Woster: Hikers, arm yourselves with song

By Kevin Woster, Journal Staff Writer | Monday, April 25, 2005

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Walk loudly and carry a big stick.

That's my approach to hiking in mountain-lion country.

I've fashioned a stout walking stick out of a pine branch that now is as much a part of my hiking gear as a water bottle and bug spray.

I don't expect to use it on a mountain lion — which I have yet to see in the Black Hills, despite some serious looking. Still, I think the stick makes sense. So does Mike Kintigh, regional supervisor for the state Game, Fish & Parks Department in Rapid City.

"A walking stick is great," Kintigh says. "It's easy. It's simple to carry and use."

Like most wildlife biologists, Kintigh says the chances of a mountain lion attacking a human are exceptionally slim. It would take an unusual situation and an unusual cat.

"We've had a number of situations during the turkey season, where somebody is camouflaged and sitting against a tree making a sound like a hen turkey, when they look up, and there's a mountain lion 10 feet away," Kintigh said. "As soon as the person stands up and makes themselves known, the cat turns and leaves."

But cat attacks are possible and have happened elsewhere. So it makes sense for woods wanderers to think about what we'd do if we ran into a lion.

"The key is to have a plan. Think about what you would do, and be aware of your surroundings when you're out there," Kintigh said. "People should still go out there and enjoy nature as they always have. But you should be aware of what's out there."

What's out there, of course, are more mountain lions than we could have imagined a decade ago. The Hills have always been mountain-lion country. But for many decades, the big cats were more shadowy lore, occasional paw print and rare sighting than a regular fact of life.

Those days are gone. The cats are back, in numbers high enough to produce some well-documented human-cat conflicts and generate talk of a hunting season.

Some believe a hunting season would reduce the number of "problem" lions. Others disagree, passionately. Either way, I won't allow the presence of lions and the slight possibility of attack to chase me from the forest.

Often, I hike alone, sometimes early or late in the day, when lions are most active. Dawn and dusk are the most beautiful times to be out. I don't intend to give that up.

But I will carry a stick. I will pay close attention to my surroundings. And unless I'm sneaking up on a woodpecker or trying to attract a turkey, I won't hesitate to make some noise — whacking trees with my stick, letting my boots thud on the trail.

And in situations where I think I might be particularly vulnerable, I might even break out in song — probably something fairly aggressive. Deep Purple, maybe? "Smoke on the Water?"

But I know people who plan on doing more. Some talk about packing pepper spray. One or two have even mentioned carrying a gun.

Kintigh likes the first idea, not the second.

"Pepper spray might be something that would work," he said. "But I never recommend that people carry firearms to protect themselves against lions. More people are hurt or killed by firearms in accidents and so forth than are ever injured by animals.

"Unless you've got a lot of experience, don't go there."

Kintigh said there are better options for those truly concerned about cats. Hike in groups, or at least with a partner. Walk with a dog. Carry an air horn. And if you feel strongly that you must carry a weapon, make it a knife rather than a gun, he said.

In the improbable event of a lion attack, it's possible to fight off the cat.

"You want to be very aggressive in that case, and really fight back," Kintigh said.

You don't have to use a knife. Hit it with a rock. Whack it with your backpack. Poke it with your fishing rod.

Or slap it with your walking stick.

I'm fully prepared to do that myself, in case "Smoke on the Water" doesn't work.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com