View Full Version : States where you have seen a bear
States where you have seen a bear (check all that apply)-- and no a bear in a cage does not count.
Spirit Walker
02-25-2005, 16:48
Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire and Maine were on the AT
California - PCT and JMT
Wyoming - Yellowstone NP
Montana - CDT - grizzly
Alaska - 12 grizzlies
The Grizzlies in Alaska had to be "interesting".
I'd sure like to experience that some day-- I think. OK, let me put that another way. I sure would like to have experienced that.
kentucky
02-25-2005, 17:01
New jersy,New york,Califonia,virginia kentucky!
"and no a bear in a cage does not count"
LOL! You should have included "Nowhere" as a choice. The bears gave me the cold shoulder my entire thruhike. If I believed nothing but my own eyes, I'd have to conclude that bears do not exist on the AT. Of course to do that I would have to ignore the dozens of bears everyone around me seemed to have encountered.....
flyfisher
02-25-2005, 18:41
I've not seen a bear yet. It's interesting that of the 20 people answering the survey that have seen a bear, so far, 10 saw a bear in Shenandoah. I will be hiking 80 miles of that park this spring - after I make my way from Mt. Rogers to Fish Hatchery road.
I was a little disappointed that I did not see a bear in the Smokies when I did that.
kentucky
02-25-2005, 18:47
dont be dissapointed I have heard many people say the same thing:rolleyes: but do hope you all see some!its An eye opener:) kentucky
Seeing a bear is/was a great thrill, however afterwards every noise seemed to be magnified by about 1000 decibles. Really keeps you on your toes.
Cookerhiker
02-25-2005, 20:32
Massachusetts, Virginia, Tennessee, California, Colorado
I love seeing bear, gets me all charged up! :banana
VA (1 black)
SNP (3 black)
PA (1 black)
NJ (2 black)
WY (3 griz)
ID (black)
MT (2 black, 2 griz)
CA (3 black)
I saw seven bears during my thru. All of them were in the Shenandoah Park.
Spent the night at Bearfence Mt. Hut with a group of Boy Scouts and leaders. A bear came into the shelter area and went into the privey. It's one of my best pictures. The bear comming out of the privey. The photo caption is "Who said,"does a bear S**t in the woods". :p
peter_pan
02-26-2005, 12:11
Ok Bob ...show us the picture.
Buckingham
07-29-2005, 15:09
At Campsire 2 in NJ a huge bear walked right through our campsite. I was having some back pain that day and my friend gave me a percoset, so when I saw the bear my legs turned to jello and the rest of me froze up stiff. If not for that I could have had one hell of a picture.
justusryans
07-29-2005, 19:41
Kodiak, Alaska (Don't have enough fingers and toes to count that high!)
California- biggest black bear I ever saw (huge) I'm not saying how big cause you won't believe me!
Vermont
North Carolina
Seeing? Or being followed by? Or seeing one in someone else's tent?
tn and nc in the smokies:cool: neo
Seen them on the trail and off trail.
Tenn. Mainly Cades Cove and Cades Cove campground. (One stole my ice chest while I was car camping there. left me with a coke and a tomato. Even unscrewed the mayo jar.) Also Mt LeConte. One followed me for 5 or so mins. Guess he liked me. Also on Mt LeConte found a bear with his head in someone's tent. The packers were up a tree. Ibelieve the old False Gap Shelter was on the Tenn side of the trail. There was a black bear that would wait till you went into the outhouse. Then park himself out front. (Lesson: The outhouse is not always the place to go. Leave no trace or not.)
North Carolina: Ice Water Springs shelter, Mama bear with 2 cubs. Smokemount Campground. Too many to count. Watched one run off with someone's BBQ Pit. (With BBQ.)
California. Mama brown bar with 2 cubs. On the trail. Yosemite.
jackiebolen
07-29-2005, 23:12
New Jersey and a lot in Canada, including Grizzlies.
Saw a nice sized bear 4 days ago on my way to Hurricane Gap to work on my section. 1/2m from the trail, North Carolina side. Lots of hikers see'um 'round here.
