Can you guess the most dangerous animal in North America?
Asked by
Mariah (
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November 14th, 2011
No Googling; that’s cheating!
I just heard this the other day and the answer made me say “Oh, duh!”
What do you think is the most dangerous animal in North America?
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71 Answers
A drunk human being driving on the road?
Deer. In vehicle collisions, that is. We’re currently entering the riskiest time of the year, with lots of deer activity due to breeding season (rut).
I saw the aftermath of a particularly bad incident – the doe leaped up, making her center of gravity higher that the grill of the car. She went through the windshield and wound up in the back seat, essentially decapitating the driver.
Those deer that survive the initial impact come to us for euthanasia so that they don’t suffer. Some of the injuries are absolutely horrifying.
A teen driver texting, late for an appointment, and driving. After that it would be the grizzly bear.
Either Dick Cheney or a grizzly bear.
Do we get anything if we win?
Karl Rove or a Rattlesnake. Oh, they’re the same thing?
It’s wild animals if you should cheat like I just did.
I mean I guess it depends on your standards.
My vote would be for deer, since they cause a ton of accidental deaths by getting hit by cars. But some may consider that “cheating” since the deer aren’t like “purposely” causing the deaths.
I am guessing the domestic dog pet.
@tedd you might be right about the deer, one nearly totaled my car, I was run over by a pack of them while riding my bike, and amost shot when a hunter almost mistaked my dog and I for a deer.
Is it possibly some type of animal that spreads rabies or lyme disease? Maybe even a mosquito or a tick?
I know that some aquarium piranahs have been let loose into the wild. And water moccasin snakes are supposed to be pretty deadly.
Are there any venemous spiders in North America? Like the Tarantula?
Maybe a bull…
I’d have to say poisonous snakes.
@MilkyWay We have two native poisonous spiders: Black Widows, and Brown Recluse. Neither is all that common. Anyone know of others?
As far as the “most destructive mammal”, it is, of course, the common house cat.
Dangerous in terms of fatalities or just plain scary critters?
I’d say it’s a toss up between rattlesnake & coyote.
I should have clarified: ‘the most destructive mammal – after humans’. It’s true. House cats kill more wildlife than all other species in this country.
Okay, just to clarify, the most dangerous animal in North America for humans ?
Or for something else?
@CWOTUS There’s always been talk about trying to ban them in New Zealand, because of the rare native bird population. It takes a very special cat to charm me. I am not much of a cat person.
I’ll vote deer. In my small area people are killed in car-deer accidents every year. It’s awful.
Assuming you don’t mean humans, there are several possibilities.
There is the bear: It can run faster than you, it can swim so trying to get away by heading for the water is not an option, and it is a great climber so heading for a tree won’t do you much good. In short, if a bear is resolved to have you for lunch, you might as well cover yourself in salt and pepper.
However, there are other types of threats. The lowly flea is responsible for the whole black plague epidemic. The mosquito carries all sort of pathogens, So, I’m guessing that the real answer is something a bit smaller than a bear.
Do you mean which animal can hurt an individual the most or which does more damage in toto?
Bees. I heard about this a while back ago. I’m not sure if they still consider that the most dangerous though.
Sorry I left right after posting this! The article I read said white-tailed deer because, like many of you said, of all the car accidents they cause.
So… does that mean that deer hunters are actually managing a dangerous animal population?
Yep.^ To bad we don’t have any other predators around to help.
^ Yes. Unfortunately they don’t take enough. Or we need more coyote.
I had the “pleasure” of hitting one on the highway. It jumped out from the tall grass and right into my path. I had the choice of hitting the car next to me, swerving off the road and maybe hitting a tree or hitting the deer. . My minivan (GM) cut it in pieces. Part went up over the roof, some went under the car and some went into the engine compartment. Gag me!
Don’t know about your neck of the woods @everephebe, but around here we have large cats as well as coyotes. Of course, there is significant debate over just how much impact coyotes have on local deer populations.
Or wolves yo.^/^^
“The caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf who keeps the caribou strong.” -Keewation (Inuit) Proverb. Insert deer in place of caribou and it still works.
Personally, I think it’s God’s way of telling us to quit tearing up the woods to grow beef and consume more free range venison instead.. ;)
@YoBob That’s the best idea with the word ‘God’ in it I’ve heard for a while :D
@YoBob Only if you think humans matter more than deer.
White-tail deer season starts in my neck of the woods at sunrise tomorrow.
I’m hoping someone brings me home some free-range venison.
I see dead deer alongside the road every day. Their food is plentiful, they have no predators except hunters for a few weeks every year. It’s a very dangerous situation for the deer and people.
@flutherother Oh, haha! Thanks.
Yeah, that makes the most sense. My car is currently missing part of the front end because of a deer. Lol.
@Simone_De_Beauvoir Of course not, nor do I think that Mountain Lions matter more that deer, but that doesn’t change either of their position in the food chain.
I know way more people killed by the actions/inactions of other people than the total number injured or killed by white-tailed deer . . .
Thank goodness there are no White Tailed deer around where I live, just tons of mule deer.
Dangerous to who, what, the world at large? Homo Sapiens?
Dangerous to Homo Sapiens? Maybe those damn squirrels that run halfway into the lane, and back, then into again, then WHAM! you hit a tree trying to avoid the silly thing.
The Tailypo! That bugger’s still out there, somewhere…
I was gonna say either a wolverine or a bear, but I guess they’re only dangerous if you attack them, or happen to come upon their offspring.
Not really sure what I missed, but I absolutely put humans above deer and any other animal.
does dangerous mean deadly…..
is it jellies?
Humans of course!
I’m in Mountain Lion land over here.
Cougar attacks are on the rise the last couple decades.
Infact, I am just getting ready to go out and lock up the geese in the barn, always a spooky walk on a dark night in the land of the stealth cat.
Being born in Minnesnowda, I am going to go with the state bird of the Mosquito.
They carry all kinds of nasty stuff.
I’m late but I’m an honest person and as far as North America is concerned the answer I would have posted would have been yellow jackets.
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