View Full Version : Bear!? ... your next move is ...
I've been reading the forums abit lately, and about the only concern i have besides dehydration cause i sweat alot ... is bears ... and honestly, i've been hiking in my home state since i was a boy, never seen a bear in PA ... i have in the poconos but i was in my friends house while his dog tree'd a bear ...
But Here's the straight forward question in general ...
Your walking on the trail, You spot a bear ... using the scenario he's various stages of length away from you .... What can you do/should/don't in this momment ....
Additional question, Are bear encounters in georgia quite common?
Lone Wolf
12-22-2007, 02:53
seeing bear in georgia isn't common
whitefoot_hp
12-22-2007, 03:00
ive seen a bear in GA, a few miles north of neels gap. only saw it for a second as it took off screaming and moaning in fear as if i were the devil. i guess that answers the question: try to get a good look at it as it runs away.
Quagmire
12-22-2007, 03:01
i've only seen bears on TV
River Runner
12-22-2007, 03:07
get your camera out
And make it fast before he runs off. Actually, better already have it out and at the ready.
I saw one about a mile or so north of Dick's Creek Gap in late October. He/she was off trail, in a tree, and I probably would have missed him/her entirely if I hadn't just noticed the light in the trees that I thought would make a good picture. Stopped to get my camera out, and caught sight of him/her moving. Unfortunately, wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a photo of him/her.
The Mechanical Man
12-22-2007, 03:12
Do not let the fear of bears scare you from the AT.
When I lived in the Lehigh Valley,..............Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton area for 32 years, I didn't think bears were as plentiful as they really are here in Pa along the AT.
The past 19 years, as I live close to the trail at Smith Gap, it is not unusual to see a bear walk through my yard, you never know when.
Now, I usually smile, and just say "Hi Bear", do you want to take a shower at my place, and get some take out food?
It works every time..............:)
doesn't matter how near or far, don't run, if you run it means that you are possible food, or at least fun to kill
don't offer it food
sing a song to the bear, my personal fav is '99 bottles of beer on the wall', doesn't require much thinking, but just enough to keep your head on straight 'the song that never ends' is another favorite of mine.
make yourself seem large as possible, if you have trekking poles, bang them over your head, throw rocks, the stupider you look the better job you are doing.
don't remember off the top of my head but i'm pretty sure there are more threads on this subject
take-a-knee
12-22-2007, 03:15
seeing bear in georgia isn't common
Because they get shot at occasionally.
Doesn't matter what you do, you're dead already. Eastern black bears are predatory of humans and eat us every chance they get. Your best bet is to sic your dog on them, run back to the shelter, and call your mom on your cell phone.:D:D
How have you not seen a bear? Relax, man. They are cool if you are cool. Bears are good eat'n, kinda greasy (don't tell then I said that). No kidding, the bears won't hurt you.
Quagmire
12-22-2007, 03:16
do NOT assume the fetal position. I learned that much in a movie.
the stupider you look the better job you are doing.
This stategy applies to several other hike (life?)-related subjects. I am currently doing one hell of a job.
Lone Wolf
12-22-2007, 03:21
i'm more stupider lookin' than you is :banana
i'm more stupider lookin' than you is :banana
ageeified. butt ikin spell bettrn u
SweetAss03
12-22-2007, 03:25
Reach down to my hip belt and get my camera out before it runs away!
Lots of times you will only see the backside as the bear is off and running, However in many lucky times I've been able to get lots of nice shots from bears before they knew I was ever there.
My best bear story... I'm in the Wilderness in Southeast Washington. My dog stops in her tracks about 10 feet in front of me on the trail. I look around and find what she is looking at, mom bear and two cubs, one on the ground and one in a small tree. I hook the lesh on to my dog. The bears are about 30-35 yards away from me. I reach down and unzip my camera, move off the trail and take a couple of pictures. Mom "sees" me, smells something and starts to look around. I reach down and unholster my side arm (by myself in SE Washington is the only time I carry, for a small chance against Cougar if it came down to that for myself or my dog) Mom finds me and charges a couple of steps. I think to my self "Self you should have brought more gun, screw the few onces." Mom turns around and beats feet taking the one on the ground with her. A short time later the one in the tree figures out the family left and heads out as well. I get a small rush and some great pictures. I've seen lots and lots of bears, many on the AT. Every single time they bring a smile to my face and a new bounce to my step.
Happy hikes
do NOT assume the fetal position. I learned that much in a movie.
Deliverance.
What a classic.
The Mechanical Man
12-22-2007, 03:27
You Talkin To Me??
The Mechanical Man
12-22-2007, 03:36
I don't see anybody else here, so you must be talkin to me.
So whatja gonna do aboutit??
HUH?
I love bears, and can't wait to see them next time again.
I'm cornfused. talkn to who? You? Ok. Leave my bears alone.
