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  1. #1

    Default Bear bites Appalachian Trail thru-hiker in the Smokies - WBIR.com


    Bear bites Appalachian Trail thru-hiker in the Smokies
    WBIR.com
    GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK - A bear bit a sleeping Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Tuesday night in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 49-year-old man was sleeping in his tent near Spence Field shelter when the bear bit him in ...



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  2. #2

    Default Hiker attacked by bear on Appalachian Trail - WJHL


    WJHL

    Hiker attacked by bear on Appalachian Trail
    WJHL
    The shelter stands near the junction of the Appalachian Trail and the Eagle Creek Trail, at an elevation of 4,915 ft/1,500m. (Brian Stansberry/Creative Commons). Later that night, Soehn said the bear returned and tore through the vacant tent again. She ...
    Bear bites Appalachian Trail thru-hiker in the SmokiesWBIR.com
    Appalachian Trail hiker attacked by bearKnoxville News Sentinel
    National Park Service: Hiker attacked by bear while sleepingWVLT

    all 11 news articles »


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  3. #3
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    Default Bear bites thru-hiker in GSMNP

    http://www.wbir.com/news/local/appal...bear/185579577

    What are the odds he had food in his tent?




  4. #4

    Default Appalachian Trail hiker attacked by bear - Knoxville News Sentinel


    Knoxville News Sentinel

    Appalachian Trail hiker attacked by bear
    Knoxville News Sentinel
    Rangers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are investigating a hiker's report that he was bitten by a black bear while he slept along the Appalachian Trail. According to park spokeswoman Dana Soehn, a 49-year-old thru-hiker told Graham County, ...
    Hiker attacked by bear on Appalachian TrailWJHL
    Bear bites Appalachian Trail thru-hiker in the SmokiesWBIR.com
    National Park Service: Hiker attacked by bear while sleepingWVLT

    all 11 news articles »


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  5. #5
    Registered User lonehiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greenlight View Post
    http://www.wbir.com/news/local/appal...bear/185579577

    What are the odds he had food in his tent?
    If not him then perhaps the thousands that preceded him. Interesting that this thread isn't getting many posts...
    Lonehiker (MRT '22)

  6. #6
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    the person doesnt necessarily have to have food in the tent...

    the shelters (and some campsites) have a "resident" bear that hangs around knowing that a brightly colored object could potentially contain food...........potentially...

    every year there are stories about packs getting "stolen" by bears............

    so the bear is thinking---"hey----it may have some food......guess ill find out".............

  7. #7
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    oh, and from our article----

    "Soehn told 10News the bear returned at some point and tore through two vacant tents, including the one belonging to the injured hiker"

  8. #8

    Default Hiker Bitten By Black Bear In His Sleep On The Appalachian Trail - The Inquisitr


    The Inquisitr

    Hiker Bitten By Black Bear In His Sleep On The Appalachian Trail
    The Inquisitr
    A 49-year-old man who was hiking along the Appalachian Trail has been reportedly bitten by a black bear over night. The man was asleep when the black bear bit him through his tent. The victim sustained a leg injury before he was able to scare the black ...
    Is the Appalachian Trail Getting Too Crowded?The Daily Progress
    'Life-changing' festival beginsSouthwest Virginia Today

    all 4 news articles »


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  9. #9
    Registered User dudeijuststarted's Avatar
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    well there goes the neighborhood. time to shut the whole thing down!

  10. #10

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    Shows the parks policy of accomodating unlimited numbers of thruhikers needs to end
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 05-12-2016 at 03:03.

  11. #11

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Shows the parks policy of accomodating unlimited numbers of thruhikers needs to end
    nope, not yet, not till a few people die...or one prominent person, like a senator son.

  12. #12
    Registered User mrcoffeect's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Shows the parks policy of accomodating unlimited numbers of thruhikers needs to end
    Shows that the parks policy of concentrating backcountry campers might be fawed.

  13. #13
    Registered User mrcoffeect's Avatar
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    oops i meant flawed

  14. #14
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    I like Blair's bluntness when equating human food/scraps/trash etc to killing the bear. That message needs to be loud and clear to visitors.
    hikers gonna hike

  15. #15
    Registered User The Cleaner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Shows the parks policy of accomodating unlimited numbers of thruhikers needs to end
    This should apply to the number of those attempting a thru hike.I know many will disagree but the southern end of the AT is being damaged by all the trash and other junk left behind.Privies are not designed for the very large amount of turdage.
    Sleep on the ground, rise with the sun and hike with the wind....

  16. #16
    Registered User jbbweeks's Avatar
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    Just another reason to skip the GSMNP. It's overused and over regulated and has become a problematic section of the AT. In the best interest of the trail, the ATC should consider relocating the trail somewhere out of the park. The section of the trail through the park has become a rut that needs time to heal and hikers need relief from the stringent regulations.


    Tapatalk

  17. #17

    Default

    We all try and find a single factor or cause in these issues and of course many focus on food in tents, that's just ignorant. However, habituation is, I believe a big factor, but I'm not going to blame it solely on that, because there could be other things, such as this is a sick bear or .... many other things.


    However, look at the article and they bring up a good point, copied below

    Appalachian Bear Rescue curators told 10News the bears coming out of their dens this season are underweight because of a bad acorn crop last year.ABR curator Coy Blair said the bears are hungry but there aren’t many natural food sources available right now. The rescue said campers need to be sure to secure all possible food sources, including garbage.

    "They think they're trying to help them since there's no food available, but honestly, it's the worst case scenario,” said curator Coy Blair, of feeding the wild animals. “You're killing that bear."

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by jbbweeks View Post
    Just another reason to skip the GSMNP. It's overused and over regulated and has become a problematic section of the AT. In the best interest of the trail, the ATC should consider relocating the trail somewhere out of the park. The section of the trail through the park has become a rut that needs time to heal and hikers need relief from the stringent regulations.


    Tapatalk
    Better yet, just hike the BMT instead of the AT through the Smokies. The BMT starts at Fontana Dam and ends at Davenport Gap just like the AT, but it probably gets less than 10% as many hikers as the AT. This option also avoids having to stay at the shelters, and I'd be willing to bet that bears are less of a problem on the BMT as well.
    It's all good in the woods.

  19. #19

    Default

    Another little interesting excerpt from the article:

    Blair also said people living near the park should take down their bird feeders because bears will try to eat the birdseed.
    Seems like a lot here are quick to blame hikers and I get it, it's a hiking site and we all hate hikers

    However, many of these bears see so much more than just hikers. You have to wonder how the locals interact with the local bears.

  20. #20
    Registered User jbbweeks's Avatar
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    The BMT is very viable option that all hikers passing through that area should consider.


    Tapatalk

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