What to do if you come across wild animals

Agrunt. That’s what I heard. It was quickly followed by the sound of something made of metal hitting dead pine needles on the forest floor. It didn’t take me long to realize the truth. A bear was hanging around our campsite, looking for any vestiges of the meal we had prepared the night before.

As a camp counselor at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, I witnessed what happens when young scout-explorers are careless with their “smellables” — virtually anything that gives off an odor can attract bears and other wildlife. There wasn’t much left of the kid’s backpack when I got there.

Bears evidently love half-eaten candy bars. And toothpaste.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau once wrote:

“I see in all animals only an ingenious machine to which nature has given senses in order to keep itself, up to a certain point, against everything that is likely to destroy or disturb it.”

It might be helpful to accept Rousseau’s perspective on nature. At Cimarron, the bears had a mind toward their own survival. But they showed they are not above their initial instinct, which is to protect themselves from potential predators.

While it is not likely that a bear will attack, knowing how to protect yourself in the wilderness is key.

In Yellowstone Country, encounters between bears (and sometimes wolves) and humans have proven deadly. In September, near Great Falls, Mont., two hunters from New Mexico turned around to discover a grizzly bear was charging them. One of the hunters was smart enough to have been carrying bear spray. Without it, the two hunters’ experience could have ended differently.

Fortunately, there are no grizzlies in New Mexico, but encounters with the bears that call our national forests home could be just as perilous. Plus, there are other creatures, such as bobcats, cougars and coyotes that may feel threatened by human presence in their territories.

Here are a few tips on how to stay safe during animal encounters in the wilderness: