Bear "attacks" and other incidents this year?

[JumpMaster Blaster]

I'm wondering how many bear incidients have been reported this year. I'm not talking about "hey I saw a bear in Shenandoah, took a picture & it ran off", I'm talking about a bear, upon seeing a human, that does NOT retreat, and commences to harass/stalk said human, or runs amok through a campsite, etc.

I know about 2- the one in the Smokies where the kid was tossed out of his hammock, and one somewhere near Erwin, TN, where an agressive bear apparently ransacked a couples campsite (does anyone have info on that? All I got was hearsay & secondhand info).

Did anyone hear of any other incidents up & down the trail (or on nearby trails)?

*for the record- I'm asking for a statistical refernce, not because I'm "skeered". :cool:

[The Cleaner]

A few weeks ago I did a 3 day trip in the Shining Rock Wilderness area, about 30 miles southwest of Asheville NC. On my last day I met the local USFS Wilderness Ranger. He told me that there had been 47 reported "incidents" on his district. Due to this there is a mandatory bear canister rule for Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness areas.On my 1st night a bear did come into my campsite but since my food was in a bear canister there was no problem except for a broken cap on my Platypus water carrier.I never had anything in it but water so the bear must have just been checking it out and bit the cap.On my way out I also met 2 hikers who had just been given a $125 citation from the WR for not having a bear canister.

[misterfloyd]

Unfortunately Shinning Rock and Middle Prong is one of my favorite places to go hiking all year round. There are many bears up there because of the close proximity to Graveyard fields and BRP. There is a lot of garbage that is left by people, or food that is improperly stored, and the bears learn to get the food and results with no fear with people. The canister rule up there has been a long time coming.

There is a problem with bears every year in the smokies. There are closed trails, shelters, backcountry sites because people in cades cove, and newfound gap feed them. I have seen it first hand.

Sorry to stray from the original post. I make so much noise and stink that bears have never been a problem.

I personally can't say there is a greater problem this year than any other year.

Floyd

[The Cleaner]

The Wilderness Ranger explained to me that there were more cubs born last fall due to an "excessive" mast crop last year.More bears searching for food until the berries get ripe.misterfloyd is correct about hikers coming from the BRP.They pack in all kinds of food and then throw leftovers everywhere.Some of them only hike a very short distance then camp.Now camping is not allowed within 1000ft of the BRP.

[Traveler]

I've not had to fight off any bears this year, rare as that is. However I did successfully fend off a particularly pissed off and rather impressively armed chipmunk. <beaming>

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=JN.uHvtE7Rp%2bkMTTlI658OVCA&pid=15.1&P=0

[swisscross]

I've not had to fight off any bears this year, rare as that is. However I did successfully fend off a particularly pissed off and rather impressively armed chipmunk. <beaming>

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=JN.uHvtE7Rp%2bkMTTlI658OVCA&pid=15.1&P=0
My killer cat would have blast with that.