I aint never been to PA but i drove thru there 6-8 times. I'll trade you bears if you can train mine to wear sunglasses & listen to ZZTOP:cool:
double d
12-22-2007, 04:22
Black Bears are much more "passive" then Brown (aka the feared Griz) bears, but unless your in the N.W., your not gonna see brown bears (they are much more bigger then black bears and will fight a black bear to protect their hunting grounds). Just don't run, the reaction of a black bear might be to chase you. Hold your ground, make some noise (lets the bear figure out that she/he isn't alone enjoying the outdoors anymore at that moment) and use alot of common sense (such as, don't start eating a ham sandwich while momma bear is guarding her cubs).
Also, do not have food in your tent at night, hang a bear bag in bear country (such as New Jersey), maybe I've read too many articles on black bears, but.....their sense of smell is about 7 times that of a human.
Bears, shmears. Our rednecks have them trained to run. Run you shiny fat black ******!!
Is anybody here realy sceered o' bears?:rolleyes:
neighbor dave
12-22-2007, 07:11
:-? i seen a bear in the woods, an' i seen a beaver in the woods ,but i never seen a bear beaver in the woods;)
The topic reminded me of the mandatory film backcountry permit seekers must watch to go into the Denali NP (Alaska) wilderness. The film showed this guy and a grisley bear charging him full speed (must have been a trained, tame bear) and as the guy was dropping down into a fetal position, the narrator said, "lie down in a fetal position, and REMAIN CALM!" :eek:
Easy for someone to say! :D
Good reading here:
http://www.bearsmart.com/bearFacts/Communication.html
wrongway_08
12-22-2007, 09:20
Enjoy it, get the camera out.
not a big deal, probably the only thing that smells worse then a thru-hiker is a bear..... they stink.
stop and get out the camera..if he is still there click away, then just watch calmly.
There's no way you will see a bear in PA though and unlikely in Georgia unless you hike later in the season (in March and April they are hibernating).
But one thing to emphasise..under NO circumstances should you start running. That just makes bear think you are dinner.
And if you are nutty enough to carry a gun, I hope you aren't nutty enough to try and shoot at the bear. If you do..you got one shot..otherwise..it's bon apetit for Mr. Bear!
It is worth remembering..Bears can out run any hiker. The very worst think you can do is to try and run away!
Snickers (class '06)
DavidNH
Lone Wolf
12-22-2007, 10:24
Is anybody here realy sceered o' bears?:rolleyes:
uh, yeah. 99% of people on this site. :)
Toolshed
12-22-2007, 10:30
I was leading an AMC backpacking Trip a few years back and Had a lawyer type from Phillie on the trip. I was ahead of the group and spotted a bear about 30 0r 40 yards off the trail in a bed of ferns. I watched him rooting around for about 1 minute until this fellow catches up. I whisper "There is a bear over there and point... " He immediately starts jumping up and down and waves his poles in the air and screaming "Go away bear...Go Away Bear" the bear stood up and looked at us and then dropped down and took off before the other members of the group could see it.
I asked this fool why he did that and he explained that the bear would have seen us a food and attacked us. I chastised this fool and told him that He needs to read up on bears and that he ruined a nice viewing experience for himself and the group. (I was really pissed).
Doughnut
12-22-2007, 10:34
Darkage, Don't be afraid of a bear,
I am very fortunate, so far I've seen 8 in the short stretch between Springer and NOC. 3 seperate bears were in GA, 2 seperate bears were actually ON THE TRAIL I was walking, every one ran when they realized I was there.
Keep a clean camp and remember YOU are the visitor to the woods, they live there.
Same for the snakes and deer, and chipmunks, and grouse. The grouse scare me because they wait till you're nice and relaxed then BAM! Off the go, scare the stuff out of a corpse,
Dough Nut
Next move? Stay cool, enjoy the view. I've only had one close-encounter on the AT, but it was cool, and over too soon. I wish I could have captured it with a photo. I'll have to be content with the memory.
It is worth remembering..Bears can out run any hiker. The very worst think you can do is to try and run away!
I cannot be bothered with all the bear rules, so I hike with someone who can't run as fast as I can.
Dealing with bears is tricky as every situation is different. I've had 5 bear encounters ranging from bears fleeing from me to a mama closing the ~12-15 foot close gap between us and showing no fear of me. She wanted to get between me and her cub which was hidden by shrubs. The encounter was over in just a few seconds when they slowly ambled off trail. I was too startled to get my bear repellant (camera) out. This happened in GSMNP where they are protected from hunters.
Egads
Egads is spot on when he mentions that each bear encounter can be different. My first bear sighting in northern Minnesota this year went by the books. My hiking partner and I spotted a cub a few feet up a tree trunk thirty yards in front of us. We stopped in our tracks. We spotted ma bear and another cub and they, with the other cub trotting after, clearly having noticed us, sauntered away from us and the trail.
