Bear Trouble at Woods Hole shelter

[Troy]

On Friday 4/23/10- me and 3 of my buds hiked from Woody Gap to Woods Hole and heard from a Ridge Runner about a bear getting into packs from Woods hole to ther Blood Mtn shelter. We set up camp at Woods Hole and noticed the remnants of a pack on the far left of the bear cable. We all hung our stuff but did not use the far left cable ( had 7 others in camp). At 10:00 pm we heard a clanging and the bear was on the tree trying to get to the packs/bags. We got out of our tents and shown out lights on him and even tough it was dark we were able to get a good look on ocassion- he was huge . I would estimate 400 pounds. He was big and fat. He was not afraid of us but we kept our lights on him, yelled and threw rocks at him ( from a distance). He walked right behind one tent and left. He came back at 11:00 pm and went up the tree trying the bear cabel one more time. We got out and chased him off again. He did not return. We went on to Neals gap crossing Blood and talked to others who had seen the bear in broad daylight sitting on the side of the trail.

[Pedaling Fool]

I wonder what the ratio is of hikers that lose stuff to bears?

# Of hikers that lost stuff that was hung.

# Of hikers that lost stuff that was with them in their tent.

(Note: Hikers that lose stuff from an unoccupied tent would have to be discounted).

[Blissful]

This happened last year too. Bear knows what a food bag is, hanging or not.

[max patch]

That shelter is only about a mile through the woods from a state park so bears have a lot of food options in the area. Dinner at the dumpsters and then desert at the shelter.

[Cool AT Breeze]

Two hikers got hit last night. Come to think of it hikers have been hit just about every night for the last six weeks. The word is out, people just wont listen. Does that make the bear smarter than the hikers?

[kanga]

Two hikers got hit last night. Come to think of it hikers have been hit just about every night for the last six weeks. The word is out, people just wont listen. Does that make the bear smarter than the hikers?

does a bear **** in the woods?

[Cool AT Breeze]

does a bear **** in the woods?

Yes, plastic, nylon, and foil.

[Father Dragon]

Sounds like someone needs to go up there and give that bear a good talking to.

[Cool AT Breeze]

I talk to him all the time, he's cool, just wont do what I tell him.

[Elder]

I talk to him all the time, he's cool, just wont do what I tell him.

Maybe a she bear?

[The_Saint]

There were notes about this all last year.

[FritztheCat]

The bear should be issued a strongly worded letter.

[LimpsAlong]

Was the killing of a bear on Blood a rumor? If so, it was surely entertaining!

[Troy]

When we got to the store at Neels Gap, we told our story to the lady running the cash register and she said she heard some "moron" had shot the bear with a 22. calibre in the butt. Heard nothing about the bear being killed. And the bear I saw would hardly have felt a .22 in that big butt.

[TJ aka Teej]

Newer thread, same bear:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=61673

[Eagle98]

That bear was BIG. The earlier reports of 400 pounds was viewed as a possible over exageration when my group heard the reports of the bear earlier Friday (April 30). However, once I saw the bear on Friday night at Woods Hole, I knew the weight was right on. While the bear was not aggressive towards us, it certainly had the size to do so. Sadly, the park service must think of the safety of the campers/hikers. If the park service did nothing and a hiker was injured or killed, the Monday Morning quaterbacks would be all over the park service. Remember, if you hike, be smart and don't feed the wildlife. You are only setting up another senario of bear aggression.