View Full Version : Carvers Gap to 19E...Bears?
CheckYosef
10-02-2009, 14:48
Anyone know of any bear activity between Carvers Gap and US 19E? Thanks!
Tennessee Viking
10-02-2009, 15:36
No bears...plus it is getting colder now.
CheckYosef
10-03-2009, 00:35
Thanks Viking! Hope to hook up at some point...new to all of this.
Kerosene
10-03-2009, 10:41
Saw a few bear hunters following their dogs late last October just south of Roan, but I don't think they were having much luck and I didn't see any sign.
Silver Bear
10-03-2009, 18:01
I hiked that section early this week. I didn't see or hear of any bears. Ooops I did hear of one Silver Bear. :0)
Cabin Fever
10-04-2009, 12:53
It's been years since there was a bear sighting along the AT in that area. As far as I know.
Graywolf
10-04-2009, 13:57
I saw a bear at Stover creek and 2 at Hunchback pass in August. general area. But maybe they are going to sleep right now....
And yes, I know he was talking about 19 and Carvers gap, thats close though...
Roan Creeper
10-04-2009, 15:37
We stay at the cabins at the state park alot. In November '08, we noticed the gate was broke at Carver's Gap and asked the ranger about. He said two guys poached a bear and broke the gate to drive up there and pick it up.
Bears are active all over the Appalachian Mountains. That's their home. You are their guests and if you behave, and don't entice them with sugar candy (read: keep them away from human food), then a bear encounter can be a wonderful experience. I'm amazed at the crazed folks I've encountered who've spotted a bear and are freaking out. They run from them . . . I run toward them to get as close a look as I can. :)
Tennessee Viking
10-04-2009, 18:04
For the last 3 years I have been hiking, I have one crossed one family of bears and it wasn't on the AT. It was at Bays Mountain City Park in Kingsport TN. I ran into a mother and 2 cubs on one of the roads. Not going to get even close to Mama.
Funny that this topic should come up... I just hiked that section two weeks ago and have a bit of a story.
We camped on the shoulder just south of Little Hump, which seems to be a popular spot. Around midnight, my dog vomited up chicken parts that he had found at Overmountain. It smelled pretty strong, as you can imagine. Two hours later, we woke up to the sound of heavy steps - to me, it sounded like hooves on a heavy animal, like a horse or cow. It stopped very close to our tent and started sniffing. Imagine a 200-300 dog sniffing at something... that's the best I can describe it. We couldn't see, and weren't sure what it was, so stayed quiet and it wandered off. But it came back several more times that night, about once every hour. Each time was a similar experience. The second time, I felt confident enough that it was a bear and started yelling - this worked the first time, but was not much of a deterrent after that.
Needless to say, we were very excited to see the sun come up and got the heck out of there. If anybody can shed some light on this, I would appreciate it - do horses/cows wander around up there at night? We didn't see any during the day.
For the last 3 years I have been hiking, I have one crossed one family of bears and it wasn't on the AT. It was at Bays Mountain City Park in Kingsport TN. I ran into a mother and 2 cubs on one of the roads. Not going to get even close to Mama.Yeah, my comment about getting closer does not apply to a momma with cubs. I'm dumb but I ain't that stupid! :eek:
CheckYosef
10-05-2009, 11:08
Funny that this topic should come up... I just hiked that section two weeks ago and have a bit of a story.
We camped on the shoulder just south of Little Hump, which seems to be a popular spot. Around midnight, my dog vomited up chicken parts that he had found at Overmountain. It smelled pretty strong, as you can imagine. Two hours later, we woke up to the sound of heavy steps - to me, it sounded like hooves on a heavy animal, like a horse or cow. It stopped very close to our tent and started sniffing. Imagine a 200-300 dog sniffing at something... that's the best I can describe it. We couldn't see, and weren't sure what it was, so stayed quiet and it wandered off. But it came back several more times that night, about once every hour. Each time was a similar experience. The second time, I felt confident enough that it was a bear and started yelling - this worked the first time, but was not much of a deterrent after that.
