The wild animals that live in the Boundary Waters are a major reason that many visitors choose to come here, but they can also pose a potential risk to visitors who aren’t used to living around large wild animals. One type of animal that frighten some visitors are the resident wolves. Wolves in rural areas have been known to regularly attack livestock or farm animals, but human attacks are rare. If you keep a healthy distance away from any wolves and make sure to keep strong odors, especially food, far from camp, the chances of being attacked by wolves is extremely low.
Like wolves, black bears are rarely dangerous unless they have come to associate humans with food. That’s why it’s so important to do all your cooking a safe distance away from camp and store all your food in a bear can. Most instances that don’t involve food when humans were attacked by bears were either when the bear was surprised or when humans got in between a mother bear and her cub. Give the bears plenty of room and you should be fine.
Ironically, the most dangerous large mammal in the Boundary Waters area is the moose. Moose aren’t usually aggressive towards people, but they can attack if they are provoked. Unlike deer, they aren’t afraid of humans, so they won’t run away if you approach. If a moose is blocking the trail, give them plenty of space and wait for them to leave on their own.