I saw a mother black bear with her three cubs (3 weeks ago). She was eating right beside a dirt road heading up to Flattop Mtn (which backs up to SNP between Pinefield and Hightop huts). We drove right up to them real slow in my jeep - we just sat there and watched her. It was awesome. After a few minutes, she just looked up at us and walked into the woods with cubs in tow. The bear population in and around the SNP has exploded over the past 5 years. There's on avg. more than 1 per square mile in this area.
smokymtnsteve
07-31-2005, 16:45
I saw a grizz on my birthday while out picking blueberries here in AK near Denali...the ole grizz was picking blueberries too!
Virginia, outside of the Smokies - 2, at the same time, they were hiking the A.T. also, until they saw me and ran off!
New York - 1 in the Adirondacks, eating a hapless group's food supply :o
New York is actually considering a regulation that makes it mandatory to use bear resistant canisters when backpacking in the High Peaks region. The bears are very skilled raiders.
On another thread it looks like there is one less bear in MD, now. I nice fat one too.
Not sure why L Wolf said there were too many in that state, based on the number of Whiteblazers who have seen one there.
Lone Wolf
11-10-2007, 12:57
Not sure why L Wolf said there were too many in that state, based on the number of Whiteblazers who have seen one there.
oh come on ricky
www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/BearHunt_Management.asp
dessertrat
11-10-2007, 13:05
On another thread it looks like there is one less bear in MD, now. I nice fat one too.
Not sure why L Wolf said there were too many in that state, based on the number of Whiteblazers who have seen one there.
The low number of sightings could have something to do with the fact that most people on Whiteblaze are AT hikers, and may not have hiked elsewhere in Maryland. There are only about 40 miles of AT in Maryland!
Flush2wice
11-10-2007, 13:07
On another thread it looks like there is one less bear in MD, now. I nice fat one too.
Not sure why L Wolf said there were too many in that state, based on the number of Whiteblazers who have seen one there.
AT in VA- 500 miles
AT in MD-40 miles
Maybe thats why more bears were spotted in VA.
There are not too many bears in MD. If there were the state would allow hunters to take more than the limit of 70 for the whole state.
Simple LNT philosophy says they should be appreciated, not shot.
Special situations excepted, of course.
dessertrat
11-10-2007, 13:46
I think LNT is at times a selfish philosophy. It worries more about the immediate senses of people in the woods, rather than what might be better for the wilderness in the long haul. To say "LNT means don't shoot bears" is just too simplistic. Animals leave traces whereever they go; they just leave extremely temporary traces. People should do the same. Leaving footprints and even ashes is OK in my book; just don't leave plastic or tinfoil, etc.
Trees drop thier leaves too. But lets not cut them down to make them stop.
The black bears seen in those other states were small ones. The 700 & 800 pounders are in Pennsylvania.
http://www.pagameandfish.com/hunting/big-game-hunting/PA_1005_02/
Don't sleep with your food.
Lone Wolf
11-10-2007, 14:00
i always sleep with my chow
Whatever. I would have figured you were more into poodles.
dessertrat
11-10-2007, 14:08
Trees drop thier leaves too. But lets not cut them down to make them stop.
No, but as an example, there are huge forest fires that are ugly for a time, but are ultimately beneficial to other wildlife. New growth is sometimes a bonus. Part of respect for nature is respecting that things are born, live, and even die. No bear in the wild dies of old age. Limited hunting of bears is no worse (and perhaps is better) than having them die of starvation or injury. (Bears often die in falls, believe it or not, when they try to reach food because they are hungry). Then of course the other bears eat them. What's the difference?
People are part of nature. I'll grant that we are obliged to act with some restraint, because there are so many of us, and because we have inventions that are lethal and trash that is not biodegradeable. But to say that killing a bear is antithetical to LNT, is, I think, disrespectful to nature rather than respectful of it, in that it assumes that nature only exists when we are out in it, rather than that it exists all the time, and will exist for many thousands of years after we are gone from the world.
First day in SNP, within a few miles of the north end of the park. Very cool. Saw very fresh paw prints in NJ on the Kittatinny ridge, but no bear.
