Safety and Outdoor Ethics

It's up to all of us to sustain healthy, vibrant natural lands for all people to enjoy, now and into the future. Every person who ventures outside can put Leave No Trace practices into action!

Tread Lightly!'s core focus is on supporting and encouraging stewardship of America's lands and waterways.

Visiting Louisiana? Many outside states have laws prohibiting the transport of firewood to prevent the further spread of invasive pests like Asian longhorned beetle, spongy moth, and spotted lanternfly. Learn about the rules and regulations in your area and destination before traveling with firewood; when it doubt, buy it where you burn it.

Don't Move Firewood Louisiana 

The best way to enjoy your time on your National Forests is to be safe, and to be prepared for all sorts of events. These are just a few of the ways in which you can be safe, and a few of the scenarios you might come up against. Really, the best advice? Be like a Scout: Be Prepared. Make sure people know where you are going, whether you're going alone or with someone else, and what situations you should be prepared for. Most importantly? Have fun!

Slips and Falls

The best way to treat injuries is to avoid them. When hiking or walking on trails, it is important to take preventative measures.

Avoid potential hazards and threats to your health by:

• Stay on developed trails or dry, solid rock areas with good footing. Think about your footing while traveling near cliffs.
• Trees and bushes can’t be trusted to hold you.
• Share your plans. Tell someone where and when you are going, when you expect to return and how many individuals are in your party.
• Know your limits. Be in appropriate physical condition for your planned activity.
• Set a comfortable pace as you hike. A group trip should be designed for the least experienced or capable member of the group.
• Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the trail conditions and season.
• Be weather wise. Keep an eye on current and predicted weather conditions.
• Learn basic first aid. Know how to identify and treat injuries and illnesses. Carry a first aid kit with you.
• Establish your camp before dark. Traveling after dark has resulted in many accidents from falls, so travel only during daylight. Set up camp well away from the edge of cliffs, and learn the terrain during daylight. If you have to leave camp after dark, stay in areas you have seen in daylight, go with a friend and always use a good flashlight.
• Watch your step. Be alert for slippery areas and take your time to avoid tripping. Low-hanging branches and variable terrain make running unsafe. Leaves can hide slippery areas underneath. Log crossings can be especially dangerous. Find alternate routes across streams.

First Aid Checklist

• Adhesive bandages
• Gauze elastic wrap for sprains
• Antiseptic
• Tweezers
• Scissors
• Digital thermometer
• Antibacterial and antifungal ointments/creams
• 1% hydrocortisone cream
• Moleskin for blisters
• Aloe gel for sunburns
• Lubricating eye drops
• First aid quick reference card

If You Get Lost.....

f you find yourself lost, please don't panic! The most important tool needed for survival when you are lost or injured outdoors is a positive mental attitude. You should continually tell yourself that you have to get home. When you panic or lose hope, the situation can become fatal.

What to Do:

• Stay calm if you get lost. Panic is your greatest enemy.
• Try to remember how you got to your present location.
• Pay close attention to your surroundings and land-marks, and relate this to your location on a map.
• Trust your map and compass, and do not walk aimlessly.
• If you are on a trail, don’t leave it.
• GPS users: Find your lat and long and carry spare batteries.
• Most trails are marked with signs (where intersections meet) and diamond blazes or markers. However, signs are sometimes vandalized or stolen. Your best bet is simply to stay where you are, especially if it is nightfall, if you are injured, or if you are near exhaustion.
• While waiting for assistance, keep yourself hydrated and nourished, adapt to weather conditions by keeping yourself warm or cool.
• Call for help! Remember, before you leave, tell someone where you will be, and carry a fully charged cell phone. Cell phone coverage in remote areas may be limited.

Hazard Trees

Falling trees and branches are an ever-present hazard when traveling or camping in a forest. A hazard tree is one that has a structural defect that makes it likely to fall in whole or in part.

