Facts about fatal animal attacks in the U.S.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Myocardial Infarction is by far the biggest killer on the trail.

Very likely true according to this: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/...rail/70394614/

Bob Proudman, director of conservation operations with the [Appalachian Trail]conservancy, said that most people attempting a thru-hike are prepared, but even seasoned hikers, such as Parish, can run into adversity."This is a very rare event. It's more likely that you'll be hit by lightning than being hit by a tree. But that doesn't mean it's not something we don't have to pay attention to," Proudman said.He said there are an average of two-three deaths a year on the Appalachian Trail."The most common is elderly people having trouble, such as heart attacks or breathing trouble. The next would be hypothermia in the north country, in the White Mountains (in New Hampshire). Accidents from falls are probably in the mix, but are not often fatal. We often have youngsters or people drinking and messing around on the cliffs near the James River," he said.

[BillyGr]

Of more concern than dogs or farm animals or snakes or bears are the gawking human animal Tourons behind the wheel crossing Hwy 441 at Newfound Gap or the self absorbed biz guy after 3 martinis coming from NYC illegally inattentively speeding to get home while crossing NY Hwy 55 on the Taconic Pkwy.

That last sentence is a bit confusing? You wouldn't intersect if you were driving and that driver was out there on 55 and the Taconic, in either order (since the two roads are separated and don't physically cross). You also no longer need to physically cross the Taconic on the AT (the trail goes under it using a local road, though that wasn't always the case). So the only place it would be an issue was you hiking and the driver coming down Route 55 (since that is still a walk across the road at grade crossing for the AT).

[Sarcasm the elf]

That last sentence is a bit confusing? You wouldn't intersect if you were driving and that driver was out there on 55 and the Taconic, in either order (since the two roads are separated and don't physically cross). You also no longer need to physically cross the Taconic on the AT (the trail goes under it using a local road, though that wasn't always the case). So the only place it would be an issue was you hiking and the driver coming down Route 55 (since that is still a walk across the road at grade crossing for the AT).

I had just assumed he meant the Palisades Pkwy and got the road names mixed up...

https://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/sho...mageuser=26465

[Dogwood]

Thx BG for mentioning it and STE for correcting me. Yes STE that was what I meant. That's a dangerous high speed crossing.

[Dogwood]

I am not against dogs whatever their breed. I think the OP would have been right saying "You are more likely to be injured by a dog rather than being injured by a bear". Here are some interesting statistics about dog bites in general especially involving children. http://www.safetyarounddogs.org/statistics.html

Totally agree.

Yes....I like the way you said it best Texas Bob. No disrespect intended to ADFH.

[BowGal]

I don't know re: the AT but i worry about this here. Idiots with their dogs. Note that I have a dog, so this is not hate against dogs. And 98% of the dogs are fine. But there is that idiot that has a dog that shouldn't be there, that is off leash and is dog aggressive (or human aggressive). It's a concern.

Yep!
I’m way more afraid of a dog off leash than I am of a bear. And I’ve had two encounters with black bears while hunting. Bears are curious, but usually skittish, and will take off once seeing someone. Some people dogs are unpredictable. For the record, I love dogs.

[One Arm]

There may have been a thread on this before, but in July 2017, I headed southbound from Hot Springs. Three dogs, with collars but unaccompanied, ran past me at the top of the first climb. I went to get water at the creek near Deer Park Shelter, but the dogs were there. They all jumped into the stream to give themselves baths and relieved themselves on trees less than three feet away from the creek. I did not get sick from drinking the (filtered) water, but the experience was one of the most negative animal encounters I have had on the AT.

[MtDoraDave]

The title says "facts" but the last sentence sounds like statistics. [Statistically] you are more likely to this than that.

Facts don't lie, but statistics can be manipulated and misinterpreted.

[Puddlefish]

The title says "facts" but the last sentence sounds like statistics. [Statistically] you are more likely to this than that.

Facts don't lie, but statistics can be manipulated and misinterpreted.

