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We noticed today an article in 'The Verde Independent,' a tri-weekly newspaper serving the Verde Valley's many diverse communities, a note about an 81-year-old man being attacked by a (presumably) rabid fox.
The fellow was gardening last Thursday afternoon in his back yard in a well-developed and populated area of Camp Verde. This fox runs straight at him and tries to bite him on his hand. Luckily, the fellow was wearing stout gloves and the fox's teeth didn't penetrate. Not so luckily, the fox then bit the man on his forearm and upper arm. All the while, the man was trying to smack the fox with a gardening shovel. The fox ran away and eluded a later search by Camp Verde deputies. The man was transported to the hospital and will have to get the rabies shots everyone dreads.

The newspaper went on to say that Animal Control officials said there were a number of presumed rabid foxes in the vicinity. Even though this fellow wasn't a day hiker, the story is worth mentioning here because, due to drought or whatever reason, you may encounter wild animals
acting strangely. Generally, animal control experts say that ordinarily shy and/or nocturnal animals acting weirdly during broad daylight is a pretty good indication of possible rabies. This includes skunks and raccoons, too.
If you are hiking and see one of these creatures acting real nonchalant or actually coming toward you, start thinking 'rabies' and don't stand around waiting for the 'evidence' to affix itself to your anatomy. Skee-daddle outta there! It's also a great reason to hike with one or two trekking poles or old ski poles or other more lethal hardware, as your inclination(s) may warrant.

Generally, we try to actually ask an animal control officer in person what the 'given situation' is for any given time of year. If you see them stopped somewhere doing a report or whatever, pull up and have a chat. There have been a number of rabid coyote reports this winter in the Sedona area but we hadn't stopped to reflect that rabies might have affected the fox population, too.

We consider the spectre of an attack by a rabid animal, domesitc, wild or otherwise, to be a far bigger threat to our personal safety than rattlesnakes, scorpions and all the 'usual suspects.' As the drought intensifies, be aware that more creatures may be apt to become rabid.
In other words, don't forget about rabies! Just another FUN thing to think about on your next hike!

J&S in RR

That story also ran on FOX 10 news yesterday evening... said Camp verde was on rabies alert.

Just a note, never run from any animal. Instinct kicks in for them and they will chase you, even if they weren't planning on attacking. When you are running you are prey. Back away slowly and do not turn your back.
Stand your ground only if you have to. Put your arms in the air to appear bigger and make a lot of noise. Keep eye contact and let them know that you are boss. Throw rocks or sticks at it if you can.
If you run, pretty much anything out there that can hurt you can also run much faster and longer then you. Also, you are defenseless when you are running away.

This reminds me of the old story about the two hikers in Glacier Park who encountered an angry Griz (Ed Abbey claimed that Griz was singular, Grizz, plural).

One hiker pulled off his boots and put on a pair of running shoes. His partner asked,' Do you think you can outrun the bear?' The reply was, 'I don't have to outrun the bear, just you.' As I'm slow, I try to hike with agreeable people who will stay for dinner :roll: .

Rabies is also a concern down near the Mexican border. Inoculation of pets rarely happens in Mexico, so the disease spreads more rapidly there; especially skunks. A while back, the Discovery Channel had a program on bear attacks, featuring Steven Herrero, who is a noted expert and author on the topic. They described a number of fatal attacks-all by black bears. When autopsies were done on the bears, most were in 'ketosis', basically starving...The current viewpoint is that Grizz may attack when cornered, surprised, or separated from cubs; but they usually stop the attack after no resistance is offered. Black bear attacks are usually predatory. With the drought, we should all be careful about encounters this season.

The above comment about running was very true. A few years back a jogger was killed in Rancho Cucamonga, CA by a lion. Wild animals don't run for sport (the shorts slide down the back legs and trip them up) only when afraid or being pursued. The lion instinctively reacted to the possibility that something else was pursuing game in his territory; just like a large mouth bass hitting a lure just because it moved. Cats like to hit from behind which is why you should never turn away. People in a village in India that was bothered by a 'maneater' tiger wore face photos on the back of their garments for some time, and it worked until the tiger figured it out. Also, never make direct eye contact with a large predator, this is viewed as aggressive and challenging behavior. Always look a few degrees to the side.

If you subscribe to the sidearm theory noted above, there are three rules: 1) Use enough gun! Small calibers will just leave you with a berserk wounded animal full of adrenaline; 2) Know how to use it quickly and accurately in advance; and, 3) Empty that sucker, then reload. The same rule applies here as in CPR-they are not dead until they're cold and dead, and that often takes some doing.