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I came across a video while on Facebook.  It shows a fly fisherman very focused on his activity.  Then he notices there are some thirsty elk to his right.  While elk may not be as ornery as a moose, you still don’t want to wrestle one.  The bulls can do a number by goring you, trampling you, or just with a firm head butt.  The video asks what you would do if you happened to be in the shoes of the fisherman.

He stayed calm.  I think it was a good choice.  Sudden movement, such as dropping his rod and walking away could cause the animals to have a panicked response.  They obviously didn’t care that he was sharing the stream.  While their presence could impact the behavior of the fish, it would only be temporary, however.  If he had suddenly hooked a trout and if it put up a fight, then you can’t bet on the four-legged creatures remaining undisturbed.

I’ve seen a popular video several times over the last few years where a guy is fishing and a large brown bear ambles over and takes a seat beside the man.  I’m under the impression the subject in that video was staged.  A month ago I also watched a video where a grizzly walks through a fishing encampment, but the bear appears weary of the large number of people and turns and takes another direction.

Of course, if you’re a homebody and skip trips to the backcountry, then the worst encounter you have with animals is the flies congregating in your kitchen!

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