In the wild, nature offers humans no advantage

Several years ago, I was hunting in the Okanogan National Forest.

One morning, I’d gone off to scout an area that was interesting in that my maps indicated it might be a bit “marshy” due to its flat nature, several streams leading into it, and the vegetation in the area.

I drove as close to the spot as I could get, then got out, grabbed my pack, rifle, map and compass, and began hiking in.

I was alert and aware, had all of my gear, and although I’d never been to this particular spot, I knew where I was and the animals I thought I might encounter. This included deer, bears, wolves, cougars, coyotes and wandering livestock.

After a bit, nature began calling and I stopped to offload some of the coffee and fluids I’d been drinking that morning. Just as I started that evolution, however, I heard what sounded like a very large garden hose start up a few yards to my right.

When I looked over, I found that I was standing about eight yards from a very large male moose (I was actually looking up at his butt) who was doing precisely the same thing.

Apparently, he became aware of my presence at about the same time as I noticed his, and while he continued doing his business, I ended mine and began a quick retreat from his area.

It never became dangerous, but it could’ve. Moose can weigh well over 1,000 pounds and are not one of nature’s most benign creatures.

That incident was one of those moments that vividly reminded me that being in “the wild” comes with its own set of rules — the first of which is to be prepared to be surprised.

The point I’m coming to concerns the story regarding the hiker from Port Angeles who died in the Olympic National Park last October. He was gored by a large male mountain goat and died of his injury. His family is now suing the National Park Service for $10 million.

The basis of the lawsuit is negligence in that the rangers had numerous reports about this goat’s aggressive behavior and, therefore, should have — at a minimum — removed it from the area.

Following the incident, the goat was killed and tests showed that it was in “breeding condition” or in the rut — which could have been a contributing factor.

Should rangers have removed the goat?

Possibly, but though aggressive, it had not harmed anyone previously and it was in a national park, which is a “wild” area.

Was the hiker to blame?

I don’t think so because, by all accounts, this individual was experienced and was actually eating lunch with his wife and a friend when the goat first approached. Prior to the goring, it followed the group for the better part of a mile as they tried to leave the area.

What I do know, however, is that this incident has reinforced my belief in a number of things.

The first is that, whenever I venture into the woods, I remind myself that the rules have changed. I am now simply another member of the animal kingdom — predator, prey, visitor, observer or victim to be determined.

I recognize that I don’t have a thick hide, weigh hundreds of pounds, can’t run very fast, can’t jump over large obstacles, and can’t blend into the surrounding vegetation as well as many of the animals around me. Too, I lack the claws/teeth/antlers/horns that might help me in a fight with any of the local residents.

This means that I always carry some form of self-protection. I know what I have. You get to choose what you carry. It may be bells and whistles, a knife, pepper spray or a firearm. The thing is, you need to have something that you believe in and can rely on.

Further, I’ve learned that there’s no predicting what a wild animal will do in any situation. Therefore, if the option is available, either give them a wide berth or retreat — which is what this hiker tried to do.

Still, things can happen and this attack, whatever the causes, and the lawsuit, whatever the merits, will likely bring changes to the park.

The one thing that will never change, however, is “the wild” being a different, often unpredictable and sometimes dangerous place.

Always has been. Always will be.

Larry Simoneaux lives in Edmonds. Send comments to larrysim@comcast.net.