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I applaud you for wanting to educate yourself about how best to live according to the laws of Nature, in order to both protect yourself and respect the habitat of nonhumans. Regarding black bears, in particular: Just because you don't see a bear, while hiking, doesn't mean that a bear doesn't see you. If a bear sees you hiking, and you can be sure that this will happen pretty much every time you hike, he will move away. If it's a mama bear, though, and you're walking straight towards her cubs, you might have a problem, but not an insurmountable one.
As for a recommendation on where to find places without "predatory creatures": Since humans are among the most vicious and predatory of all creatures, and since they've pretty much taken over everywhere, I'm afraid you might be out of luck.
Some simple precautions and common sense can be quite useful in fighting shy of predators big enough to threaten you. Simply knowing that scent is your biggest attractant is a good place to start. Predators rely on their noses ,more than any other sense, and certain smells will draw them in. Don't take fresh meat in with you, Cannes food, like tuna, isn't so good either. Anything that smells strongly in the food dept is a risk.
Another very important thing , is for female treckers to keep in mind. A certain time of the month is NOT the time for hiking/camping in bear country. That is a scent that cannot be hidden, and bears can and will come investigating it. Its a touchy subject, I know, but one that bears serious examination. No pun intended. This....situation...has been the cause of quite a few maulings, and is something to consider when planning a back country excursion. Mountain lions are notional, very unpredictable. Being ambush predators, they can be hard to guard against, and awareness and defensive measures, heavy knife, my preferance is a heavy caliber handgun, a 357 is a good choice, in cat country. Something that can be deployed quickly and hits hard. Of course, one should never go back country alone either, and in cat country, you should never lose sight of each other. Cats are much more likely to hit a lone target.
Just a couple simple suggestions. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out such things. Common sense and preparedness are your best friends.
It's best just to steer clear of mountain lion habitat. Remember: it's their territory, and we have no business being there, so they shouldn't lose their lives because we are.
So I have recently gotten much more into nature and exploring the great outdoors by car (but preferably by foot, bike or kayak). Last week, I had the opportunity to stay in a cabin for several days in Western NC where I saw some of the most beautiful nature the Eastern US has to offer... Mountains, Rock Formations, Waterfalls, etc. and oh was the weather gorgeous. Living now in Florida, but prefer the climate there (or even the winter climate and nature of Midwestern/Western/Northeastern states).
However, I do have to admit, I do experience some anxiety about animals that have the potential to attack in the wild (bears, snakes, etc.). I know it's a somewhat irrational fear, as the odds against even running into one of these when on a trail not looking for trouble, let alone being attacked, are spectacular. But, in some ways, I can't help it I suppose, as I had an uncle that was killed by a grizzly bear in Montana (granted he was hunting, and the bear was likely attracted from miles away by the smell of a dead elk), but still. This made me especially anxious about going out on trails in the Western US. Knowing that all it takes is one time certainly gave me some anxiety, and though I completed many awesome hikes in NC, especially on the early morning hike I took to see a sunrise over the mountains, I was very worried about stepping into a black bear's territory. I don't want this to keep from enjoying the best nature has to offer over the course of my life though.
Therefore, I suppose I had two main questions:
1) Is there any specific map that would show where predatory creatures are prominent (or non existent) across North America? One of the things I like about doing hikes when home in Cleveland is that the most I would have to worry about are ticks (and it's easy enough to apply bug spray and check for any whenever leaving from the path I would be on). Also, are there sections of Europe, Asia, other places around the world where there aren't predatory creatures? To my knowledge, New Zealand is one of those places, but I wanted to check to make sure.
2) Is there any more detailed literature out there on what to do (books or whatever) in terms of both how to behave if there are animals like that in an area, how to respond if coming across one, and also things that can help to sort of ease fears? Because, most of the literature I do end up reading at sites ends up just making me way more nervous.
Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks everyone.
You have more to fear about the people who live in your town than you do any animals in the woods. In 2015, in Denver there were 51 murders or 7.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Baltimore's murder rate was higher at 55.3 deaths per 100,000 people. (You couldn't pay me enough to live in Baltimore, BTW)
Many big cities across the country saw a spike in murders last year, from Milwaukee to Dallas to New York.
By contrast, mountain lions (often considered the most dangerous land predator in the US) account for roughly one human death per year in the entire US. You don't say what your uncle did to incite a grizzly, but bear attacks are almost always defensive. Alaska and Yellowstone National Park are the only places in the U.S. where fatal bear attacks usually occur. Grizzly bears are not interested in humans for food except in late fall before hibernation. Less than 1 fatality per year is due to bear attacks.
A brown or black bear will not attack you. They like to go dumpster diving on occasion, but then they take off. I once chased a black bear out of my yard by spraying him with my garden hose. On another occasion my next door neighbor, a lady of 84, chased off a black bear by yelling "Shoo!" at it and waving her garden rake in a threatening manner.
The most dangerous wild animals are deer - responsible for roughly 130 deaths in the US per year because of traffic accidents. Deer seem to love to stand in the middle of the road and see how much havoc they can cause.
