Thursday, March 24, 2022

What to watch out for in the country in California

 Mountain lions are almost everywhere if you are in Suburbia where there are mountains, fields and trees or farms  where you are. So, a mountain lion is usually going to wait for you up in the crook of a large old Oak tree. They want to jump on the back of your neck and bite you if you don't see them. But, if you see them and confront them they mostly won't attack you because it's too dangerous for them to attack a person if the person sees them before they bite the back of their neck. So, the people that die or are maimed usually don't see the mountain lion before it attacks them.

Who most likely will be attacked?

Mostly male and female joggers on fire roads in areas near farms and suburbs. Or female or male mountain bike riders. These are the ones usually attacked from behind. They try to bite the back of your neck before you see them.

If you see one don't run away or often you are dead. You have to confront them and raise your hands above your head so you look bigger than you are and pick up a stick or rock to hit them with or if you have an umbrella or walking stick threaten them with it and they might run away or walk away or slink away if you are lucky.

It's usually the oldest or very young lions who attack humans because human flesh doesn't taste good to them or smell good to them. They prefer wild things like deer instead. So, the oldest or least experienced lions tend to attack human beings in the wilds in California.

Bear are mostly in the Sierras and we no longer have ANY Grizzly bears in California even though one is on the state flag still.

Now in California we ONLY have black bears which are much smaller than the Grizzlies. Grizzly bears are still found in places like the Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks though. So, if you are there you have to be careful of Grizzlies which are very territorial and will attack people often because they don't want to share their food with other grizzlies or humans in their area.

I have found black bears equally afraid of me as I am of them. So, when I have seen them (especially in Yosemite National Park where they are very plentiful I have turned and walked the other way.

Often you are safe around them (UNLESS) one has a baby. If one has a baby this can get dangerous very fast you need to get out of there!

But, just remember a black bear is 130 to 660 pounds so in a fight you would lose so you want to walk away because you don't have 3 to 5 inch claws that can easily maim. I have seen Truck campers torn apart by a bear that wanted the food inside in Yosemite. Most people have pots and pans they bang together to drive the bears away because the bears don't like loud noises. But, people who leave food in cars or truck campers that the bears can smell often have doors ripped right off so the bears can get inside. So, this is true of the littler black bears that they can easily rip doors off campers and trucks that are closed with their claws to get at food that they smell.

If you are a woman with a small dog you don't want to be walking your dog at night ANYWHERE in California because of Raccoons. They are nocturnal and often hunt in family packs. When they see your poodle or other small dog they don't realize it is on your leash (if it is). 

So, they see it as a meal separate from you. So, when the whole family of raccoons attacks your small dog or dogs you try to save the dog or dogs and your dog usually dies and you are in the hospital from raccoon bites. You don't want this. Since raccoons are nocturnal (awake at night) just walk your small dogs before sunset before the raccoons come out instead as a precaution. Because raccoons are almost everywhere because they sleep during the day in rain culverts even in cities and come out at night and eat people's pets or rats or squirrels or whatever they can find to eat.

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