Kaptain Kangaroo
11-10-2007, 15:15
I'm with Mouse.....did not see any bears on my thru.
I got the feeling they were hiding behind trees laughing at me as I hiked past...........
dessertrat
11-10-2007, 15:19
I'm with Mouse.....did not see any bears on my thru.
I got the feeling they were hiding behind trees laughing at me as I hiked past...........
Most likely 10 or 20 of them saw you, or at least knew you were there, and stepped off to let you pass. I am always amazed at the amount of bear sign in the woods in northern Maine. Trees killed by the hundreds by bear scratching.
NC - Mother, two cubs on other side of Eagle Creek from us, plus fresh bear prints in our camp (a few inches from our tent) a couple of days later. This was on my very first backpacking trip ever - Smokies.
PA - bear in our camp (at a campground), attempting to steal garbage, a couple of us were still up at the time.
NM - two bears at different times at Philmont. One came back to a neighboring camp a couple times during the evening.
MI - a couple in the UP of MI at a distance
Va - tail end of one running up the trail ahead of me
Jan LiteShoe
11-10-2007, 16:27
So this isn't thread about mooning the cog?
GoldenBear
11-10-2007, 17:28
I had six separate bear encounters (and three near misses) in the space of forty hours at SNP two years ago. This includes a bear running out in front of my car while driving to the park.
I've also seen bear on coastal North Carolina...not in a cage. There was even one reported on Ocracoke Island about a year ago.
It must have took the ferry over, cause it's a mighty long swim from the mainland.:p
GoldenBear
11-10-2007, 17:54
And if you're going to count places away from the AT, then I've seen them in Yellowstone, Hell's Canyon, Denali, Porcupine Mountains State Park MICH, Cape Breton NEWFLD, and Katadhin SP (sorry, I forgot that one).
Alaska, Florida, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana also.
saimyoji
11-10-2007, 20:37
Bears abound in PA; big MoFos too. Doesn't mean you should be a puss though. Eat well, sleep well; the bears do. Watch where they go (sign) for blueberries and blackberries in summer. Watch where they've been in late fall (scratches). Here are some examples.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=19647&catid=searchresults&searchid=11103
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18930&catid=searchresults&searchid=11103
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15422&catid=searchresults&searchid=11103
wrightsphoto
11-10-2007, 20:47
Seen them on the trail and off trail.
Also Mt LeConte. One followed me for 5 or so mins. Guess he liked me. Also on Mt LeConte found a bear with his head in someone's tent. The packers were up a tree. Ibelieve the old False Gap Shelter was on the Tenn side of the trail.
North Carolina: Ice Water Springs shelter, Mama bear with 2 cubs. Smokemount Campground. Too many to count. Watched one run off with someone's BBQ Pit. (With BBQ.)
Which trail were you on hiking to Mt. LeConte?
Was it Alum Cave?
wrightsphoto
11-10-2007, 20:47
Anyone here been charged by a bear?
Last year a large male near Springer. This year 1 south of Pond Mountain in Tn and a cub south of Blood Mountain. Lots of sign in Georgia.
AT-HITMAN2005
11-11-2007, 10:56
i saw a mother with 4 cubs in 2005. can't remember if it was new york or new jersey. but it was pretty cool.
brotheral
11-11-2007, 11:18
My most recent sighting was in mid September. I had just pulled out of the Cades Cove picnic area in GSMNP and there he was near the side of the road. By the time I got my camera out he was long gone.....
Seeing bears has little to do with how many exist in an area, but whether the area is hunted. Hunted bears are rarely seen. Protected bears wander in sight of humans because they have learned that humans are both harmless and a good source of food.
The forested and mountain areas of Maine have some of the highest concentrations of bears in the east. But hikers see them only rarely, except in Baxter Park where hunting is prohibited.
Weary
Just a Hiker
11-11-2007, 12:26
Seeing bears has little to do with how many exist in an area, but whether the area is hunted. Hunted bears are rarely seen. Protected bears wander in sight of humans because they have learned that humans are both harmless and a good source of food.
The forested and mountain areas of Maine have some of the highest concentrations of bears in the east. But hikers see them only rarely, except in Baxter Park where hunting is prohibited.
