A Quick Guide to Surviving Animal Encounters Out on the Run

Bears look cute and fluffy, but they are not something you want to see out in the wild. If you do, Kuykendall says the first thing you need to do is make sure you are not between a mother and her cubs. That is the worst case scenario as the mother will go into protection mode. Get out of that position quickly, but move slowly. Preferably, move sideways to really give the bear space.

When out of that position, you want to make it clear that you are not prey, she says. Speak in a low, calm voice to the animal, make yourself appear large, if you have children, pick them up so they don’t appear small, and don’t turn your back.

Kuykendall also suggests noting the color of the bear. In the United States, it’s easy as only black bears and grizzly (brown) bears roam our portion of North America. If attacked, try to scare off a black bear. Make noise and appear as a large as possible by opening your jacket or holding a running pack over your head. Grizzlies are a different story. If attacked, play dead until (hopefully) the bear loses interest and wanders off.

Despite being on the smaller side, coyotes don’t always scare off easy. They are the kind of animal (like many on this list) that you need to stand your ground with so they don’t see you as prey. You also never want to turn your back to a predator as that will trigger predatory instincts, so as tempting as it may be to turn around and run, don’t.

Instead, make noise. Often times, Kuykendall carries noise makers (i.e. a shaker with coins) in southern California where coyotes are common. Loud noises typically scare off animals so clapping your hands, shouting, and making any other loud sounds can usually shoo off a coyote.

You always hope a dog is behind a fence or on a leash, yet all too often, that’s not the case. So if you do find yourself in a chase, stop running because continuing on will increase the canine’s aggression. Instead, Kuykendall suggests speaking to the dog, not turning your back, and avoiding direct eye contact as the dog may view direct eye contact as a threat or challenge, especially during the act of a chase.

If the dog continues to charge, she recommends dropping a piece of gear such as a jacket or a bottle between you and the dog to distract the animal and lure it to bite the item instead of you.

One big story of 2019 so far has been the runner that was attacked in Colorado by a mountain lion kitten. That was a 30- to 40-pound cat, which is not small, but mountain lions can weigh up to 200 pounds or more, like the one recent trail convert Kara Goucher ran into in May.

No matter the size, Kuykendall says mountain lions typically avoid contact with humans and scare easy, but if you run into one, do as you do with the other big cats and appear big, pick up children, and slowly move away. If the mountain lion keeps advancing, throw debris such as rocks and branches. Do not run. They are fast, and seeing your back will trigger its predatory instincts to attack.

Compared to other animals, bobcats are not as scary as you might think. They are small in the big cat family, appearing much larger and stronger than they actually are, but that doesn’t mean they can’t hurt you. They will scare off, but if you get near their kittens, they will get aggressive.

That’s what makes this one simple. If you find yourself near bobcat kittens, move away slowly while facing the animal, Kuykendall says.

While not all snakes are poisonous, you should treat them all as if they are, Kuykendall says. Like some of the other animals on this list, back away slowly and keep a large radius of distance from the snake. Don’t scare it, especially if you see it coiled, as that is a defensive, attack position.

If you do find yourself bit by a snake, Kuykendall says you must seek medical attention. To help you and those treating you, try to provide details of what the snake looked like as that can help determine what treatment should be. Also, don’t try to be tough and suck the venom out like you see in the movies. That is a myth and will only make things worse, Kuykendall says.

They say if you don’t bother a bee, it won’t bother you. And this is generally true, but sometimes you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you’re ever swarmed by bees, this is actually one case in which you should run.

In most cases, Kuykendall says you should be fine as long as you receive a lower number of stings and are not allergic. However, if you receive more than 10 stings, she recommends seeking medical attention as soon as possible.

Here’s another seemingly cute animal that you don’t want to cross paths with. They scare easy, so you want to remain calm and back away slowly around a skunk. If you don’t, your postrun recovery might turn into a tomato sauce bath instead of an ice bath. Kuykendall, who has been sprayed before, can confirm it’s really not pleasant, so do your best to avoid it.