I Feel a Good Rant Coming On

It's no secret that I want to work with some pretty big creatures with some pretty ferocious teeth and claws.  Everyone knows that.  Meet me once and you'll know that (and that I'm a die-hard Preds fan) within 3 minutes of knowing me.  These are the things that make me tick.  There are a few of us weirdos out there who love things that most people fear.  We want to work with, protect, and be a voice for things that others are afraid will gnaw on their neck.  Or, as Funkdubie eloquently says (and I shall do part of this phonetically):

"People fear being eht."

I get that.  I do.  But here's the thing: most of the people who fear being eaten (or "eht" if you will) don't go anywhere to even warrant that fear.  I get freaking reports all the time of someone terrified a black panther will steal and eat their kid... Sadly, my NORMAL response to that person is, "Wow... you let your 5-year-old go hiking alone, then?"  I realize my sarcasm doesn't often help, but ignorance fueled hysteria isn't helpful in any realm.  I mean, how much BS rolls around the internet about (recent example) the president ordering drone killing of American citizens for stockpiling.  The logical person should automatically raise an eyebrow, shake their head sadly, and just walk away.  Or maybe we should look for an example about news channels who ALWAYS find the extremist views to argue and broadcast.  We fuel that crap! Know why?  Ratings.  We force stations to obtain funding, the more viewers the better the funding (advertisement/commercial spots), so the more sensational and amazing the news, the better the profit margins.  

It's the same easy-access news and blatant ignorance that hurts apex predators.  Only in this case we've got another couple issues to face.

On top of the ignorance fuel, we have 

• genetic fear (fight or flight, anyone?) for being 'eht', 
• eons of being told about the "big bad wolf" and other 'monsters' out to steal our children and our lives, and 
• (once again) the immediacy combined with a 'lack of legit info with more focus on the hysterics to spur the general public' "news".

If you thought that was my rant, I'm afraid to admit you're mistaken, cuz the rant is coming now.  Ready? 

I want to work with these animals in their environment to learn more about how they interact with and impact the world that we live in (and for anyone shallow enough to think they don't - please don't waste your breath or keystrokes until you've educated yourself on the issues of trophic cascading).  Ok... so that being said, there's a better than average chance that I - being an avid outdoorsman and wanting to work in the wild to boot - could actually die from an interaction with an apex predator.  Let me be very clear in my next sentence: 

IF THAT HAPPENS, IT IS BECAUSE I AM IN THAT ANIMAL'S HOME AND THE ANIMAL IS DOING WHAT IT WAS CREATED TO DO AND WHILE I HOPE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, I AM OKAY WITH IT.  

It's quite simple.  Animals are going to act like animals.  I go into their realm.  I have a benefit a lot don't wherein I actually go educated on various things AND prepared with - example - bear spray. I also take precautions.  I don't hike alone near dawn or dusk or at night... I ensure my backpack covers my back and the back of my neck.  I (again) carry a can of bear spray that sorta looks like a fire extinguisher.  I learn when to do certain things and when not to.  I use a bear can and put it far enough away for it to be effective.  I don't keep food in my tent or hammock.  At times, I'm armed (though the bear spray is likely going to be a lot better defense).  If I'm not in a national park, I have my very large dog.  I don't hike in absolute silence.  These are VERY simple things that I do to keep both myself and the wildlife safe.

Here's the heart of the rant: 

WHERE IS THE SENSE OF PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY IF YOU'RE NOT DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE AND YOU BECOME A 'VICTIM'?  This is the biggest rub I have these days.  "mountain biker attacked by cougar" or "hiker mauled  by grizzly".   It's all over the news within moments.  Please don't misunderstand my frustration as a lack of empathy for the person's family - but if you aren't educated on HOW TO BE IN THE OUTDOORS then DON'T BE IN THE FREAKING OUTDOORS.  Not only could YOU get yourself killed, you could get an animal killed for being - ironically - an animal! Is that too much to ask?  I mean, you're not going to go jump out of a plane without a parachute and blame the pilot, are you?  You're not going to go eat a bowl full of hemlock, and then blame the plant for getting violently ill, right?  IGNORANCE IS NOT A DEFENSE.  If you're going into the wild and you're doing everything RIGHT then you knew what you were getting into and - while it may suck - you knew there was a chance of exactly that happening.  

To allude to a recent headline... if I go into a cage with a tiger and I get killed... who is to blame?  I mean, the tiger lacks thumbs - it couldn't work the key or the gate latch... so if I did that and I died, I really hope you all would sit around and tell your friends how I had it coming because I did something I knew better than to do.  Oh - and I wish they wouldn't shoot said tiger to get my body from it - it could be tranq'd...  ((by the way - I know facts come out AFTER things happen... but my rant surrounds the initial "truth" they "report"...which always garners more time than corrections.)) 

These are WILD animals, people.  In a cage or not - they are all inherently still wild.  They are prone to doing what wild animals do.  They don't have eons of domestication bred into them.  They are NOT fuzzy little kitties and puppies and teddy bears. They are predatory mammals that can and will kill you if they feel they need to.  That doesn't mean the average guy or gal is in danger.  That doesn't mean stay out of the woods (unless you're just wanting to leave them to me - which I'm way cool with)... 