The second bear encounter a few days later was different. I was hiking alone this time and stopped at a lake-side tent-site which had a short dock so people could get water without wading into the water grasses right at the shore. I got on the dock and saw a larger, probably male, bear walking slowly away from me on the shoreline. When it got about 50 yards away it took a step or two inland and pooped (so I can now answer from experience the age-old question, "Does a bear s**t in the woods?":D ).
And then it walked slowly back toward me, head down snuffling in the grass. I waived my arms. I tried to talk loudly so it would hear me, but I don't think I was able to manage enough volume that it did. So I quickly walked the twenty yards back into the dense trees to the tent-site and picked up my pack. I then got the idea to use the whistle in my pocket to make my presence known. It was a new, light plastic whistle, the kind without a ball -- this was the first time I'd used it -- and I have to admit that after I blew on it twice it sounded less likely to scare away a bear and more likely to imitate a wounded small bird. Maybe the bear thought so too because a few seconds later I spotted it again, walking through the trees, mostly towards me, but quartering away a little. And then I walked out of the tent-site, and with my last glance over my shoulder I saw it, too, was walking mostly away from me.
In hindsight it seems likely it didn't know a human was around until it came to investigate the whistle, and when it did see me it walked away. But there is also a chance that it might have been mildly habituated to humans -- after all, I did see it very close to a tentsite -- and had been aware of me for a while and wasn't inclined to let that change whatever plans it had. I will say it never behaved in a way that I would interpret as aggressive.
So, advice for what to do in the presence of a black bear? Remember that they hear and smell very well, but their eyesight is not so good (I forgot that at the time of my encounter, so my arm-waving on the dock probably went unnoticed). There is the universal, don't get between a mother and her cub. If you WANT to get closer to the bear, for picture taking or whatever, stay quiet. If you want to drive the bear away, noise is probably more effective than motion (unless the noise is as wimpy as my whistle turned out to be).
I cannot be bothered with all the bear rules, so I hike with someone who can't run as fast as I can.
I agree, my brother is alot slower than me ... GG :banana
But yeah, I'm not scared of the bears or wildlife ... i've had plenty encounter's with porcupine that have allmost ended sorta ugly .... "There mean little guys" .. lmao
But bears do bring a concern, there paws could rip my head off or cause serious injury if one didn't wanna behave ... so simply knowing what ya should in a situation your not sure is helpfull ... Appreciate the responses and alot of um made me laugh ... good start to the day ...
This forum rocks ....
Now I may be anthropomorphising here, but in my one serious, close encounter with a bear, this summer in SNP, I was impressed by the bear's coolness (and later, with my own.) It seemed to me that there was a "sizing up" process going on in both the bear's brain and my own. But when, after a few seconds of this, the bear went back to foraging, I completely relaxed -- I knew that he (she?) was more interested in his lunch than in me. He'd look up every now and then to keep an eye on me, but was not much concerned by my presence. Eventually, about a half minute later, as the distance between us decreased, the bear turned tail and bounded into the woods. It really was breathtaking to come so close to a large, wild creature like that. I think the bear and I were both more surprised (and curious) than frightened.
There's no way you will see a bear in PA though
my closest bear encounter was in PA http://web.mac.com/thickredhair/AT_Fall_07/In_Words/Entries/2007/9/29_The_Bear....html
But yeah, I'm not scared of the bears or wildlife ... i've had plenty encounter's with porcupine that have allmost ended sorta ugly .... "There mean little guys" .. lmao
Porkies can be stubborn! Twice, I've encountered them in the middle of the trail, quite unwilling to move. It took a whole lot of shouting and other noisemaking to get the critters to leave the trail so I could pass. But this summer I did get a good pic of a timid porky that scooted up a tree next to the trail.
http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/normal_IMG_0668_ann.jpg
Yup, looks alittle smaller than the one i had to tree near our camp .... he was within 10 feet of my tent ... he wasn't getting any closer without a fight ... "That i'd have lost" .. but i kept me ground and he went up the tree ... Looked at my brother at first and remember saying, now we gotta watch him till he comes down ... "I didn't feel like moving camp" ... Bout an hour or two he came down an waddled away like nothing ....
dessertrat
12-22-2007, 16:18
doesn't matter how near or far, don't run, if you run it means that you are possible food, or at least fun to kill
don't offer it food
sing a song to the bear, my personal fav is '99 bottles of beer on the wall', doesn't require much thinking, but just enough to keep your head on straight 'the song that never ends' is another favorite of mine.
make yourself seem large as possible, if you have trekking poles, bang them over your head, throw rocks, the stupider you look the better job you are doing.
don't remember off the top of my head but i'm pretty sure there are more threads on this subject
The songs that come to mind easily are "The Bear Went Over the Mountain", or "He was a hairy bear, he was a scary bear"
Shiraz-mataz
12-22-2007, 18:15
Someone sent me a photo of a sign that was really cool. Wish I still had it! I'll try to convey its message which warned hikers of the difference between black bears and grizzly bears. The sign suggested that hikers carry pepper spray and hang bells on their hiking sticks. Then the sign told hikers how to tell the difference between black bear scat and grizzly bear scat. Black bear poop usually has berries in it while grizzly bear poop has bells in it and smells like peppers!
