My real bear encounter at the Priest shelter

[1234]

I have been backpacking since 1973 and in all that time I have only seen 2 bears. Well that number is now 3. Sunday May 9 I tented with my wife in front of the Priest shelter about 40 feet just to the north. A family with 4 small children were in the shelter and there was 1 thru hiker and his friend visiting. At 12:20 my wife keeps saying something is outside the tent, it is big, it is breathing hard, she shoves me to full awake and says look outside. I find my head light and unzip the tent and shine the light around, A very large bear is 10 feet from the shelter and just behind it, it stops turns and looks right at me, then lifts its nose. Now my heart is racing, I do not even carry a knife, but I do pack a baggie with firecrackers, so I rummage around and find them and light 3 or 4 and then one goes pop. Then another. I figure the loud sound will scare the bear away. I shine the light around and only see camper and dog eyes in the shelter. After a long time I settle down and go back to sleep. At 4 am I feel a nudge, and a long blow just a few inches from my ear. I have the light still in my hand and I pop it on and the bear has its head under the rain fly pressing against the tent screen up against my head. It is as large as a basket ball and my wife screams roar, I was frozen stiff. My heart racing beyond belief. The bear just pulled back and disappeared. I must say I did not think I would be so scared, but I was petrified beyond my own belief. I did have a half a York peppermint Pattie in the side pocket of the tent, it is the only thing I can think he was after. I did see the family toss all there left over mac and cheese and oatmeal behind the shelter, then they did hang there food. ?? In the morning they all asked what the firecrackers were for so late and we said there was a bear in camp, I did not say he whispered in my ear, I did not feel anyone believed me The thru said it was awful rude to be setting off fireworks so late. ?? I was a memory I will never forget for sure. Odds are I never see another one.

[Skidsteer]

Well as long as he didn't get the peppermint pattie...

[Pedaling Fool]

They dumped food right next to the shelter? Can't walk a little ways off and dump it...I sleep with my food, but I don't put cooked food out around my sleeping area, that's an invitation.

BTW, how many hikers had food hanging in the shelter on the mouse lines?

[scudder]

great story. thanks for posting!

[MkBibble]

wow! can't get much cloder than that, just a tent screen between the two of you.

[Nearly Normal]

Should have smacked him a good one, right on the nose with you're hiking boot.

[Del Q]

Awesome Mother Nature "sighting", all ended well............agree on the food around shelters, no matter how careful I am, no telling what happened the last few days, watched a thru hiker throw what was left in his cook pot 30 ft from the shelter.............I almost always tent now, better for many reasons.

[Trailweaver]

You should have read that family the riot act and made them clean that food up!!! It could possibly save their lives in the future. And the camper who thought it "rude" to pop off firecrackers in the wee hours? I would have thanked you and given you money to buy more in town. Lord. . . how dense were these people?

O.K., now about the camper with the peppermint candy in the tent. . . ; - )

[Tinker]

Should have smacked him a good one, right on the nose with you're hiking boot.

Finally a good reason for heavy hiking boots on the AT .

[WingedMonkey]

You could remember to bring firecrackers but not remember to not leave opened candy in your tent?

[HikerMom58]

Thanks for sharing the story...I'm taking notes!

[TallShark]

Scary... Leaving in a week and now I'm scared.

[Penguin]

Wow what kind of D-bag tosses his food? You got to eat that shiz. Food's scarce. 25 hrs till my plane to ATL!!!!

[JAK]

Something I haven't figured out is how they will go after a moose calf, and not because more agressive with humans. I think it must have something to do with them being creatures of habit, and also perhaps because they are taught by there mothers what food to make a habit of. Since bears do not generally get away with attacking humans, they learn as a species to leave them alone, though this can vary by region. They do get away with taking our food though, more than they should, so they are still very dangerous. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is protecting small children. Carry a large stick. Keep them close, and in tents or shelters with adults at night. Have the children carry large sticks also. Remember the bears are everywhere, and generally weary of humans, but there is no sense in tempting them and teasing them with strong food smells, especially near camp sites where small children might be staying at later dates. I think small children are somewhat over represented in the fatalities, given that there are fewer of them on hiking and camping trips, so we should keep this in mind and be more protective. I think bears understand parental protection, but only if we act protective.

[skooch]

A good reason not to camp too near a shelter.

[Blue Jay]

You could remember to bring firecrackers but not remember to not leave opened candy in your tent?

BINGO, and not just any candy but a peppermint patty. I bet the bear beat all his friends from the next state to get there.

[Pedaling Fool]

Something I haven't figured out is how they will go after a moose calf, and not because more agressive with humans. I think it must have something to do with them being creatures of habit, and also perhaps because they are taught by there mothers what food to make a habit of. Since bears do not generally get away with attacking humans, they learn as a species to leave them alone, though this can vary by region. They do get away with taking our food though, more than they should, so they are still very dangerous. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is protecting small children. Carry a large stick. Keep them close, and in tents or shelters with adults at night. Have the children carry large sticks also. Remember the bears are everywhere, and generally weary of humans, but there is no sense in tempting them and teasing them with strong food smells, especially near camp sites where small children might be staying at later dates. I think small children are somewhat over represented in the fatalities, given that there are fewer of them on hiking and camping trips, so we should keep this in mind and be more protective. I think bears understand parental protection, but only if we act protective.

They are very weary of humans, but they will go after an unaccompanied kid in a second. At least that should be your mindset when having kids out in the woods. The smaller the tastier

[skooch]

I had a similar incident in my own back yard but it was only an opossum hissing at me and my 7yr old granddaughter. I was a freaked out by just that little critter. I can only imagine your fear 1234.

[Tipi Walter]

You should have read that family the riot act and made them clean that food up!!! It could possibly save their lives in the future. And the camper who thought it "rude" to pop off firecrackers in the wee hours? I would have thanked you and given you money to buy more in town. Lord. . . how dense were these people?

O.K., now about the camper with the peppermint candy in the tent. . . ; - )

Yes, who would leave food inside his tent?? It's a real mistake and a real sign of in-camp laziness. "Wilderness", or at least forest areas, have a way of sorting out the newb mistakes we make---hopefully 1234 will never make the same mistake again. I wonder if he snitched out the bear to the "authorities" later and told them there's a "problem bear" in the area? The predictable outcome is bear slaughter all due to the simple mistake of a peppermint patty, while instead the guy who leaves food in his tent should be dart-tranquilized and re-located.

A good reason not to camp too near a shelter.

And who in their right mind would camp anywhere near a shelter?

[88BlueGT]

exactly why I don't stay anywhere near shelters...

good story though! I won't lie, I would have crapped my pants.