Lions and Wolves and Bears…Oh, My!

[Big Horn Posse]

By MaryJo Johnson on Thu 03/04/2010 06:04

Pepper spray is a critical item to have with you when hiking and camping in bear country.Contributed by Judy Hagerott

You run into a mountain lion while hiking and it looks like it wants you for supper…what do you do? Last night in the C-TEL Presentation Hall at Sheridan College, 30 people heard Dave Moody with Wyoming Game and Fish from Lander present the seminar, “Staying Safe in Bear, Lion and Wolf Country.”

While there are a few wolves in the Big Horns, Moody stressed the fact that wolf interaction with humans is extremely rare and they are of little threat to people.

Those folks in our neck of the woods are more likely to meet up with a black bear or mountain lion while enjoying the outdoors. The first order of defense is accessible pepper spray…have it handy, not stuck somewhere in the bottom of your back pack. Next, yell. Throw sticks and stones; wave your arms; make yourself look big -- but never, ever turn your back and run. And if you must, fight with everything in you, because that bear or mountain lion is meaning to make you dinner.

Educate yourself and be alert to your surroundings. And just as important, keep your kids close; don’t let them run around, especially at dawn and dusk, which are prime feeding times.

Mountain lions are the top carnivore in the Big Horn Mountains, eating 40-50 deer a year. As of yet, not one person has ever been killed by a mountain lion in Wyoming.

http://www.sheridanmedia.com/news/lions ... 6oh-my8311

[Big Horn Posse]

Okay I am still laughing at this. Sorry, but we have not had any lion or bear attacks in the Bighorns so I don't know what the whole point of this seminar was.

Just rememember folks "keep your kids close; don’t let them run around, especially at dawn and dusk, which are prime feeding times." Maybe we need to send the anti's out at prime feeding times.

[Brady Davis]

too funny

[Big Horn Posse]

I still can't get over the fact that that someone from the Wyoming Game and Fish said that. I hope those 30 people that attended that seminar didn't have to pay for it. What a joke!!!

[Powder River Walker]

I had a black bear encounter a few years ago on the mountain just above Kaycee.

My wife and I were day working for people while I was between jobs. I called one ranch up that was looking for a ranch hand and they wanted to site down and talk about it. As we were trying to come up with a day I found out they were gathering the mountain and told them that we would come help them. What a better way to show them that we were not idiots and could ride and gather.

The day came so the wife and I were getting the horses ready. At the time we had around 15 head to choose from. She got on her trusty 5 year old (who through out the summer had bucked my wife off through freak accidents. Like having a ewe jump and hit him the belly, stuff that you can't prepare a colt for) and i decided to take a little gray mare. This mare was started by my wife and rode on the mountain for a year, then she was bred and wasn't rode for a year and a half. I then started to ride her again and started to team rope on her. she was nice to rope off of but when I would stop her and deliver my rope to heel the steer she would feel my waight go to the front and drop her head, kick up and I would go out the front door every time.


So now back to the story. We get to the mountain and the ranch just hired a new manager who didn't know this part of the mountain very well. The wife and I are going north on one side of a canyon while the manager and his wife and daughter go along another canyon. As we get to a clearing with about 70 head my wife said look two calf elk. I couldn't see anything then she said look a bear. I finaly see the elk then the bear. only one thought ran through my mind and that was the charlie russle picture of them roping the griz. I pulled down my hat and shook out a loop. My wife grabed her dog and sat on a hill to watch the wreck. My gray mare ran down and ran right in the middle of the bear. it was so good that it kinda scared me. I droped my elbow when I delivered my rope and roped the cubs front foot. my horse didn't buck or nothing. Now I have a bear at the eend of my rope and I need my rope. so I step off my horse and walk down my rope. the rope is around a front leg and then ran under the cub's belly. every time I pull the rope I trip him. so I trip him step on the back of his head and try to get my rope off. it would be in humaine to let him run away with a rope to get caught up. Well I can't get my rope off, when I step on him and reach down to get it lose he roles over and tries to bite my boot. Finaly I just let him up and he runs off about 100 yards reaches down and pulls my rope off for me.

That was my black bear encounter on the big horns.

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Sounds like fun. I bet your wife is still shaking her head.

[Powder River Walker]

yea she still gets mad at the story.