Weary
I have never seen a bear up here, not even in BSP. They definately keep to themselves here in Maine. However, I have 4 wild turkeys in my backyard as I am typing this. :banana
I have never seen a bear up here, not even in BSP. They definately keep to themselves here in Maine. However, I have 4 wild turkeys in my backyard as I am typing this. :banana
Turkeys are dumber than bears.
Wild Turkey makes one dumber than a bear.
I thought turkeys were clever?
Just a Hiker
11-11-2007, 12:52
Turkeys are dumber than bears.
And they taste good!!:banana
dessertrat
11-11-2007, 13:30
Wild Turkey makes one dumber than a bear.
I am "smarter than the average bear." Unfortunately, I am not smarter than the average person. . .
Rain Man
11-11-2007, 18:58
My daughter Grass and I hiked the SNP this summer. We took a week and saw bears each and every day. Got several photos, mostly blurry or of bear butts. LOL
Rain:sunMan
.
Lone Wolf
11-11-2007, 19:06
the last bear i saw was in PA. it tried to get into my tent for my food bag. i shot it dead. gave the meat to locals
Cookerhiker
11-11-2007, 19:19
Massachusetts, Virginia, Tennessee, California, Colorado
Add New Jersey to that list - just saw one there this year.
The Desperado
11-11-2007, 23:53
NJ / pa/ Vt/ Maine/Alaska
Rift Zone
11-12-2007, 14:14
California: 2 bear, 1 mountain lion
ChimneySpring
11-12-2007, 14:47
Virginia, 2006, July, AT corridor and then my property, sow and 2 cubs.
Virginia, 2006, July, Blue Ridge Mountain Road approx. 1 mile north of Bear;s Den. Adolescent.
Virginia, 2007, July, road leading to driveway. Adolescent.
On my thru-hike, I saw bears in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
However, I've seen dozens in the low country of the Smokies on both the Carolina and Tennessee sides. I also saw bears in Georgia and Tennessee a couple of years ago on the Benton MacKaye Trail.
I encountered one bear in Yosemite this past summer. Several in Wyoming. Also one Grizzly in Wyoming and two in Montana while trekking the Absaroka Range.
Seems that one can expect to encounter bear all along the AT, but SNP is the hotspot.
I've seen black bear along the AT corridor in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Coolest Bear sighting ever for us occurred in the Hoodoo basin in Yellowstone. A 400 - 500 pound Grizzly walked about 20 feet behind our tent in the middle of the afternoon...sleep came ever so slowly that night. :)
Frick Frack
04-10-2009, 16:25
OMG...I do not think I could ever remember how many bear we saw. The 1st one was a fews days into the 100 Mile Wilderness and one of the largest black bears I have ever seen. By the time we reached GA I lost count....esp in SNP.
3 last year in shenendoah. but the best was right here at my house in mass watching my little jack russell tear across my yard and chase one up a tree poor bear diddnt stand a chance
Desert Reprobate
04-11-2009, 18:18
I saw a bear on the PCT. Also got close and personal with Victor the Wrestling Bear at the Anaheim Convention Center in 75.
modiyooch
04-11-2009, 18:57
I saw 5 in one day while hiking thru the Delaware Water Gap area. The other one was SW Virginia.
modiyooch
04-11-2009, 18:59
I never saw one in SNP while hiking, but I often wonder how many saw me.
sheepdog
04-11-2009, 22:07
Ten.
NC
SNP
Alaska, Lots of Griz and black bears. I worked on a survey crew building a road in the mountains for a summer. The bears, moose and other critters found our survey lines a convienet highway.
johnnybgood
04-11-2009, 22:50
Seen many black bear while either hiking SNP or simply driving in the park.
Several years back I saw 3 cubs and a mama bear crossing the Loft Mountain access road and was told by a Park Ranger that SNP had the largest concentration of black bear of any National Park.
I have no statistics to back his claim but all you need to do is flip through the pages of wildlife sightings to know that there are plenty of bear in Shenandoah.
I have no statistics to back his claim but all you need to do is flip through the pages of wildlife sightings to know that there are plenty of bear in Shenandoah.