• Be aware of your surroundings. Trees and limbs can fall without warning, especially if they're damaged or sick.
• Look up for trees with broken limbs or tops. Do not stand or camp under leaning trees.
• Numerous down or leaning trees may indicate structural defects. Avoid dense patches of dead trees. Absence of needles, bark or limbs may also indicate structural defects. The possibility of rot is indicated by conks, broken tops, basal scars, cat faces, numerous down limbs, ants or an abundance of woodpecker holes.
• Beware of hazardous trees due to ice storms or insect damage. Ice storms can inflict serious damage to trees—uprooting or breaking off large limbs. Cracks can develop in large branches which, although damaged, might not fall from the tree. Such branches can present a hazard to people or property long after the ice has melted.
• Strong winds may weaken unstable trees. Be particularly watchful when it is windy or following a snowstorm when branches are covered with snow. Stay out of the forest when there are strong winds that could blow down trees. If you are already in the forest when winds kick up, head to a clearing out of reach of any potential falling trees.
• Park close to a main road rather than on a spur or one-way section when driving in remote areas of the forest to avoid being trapped if a tree falls across the road.
• Camp in open spaces. Place tents and camp sites in areas where they will not be hit if a tree falls.
• Do not rely on cell phones for safety. Often there is no coverage in many areas of the national forest.
• Report hazardous trees. Contact authorities with location and information if you find a tree that presents a likely hazard, such as near a trail or camp site.

Hunting Safety

National Forests are a refuge for wild animals of all kinds, which makes recreational activities like hunting and wildlife viewing possible. Hunting is a seasonal activity. State regulations for seasons, dates and licensing apply on national forest land.

• Check weather reports before visiting the forest.
• Tell someone where you will be hunting and when you will return. Be familiar with the area you want to hunt.
• Dress properly and be prepared for the worst possible conditions. During certain seasons, hunters must wear hunter orange viewable from all directions. If accompanied by a dog, the dog should also wear hunter orange or a very visible color on a vest, leash, coat or bandana. Avoid wearing white or tan during deer and turkey season.
• Check hunting equipment before and after each outing, and maintain it properly. Familiarize yourself with its operation before using it in the field.
• Carry a spare set of dry clothing. Utilize layering techniques to wick away moisture while retaining body warmth. Always bring rain gear.
• Clearly identify your target before shooting. Prevent unfortunate accidents or fatalities.
• Never hunt near developed areas and trails. Other recreationists are in the forest, as well.

Swimming

There are inherent risks associated with water recreation and sports. Many of the dangers linked to boating, water skiing, swimming, diving and water activities can be avoided by taking precautions. Remember, an estimated 60 percent of drownings are witnessed, and have the potential to be prevented.

Safety Checklist:

• Learn to swim: Formal swimming lessons can prevent drowning. Teach children to swim at a young age. Constant and careful supervision around water is still necessary, even when children have completed swimming classes.
• Wear a life jacket: The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that life jackets could have saved the lives of more than 80 percent of victims who die in boating accidents. All occupants of a boat should wear a life jacket at all times when on or near the water. Air-filled toys and foam toys are not life jackets.
• Never go boating under the influence: Avoid drinking alcohol and using controlled substances when boating, water skiing and swimming. Do not drink alcohol while supervising children.
• Supervise children: Designate a responsible adult to watch young children. Caretakers of preschool children should provide touch supervision—be within an arm’s reach of the child at all times. Adults should not be involved in any other distracting activity (such as reading, playing cards or talking on the phone) while supervising children.
• Don’t swim alone: Always swim with a buddy. Select a swimming site that has a lifeguard when possible.
• Learn CPR: In the time it might take for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could save a life.
• Look before you leap: Check water depth before diving and only dive into familiar waters. It is never safe to dive from or jump off of rock cliffs, ledges and man-made structures.
• Learn safe boating practices: Operator error accounts for 70 percent of boating accidents. Take a boating safety course. Wear a helmet when navigating whitewater streams.

Boating

Boating is a popular recreation activity, but it can also be a dangerous one as well.

The four major causes of drowning are:

1. Not wearing a life jacket;
2. Abuse of alcohol;
3. Lack of sufficient swimming skills; and
4. Hypothermia.

Nearly 1,000 people die in boating accidents every year. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of boating accident victims would have survived if they had been wearing a life jacket.

Safety Checklist:

• Always check the weather before going out.
• Visit www.noaa.gov for weather updates.
• Let others know where you are going and when you are expected to
  return.
• Ensure all individuals wear a flotation device. A life jacket will help keep you warm and will keep you afloat if your boat capsizes.
• Always carry a first-aid kit.
• A waterproof bag with an extra change of clothes is imperative.
• Always have appropriate lights on your boat, and be sure to use them from sunset to sunrise.
• Many states require a safety whistle to be on all boats, even if it is a non-motorized boat.
• Carry a fire extinguisher on board. If you have an electric or gas motor it is often state law.
• Avoid dams. Water flowing over dams can create a current capable of drawing boats into the face of the dam and holding them under water. Avoid dam spillways during high water.
• If your boat should capsize, stay with your boat until help arrives so rescuers can find you. Regardless of your age, hypothermia can develop quickly.

