Out for a Florida hike and see a wild animal? Here’s what you should do

I was out wandering all-around Riverview’s Alafia Scrub Nature Protect with my 3-year-outdated German Shepherd, Thor, in April. It was the center of the afternoon, the sunlight was shining — but I was on your own.

Usually, I’m Okay with solo excursions when I have a 90-pound watchdog for firm, but my adrenaline spiked about midway via our walk when a wild doggy appeared on the path about 100 feet away from us.

I did not know what to do. Luckily, Thor was on a leash and went into protecting mode, scaring the 4-legged creature absent. But it received me considering was I carrying out the ideal factor to shield the two of us? Was there a superior way I could have reacted in that circumstance? What if it experienced been yet another just one of Florida’s native creatures instead?

It’s been on my brain ever since, so I went out and received some answers from an pro.

Rebecca Winch, a former Hillsborough County trail guideline who now is effective in the county’s conservation and environmental lands management office as an environmental specialist, experienced all the responses I essential for the finest techniques to react when out on a trail, mountaineering in the woods or out on the water and you come upon some of Florida’s wildlife.

Here’s what I realized, and what Winch mentioned you ought to do if you run into an …

Alligator or crocodile

So here’s the excellent news. Crocodiles are extra intense than alligators, but the former typically reside in South Florida, so there is not substantially chance of managing into them in the Tampa Bay area, Winch claimed.

If you materialize to come across an alligator, Winch said, you want to give it lots of place — in other words and phrases, do not stroll or paddle (if in drinking water) close to it.

“If you see a gator lying throughout the trail and you’re in the vicinity of it and it’s not transferring, flip around,” Winch claimed. “It’s not really worth it.”

If you want to get all over the animal, you want to give it as wide a berth as achievable. And by definitely no means should really you feed these reptiles. It’ll only make them additional aggressive.

If you’re out on the water, make confident you continue to be absent from financial institutions on the shoreline, especially in the course of mating year (May perhaps and June) or if a mother is with her infants. It’s also unwise to go kayaking after darkish in these summer months months.

“Just overlook them,” Winch claimed. “If you see toddler alligators, really don’t go in close proximity to them, for the reason that, once again, mothers are rather territorial.”

Wild puppy or coyote

Happening upon a wild puppy or coyote is especially relevant for people of you who like to just take your furry good friends out on adventures.

Winch said it’s important to preserve your pet(s) on a non-retractable leash no longer than 6 ft to support secure you and them from threat.

If you run into a wild pet dog or one more animal off-leash, it is most effective to back again off and remain serene. If it is a coyote, make loud noises and scare them (with out throwing objects at them) by yelling.

“Pretty a great deal anything at all that you can do that will make you massive and loud and frightening with a coyote is likely to be a quite fantastic concept,” Winch stated. “Make positive they know that you are human and that you are not prey.”

Frequently, you can explain to the variation between a wild pet dog and a coyote by their physical look.

A coyote has substantial, triangle-shaped ears with a slender muzzle and bushy tail, usually being within the browns, grays and whites for its coat, according to a College of Florida/IFAS peer-reviewed actuality sheet. Coyotes also are most active all-around dawn and dusk.

“Coyotes are pretty timid and they never usually like to be around folks,” Winch reported.

Snake

Of Florida’s 44 snake species, only 6 are venomous. But if like me, you are not a snake expert, your greatest bet is to keep absent from all slithering serpents.

Stay clear of walking directly in entrance of or guiding a snake, supplying it plenty of place. A toxic stake can strike about the duration of its entire body, Winch claimed.

“Snakes are not heading to occur at you throughout the path and test to attack you,” Winch said. “They do not want to be about you.”

Snakes are not by natural means intense, Winch stated, but you never want to provoke them by throwing items at them, poking at them with your strolling adhere or yelling at them to try out to get them to go.

“Most snakes are not heading to be fascinated in remaining wherever in the vicinity of you,” Winch mentioned. “Their to start with response is going to be to operate absent.”

Bear

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee has an interactive bear map on its web-site that shows recent bear calls and captures. Winch stated it is not typical to see a bear in the Tampa Bay region, but it has took place before.

If you run into a bear, you will not have to worry about fending off a grizzly, but you could be experience-to-face with a Florida black bear.

In scenarios exactly where the bear has not recognized your presence, Winch suggests you slowly and gradually — without the need of working — back again away with the entrance of your physique struggling with the bear. In accordance to the FWC, bears can operate up to 35 mph and climb 100 ft up a tree in 30 seconds.

If the bear has discovered you, Winch implies backing away slowly and gradually with the entrance of your overall body experiencing the animal and talking to it so it is aware you are a person.

There have been no bear assaults in the condition of Florida, according to the FWC, but if a bear took place to arrive at you to defend by itself, its cubs or foodstuff source, Winch reported to struggle again aggressively.

“Bears do not are inclined to prey on people today,” Winch reported. “So you are heading to again absent and you’re likely to say, ‘Hey, bear, hey, bear, hey, bear,’ or whichever you want in a calm voice.”

Panther

Fortunately, panthers really do not ordinarily assault individuals. In simple fact, there has under no circumstances been an attack in Florida, in accordance to the FWC’s website.

If you’re worried, on the other hand, about a panther sighting, you can verify out the FWC’s interactive panther sighting tracker, comparable to the bear tracker.

“If you see a panther, you are amazingly lucky,” Winch said. “If you see a panther, the identical kind of guidelines (as viewing a bear) applies. Again absent, really do not operate and get out of the location.”

Bobcat

If you take place to run into a bobcat while discovering, soak in the minute whilst you can, Winch said, for the reason that inspite of how populous these animals are in Florida, they’re exceptionally shy. It’s incredibly unusual to see one out and about.

If you do see a single, you are going to very likely be in a densely wooded spot where by the bobcat can flee and disappear into the brush.

“It’s likely to run absent,” she explained. “You are not heading to need to have to do everything. They do not want to be all around you.”

Raccoon

Some may suppose that raccoons are nocturnal, but Winch claimed they can be out in the daytime, far too.

These animals can carry rabies and canine distemper — which assaults the respiratory, gastrointestinal and anxious devices — so it’s best to stay away from them.

“You really do not want to feed them, because, again, it will make them more intense,” Winch additional.

Cow

Remarkably more than enough, a single of the animals you are most likely to operate into even though out in mother nature is a cow.

“A large amount of more substantial mother nature preserves and parks will have a cattle lease on them in which a rancher runs cattle and pays what ever authorities agency some little total to graze them,” Winch claimed.

Normally, cows are pretty calm, but you really don’t want to freak them out, Winch explained.

“Don’t get as well shut to them if they are on the path,” she explained. “Wait for them to go.”

Have an outside experience we must attempt? Curious about the ins and outs of fishing seasons in Florida? Know a neat company or proprietor to profile? Speak to Mari Faiello at [email protected]. Adhere to @faiello_mari.