[DadFly]

Hungry bears are a bigger problem than well fed bears. When they come out of hibernation bears are desperately hungry. Carry bear spray and be very bear aware. After eating 20 lbs of salmon and berries or any other food they tend to amble and be less aggressive. This is the case most of the year.

[Malachai Constant]

True the farther north you gi the hungrier bears are Listed in order US black, Canada black, US brown, can brown, Alaska Brown, Canada Alaska white.

[Chief Joseph]

[Schroder]

[Chief Joseph]

Before I knew how dangerous they were I was fishing in a raft in the middle of a small alpine lake when a large bull moose appeared and was wading and grazing along the shoreline. I paid him no mind nor did he to me. Now I would make my way as far from him as possible.

[DadFly]

My father and a co-worker were up in what is now the Rattlesnake wilderness on those fat tired scooters more than a couple decades ago. They stopped to look at a moose grazing in Mud lake. It didn't like them much and let them know that by charging them. They tried to turn around but got tangled in the brush and had to climb a couple lodge pole pines in a big hurry. That moose rendered their scooters unusable and then wandered off. Maybe it was their Forest Service uniforms. Your tax dollars at work.

[Chief Joseph]

Ya, I mean I watched the cartoon, Bullwinkle as a child, didn't instill much fear in me for the Mangy Old Moose. On one of my first trips to Idaho my daughter and I were hiking on a well used trail (Granite Falls, Priest Lake)....we came around a corner and all I saw were legs....I though, why is someone riding a horse up here, looked up and saw a large bull moose. I let out a blood curdling yell and that moose was gone down the trail, never to be seen again. VERY luckily for us, he had an escape route.

[kiliki]

I may have posted this before but this sign, seen at a trailhead in Idaho's Wood River Valley, never stops being funny to me. The enthusiastic use of quotation marks and exclamation points is the icing on the cake.

[Anne Elk]

"Furry locomotive with an attitude." Love that!

[hbb]

A cougar attack is so unlikely it's not worth worrying about. You are far more likely to get struck by lighting. The biggest risk you face backpacking is, by a huge margin, the drive to and from the trailhead.

[RumiDude]

With very few exceptions, hiking/backpacking alone is not an issue. The real issue is dealing with the fear of hiking/backpacking alone. Rumi

[Randito]

Falls, hypothermia, getting lost all cause hikers a lot more trouble than wildlife. But statistics aren't particularly helpful in altering how you feel. Travelling solo does involve some additional risks that travelling in group reduce. Equipping yourself with a Satellite Messenger is useful for scenarios where you are unable to travel and need assistance. The navigation support provided by the InReach messenger and the linked Eartmate can help avoid being "lost" Solo travelers can face phycological challenges that don't occur when travelling in a group. If you struggle with anxiety -- which I think your OP indicates -- that is something to consider -- a panic attack while solo in an isolated area could be very challenging to recover from.

[Anne Elk]

Confronted by a Bullwinkle on the trail? The NY Times knows how to tell if he's angry. Some notable anecdotes in there. But if you can "see their eyes bulge", you're way, way too close. Judging by the other body language cues noted, the moose in the photo was some annoyed.

[Stefan]

[BigBrunyon]