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Wildlife I Have Encountered While Hiking

Animals that made me say "nope" and leave the park

By erinhastoomanybooks2.0Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 5 min read
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Wildlife I Have Encountered While Hiking
Photo by Meg Jerrard on Unsplash

Florida wildlife is something else. Pretty much every Floridan can recall one instance where they saw a gator walking in the road. My list doesn't stop at gators, though. Today, I want to talk about all the animals I've encountered while hiking.

It goes without saying, but if you leave a wild animal alone, chances are, they won't bother you. Animals have every reason to be territorial over their habitat. Humans have been irrevocably connected to nature, but we have other places to go, and they don't. Don't antagonize animals and leave parks better than when you found them.

  • Deer

We'll start mild before working our way up to the predators. I used to see deer every time I went hiking for weeks on end. Deer in Florida are far more skittish and way smaller than deer in the north. I haven't seen Florida deer on the side of the road, so it was surprising to see them in populated parks. Also, have you ever seen one jump? Why are they allowed to vault over palmetto bushes like it's no problem? I know it's an evolutionary adaptation, but still. Every time I encountered a small herd of deer, I took a few pictures. Most of, if not all of the time, deer will bolt when they see or hear you. I've never been nervous when seeing them on trails.

  • Cottonmouths/Water Moccasins

These snakes are venomous, so I'm sure you understand why I go back to my car whenever I see one. In my experience, cottonmouths will sun themselves in the hot summers, especially on flat and even lands. Aka, I've seen about three on the black paved trails before, and my soul left my body. They're massive, and when they lift their heads up to smell you? Absolutely not. During cooler months, they're more elusive, slithering under palmetto bushes. I saw one do that the other day.

The only thing you can do is watch your step, especially if you're in an empty park or on a remote trail. I'm far from qualified to tell you what to do if you get bit by any venomous snakes. Obviously, call 911 or any other emergency hotline. If you think you see one, LEAVE IT ALONE. No, you don't need to double-check if it's a tree branch. I wear heavy boots and make a ton of sounds whenever I enter an area that might have cottonmouths in hopes of scaring them off before seeing them. Typically they'll slither away when they see you, but always be careful!

  • Alligators

Yeah, this one is inevitable. It would be much faster to tell you instances where I haven't seen a gator doing its thing in the wild. (One time, we had to call animal control to get one off our yard, but that's another story.)

In terms of hiking, I saw one gator off a fishing pier sunning itself. I felt sorry for the little guy. He was clearly younger and not responding to me. Unless it's cold, gators will submerge themselves when you spook them.

This one was lethargic and missing more than half of his tail. I called the park ranger's office and told them the sight. I thought they might refer me to an aminal rescue that could take him or something.

Turns out, gators fight each other in the wild all the time, and if the animal wasn't hurting anyone, there was no reason to take it. That seemed like an obvious answer, but I still wanted to double-check anyway. If you're hiking anywhere near a swamp, lake, or pond, expect to see at least one gator. Don't swim in any of these bodies of water and don't feed them.

  • Spanish Boar

These piggies get two pictures because I hate them that much. Personally, I think these are some of the most dangerous animals in the state. They're invasive species brought over by Spanish colonists when they invaded the Americas. They tear up grass to forage and are known to kill pets. Unlike a gator or a snake who will leave you alone (most of the time), boars are way more likely to stand their ground and attack. They can weigh hundreds of pounds, and they can feel emboldened enough to charge.

Lucky for me, I've seen about ten while hiking (/s). Boars typically move in herds, and there was one time where seven or eight of them ran across a paved trail. They were piglets following an adult, and I'm sure they took off because myself and others were making enough noise. It scared the hell out of me since they had been hiding in plain sight under palmetto bushes.

The other time was when I was on a more remote trail. There were trees, but they were sparse enough for me to see three juveniles rummaging around the upturned grass. Two of them saw me and ran, and in a panic, I clapped my hands to spook off the older boar that lingered. It worked, thankfully, but I'm not sure if I would recommend that tactic. I'm not sure the odds of the boar getting angry and charging anyway, but I wouldn't chance it. If I see them again, I'm just going to turn on my heel and go home. I've never seen a boar the size of the one in the photos, and I don't want to.

All in all, hiking is my favorite way to reconnect with nature. I know I spent the whole post panicking over said nature, but it's important to understand that animals have a place on this earth too. They're evolved to adapt, and I doubt any of them have malicious intentions when seeing humans. Make sure to research the wildlife wherever you hike, so you're prepared in case anything happens. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post. If you want to support me and my content, please like, share, or subscribe. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @erinhastoomanybooks2.0!

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erinhastoomanybooks2.0

Hello! Welcome to my page where I love posting about crystals, design, writing tips, and more! You can find me on Instagram @erinhastoomanybooks2.0

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