Questions tagged [animals]

Questions about animals likely to be encountered outdoors, whether from the perspective of food (hunting, preparing, eating); shelter (skinning); avoidance (bears, lions, other dangerous animals); enjoyment (bird and other animal watching, care, understanding of behavior).

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Is Germany or any of Europe really rabies free?

Answers at a recent question say that Germany has been rabies free since 2008. My first response was how could that even be possible, must be some significant border protection that keeps wild ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
67k views

Which wildlife is it legal to hunt in the UK?

Does someone have a list or a link of exactly which UK wildlife it is legal to hunt & safe (& tasty) to eat? For example, are rabbits safe to eat, or is myxomatosis still a problem? ...
kittylyst's user avatar
  • 397
8 votes
2 answers
11k views

What wild animals are there in California that can be dangerous or create hassles, and how do I avoid problems with them?

What wild animals are there in California that can be dangerous or create hassles, and how do I avoid problems with them?
user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
2k views

Dealing with wildlife in the desert of California/Nevada in general and in the White Mountains in particular

I'm planning a hike in the White Mountains of California; see also this related question. So far, all my hiking have either been day hikes in the densely populated hikes, or treks for up to three ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 27.1k
36 votes
7 answers
152k views

How dangerous is a band of coyotes to a lone, unarmed human?

There's a delightful thrill to the call of a band of coyotes when you're alone in the dark woods. Do they present a danger? That is, have healthy coyotes (that is, not rabid) been known to attack or ...
Don Branson's user avatar
  • 3,707
34 votes
6 answers
106k views

How dangerous are kangaroos?

After watching this video of a man punching a kangaroo to rescue his dog, I am wondering how dangerous a kangaroo is to a human on foot? I am sure that there are a lot of other things in Australia ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
27 votes
6 answers
34k views

What animal could strip all the bark off the lower 7 feet of this tree?

I was out in the woods the other day and I came across a tree. It had all of the bark around the bottom removed, and a good layer of wood removed as well. I estimated the damage was a good 7-8 feet ...
Jance's user avatar
  • 370
11 votes
2 answers
5k views

Any dangerous animals attracted to fire?

While we are out in the wild it's good practice to keep a fire up to hold back several kinds of dangerous animals, isn't it? I wonder if there are any (for humans dangerous) creatures out there which ...
OddDeer's user avatar
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10 votes
1 answer
21k views

How to clean bones found outside?

On a recent walk my girlfriend and I discovered a decomposed horse carcass, nothing but bones left. We took some photos and moved on. She's now decided that the bones would make great ornaments and we ...
user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
521 views

Dos and Don'ts in an area signed with the shield "Rabies! Endangered District" in Germany

There are often town signs featuring another smaller sign reading "Wildtollwut! Gefährdeter Bezirk" in Germany. This directly translates into "Rabies! Endangered district". How to react to such a ...
OddDeer's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
1k views

When, and how, is it safe to relocate a burrow of chipmunks without harming the young?

One of my neighbors is terribly concerned that her resident chipmunks will harm her flower beds. They dig holes, and she finds the holes unsightly. She wants to trap them and relocate them. ...
ab2's user avatar
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25 votes
8 answers
4k views

What hazardous wildlife is there in the UK?

And what situations should I try and avoid in regards to wildlife and areas prone to hazards in the UK? Edited my question to cover the other answers more as they were very good additions to the ...
Aravona's user avatar
  • 15.4k
20 votes
3 answers
6k views

Should a hiker be concerned about wolves in the back-country?

In this question, it was asked whether bear-spray was effective against other animals, such as wolves. I know the old adage that "there has never been record of a healthy wolf attacking an adult" is ...
Lost's user avatar
  • 19k
13 votes
2 answers
4k views

How can I avoid an encounter with a tiger?

I'm backpacking through a national park in India, which also happens to be a tiger reserve. I understand that chances of even spotting a Bengal tiger are slim, but still, what precautionary measures ...
Vikrant Chaudhary's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
3k views

What breed is this very large, black, turtle/tortoise found in the Northeast United States?