Needless to say, we were very excited to see the sun come up and got the heck out of there. If anybody can shed some light on this, I would appreciate it - do horses/cows wander around up there at night? We didn't see any during the day.
Yeah...I have heard a few folks talk about a very large dog that has visited campers in that area. From your description, would have to be a really BIG dog. We camp there this past Saturday night and had no such encounters.
Pedaling Fool
10-05-2009, 11:10
Funny that this topic should come up... I just hiked that section two weeks ago and have a bit of a story.
We camped on the shoulder just south of Little Hump, which seems to be a popular spot. Around midnight, my dog vomited up chicken parts that he had found at Overmountain. It smelled pretty strong, as you can imagine. Two hours later, we woke up to the sound of heavy steps - to me, it sounded like hooves on a heavy animal, like a horse or cow. It stopped very close to our tent and started sniffing. Imagine a 200-300 dog sniffing at something... that's the best I can describe it. We couldn't see, and weren't sure what it was, so stayed quiet and it wandered off. But it came back several more times that night, about once every hour. Each time was a similar experience. The second time, I felt confident enough that it was a bear and started yelling - this worked the first time, but was not much of a deterrent after that.
Needless to say, we were very excited to see the sun come up and got the heck out of there. If anybody can shed some light on this, I would appreciate it - do horses/cows wander around up there at night? We didn't see any during the day.
What did your dog do? Is it a small dog?
flemdawg1
10-05-2009, 18:44
Saw some tracks and scat between Devils Fork Gap and Erwin, but didn't see one last weekend.
Cabin Fever
10-05-2009, 21:12
Saw some tracks and scat between Devils Fork Gap and Erwin, but didn't see one last weekend.
No Business Knob is one of the only places that bear sightings are commonplace on our section - the others are Watauga Lake (see other threads) and Abingdon Gap Shelter.
Tennessee Viking
10-05-2009, 21:17
Yeah...I have heard a few folks talk about a very large dog that has visited campers in that area. From your description, would have to be a really BIG dog. We camp there this past Saturday night and had no such encounters.
I have seen a dog bushwhack its way up to the top of Little Hump from the little town of Minneapolis at the base of the mountain.
What did your dog do? Is it a small dog?
We actually had two - 40 pounds and 20 pounds. The bigger one is usually a good guard dog, but in this instance he growled for a few seconds and then nothing.
Explorenaturebyfoot
11-04-2009, 18:41
I saw a bear at Mt Leconte and I too ran toward it to get a better picture. A couple in front of me, when I told them about the bear behind them, screamed! It was wonderful to see that bear and watch it. He ran away from me not toward me. I guess if he had ran toward me I might of had to use a little pepper spray. They are beautiful animals.
Chaco Taco
11-09-2009, 19:29
Saw quite a few bears between Sams Gap and Erwin 2 weeks ago. Just so you guys know and Im sure most of you do, bears do not hibernate. You will see them all winter. Had a long conversation with a local in Erwin and a researcher on top of Big Bald.
I hiked that section last june, saw nothing .... In over 3-4 years of regular weekly - biweekly backpacking on weekends i've yet to ever encounter a bear on the trail ...
However, i have had them visit my backyard when i lived in the poconos a few years ago ...
double j
11-26-2009, 20:40
ive never seen a bear on the trail not even the smokys........ guess i hike at the wrong time or too fast ,,,,, plus my mp3 player is on and im rocking out to some music
There are cows or horses from overmountain shelter to big hump. The horses sometimes visit the shelter. The long horns are on big hump and there are several cattle on big yellow mountain that are visible from overmountain shelter at times.
MedicineMan
11-27-2009, 00:29
I've done Hughes to Carvers Carvers to 19E NoBo and SoBo too many times to count-it is my backyard and I've NEVER seen a bruin in this section....Sams to Spivey, hmmm, isn't there a bear santuary in that section? Only out west have I seen bears in the open fields and meadows, and those bears are different than ours...I can't see running toward them :)