That's funny that you say that because I do not eat meat...at all.. I think nature has a way of taking care of it's environment and it's animals. When you think about it when we are in the back country we are in "their" territory. We have basically ran them out of their own habitat so they have every right to be there and to do what they see fit to have an established territory, which again, we are slowly stealing from them. Hell, no wonder they are pissed off and get at us every chance they get. You can't really blame them. I do carry a weapon to protect myself and it would always be a last resort to shoot one of them. I also always carry a couple of packs of firecrackers in my pocket when I am on the trail and that has always worked to scare off any animal, and I have had to use them on several occasions...sabre11004...