Deadly Animal Attacks in the BWCA
One nice thing about living and recreating where we do is you don’t have to worry about deadly animal attacks. I don’t worry at all about animals anywhere unless they are of the two-legged scary type. I may not want to encounter a poisonous snake or hungry alligator but generally speaking I’m not afraid. Back to my original point of the blog, spending time in the great outdoors of Northeastern Minnesota is relatively "safe" from animal attacks.
We have some of the same "dangerous" species as other parts of the United States but our wild animals tend to not be as aggressive. This isn’t based upon any study but because animals in our neck of the woods have plenty of room to roam and retreat I think they are less likely to attack. I know there have been a handful of black bear attacks over the history of the state but I only know of one death by a black bear and I don’t know of any human deaths from wolves. I feel very safe when I’m out in the woods and in the BWCA.
A "study" done by Backpacker Magazine shows Yellowstone Park as the Predator Epicenter. I’m guessing this has alot more to do with human behavior than animal behavior. People tend to lose common sense when they are in a "park-like" setting. I imagine them keeping food in their tent, getting in between a sow and her cubs and approaching bears to pet or feed them. The chart by Backpacker has some pretty interesting information in any case.
If people use common sense in the BWCA then I’m guessing we won’t see deadly animal attacks in the BWCA and I’ll continue to feel safe there.