Our national forests provide habitat for wild animals, which can be upset by human presence and can unexpectedly become aggressive.

Do not give them a reason or an opportunity to attack. Always keep your distance. Wildlife experts recommend keeping at least 100 yards away from bears and 25 yards from other large animals.

The consequences of approaching wildlife can be serious. You are responsible for your own safety as well as the safety of wildlife. Wild animals should be allowed to forage for food, care for their young, sleep and play without human disturbance.

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS:

• Approaching or feeding wild animals is never appropriate.
• Wild animals (including deer, bison, and elk) are individualistic and unpredictable.
• A car horn, barking dog, or excited children can trigger an animal into fight or flight behavior.
• Both the females and males of most wildlife species are equally dangerous. Always maintain a safe distance.
• Wash hands regularly to prevent harmful diseases .

Bears are opportunists by nature. In the wild, they feed on whatever is available. Food odors and improperly stored garbage will attract bears. Bears begin to seek out human food if it is accessible.

We must all do our part to store personal food and other smellable products in an approved bear-resistant container when hiking, and dispose of trash in bear-resistant dumpsters where provided at developed recreation areas.

While bears are attracted to any edible food, they also might try to feast on items we might not consider edible:

• toothpaste
• shampoo
• lotion
• soap
• cooking utensils
• empty cans
• wrappers
• pet food
• garbage
• petroleum products (including fuel)

Although bears are naturally afraid of humans, they lose this fear as they begin to associate human scents with the reward of food. Black bears can become a threat to humans, property and themselves—a pattern that normally ends with their death.

Protect yourself and protect the black bears by storing trash and food in safe locations when you visit a national forest. 

Bear Safety Tips from BearWise

Frequently Asked Questions About Bears

Question: Do bears feed only at night?

Answer: Bears tend to feed at dusk and dawn but it is not uncommon for bears to actively feed throughout the day. 

Question: Why do bears hibernate?

Answer: Bears hibernate because of dwindling food supplies. Bears do not hibernate simply because the weather has turned cold or snow is falling. 

Question: Do bears always avoid people?

Answer: Bears will not always try to avoid people. A bear may approach people because it is curious, testing dominance, habituated, food‐conditioned or potentially predatory.

Question: Why do bears stand up, are they getting ready to attack?

Answer: A bear may stand on its hind legs to get a better look or to pick up your scent if it cannot tell what you are.

Question: Will making direct eye contact make the bear more likely to attack?

Answer: It’s important to watch the bear so you can assess the situation. In non‐defensive situations, look at and face the bear, stand tall and maintain an air of confidence.

Question: Is climbing a tree a good way to avoid an aggressive bear?

Answer: Both black and grizzly bears can and will climb trees. Black bears are very comfortable in trees and mothers will often send their cubs up trees for safety.

Question: Is running downhill a way to avoid an aggressive bear?

Answer: Both black and grizzly bears can run just as fast downhill as they do uphill, and won’t hesitate to, and can easily outrun even the fastest human.

Question: Will ammonia or moth balls prevent bears from getting into garbage?

Answer: No, household products such as these don’t work and may provide a unique scent or attractant. Keeping garbage in bear resistant containers or behind locked doors is the most effective way to keep bears out of garbage.

Question: Are menstruating women in greater danger of a bear attack?

Answer: There has been no evidence linking menstruating women and bear attacks, but consider soiled menstrual products a potential attractant and keep secure from bears.

Question: Is the advice to fight a black bear, play dead with a brown bear, good advice?

Answer: Your response should be based on the motivation of the bear. You must pay attention to the bear’s behavior to know how to respond.

Question: So to be safe, should I just lie down and play dead if a bear approaches?

Answer: Lying down is a last resort and should only occur when a defensive bear makes physical contact with you. It is rarely necessary and could trigger a predatory response from the bear.

Question: Do bears defend territories?

Answer: Bears defend personal space. Your goal is to give bears plenty of space. Even bears habituated to human presence have spatial limits. Females with cubs, even more so.