So that's it - perhaps 2 deaths per year from predators, 130 from incredibly stupid deer. Give me the most isolated places in the Colorado Rockies every time. I (and you) will be much safer than if we were in Baltimore. I have degrees in biology and ecology and I have spent as much of my life as possible up in the remotest areas I can find in the mountains. And I am a woman who often camps alone. I love sitting by my campfire at night and listening to the coyotes sing their songs. And coyotes won't attack you either - they are actually quite shy of human beings.
On the off chance you should encounter a grizzly, stand your ground and make yourself seem as big as possible. Yell loudly at the bear to go away. This worked fine for me the only time I ever encountered a grizz. I guess it didn't want to mess with some scrawny but feisty girl - too much trouble for too little meat. If you are going to be attacked by a mountain lion - you, the lucky single person in the entire country that will experience this in any given year - it will most often be toward dusk or dawn when lions are most active. So, stay in camp at those times if you are really fearful. A mountain lion will also usually hang out hidden by rock outcroppings, vegetation or other cover along a game trail, waiting for prey to appear. In the highly unlikely event a mountain lion does attack you, DO NOT RUN. If you run, then you are acting like a prey animal. Instead, stand your ground, puff yourself up and act like you are the predator which is what mankind is - predators. Chances are excellent that the lion will also go off in search of something that will be less trouble than what you make yourself appear to be.
Your only real problem is your own self manufactured fears. Leave your worries of sudden death back in the city where they belong. Enjoy the back country because you know you are safe there. This has worked for me for over 50 years in the Rocky Mountains. Don't sweat the small stuff - you'll be fine.
You have more to fear about the people who live in your town than you do any animals in the woods. In 2015, in Denver there were 51 murders or 7.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Baltimore's murder rate was higher at 55.3 deaths per 100,000 people. (You couldn't pay me enough to live in Baltimore, BTW)
Many big cities across the country saw a spike in murders last year, from Milwaukee to Dallas to New York.
By contrast, mountain lions (often considered the most dangerous land predator in the US) account for roughly one human death per year in the entire US. You don't say what your uncle did to incite a grizzly, but bear attacks are almost always defensive. Alaska and Yellowstone National Park are the only places in the U.S. where fatal bear attacks usually occur. Grizzly bears are not interested in humans for food except in late fall before hibernation. Less than 1 fatality per year is due to bear attacks.
A brown or black bear will not attack you. They like to go dumpster diving on occasion, but then they take off. I once chased a black bear out of my yard by spraying him with my garden hose. On another occasion my next door neighbor, a lady of 84, chased off a black bear by yelling "Shoo!" at it and waving her garden rake in a threatening manner.
The most dangerous wild animals are deer - responsible for roughly 130 deaths in the US per year because of traffic accidents. Deer seem to love to stand in the middle of the road and see how much havoc they can cause.
So that's it - perhaps 2 deaths per year from predators, 130 from incredibly stupid deer. Give me the most isolated places in the Colorado Rockies every time. I (and you) will be much safer than if we were in Baltimore. I have degrees in biology and ecology and I have spent as much of my life as possible up in the remotest areas I can find in the mountains. And I am a woman who often camps alone. I love sitting by my campfire at night and listening to the coyotes sing their songs. And coyotes won't attack you either - they are actually quite shy of human beings.
On the off chance you should encounter a grizzly, stand your ground and make yourself seem as big as possible. Yell loudly at the bear to go away. This worked fine for me the only time I ever encountered a grizz. I guess it didn't want to mess with some scrawny but feisty girl - too much trouble for too little meat. If you are going to be attacked by a mountain lion - you, the lucky single person in the entire country that will experience this in any given year - it will most often be toward dusk or dawn when lions are most active. So, stay in camp at those times if you are really fearful. A mountain lion will also usually hang out hidden by rock outcroppings, vegetation or other cover along a game trail, waiting for prey to appear. In the highly unlikely event a mountain lion does attack you, DO NOT RUN. If you run, then you are acting like a prey animal. Instead, stand your ground, puff yourself up and act like you are the predator which is what mankind is - predators. Chances are excellent that the lion will also go off in search of something that will be less trouble than what you make yourself appear to be.
Your only real problem is your own self manufactured fears. Leave your worries of sudden death back in the city where they belong. Enjoy the back country because you know you are safe there. This has worked for me for over 50 years in the Rocky Mountains. Don't sweat the small stuff - you'll be fine.
The most dangerous predator on the planet is human. No matter where you go you have far more to fear from other humans than you would from any animal.
Good to hear all, and good points regarding safety chances and staying in groups. I'll respond to additional feedback when I have time later today but I also wanted to specifically respond to OSH's comments about steering clear of mountain lion habitat. How would I know specifically where that happens to be? I looked at a map of where they were, and it basically highlighted the entire Western US. Now, I'd have to think that in places like Golden Gate Rec Area SF, Griffifth Park LA, Columbia Rec Area Portland, thanks to human traffic my odds of encountering much wildlife would be almost negligible. Are there other places where these species simply don't stray? For example, certain elevation points or ecosystems they would avoid?
Also, are there like nature exploring/hiking clubs in cities like this that plan guided groups out to these secluded areas?
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