I've encountered 11 bears in GA over the past couple of years. Mostly around Unicoi Gap and Low Gap. Never any issues - they run off as soon as they see me.
Wise Old Owl
12-22-2007, 19:17
Dark Side of The Moon says...
I asked this fool why he did that and he explained that the bear would have seen us a food and attacked us. I chastised this fool and told him that He needs to read up on bears and that he ruined a nice viewing experience for himself and the group. (I was really pissed).[/quote]
He is a edumacated fool - book smart, no real experience. It's a shame, but many people would have made the same mistake. The whole point of hiking is to see new things that nobody else would see. Let it go, and next time leave your lawyer behind, you don't need to pack one for the AT.
Having lived in the poconos for 20 some years in Tobyhanna, and now in east tn. have came real close to many bears while hunting fishing or picking huckleberrys, never had one to charge me yet. knock on wood.. have had them on the patio etc. just use common sense, and remember they are a wild animal, do not make eye contact and do not provoke them, and do not feed them or they will follow you home
My friends and family worry about me going into the woods with the bears, except my wife. She just asks if my life insurance is paid up.
you know you dont have to outrun the bear if you can outrun your hiking partner:D
Toolshed
12-22-2007, 21:36
Dark Side of The Moon says...
I asked this fool why he did that and he explained that the bear would have seen us a food and attacked us. I chastised this fool and told him that He needs to read up on bears and that he ruined a nice viewing experience for himself and the group. (I was really pissed).
He is a edumacated fool - book smart, no real experience. It's a shame, but many people would have made the same mistake. The whole point of hiking is to see new things that nobody else would see. Let it go, and next time leave your lawyer behind, you don't need to pack one for the AT.[/QUOTE]
Hi Mark, I agree - No lawyers on the trail!!! (at least with me) BTW, A buddy of mine lives over in Newtown as well. Right by Tyler SP.
mobileman
12-22-2007, 22:03
A bare, a bare, oh I see A bare, I start to run toward the bare, I've almost caught the bare, ............... poof ...............aw shucks, it was just a bare dream. :d
Demortor
12-22-2007, 22:14
Take a drink out of your flask of courage juice and tackle the bear. Think of the rug you could make!
Have your camera out and ready to take a picture of the bear, bears fear cameras and can sense them from miles away. Of course if the lens cap or your thumb is in a position to ruin a picture of the bear, it will loiter and do various unbelievable tricks for you...
Pedaling Fool
12-22-2007, 22:57
Like others have said: Get your camera (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=17964&original=1&c=member&imageuser=6936) out.
warraghiyagey
12-22-2007, 23:07
Like others have said: Get your camera (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=17964&original=1&c=member&imageuser=6936) out.
Is that a yeti?
Nice john, incredible photo!!!
I had a similar experience as DSoTM except I wasn't with the guy. I came around the bend in the trail and this guy was running toward me totally freaking out . . . saying he'd just seen a bear. Why, he had two dogs as big as a Carolina black bear and one of them attacked me! :eek: I broke away from his dog and hurried up the trail toward where he was pointing but the idiot had obviously totally spooked the bear. Either that or he was on drugs and thought he saw a bear! :rolleyes:
(http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?u=1096)
Javasanctum
12-23-2007, 01:39
I've seen many bears over the years. I feel sorry for them as they run at high speeds, through briars and small trees just to get away from me. You should hear the wood cracking! That's gotta hurt. So much for LNT.
greentick
12-23-2007, 01:45
Have your camera out and ready to take a picture of the bear, bears fear cameras and can sense them from miles away. Of course if the lens cap or your thumb is in a position to ruin a picture of the bear, it will loiter and do various unbelievable tricks for you...
I took a pic in alaska of the back of my lens cap. I titled it "the bear I almost saw".
The Mechanical Man
12-23-2007, 01:59
A few years back my son bought a small stuffed black bear toy in Gatlinburg.
We went on a short hike to Clingmans Dome, from the car parking area one day.
Every so often we would stop and we put the stuffed toy in the bushes along the way and exclaim to a passing tourist, .............LOOK OUT FOR THE BEAR!