We saw more than a dozen different bear in Sequoia NP in California on a single day, and that was just doing day hikes while car camping. It was great but rather bizarre. They were black bears, but rather brown in color.
catfishrivers
04-12-2009, 22:27
I see them sorta often here in n North-West NJ. At least during the months when they are not hibernating...they steal garbage from my block all the time and drag it into MY backyard like a happy meal to sit and enjoy. I guess it's because my yard is the last clearing before the woods start up so they sit and eat and throw trash all over here. They need to learn LNT!!!
Since i lived NH just about all my life i've actually only seen one bear there, but it was after it got plastered by a big rig. Actually the truck was totaled, the bear was dead but not torn apart which was interesting.
I am the only person who hiked through SNP this year and didn't see a bear or rattlesnake.
I quit counting chimpmunks though...
Phoenixdadeadhead
06-05-2009, 17:31
I have still to this day not seen a bear in the wild except in Alaska, and I was so young then that my memory is only flashes. I really hope to get lucky on my next hike from Clingman's to Springer
World-Wide
06-06-2009, 10:49
States where you have seen a bear (check all that apply)-- and no a bear in a cage does not count.
I see black bears everytime I'm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Iron Mountain area) on annual fishing trips w/family & friend's! :D I know you were focusing on trail sightings! I apologize if i digress!! W-W
Just curious if bear sitings have changed much since I first posted this poll.
Joshuatree
12-15-2010, 12:17
Michigan, Minnistota, Montana, Have had them on my Deck when I was living in Northern Wisconsin scares you a bit when you open the door to let the dogs out and theres a 400 pound sow sitting on the deck watching her yearling cub play on the wood pile. My ex GFs parents had a picture of that same bear sitting on the seat of their Motorcycle. Hiking in the UP of michigan I had one walk up on me as I was enjoying my before bed coffee. stood up and turned around to look at the sunsetting and couldn't see it on account of the big black bear standing an arms length away from me you really wouldn't think an animal as big as a bear can move so quitely.
I've also seen them in Canada along with Maine and either Vermont or New Hampshire not sure what side of the border I was on at the time. The most I've seen at once I was drving back from a weekend flyfishing near the Wisconsin, Michigan border and I had a Sow with triplets cross the road, and my camera was in my pack safely packed in the trunk DOOOOOOOH thats like the third time I've had a good shot at getting a clear picture of a bear, moose or some other cool animal and my camera's safely packed away.
Florida, Tennessee, NC,North Ga. ...all within the past two years. I've never been on the AT north of Tennessee.
Florida of course because I live here and hike in ONF.
I saw 3 while sectioning SNP in 2001. In 2008, I did about a dozen day hikes in SNP and saw a bear EVERY TIME.
Cookerhiker
12-15-2010, 20:37
Massachusetts, Virginia, Tennessee, California, Colorado
Add New Jersey to that list - just saw one there this year.
On my trip to Alaska this summer, I saw grizzlies.
kinshipknight
12-21-2010, 15:50
Tennessee, NC, and PA!
All those AT states but Connecticut! I search for bear signs. Then quietly look and listen while moving slowly and often stopping to locate them. I also hike early spring and late fall when visibilty can be greater(less leaves, brush, etc) and black bears can be more active.
Just revisited this thread after starting a new one ooh the Maine bear hunting restriction initiative.
Deer Hunter
09-28-2014, 19:46
VA(35 maybe more) NC(2) TN(1) CA(3) CO(1) AK(4 grizzlies) and (16) in Ontario, Canada.
Bucketfoot
09-28-2014, 20:12
Two Sightings during my May section hike of GA.
Florida, Tennessee, NC,North Ga. ...all within the past two years. I've never been on the AT north of Tennessee.
Florida of course because I live here and hike in ONF.
I can now add Alaska and California.