My husband found this very large turtle (or tortoise) crossing a road from an industrial park towards a wooded area. It was in June, in Massachusetts, USA, at 8:00 in the evening. He didn't touch it, ...
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
1k views

Butterfly Migration over Lassen Peak

Roughly 10 years ago I hiked up Lassen Peak in Northern California, and there was a huge (hundreds of thousands) butterfly migration going right over the top of the peak around this time of year. It ...
Erik's user avatar
  • 9,678
10 votes
3 answers
3k views

Is playing musical instruments like Harp/Harmonica, Flute unsafe during backpacking trips?

Along with trekking and camping, I am too involved in musical instruments that I play. And, I always have had a thought of carrying my six-string with me on some long hike for entertainment during I ...
WedaPashi's user avatar
  • 31.7k
10 votes
3 answers
1k views

How to keep away animals from my camp without setting a fire?

I'm new in Camping, and recently I have camped in France, in the Vosges region, in the locality called "Le bonhomme". Well it's not the pure wilderness but it was very unusual for me, as it was ...
Dipiks's user avatar
  • 335
10 votes
1 answer
12k views

Worm catching with electricity?

I have heard about people using electricity to catch worms, mostly around catching worms for fishing. How does this work? Is it safe?
James Jenkins's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
15k views

What are the dangerous animals in Southern Nevada

I'm from Florida and I've only ever hiked in the Southeast US. I don't know if I'm blind, but I can't find a listing of dangerous animals and their profiles. I tried Nevada Dept of Wildlife and ...
Raystafarian's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
4k views

Has a person ever got rabies from a marine mammal?

I just saw this 2009 article Can a Whale Get Rabies? which includes this statement, Although there is absolutely no record of a rabid whale, and only one documented case of rabies in a seal—a ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
342 views

How can we be the most respectful to a moose when photographing it up close?

We've often heard that moose are most active in the early morning or late in the day, around dusk, and are usually near a natural water source. Every year, we travel a few hours away to areas that ...
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
636 views

Behavioural differences between European and North American Wolves

There as been the claim that European and North American wolves behave differently, especially when it comes to encounters with humans. This was brought up in a comment in this question on a wolf ...
fgysin's user avatar
  • 12.7k
7 votes
1 answer
219 views

How can I keep outdoor critters outdoors?

After 27 years of having indoor-outdoor cats, the last one died in May 2015. (We now have only an indoor cat.) During those 27 years, we never had a problem with mice. During Snowzilla (Jan 2016), ...
ab2's user avatar
  • 23.4k
6 votes
1 answer
426 views

Is there a benefit for animals who return to the area of a deadly forest fire after the fire is out?

In September of 2017, for nearly two weeks, the Kenow Wildfire raged through a swath of Canada. Its largest impact was on the Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta. More than 38,000 hectares, (94,...
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

How do you become a New Forest commoner?

Exactly that... I've done some searching and it looks like a catch-22 situation: To be able to move there you need to do commoning already. But to do commoning, you need live there already. (Hmm... do ...
Heimdall's user avatar
  • 177
4 votes
1 answer
268 views

Do Eastern grey squirrels pretend to bury nuts in the ground?

I recently heard that Eastern grey squirrels sometimes dig holes, pretend to bury nuts, or other food, and then cover the empty holes. I was told that they use all the same motions and effort as they ...
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
92 views

Wildlife canoe trails in or near Western Pennsylvania

I am looking for wildlife viewing areas that are open to manually powered boats (i.e. Canoe) in areas within a few hours drive of Pittsburgh PA. Criteria: Motor boats are prohibited (electric only ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
601 views

What's the best way to preserve a skull, without bleaching?

My grandpa found this deer skull way out in the back of a golf course (he works there) and brought it home for me. I don't mind leaving the color the way it is, I just wonder, what is the best way to ...
Melanie's user avatar
  • 31