Some folks just about jumped out of their shoes when they saw the stuffed toy hiding in the bushes. HEHE
I have hiked the GSMNP for many years, black bear population density is intense there. Have had more encounters than I can count. I have met a few belligerent bears, though never met a one that wouldn't flee me if I raised my voice. So my only complaint is that I have never been able to capture a proper picture of a black bear (I'm talking trail here, Cade's Cove doesn't count). I have pics of boomers, huge salamanders, many a deer who were totally unimpressed by my presence, and even the largest timber rattler I have ever seen outside of a zoo. But to this day myself and my hiking buddies have managed nothing better than a fuzzy pic of a female moving quickly away from us. They are just too durn spooky to get a good pic of. I agree, use good sense - also try to get that camera up in time, and good luck getting a pic before it scoots!
Ramble~On
12-23-2007, 03:45
I live near the GSMNP and spend a lot of my time in the park. This past spring and summer I went pretty much every week and there were few times I didn't see one or more bear. Although I'm local to the park I'm as much a tourist as anyone else everytime I enter...simply put, tourists are bad for bears (period) myself included.
I have seen people do very stupid, foolish and thoughtless things around bears and the fact that there are not more reports of injuries to said stupid people speaks volumes about the good nature of the bears. Each year unknown numbers of bears are destroyed simply due to exposure to idiot humans who have no respect or understanding of nature or wildlife. I think it's good that people are affraid of bears.
If they fear them that should mean that they will take steps to avoid coming into contact with them such as bear bagging, not cooking too close to camping areas, securing food and scent items and not littering or feeding wildlife. I wish more people were affraid of bears or atleast respected them. Yes, the Smokies have a dense population of bears and that is sad considering the density of dense people who visit each year.
Some of you people have got to be kidding me. Advice straight from the place where you read it, .......thanks.
Lone Wolf
12-23-2007, 03:57
i advise sleeping with your food
Tennessee Viking
12-23-2007, 04:18
I spotted a mother bear and two cubs on Bays Mountain in TN while hiking. I came up to into a gap and startled them from behind them. The cubs ran up a tree, and the mother bear was looking left and right...luckily it didn't see me. I moved back still facing them back down the gap about a hundred yards. Ran about 100 ft and turned up an old jeep trail and came down the mountain to a road.
The old fashion method was to run the other way. And ball up and play dead with heads folded around the neck. Thats how people got attacked.
The method I tend to practice is not to show yourself as either prey or the aggressor. Stand your ground, make noise, make yourself look bigger by holding open you jacket or clothes, and point out your poles. Make yourself known and annoying. Be load to alert other hikers. If you have food on hand, throw it to the side of the bear to attract it away from you.
Doughnut
12-23-2007, 09:45
Very well put Spirit Wind.
Slightly off topic: I am planning a trip this week to hike NOC to Fontana.
With the weather as warm as it has been, are the bears hibernating/sleeping still, or are they out and about? I've heard and read that the Southern Black Bears do not truly hibernate.
Anybody seen any lately?
Thanks,
Dough Nut
Furlough
12-23-2007, 10:35
Ex-Marine Kills Bear With Firewood (http://neveryetmelted.com/?p=2688)
Former Marine Chris Everhart was camping with his three sons, ages 6 to 11, at Low Gap Creek Campgrounds (http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/southern/chatcmp.htm) near Helen, Georgia in the Chattahochee National Forest (http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/).
Around 9:30 in the evening, a (variously reported as 275 or 300 lb - 125 or 136 kg) female black bear invaded the Everhart campsite, attempting to make off with a food cooler. The overly adventuresome six-year-old Logan Everhart sprang to his family’s defense, seized a shovel and advanced on the bear trying to frighten off the dangerous predator. The bear responded by growling and advancing on the small boy.
Everhart’s knife and pistol were packed away and out of reach, so the desperate father simply grabbed the first weapon that came to hand: a large piece of firewood. Everhart flung the log, striking the bear in the head, fatally. Everhart’s score was one log, one bear.
Everhart was a hero to his sons, but not to the government. The Forest Service promptly gave him a $75 ticket for “failing to secure his campsite.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2007/06/22/0622gwxbear.html)
AP (http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=115127)
Furlough
$75 fine doesn't come near the pricelessness of the story, wow .... It goes to show what a man will do without thinking to protect his family.
The Mechanical Man
12-23-2007, 22:50
Did you ever get a pictures of the fireflys at Elkmont?
Ramble~On
12-24-2007, 00:19
I know very little about bears but my understanding is that yes, they do hibernate regardless of weather/temps. A good place to get info would be to call and speak with a Ranger at GSMNP.
Pedaling Fool
12-24-2007, 00:28
Very well put Spirit Wind.
Slightly off topic: I am planning a trip this week to hike NOC to Fontana.
With the weather as warm as it has been, are the bears hibernating/sleeping still, or are they out and about? I've heard and read that the Southern Black Bears do not truly hibernate.
Anybody seen any lately?
