View Full Version : Why does the bear canister law between Jarrett and Neel gaps end June 2?
and has anyone been there to know how the bear encounters have been the last couple of weeks?
max patch
06-11-2013, 14:17
The News Release prepared by the USFS when the ban was announced last year stated that bears are particularly attracted to human food brought onto the trail in early spring when their natural food sources are not plentiful. They also referenced early spring coincided with peak thru hiker season.
Thanks max that is what they published... but if a bear. as we all have been told, finds food with hikers on June 3 wont this same bear also look for food associated with hikers the rest of the year.
hikerboy57
06-11-2013, 14:53
Yes but with more food sources available it's not as likely.
Spirit Bear
06-11-2013, 16:24
and has anyone been there to know how the bear encounters have been the last couple of weeks?
I saw 6 bears section hiking GA last year, not 1 of those were between Jarrard Gap and Neels Gap. Just eat all of your food then camp on blood mtn and resupply at Mountain Crossings the next morning. It's only a 2 mile hike from the summit to Neels gap. The Trail goes right through the store there.
More bear food becomes available because school is out.
bigcranky
06-11-2013, 17:41
The bears got the memo and know that they are supposed to leave hikers alone starting June 3. No worries.
kidchill
06-11-2013, 18:13
Yogi refuses to bother hikers past June 2nd...
rocketsocks
06-11-2013, 19:04
In a word...Blueberries
MuddyWaters
06-11-2013, 20:59
Because the real problem is the large number of ignorant / incompetent /lazy /messy new thru-hikers , and they are gone by then.
Just call a spade, a spade.
Double Wide
06-11-2013, 21:00
Three of the guys I was hiking with spent Friday night before Memorial Day on top of Blood Mountain. Having cold breakfast in camp right near the shelter, a bear came out of the woods and stopped not ten feet away from them. It didn't move on until all three of them stood up and started making noise. It wasn't intimidated by the first guy standing up and waving his arms around... They came down the hill and told the rest of us about it--just a wee bit freaked out. And of course warned all the day hikers heading up. LOTS of traffic on the trail that Saturday morning, too.
Patrolled blood to Woody last week and saw 2 bears .-One at Jarrard Gap and one at Lake Winfield Scott. They were searching for breakfast.
coldstealie
06-11-2013, 23:00
I've only seen bears between Hogpen Gap and Low Gap in. That was over 2 years ago, haven't seen once since.
One June 2nd the official "cease fire" and "non-hostility" treaties between the bears and humans take effect. The UN helped to negotiate these agreements. The top UN negotiator is expected to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. (Rumor has it the negotiator was Hiker Mom). In the treaties, the bears agreed to relocate to the PCT and the CDT (or deluxe time share condos in Florida) in exchange for receiving an undisclosed percentage of the permit fees now being collected in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
The bears have learned that there is a migrating and not very bright species that comes through the area every spring and hangs gift bags for them in the trees. The mandatory canister rule is put in effect because many members of this species are incapable of being educated.