Question: Have bears developed a better sense of smell because they can’t see well?

Answer: Bears have good vision similar to humans and can see in color. Their night vision is excellent and they are particularly sensitive to detecting movement. 

Question: How can I rapidly assess how big a bear is?

Answer: You can rapidly assess the size of a bear by looking at its ears.  If the ears are large (and close together on the head) then this is a small bear, maybe a juvenile.  If the ears are small (and far apart on the head), then this is a big bear, maybe an adult.

On the Atlantic Coast, alligators can be found from Florida to coastal North Carolina. Alligators are also found in the Upper Coastal Plain, which includes the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia and South Carolina, and across to east Texas. Be careful around alligators--they have been known to attack humans!

• Alligators should never be approached.
• Don’t swim in areas inhabited by alligators. Avoid swimming at night or dusk. Stay in restricted, designated swimming areas.
• Avoid shorelines with thick vegetation.
• Never feed, entice or approach an alligator. Never throw food, such as bait, in the water or on shore.
• Do not allow pets to swim in areas with alligators. Pets resemble the alligator's natural prey, and may attract them.
• It is illegal to possess, handle or harass an alligator.

Snakes live in a wide variety of habitats including forests, swamps, grasslands, deserts and both fresh and salt water. Some are active at night, others during the day. Snakes are predators and eat a wide variety of animals, including rodents, insects, birds' eggs and young birds. Snakes are coldblooded and must move to a suitable surrounding environment to regulate their body temperature. They can't survive extreme summer heat for more than 10-20 minutes and are rarely found in the open. They hibernate in the winter and may also be inactive periodically during hot summer weather. Before venturing out, familiarize yourself with the snakes of your area.

There are seven venomous snakes found in Louisiana and throughout the Kisatchie National Forest. 

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How To Avoid Snakebites

• Do not tease or harass snakes.
• Wear long pants and proper foot gear, especially at night.
• Try as much as possible not to surprise a snake. Stay on trails. Watch where you sit and where you place your hands and feet, especially when climbing or stepping over fences, large rocks and logs or when collecting firewood.

How To Treat Snakebites

• If someone is bitten by a snake, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately.
• Keep the snakebite victim still, as movement helps the venom spread through the body.
• Keep the injured body part motionless and just lower than heart level.
• Keep the victim warm, calm and at rest.
• Do not allow the person to eat or drink anything.

Weather conditions seem to have the greatest effect on the tick population. After a mild winter, the tick population is high. Ticks are worse in early spring, when they climb into brush and wait for a chance to attach to a host and feed on the host's blood. Ticks can carry a variety of diseases. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease are two of the known diseases spread by ticks that may affect pets and livestock, as well as people.

Recreating in Tick Country

• Wear light-colored clothing, which allows you to see ticks on your clothing. Tuck your pant legs into your socks so ticks cannot crawl up the inside of your pant legs.
• Apply repellents to discourage tick attachment. Repellents containing permethrin can be sprayed on boots and clothing, and will last for several days. Repellents containing DEET (n, n-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to the skin, but will last only a few hours before reapplication is necessary. Read labels carefully and use as directed on children.
• Sprinkle sulphur on your socks, boots and pant legs.
• Stay on trails where the chance of picking up ticks is less likely. Avoid tall grass and brush.
• Routinely check your hair and body for ticks. Conduct a body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Carefully remove any tick you find on your body, according to CDC recommendations. If there is any indication of redness or swelling, go to a doctor immediately and take the tick with you in a plastic bag for identification.
• Know Before You Go: What to Do if You've Been Bitten by a Tick

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Spiders deserve more respect than we give them, and spider bites are often misdiagnosed in the world of First Aid, as a result. Plenty of red, raised welts have been identified, either correctly or incorrectly, as spider bites. Despite the belief by many victims that spiders are responsible for their pain, spider bites are often harmless. Indeed, most true spider bites go unnoticed and untreated. In the United States, black widow spiders are often considered the most venomous. Brown recluse spiders have garnered plenty of attention in the last ten years or so. Despite the large wounds often associated with brown recluse, they are much less likely to cause significant injury than black widows. Brown recluse are also misdiagnosed quite a bit, with abscesses attributed to them that they didn't cause. Brown Recluse spiders are only found in the Southeast United States.

Louisiana has both of these spiders.