Thanks,
Dough Nut
This is the year they "hibernate" (they don't technically hibernate, but I forget the technical name; however, it's basically hibernation). However, they are known to come out of their deep sleep if it's a warm day, so you can see a bear this time of year.
Courtesy of wikipedia
"One animal that some famously consider a hibernator is the bear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear), although this is wrong. Bears do not hibernate. During a bear's winter sleep state, the degree of metabolic depression is much less than what is observed in smaller mammals. Many prefer to use the term "denning" but more appropriate is the term estivation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estivation). The bear's body temperature remains relatively stable (depressed from 37°C to approximately 31°C) and it can be easily aroused. In contrast, hibernating ground squirrels may have core body temperatures as low as -2°C. Some reptile species are said to brumate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brumate), or undergo brumation, but the connection to this phenomenon with hibernation is not clear."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear
I was reading in my hammock this summer just south of Damascus about 30 minutes before dark and heard something. I looked up and saw a black bear looking at me at the edge of a pasture. I clapped my hands once then twice more and the bear took off. My only concern was if I had any food that was not contained properly. I do not cook on solo hikes and put all food in zip lock bags.
Lone Wolf
12-24-2007, 10:06
My only concern was if I had any food that was not contained properly. I do not cook on solo hikes and put all food in zip lock bags.
why? i don't get the fear.
neighbor dave
12-24-2007, 10:17
why? i don't get the fear.
:-? it's a republican thing. bin herein' it fer the last 7.5 years. :-?
Lone Wolf
12-24-2007, 10:21
i hike solo, cook big meals and sleep with my food. i ain't skeered :)
why? i don't get the fear.
I get the fear... check out the "wolves & joggers" thread. ;) What surprised me was how the fear vanished quickly on my first real bear encounter. I suppose it could have gone badly, but it was over too soon, really.
The Desperado
12-24-2007, 10:36
If you want to see a bear , try N J . Geesh! On one day walk last year I saw 4 . Most folks that thru will tell you the same thing ..you've got a great chance to see one/take a pic in N J.
If you want to see a bear , try N J . Geesh! On one day walk last year I saw 4 . Most folks that thru will tell you the same thing ..you've got a great chance to see one/take a pic in N J.
When my sister-in-law lived near the trail in Northern NJ, she had to put her garbage cans in bear boxes, where bears are sited daily. My brother-in-law, also in Northern NJ, had one in his background in October. No biggee when you see them regularly.
dessertrat
12-24-2007, 10:50
If you have food on hand, throw it to the side of the bear to attract it away from you.
That's a great way to ensure that the bear expects food from every passing hiker, isn't it?
Lone Wolf
12-24-2007, 10:51
That's a great way to ensure that the bear expects food from every passing hiker, isn't it?
yup. pretty much :D
dessertrat
12-24-2007, 10:53
I do not cook on solo hikes and put all food in zip lock bags.
I hang food but have never thought to not cook on solo hikes. Why do we think that there is more risk of a bear attack when solo? Are there any numbers to bear that out? (pardon the pun). It would seem to make sense, but a bear poking around for smells in the dark probably can't see that it's outnumbered or not.
Originally Posted by buliwyf
If you have food on hand, throw it to the side of the bear to attract it away from you.
This is the worst thing you can do to a bear. It conditions the bear to expect food from people and causes them to become pests and eventually get put down. It happened to a bear at Cosby campground in GSMNP this summer.
Egads
If you have food on hand, throw it to the side of the bear to attract it away from you.
Surely you jest?
Pedaling Fool
12-24-2007, 12:04
... I looked up and saw a black bear looking at me at the edge of a pasture. I clapped my hands once then twice more and the bear took off. My only concern was if I had any food that was not contained properly. I do not cook on solo hikes and put all food in zip lock bags.
I had a similar encounter with a bear in New York, at one of the shelters. It eventually walked up to me as I was cooking dinner, so I could not bang my pots together and he was not deterred by clapping my hands, he got to within 50 feet. I eventually got a big stick raised it and started acting crazy and yelling, he finally left.
I noticed he had a tag in his ear, probably a problem bear as a result of people feeding him.
The Doctor
12-24-2007, 23:48
Yep, unless it's a grizzly to can bet 99% of the time they are just gonna take of without having to shake a limb at them(literally).
Grumpy Ol' Pops
12-25-2007, 00:06
[quote
I noticed he had a tag in his ear, probably a problem bear as a result of people feeding him.[/quote]
The ear tag is used to count the bear population and also track the bear's territory whwn it's spotted or killed.
whitefoot_hp
12-25-2007, 01:03
The method I tend to practice is not to show yourself as either prey or the aggressor. Stand your ground, make noise, make yourself look bigger by holding open you jacket or clothes, and point out your poles. Make yourself known and annoying. Be load to alert other hikers. If you have food on hand, throw it to the side of the bear to attract it away from you.
does it make you feel good that you put others in danger simply because you prefer to overeact to a common situation?
i would not tolerate watching someone feed a bear. period. will lead to bad things for other hikers, not to mention the bear.
