lake Owens, they were walking down an old road like it was put there for them. Moose are located throughout the central and western parts of Wyoming. A full grown moose has few, if any, natural predators. They are the king of the forests and not much bothers them. A human getting too close DOES bother them. Look, but keep your distance, close up they can be very dangerous. Those antlers are not just for show and their hooves are also weapons.
BISON are throughout Yellowstone NP and every year some tourist gets injured by one. These are large animals with horns and if you get too close they will use them. Stay Back! There is no need to get up in their face to get a picture. A good SAFE place to see bison is at the Terry Bison Ranch just south of Cheyenne, they have a large herd there.
With all the above critters remember, if you get between a mother and her off-spring you will be in serious trouble. These are WILD animals, forget the Disney movies you saw as you were growing up. Wild animals do not care what your real intentions are, they do not know if you are a member of PETA, The Sierria Club or the Friends of Wildlife. They view you as a threat and will either move away or, if you get too close, attack.
If it seems like I'm concentrating too much on the hazards of Wyoming really I'm not, I've been hiking and camping in Wyoming since 1992 and I have yet to encounter any problems with any wildlife. Unfortunately most of the visitors to this state have no idea what to expect. Most visitors are from other countries or are from large cities and don't realize how dangerous these animals are. Just use common sense, store your food properly, respect the wildlife (meaning keep your distance) and you should be fine.
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