Few people understand statistics. Statistics are great, for what they are, if you understand where and how the data was collected, and have the knowledge to interpret it responsibly.

Facts are also fine, but facts can also be irrelevant.

In both cases, people infer, or draw conclusions that don't really support the facts. "Bad news, the fog is getting thicker. ... and Leon's getting larger." It's a joke, but it's fairly typical of what a lot of people do.

So, the statistics aren't fake. The study referenced was excellent, the conclusion was reasonable. The USA Today article was stupid. They took a perfectly good study, and flat out changed the conclusion to make it scarier to the general public, to sell advertising.

[Dogwood]

Facts are subject to no longer being factual which questions the notion of what is a fact.




Wisdom has been replaced by knowledge. Knowledge has been replaced by information. Left hemisphere brain thinking is rampant.

[Venchka]

2017. Stream crossings in the Sierra Nevada.
Wayne

[SoaknWet]

Blue light sales.at.Wally world.

[JJ505]

Blue light sales.at.Wally world.

That one is terrifying!!!

[FrogLevel]

Have there been any lightning deaths on the AT?

There was a small group struck on Jane Bald last May. Nobody was killed but one guy had some burns. One in the group had a cooler or something similar that exploded into a thousand pieces.

[Coffee]

People personify their pets. But ultimately a dog is an animal with animal instincts. The fact that a dog is well behaved in its home environment means nothing on trail. I too have had negative experiences with unleashed dogs, nothing terrible, but it's highly inconsiderate of people to let their dogs roam free even if they prove friendly we have no way of knowing the intent of a dog running toward us. So it's dangerous for dogs too. People will defend themselves if they feel at risk.

[SpongeBob]

One way to sort risk statistics is by exposure. People are much more exposed to domestic animals, so the raw injury rate from domestic animals is higher, but the injury rate per human-animal encounter might be lower for dogs than bears (just guessing on that, don’t know the stats). Thankfully, the rate of injury from bear-human encounters is very low - certainly lower than the risk of driving to the trailhead. Anecdotally, I’ve been kicked by a cow and bit by a dog, but never et by a bear.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SWODaddy]

http://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1...313-7/abstract
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...kes/410283002/

Cows, horses, and other farm animals cause the most fatalities.
Hymenoptera (hornets, wasps, and bees) are next.
Dogs are #3.
Snakes come next.
Bears fatalities are so rare that they hardly count for danger.

This is not a joke: be careful around farm animals, just like you would be careful around predators.

And if you see a dog on The Trail, particularly one that is unleashed, remember that the danger of fatalities is greater than if you see a bear.

I'm not particularly worried about being mauled by a bear on the trail, but this is a terrible application of statistics.

[BuckeyeBill]

Blue light sales.at.Wally world.

That one is terrifying!!!

Nope Friday after Thanksgiving sales at Wally world can be fatal. One dead, two injured at San Antonio Walmart. Reno NV, One dead after shooting over a parking spot at a Walmart. Long Island Walmart worker trampled to death By mob of frenzied shoppers.

[BuckeyeBill]

would should have been could. say that ten times real fast.

[Alligator]

Any place you are crossing stiles is a situation where you might encounter farm animals. In farm country, animals get loose too. Saw a goat on the trail. I'm no tracker but fresh cow pies usually indicate nearby cattle. It's fresh when your boot just slides right into it and the pie doesn't hold its shape.

Cows in SW VA. Came back from getting water one morning and a cow was licking my tent. It was a jailbreak cow. I could tell by the white and black spots and the downed fence rails. Those escaped convict cows are particularly unpredictable, that cow was looking to steal my tent!

Longhorn cattle somewhere near MD/PA.

Cow almost killed me in NY, North of the train stop I think. I crossed into a cow field. Shined my head lamp to the left. Two glowing red eyes in the dark. Damn near had a heart attack. Would that have been one for the cow or one one for myocardial infarction? Deer made a similar attempt on my life in VA, spooky blue eyes floating in space bodies hidden behind rocks on a dark night. They don't call them wildlife for nothing!