The Mechanical Man
12-25-2007, 01:44
The Black AT Bears are our friends on the trail, they eat your food and pack for fun, ...............only if you are dumb enough to play their game.
If you cannot appreciate and enjoy them, you might want to try other trails.
Where the Grizzly and Brown bears, EAT YOU, for dinner, and that does not sound like fun!
warraghiyagey
12-25-2007, 01:48
The Black AT Bears are our friends on the trail, they eat your food and pack for fun, ...............only if you are dumb enough to play their game.
If you cannot appreciate and enjoy them, you might want to try other trails.
Where the Grizzly and Brown bears, EAT YOU, for dinner, and that does not sound like fun!
:) :) Good stuff.
Toolshed
12-25-2007, 22:46
I had another very close bear encounter that I had completely forgotten about until this weekend during Christmas dinner, my brother-in-law started talking about it.
I had taken him and my wife camping in the ADK's back in '95 (He was completely new to camping).
Anyway we camped at one of the DEC state parks, but there were a lot of problems with Bears and signs were everywhere warning about proper precautions and the like. Well the rednecks next to us had 4-5 little kids and had been on their spot for 4-5 nights. Each night they were popping loads of popcorn and spreading it out after dark for a family of raccoons. We saw them on our first night. A mother and 6 young. they all ended up in a tree next to our site. Pretty awesome to look up with a headlamp and see 7 sets of eyes glowing in the dark.
(I digress)
Anyway, our second night there, I had gone through the normal procedure of hanging a bear bag and securing all the pots below the bear bag. It was dark around 11PM and we heard a commotion. A small male black bear had wandered into their site and ate their popcorn and started rooting around there kitchen gear, knocking everything over. We were still sitting up at our site and could hear everything but not see anything except a couple of flashlight beams. So, the father came running out and threw rocks at the bear and from the sounds of the crashing through the brush, he took off running toward us.
I stood up with my headlamp off and said "watch this" As the bear came running into out site, about 10 yards from me, I twisted my headlamp on and yelled "Rrraaahhgghghr".
The bear looked up at me and peeled off to the left and kept going at full speed. It was crashing through the undergrowth for at least another minute as it took off, probably very scared. I don't think I ever looked more rugged in my brother-in-law's eye that night.
Lmao DSoTM, awesome story!! ...
The Mechanical Man
12-26-2007, 03:06
Now that's real funny right there, ...I don't care Who you are.
What else could he do????
Thanks again to DSoTM for that one.
Hehe
Thanks for the laugh DSoTM.
I live in Maine, home of the "Maine Black Bears", I am yet to see a bear in Maine while hiking, or doing an event in the outdoors for that matter.
Take a picture and send it to me if you encounter a bear in Maine.
Kirby
Pedaling Fool
12-27-2007, 22:13
Thanks for the laugh DSoTM.
I live in Maine, home of the "Maine Black Bears", I am yet to see a bear in Maine while hiking, or doing an event in the outdoors for that matter.
Take a picture and send it to me if you encounter a bear in Maine.
Kirby
My scariest bear encounter, and my first, was in Maine. I was headed up Mt Katahdin, via the trail that takes you over knife edge before getting to Baxter peak. As I was walking up hill I heard the loudest ROAR in my life, louder than a lion's roar that you hear at the zoo. I immediately froze in my tracks, then I heard violent rustling around and could tell he was leaving the area. I almost turned around and walked back to the campground.
I've never heard of a black bear growling/roaring, maybe it was a mountain lion.:D
We saw the backside of a bear there too.
Not all that far below tree line.
Didn't roar though.
turtle fast
12-28-2007, 00:45
If I see a bear I immediately scatter my food about, run in circles with my arms waving and flailing and scream like a little girl, then I ball up in the fetal position in the middle of my food debris but first rubbing my layer of protective grape jelly on myself to ward off Mr. Bear NOT!!!
Normally they move on fairly quickly, I've only had one instance where I had 2 bears follow me during a night hike...finally they lost interest, but was a sobering expierence.
DsoTm, great story :)
I have yet to see a bear on trail! Plenty of sign, but no bears to date on the A.T.
Have seen plenty in the Adirondacks though :)
Crash! Bang!
01-05-2008, 10:31
If you have food on hand, throw it to the side of the bear to attract it away from you.
congratulations. youve just contributed to the habituation of bears to human food
NorthCountryWoods
01-09-2008, 09:01
Depends on the bear, run into all of these on the trail at one point or another, cept the polar bear, and haven't had a problem (so far)-
Eastern US black bears will literally injured themselves trying to get away once they wind you. Which I assume you're talking about since this is about the AT.
