Dilemma....new property, great hanging...but what would you do?

[Crazytown3]

My approach to your situation may be too passive, but it's just my one idea among many others.

I would just keep in mind that you are invading their space, and be respectful of that. That doesn't mean run away and not use your beautiful land. Keep your hang site(s) clean and free of human food/garbage/stuff, mark off your areas with as much care as possible, i.e. try to avoid game trails etc. Going #1 in a perimeter is an easy way to do that.

That's a great picture of your site! Looks like many happy days and nights will be spent there.

[OneClick]

Do the opposite of Bear Grylls...pee on everything instead of drinking it.

[MikekiM]

Do the opposite of Bear Grylls...pee on everything instead of drinking it.

I thought you were going to say something about camel testicles...

That guy was nuts...




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[Muddy Creek]

Always camp with someone who runs slower than yourself.

That or wire your campsite with electric fence. It keeps the bears away when I camp in my my beehive yard.

Wayne

[BradA72]

I would establish my hanging out/eating area away from my sleeping area, doesn’t have to be a great distance. I would also have lethal and non-lethal options available but most important, I would enjoy having a great place of my own to get away from it all.

[Orifote]

The zone is really nice. I would build there a nice small wooden house. I like this style of "house in the wild". It's a place where you can be only with yourself in the middle of nature. What can be better? Recently I bought a nice small house near a forest from https://www.habikons.com/hub/. It's not my dream house but it was the only one I could afford. Anyway, the guys from there got very nice prices. I like the zone and the wooden style of the house. I think that is every man's dream to live with nature.

[OlTrailDog]

I have had thee close encounters with lions while wandering the mountains alone over the years. Twice it was multiple lions and I came awful close to, ah, fouling myself. Note: these are incidents I was aware of and does not take into account the other times when I was completely unaware of the eyes following me...just like you as you wander about wondering what to do in Idaho. Probably the closest to becoming a lion turd was while hunting elk up on top of Arrastra Creek outside of Lincoln, MT. It was getting later in the day and I was wandering back cross country toward the trailhead. I came across a fresh set of deer tracks and thought I'd follow them for a piece. I followed them for about a quarter mile or so and thought that if I shot something it would be dark before I got back to the truck. So I turn around on the tracks and headed back. I went about 100 yards and, lo, right on the deer and my tracks was a lion following us. If I had not turned around that lion easily could have turned me into supper and I would have never had a clue as to what hit me. I swung my rifle up (H&R 270 Win Mannilicher stock carbine saddle gun for those who are wondering) and pointed it at the cat. We looked at each other and I hollered at the lion. The lion spun around and took off on the trail we had all been taking.

So, what to do? The best advice I can give is to always, yes always, be ready to meet your maker. Get that score settled ASAP. You never know when you are going to become a lion or bear turd, have the soccer mom drive head on into you while chastising the kids in the back seat, or the truck driver reaching for another handful of Cheetos, or simply fall off the front porch on your noggin. Take care of that and the rest of the pieces will fall into place.

RobMountainLion.jpg
My lion pic. I was out in the woods north of YNP working on an aspen inventory for my MSF thesis. I heard the hounds baying nearby and wandered down the hill. Kerry Murphy (YNP biologist) and his helper (a young fellow who unfortunately met an untimely early death in an avalanche (take heed to what I said above, eh?) had the lion treed. They were changing the tracking collar and I gave them a hand getting the lion out of the tree. Come to think of it, this lion probably knew I was wandering around in the woods long before Kerry and company came along.

[Tpatter]

I got lost in Idaho once. No idea where I was but I was traveling down dirt twisty roads with nothing much in site - it was gorgeous. No cell service and sadly no detailed map of the area as well.

Eventually I found my way back to a road and stopped at the first gas station. Technically it was gas station anyhow, I hadn't seen a pump like that in decades. They had many pictures hung up all over the walls from wolf hunts - probably a hundred at least. My jaw almost hit the floor. I can only describe these things as Dire Wolves. I mean, they were far larger than I would imagine was possible.

I stayed close to the fire at night!

At some point I thought, well, I'm not going to be stupid, but if one of these things wants me then there's not much I can really do about it. Any serious predator (man or beast) with the element of surprise we are no match for. Enjoy living your life, keep an eye out, and fight like hell if you ever have to!

[TNWoodsman]

Put a trail of cat treats leading to the door of your neighbors tent. Best done after your neighbor is asleep. Just kidding of course.

[Watertooner]

My lion pic.

Great pic to mark a great experience. I will also note that you are a true outdoorsman as evidenced by the pants with no hem. Will always slide free of whatever wants to get hung up (brambles, wire, sticks, etc). My woods pants need many more hours to reach that state, but I don't mind trying as I hang in the woods (obligatory hammock reference as well).