Studlintsean
09-28-2014, 22:08
Saw one in SNP on Saturday
PA northeast [6], NY Catskills [4], NJ DWG [27], Worthington campground [6], Stokes [1], Highpoint [1], NWSCDC [1]. Jackson [1]
Alberta Canada [3]
RUNT ''13''
Alaska
Wyoming
Alberta, Ca
I have seen bears in all states that I have hiked
puppypaws0123
01-29-2015, 21:04
New jersy,New york,
Sirsnappy09
01-29-2015, 21:31
Tn, nc ga,ky,ca, wy,
strogiyogi
01-30-2015, 15:23
I didn't see a single bear on my 2014 thru!
On my 2014 section from Springer to Damascus, I saw 6 bears. This was 5/21 to 6/25.
double d
01-31-2015, 10:54
I'm a little surprised by the data provided for Vermont, they certainly have black bear, but they are rarely seen.
We used to see polls rather frequently on WB— but not so often anymore.
The comments about wanting to see a bear in this week’s thread about using dog hair as a deterrent, made me think about reviving this one.
Interesting?
One thing is for sure, EVERY thru hiker will be asked if he or she saw a bear on the AT.
I think it feels good when you can (finally) say yes.
That day comes sooner for NOBOs than SOBOs from the looks of things.
My first was in VA.
FlyPaper
05-31-2019, 10:18
Perhaps one category should have been "NC/TN Not Sure Which". I had to make an educated guess as to which side of the border I was on. Was tempted to vote for both, but it was only one bear and that would have skewed the stats.
earlyriser26
05-31-2019, 12:00
I have seen 6 bears in VA in the last 3 weeks, just south of the Shennys. I did a 3 day hike in the Shennys a few years ago and saw 9 bears.
It's the number one question someone asks when I tell them I backpack.
I am crazy, apparently, for going "out there".
blazetrails
04-09-2020, 22:58
California, Yosemite Park
Saw a big black bear.
Photodog
04-09-2020, 23:32
I have been fortunate to see bears in the Smokys and Shenandoah. The biggest were in Tennessee and though very close, they were silent. Made me re-think that I would hear them or smell them before they were close. They are 3x my weight but move so quiet. Here I am at 180 lbs. trying to hike quietly and sound like a garbage truck moving along. They scare the hell out of me and the encounters are not soon forgotten. The last one I saw was above Elkmont while fishing with my daughter in the GSMNP. Before that day I thought she loved me. She was fishing right near me and I told her just above a whisper that a bear was getting into the stream about 20 yards from us. I turned to see her now 10 yards from me scrambling up a 30 degree bank as fast as she could move! Obviously, she thought I could handle the bear. It is a beautiful sight to behold if you can control your bowels. The fishing was pretty good though.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chain Saw
04-09-2020, 23:57
Tennessee (a lot) and Shenandoah (by far the most).
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Odd Man Out
04-10-2020, 00:02
SNP, VA (not SNP), VT, MI, WY (YelNP), MT (GNP), CA (YosNP), AK (GBNP). All VA nears while backpacking. MT while day hiking. The rest from cars (or a cruise ship).
Just TN and NC. Kinda thought I'd see some around Yosemite, but I guess those bear canisters really work for keeping them away:confused:
Years ago when they still had wire on the shelters I was at Mt. LeConte shelter area. A two or three bears came around and a Japanese hike was talking pictures with a camera that had a flash that popped. One of the bears would growl and several of us suggested that he quit taking pictures as the bear didn't like it. Nevertheless he continued and eventually the bear gave him a chase thru the tents and the bushes. It was possibly the funniest chase I've ever seen. Eventually he got to the shelter and closed the gate and hid from the bear. Eventually the wire was removed from the shelters and people behaved a bit better but I've seen three or four bears stealing food from the camp fire area over the years. Surprisingly have never seen anyone injured by the bears either there or any other place. Perhaps we're not that attractive as a food source as many suggest.
Eventually the wire was removed from the shelters and people behaved a bit better but I've seen three or four bears stealing food from the camp fire area over the years. Surprisingly have never seen anyone injured by the bears either there or any other place. Perhaps we're not that attractive as a food source as many suggest.
yeah......they removed the wire and focused on education about better food habits and food storage....
sometimes there was people standing behind the wire and holding their hands out and straight up feeding the bears....
and there have been a few people that have been injured from bears around shelters----like the guy in the tent up at spence field a few years ago.....