{Take out camera}
and if you're somewhere else-
Canadian black bears seem more indifferent and are much larger especially out west.
{Take out camera and remember where the 12 gauge bearswatter is}
Western US grizzly react like the Canadian black bears and rarely run unless you try to get close.
{Take out camera and maybe touch the bearswatter}
Western Canadian and AK grizzly react like the eastern black bear and mostly run when they smell you.
{Take out camera and maybe unsling the bearswatter}
Coastal AK browns don't care about you, rarely run from you and will do some damage if you do have an encounter.
{Take out camera and take the safety off the swatter}
The encounter I had was actually from a sail boat, but Polar bears will actually stalk you and see you as a big walking seal. A friend and his kayaking group had a week long repeat close encounter along the coast of the Torngat Mountains. The bear actually swam after them for miles and someone had to keep watch while the others slept. They used up all their bear bangers and were close to using the 308 when the bear finally gave up.
{Give the camera to your partner and line up the bear with the bead on the swatter}
Know your environment and know you the bear you're dealing with.
I have seen Pennsylvania Black Bears about X amount of times. (never during hunting season though????)
I had 2 maybe 3 encounters that had me acting quickly to correct a negetive situation. The only real time I was scared was the 1st time when I was a soph in HS and was walkng to High High Point in NJ.
Saw the cubs first -froze,then before I knew it, mom was there 15 feet in front of me, blasting by me with the cubs.
Dont ever run, ever.
Dont do food in your tent
hang the items you need to hang AWAY from the sleeping area
Cook away from the sleeping area
when your treking try to eat supper eariler, on the way to your destination (this doesnt always give comfort as sometimes at your destination you have to depend on anyone cooking THERE to do the right things)
In a nutshell you do everything you can that WILL NOT get the bears to associate food with you or the place you sleep.
Gray Blazer
01-09-2008, 11:46
One of the problems with a digi cam is the electronic sound it makes when you turn it on. My camera sings about 5 notes when I turn it on and the bear which is right in front of me acting cool suddenly turns and bolts. I'm gonna start carrying a disposable camera in my other pocket. Maybe I'll get that elusive bear pic yet (that is if he doesn't think it's a sandwich).
warraghiyagey
01-09-2008, 11:48
In my experience grizzlies are fun loving and just want to wrestle.
Gray Blazer
01-09-2008, 11:50
In my experience grizzlies are fun loving and just want to wrestle.
Could you be related to Grizzly Man?:D
warraghiyagey
01-09-2008, 11:56
Could you be related to Grizzly Man?:D
. . . . . maaaayybe . . .
saimyoji
01-09-2008, 12:30
One of the problems with a digi cam is the electronic sound it makes when you turn it on. My camera sings about 5 notes when I turn it on and the bear which is right in front of me acting cool suddenly turns and bolts. I'm gonna start carrying a disposable camera in my other pocket. Maybe I'll get that elusive bear pic yet (that is if he doesn't think it's a sandwich).
There is probably a setting that allows you to turn the beeper off.
Gray Blazer
01-09-2008, 12:39
There is probably a setting that allows you to turn the beeper off.
I'm still looking for it.....
ScubaDooba
01-09-2008, 15:15
I've been reading the forums abit lately, and about the only concern i have besides dehydration cause i sweat alot ... is bears ... and honestly, i've been hiking in my home state since i was a boy, never seen a bear in PA ... i have in the poconos but i was in my friends house while his dog tree'd a bear ...
But Here's the straight forward question in general ...
Your walking on the trail, You spot a bear ... using the scenario he's various stages of length away from you .... What can you do/should/don't in this momment ....
Additional question, Are bear encounters in georgia quite common?
I live in NW Ga. I've had it go through my garbage. (they never pick up after themselves - how rude!)
I've only encountered a set of bears (mama & baby) on trails near the AT but never on the AT. They seem a lot more prevalent in NW Ga (Cohuttas).
turtle fast
01-10-2008, 01:24
Black bears are like oversized raccoons, I cant remember which native American tribe it was but they called black bears big raccoons. Most black bears will move on, but I have had two instinces where it was not so. Once while biking a back road in the U.P. of Michigan I had a bear not move from the road, just sat there no matter my ammount of yelling. Had to throw rocks towards it to get it to move. The second event was actually unnerving. I had a bear follow me during a night hike and wasnt going away with my noise and sinning, was joined later by ANOTHER bear. At first I could only see their eyeshine and the primary bear was gaining ground towards me...then my headlamp dies a fast death, I catch glimpses of the first one and then notice more nbear eyeshine...another bear behind it and not a cub! Had a bear parade walking backwards wioth a dying headlamp for about a half a mile before they lagged behind...I think the second bear caught up with the first one. Was scarry for a quarter mile though.