[pct-l] pct-l Digest, Vol 34, Issue 5

[Brian McLaughlin]

The only type of "predator activity" you are likely to encounter
on the PCT in Oregon are chipmunks stealing food out of
your pack at night.

Oregon does have mountain lions and black bears. I can
almost guarantee you that you will not see, hear, smell or
get within a mile of a mountain lion. They eat deer and there
are plenty of deer to eat. They are shy of humans and so
stealthy that even if they are curious about you, you will
never know they are anywhere near. To the best of my
knowledge no human has been killed by a mountain lion
in Oregon.

You might see a black bear. However, black bears are not
really predators, but opportunists, who are just as happy
eating huckleberries and grubs, without the hard work and
danger of chasing down prey animals. If you are walking
through a patch of ripe huckleberries in September, make
a bit of noise, since there might be a bear nearby, gorging
itself like a happy pig. Again, to the best of my knowledge
no human has died from a black bear attack in Oregon.

The most likely danger from a bear is if you startle it when
you are very near to it. Given a choice, a black bear will
run away every time, but if you are practically on top of it
before it knows you are there, it may feel threatened enough
to take a swat at you first. They have a great sense of smell,
but weak eyes.

Have fun hiking and don't worry overly much about becoming
some animal's supper.



----- Original Message -----
From: "Jennifer Goff" <jgoff03 at hotmail.com

> So, can anyone tell me what kind of predator activity they have
encountered
> on their pct hikes?  I'm particularly wondering about what I should be way
> of hiking through Oregon in September...
> Ghen