How safe do you feel while you are out hiking and camping in the woods? Most people have little fear of the wild animals that share their world. In most cases, the animals tend to leave people alone, and that’s a good thing. However, there may come a time when you are facing down one of those wild creatures, and you might not know what to do. If you want to survive the situation, you need to understand how to deal with that animal.
What Is in Your Area?
You need to think about the types of animals that live in the areas you frequent. Preppers will want to know the creatures that are in the locations they live, hunt, and wherever they plan to bug out to when the SHTF. Wildlife varies greatly across the United States, so learn about the animals in your area.
If you are in Florida, you probably do not have to worry much about grizzly bears in the backyard. However, you will need to consider black bears, panthers, gators, and even large pythons now. Someone living in Alaska doesn’t need to worry about alligators or pythons, naturally. However, bears can be a very real threat.
Look up all the different types of animals that could potentially cause problems for you. This includes mammals, reptiles, and insects. Know what they look like, know signs of their activity, how to avoid them, and what you should do if you have one that is getting aggressive.
Keep in mind that you need to worry about more than just the common predators. Whitetail deer can be downright vicious when the mood strikes, and moose are like walking tanks that can turn your day sour very quickly. Know and understand the behaviors of the animals.
Have the Means to Defend Yourself
When it comes to defense, being human helps. As we mentioned, most animals really do not want to tangle with humans because they know it tends to be more trouble than it is worth. With mammals, you can often yell at them to deter an attack. Look big, yell, and wave your arms. This can even work with pack animals, such as wolves. While wolves do not usually attack people, you do not want to be one of the exceptions to the rule.
However, sometimes that doesn’t work. One of the worst things you can do is run from predators, though, as this will elicit a chase response in them. Hollering at them, and getting ready to defend yourself might be necessary.
Having some type of weapon with you is a good idea. In fact, it is a good idea for any survival situation. A firearm is the best choice, naturally. However, knives, primitive spears, and rocks work in a pinch. If it gets to the point where you are engaging in combat with an animal though, things tend to look bleak for the human in most cases.
Take the time to learn about the habits and hunting patterns of animals in your area, so you can learn how best to defend yourself from them.