Fear of wildlife/western US National Parks

[Anonymous]

Dear Lord. You need to work on your fears, and a trip there will be just the sort of exposure you need!

[Anonymous]

We have a black bear in our neighborhood today and I live in Gainesville, Va.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a black bear in our neighborhood today and I live in Gainesville, Va.

Hell, there's one in our neighborhood in Chevy Chase! He's a bit of an outlier, though.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Are there decent odds we could go and see no rattlesnakes or bears at all? That would be my preference!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you are very unlikely to ever see snakes going out.

We actually go looking for snakes with frequency (not to capture but for education and observation) and rarely find them on our walks. My brother is much better and catches (with immediate release) regularly.

If you don't know where to look, you won't see them. They don't want to find you and will hear you coming from miles away. Don't go putting your hands in dark holes or under rocks.

I've only found a rattlesnake with the kids once by accident and that happened to be in Colorado. If you find one, just back away. I also grew up in Texas where we would sometimes find them in the garage. Just leave them be. It really is NBD.

It'd not difficult.

This is a good tip.

Another good tip, and this is one I learned from a professional herpetologist who had a lot of experience with this sort of thing, is: do not pick up the rattlesnake. Just don't do it, even if you've downed a fifth of whiskey and you and your buddies are sitting around the campfire after midnight, egging each other on. Especially if you are males ages 18-34.

But, if you find that you just can't resist the urge to throw a rattlesnake at your buddy while he's taking a whizz...Please do not try to capture the snake to bring it to the ER. Don't turn one bite victim into two..or three. The ER staff does not need to personally meet the snake that bit you in order to treat you.

https://tsaco.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000374

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you are very unlikely to ever see snakes going out.

We actually go looking for snakes with frequency (not to capture but for education and observation) and rarely find them on our walks. My brother is much better and catches (with immediate release) regularly.

If you don't know where to look, you won't see them. They don't want to find you and will hear you coming from miles away. Don't go putting your hands in dark holes or under rocks.

I've only found a rattlesnake with the kids once by accident and that happened to be in Colorado. If you find one, just back away. I also grew up in Texas where we would sometimes find them in the garage. Just leave them be. It really is NBD.

It'd not difficult.

This is a good tip.

Another good tip, and this is one I learned from a professional herpetologist who had a lot of experience with this sort of thing, is: do not pick up the rattlesnake. Just don't do it, even if you've downed a fifth of whiskey and you and your buddies are sitting around the campfire after midnight, egging each other on. Especially if you are males ages 18-34.

But, if you find that you just can't resist the urge to throw a rattlesnake at your buddy while he's taking a whizz...Please do not try to capture the snake to bring it to the ER. Don't turn one bite victim into two..or three. The ER staff does not need to personally meet the snake that bit you in order to treat you.

https://tsaco.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000374

How will the cops know which snake to arrest? I simply have to take the law into my own hands, or the rattler will never see justice.

[Anonymous]

Stop listening to Fox News

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Are there decent odds we could go and see no rattlesnakes or bears at all? That would be my preference!

Depends on where you go. Glacier NP has a lot of bears. I backpacked through the whole park years ago. We didn’t see any, but heard plenty of reports of them. If you are really worried about bears, Grand Canyon and the Utah parks are your best bet. Also, I don’t think Rocky Mtn NP has too many bears. They only have black bears and sightings are rare.

[Anonymous]

I have been to lots of National parks and only ever saw a bear in wintergreen, va

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Are there decent odds we could go and see no rattlesnakes or bears at all? That would be my preference!

I think that there is a 95% chance that you go and do not see any snakes or bears. You aren't planning some sort of 10-day backpacking trip into the backcountry, are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Are there decent odds we could go and see no rattlesnakes or bears at all? That would be my preference!

I think that there is a 95% chance that you go and do not see any snakes or bears. You aren't planning some sort of 10-day backpacking trip into the backcountry, are you?

LOL definitely not. We are spending 2 nights in a NPS hotel in GCNP and 3 nights in a hotel chain in Sedona and 2 nights in Phoenix (first and last). We plan to do only "easy" rated hikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Are there decent odds we could go and see no rattlesnakes or bears at all? That would be my preference!

I think that there is a 95% chance that you go and do not see any snakes or bears. You aren't planning some sort of 10-day backpacking trip into the backcountry, are you?

LOL definitely not. We are spending 2 nights in a NPS hotel in GCNP and 3 nights in a hotel chain in Sedona and 2 nights in Phoenix (first and last). We plan to do only "easy" rated hikes.

Then I put your chance of seeing a snake or bear at around 1% or less. You will see elk at the Grand Canyon and maybe a lizard or two in Sedona.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live out West and have been to many of the parks you're talking about plus many other backcountry hikes in more remote places. GCNP isn't really a bear habitat, so it would be very surprising to see any bears there. In late March, the temperatures are still pretty chilly for reptiles (high 30's/low 40's in the morning with highs in the mid/high 60's) which isn't ideal for cold-blooded reptiles like snakes (which I am also terrified of!) I've spent a lot of time in places/weather out here that these animals actually do like, and I have never seen one, so you are extremely unlikely to run into any there. When I think about it, the only place I have run into a rattlesnake was in the Shenandoahs out in VA (in July.) Your brain will also probably be very occupied soaking in the beauty all around you as well -- it's the perfect distraction from the anxiety!

I live in the wilds of the west and I agree with this. I've seen rattlesnakes and cottonmouths in Virginia as well as bears, and I saw a cougar in Kentucky. If you don't try to interact with the animals, and follow instructions re food storage, you'll be fine. Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

I saw three big rattlesnakes in a single day on the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey. Luckily, I heard them before I saw them- don’t hike with earbuds in rattler territory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Are there decent odds we could go and see no rattlesnakes or bears at all? That would be my preference!

Last year I went to the Smoky Mountains where bears are prevalent and all over highly trafficked tourist areas, including in town. I saw zero.