Wild Animals
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How to Protect Yourself in the Wilderness
Considering how to protect yourself in the wilderness By Scarlet Gratton Planning for your wilderness getaway never kicks off with thoughts on getting lost in the woods or spotting a bear. We envision perfect, sunny weather, peaceful hiking trails, butterflies, birdsong, waking up to the sound of the babbling brook nearby, and tasting fresh berries…
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Be Brave
By Patti Johnson The first time I left the comfort of my coastal home for a solo overnight excursion in the wilds was because I wanted to “play hokey”, I needed to throw my To-Do list into the wind, to experience the thrill of the unknown and taste the elixir of the explorer. Deep down…
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Predator Safety Precautions
Photo credit: US National Park Service By Carley Fairbrother I’ve written a few pieces on bear safety for Camping for Women, but I’ve never really covered how to avoid them when you are on the trail, or what to do when you come face to face with them. Now before I get started, I want…
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Experience the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup
By Robin EH. Bagley If you’re on the lookout for new, memorable experience, point your compass toward the Black Hills of South Dakota. Every September, Custer State Park rounds up their herd of 1,300 buffalo, not something you see every day. Disclaimer: the proper name for these animals is American Bison; however, they are colloquially…
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Avoiding Bear Problems in the Backcountry
By Carley Fairbrother I went on my first backpacking trip when I was 19, and since then, solo backpacking has been an important part of my life. It does shock people sometimes, though. One of the first things people ask is, “what about bears?” On the other end of the spectrum, I hear people talking…
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Band on the run
By Robin EH. Bagley We’ve all seen that iconic plains animal, the American Bison, in Custer State Park. They loaf, wallow, saunter, and thunder around the park like they own the joint. Perhaps they do; I don’t want to argue with a buffalo. Yes, I’m using the vernacular; if you’re from South Dakota, they’re buffalo.…
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Bear spray or guns for protection?
Personal protection against bears – guns or bear spray? By Carley Fairbrother I spent seven years as a backcountry ranger in northern British Columbia, and one of the questions I got asked the most was, “do you carry a gun out there?” They seemed genuinely concerned when I told them that I usually just carried…