...what it means is be smart about the decisions you make, do what you can to protect yourself and the nature you're trying to be a "part of", and realize the very real consequences.  

But - just for the record - you're far more likely to break a leg on a trail than be 'eht'.  Oh wait - that's why you wear boots or good shoes, right?  To keep yourself safe from a potential.  Now take that mentality and increase it.

So, consider that the end of my sermon and I'll STFU the rest of the day.  :)

Dog's and (all the anti-dog) National Parks

I'm a solo hiker and, to help keep me safe, I like to take my dog.  He's pretty sweet, but at well over 100 lbs and as tall as me when he stands up, he's great at deterring unwanted attempts at companionship.  The one thing that I take issue with is that most of the National Parks don't allow dogs.  What that pretty much means is that they don't allow me.  I can't really go for many 50+ mile hikes in the backcountry wilderness alone and expect my family to not balk, object, or flat out refuse to let me go.  For that matter, I even balk a little.  I get the "leave no trace" - I'm a member of the org and a huge proponent! - and I also understand that wildlife can be negatively impacted by dogs that aren't vaccinated or maintained.


You'd think, rather than ban dogs all together, that there'd be some sort of compromise so that girls like me could go for the 50-mile Grand Teton hike they're dying for... or the Glacier hike... or the Great Smoky's hike... or the Yosemite hike... (are you seeing my trend yet?!).  The only national parks that I know are relatively dog friendly are Shenandoah and Grand Canyon (I think - haven't checked on that one recently).  I'd be pleased as pie to bring all my dog's vaccination records in and even sign away my future hiking rights and pay extra fees certifying that I know how to care for - and WILL care for - his waste and behavior, just like I know how I have to take care of my own.

WHY THEY DO IT:

• There's good reason for the rules... Look at the red wolf reintroduction in the Smoky's, for example... they reintroduce the red wolf... said wolves die off from parvo from a domestic dog.  I get that.  Who wouldn't?  But, of note, the dog wasn't a visitor in the park, likely (since they've had a dog ban there for-freaking-ever).
• Pet waste on trails.  There's nothing worse than enjoying a view while walking on a trail and *splat* your foot lands in a big pile of poo.  Ironically, this happens often, but it's usually bear, bobcat, raccoon, etc waste.  Regardless, let's say it's from a dog.  Now, I don't want to say that all backcountry users are absolutely the most responsible people in the world... but I WOULD be brave enough to say that the desire to strap things to your back and head into the woods for days on end generally means that you love nature.  As such, you're far more prone to picking up the occasional wrapper that someone drops, etc.  My meaning is that we're a lot more prone to NOT messing up the wilderness than a majority of the front country folks.  
• Trail degradation.  One footstep may not leave much of a trace... but millions do.  That's why we live by the Tread Lightly mantras.  But really?  His pads do less damage on a trail than my shoes or the millions of trekking pole 'pokes'.  
• General safety.  I mean, if you get bit by a dog on the trail, that could suck.  Also, when one hikes with their canine companion, they have to pack enough food/water for said pup as well as have a plan if something (snakes, injury) were to happen to their dog.  I had to carry LeiLui out once (thankfully she's only 45 lbs and not 145) when she injured a joint coming off some rocks.

WHY THEY SHOULD REFINE THE REGULATIONS: 

• I can argue every one of the points made above.  I can talk about how my dog is fully vaccinated and I'd haul his records with us.  I can cover his waste just as easily as my own.  His feet are less damaging than my shoes... and I'd keep him on a leash (not to mention he's an obedient dog). As far as injury, I'd handle it the same way I'd handle an injury to myself that wasn't life threatening.  If it WAS life threatening... well, there's a chance I'd have to report a far-off-trail burial site to the rangers. 
• Safety:  my dog affords me more safety on the trail than any rules or posted regulations.  I'm not talking about wildlife, either, though he does help deter some.  What I mean is that I'm a 125 lb female out in the woods; because it's federal property, I can't carry a firearm.  So, without my dog or a firearm, my best defense is my bear spray (which I prefer to save for use on bears when necessary).  Know what's great? People who have nefarious intent don't CARE about no gun laws, etc.  Bad people are everywhere (think about junk that has happened on the AT) and he's a better deterrent than any concealed weapon (and far less likely to do me accidental damage).  
• Responsible dog owners (and irresponsible ones) pay the taxes and fees like everyone else.  Granted, my dog doesn't pay the taxes... but I'd be willing to pay an extra fee on his behalf to have his company.  

I know that there are going to be plenty of people that disagree with me.  Their arguments will range from "grow a set" to "get a hiking buddy" but my point is that I shouldn't have to.  I can and do hike with my dog and leave no trace ALL the time... but I can't visit the places that my country has deemed the most picturesque and magnificent (hence becoming a national park)... I don't have - nor do I care to find - any long-trek hiking buddies.  I LIKE the alone time.  As the unfortunate compromise, it looks like if I want to do it alone, I don't get to hit the major parks.  So I don't care about the naysayers, I will whine to my hearts' content (it is included in my freedom of speech, after all).