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Scorpions are found worldwide, although those found here in the South are not considered dangerous. For most, a scorpion sting feels like a bee sting. Generally, fewer than 5% of stings result in signs and symptoms requiring medical attention. However, if you have known allergies to bees or other stinging insects, always carry antihistamines and/or Epi-pens in your first aid kit.

To prevent being stung by a scorpion:

• Wear protective footwear, especially at night.
• Exercise caution when lifting rocks, logs and when collecting firewood.
• Do not handle scorpions with bare hands.
• Shake out footwear, clothing and bedding to expel unwanted creepy crawlies. Don’t sleep directly on the ground when camping.

If you are stung by a scorpion:

• Apply a cold compress immediately for pain and swelling.
• Stings are usually immediate and intense, burning pain at the sting site that lasts about 30 minutes. Mild inflammation may be present, with the sting mark not always visible.
• Seek medical attention in an allergic reaction such as breathing difficulties, stomach pain or extreme swelling and pain, vomiting, or shock.
• Use of prescribed medications such as Epi-pen or over the counter anti-histamines may be useful.

Most ants are merely an annoyance while camping, hiking or picnicking. However, the red imported fire ant poses the most serious risk of any ant in North America because of its aggressive nature and the potency of its sting. Fire ants are dark reddish-brown and only a fraction of an inch in size. A fire ant colony will contain ants of a variety of sizes, whereas most other ants are uniform in size. When attacking, the fire ant stinger injects venom. It is fatal to small animals, and very uncomfortable to humans. It produces a burning sensation; it's been said it feels like fire. Small red bumps will appear on the skin and be annoyingly itchy. The venom from fire ants can actually be deadly to persons who are sensitive or allergic. Fire ants can be avoided if you know how to identify them. A fire ant nest might look like a sandy mound, a dome or a bald spot on the soil; but the colony is likely to extend several feet underground. Just because you're a few steps away from a surface mound of loose soil does not mean you're standing at a safe distance from a fire ant nest. Or, the nest might be invisible, hiding under objects like logs or rocks.

• Watch out for mounds of loose soil that don't seem to fit in with other surroundings.
• Avoid camping at the base of trees, especially if you notice rotting wood. Don't set up tents with floors on top of ant mounds or try to coexist with them in any way. Do not disturb ant mounds.
• Keep your camp site clean. If you encounter ants, leave them alone and find a new camping site. Don't try to get rid of them.
• If you or someone in your group is sensitive or allergic to fire ants, always bring appropriate medication in case of a serious reaction.

There is a risk of mosquito bite every time you enter a forest, or work in and around the woods. In addition to being uncomfortable, mosquito bites can cause illnesses, including several types of encephalitis, dengue and West Nile virus. The chance that any one person is going to become ill from a single mosquito bite remains low. Preventing mosquito bites is the best way to reduce the risk of infection from the diseases mosquitoes can carry.

• Apply an insect repellent as necessary. Read labels carefully and use as directed on children.
• Treat your clothes with permethrin repellents. Do not use permethrins on your skin.
• Wear loose-fitting clothes to help prevent mosquitoes from reaching the skin. Whenever possible, wear long-sleeves, socks and long pants. Wear clothing that helps you blend in with the background. Mosquitoes hone in on color contrast and movement.
• Avoid perfumes, colognes, hair sprays, lotions and soaps, as they all attract mosquitoes.
• Avoid lingering in places where mosquitoes lay their eggs, usually around standing water.
• Wash mosquito bites with mild soap and water.

Bees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets can be either a minor nuisance or a serious danger. Complications are often minor, such as the development of infection at the sting site requiring treatment with antibiotic. Irritation, redness and swelling would be mild reactions. Allergic reactions include swelling of the lips or throat, breathing problems, faintness or confusion. Between one and two million people in the United States are very allergic to stinging insect venom, and may experience a very severe reaction that requires immediate medical attention.

Safety Tips

• If you know you are allergic to a bee, wasp, hornet or yellow jacket stings, carry medication. Let others know that you may have an allergic reaction and that you have medication.
• Apply insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) when you are outdoors. Treat your clothes with permethrin repellents. Do not use permethrins on your skin.
• Avoid heavy, flowery perfumes, colognes or scents. They may attract bees. Never strike or swing at a wasp or a bee.
• Stay away from nests. Do not try to destroy nests.