WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 23

Thread: Bear visit.

  1. #1

    Default Bear visit.

    On a recent hike on the AT I had what I assumed was a visit to my tent from a bear during the night. Came crashing through the trees and bushes and started whacking at a tree that was right beside the flap of my tent. I was petrified for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only 2 or 3 mins. When I got out of the tent in the morning there was large chunks of bark from the tree all around my tent. Does any one know why the (assumed bear) acted in such a way?

  2. #2
    Registered User Sovi's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-23-2017
    Location
    Rincon, Georgia
    Age
    47
    Posts
    70
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    1

    Default

    were there tooth or claw marks? Could have been a female marking territory i so. Was it a tree where you had your bear bag hanging?
    My evolving gear list, some links provided
    https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=44571

    To each their own, get all the advice you can, then figure out your own path.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-19-2005
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    3,715
    Images
    3

    Default

    yeah...

    guessing marking territory and/or searching for grubs....

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    09-07-2017
    Location
    Acworth, Georgia
    Posts
    12

    Default

    Inquiring minds want to know: Where and when?

  5. #5

    Default

    My food bag was not on this tree. No claw or tooth marks but bark completely stripped off the tree in large chunks all around my tent. Shenandoah National park.

  6. #6
    Registered User Sovi's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-23-2017
    Location
    Rincon, Georgia
    Age
    47
    Posts
    70
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    1

    Default

    maybe not a bear, maybe just a tree fart...where was this?
    My evolving gear list, some links provided
    https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=44571

    To each their own, get all the advice you can, then figure out your own path.

  7. #7
    Registered User Sovi's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-23-2017
    Location
    Rincon, Georgia
    Age
    47
    Posts
    70
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    1

    Default

    nvm i'm blind
    My evolving gear list, some links provided
    https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=44571

    To each their own, get all the advice you can, then figure out your own path.

  8. #8
    Journeyman Journeyer
    Join Date
    08-09-2016
    Location
    Central Kentucky
    Age
    64
    Posts
    180
    Images
    6

    Default

    Could have been a buck. They will thrash trees with their antlers. How big was the tree? I have seen them do this on smaller trees up to about 6" diameter.

  9. #9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by grubbster View Post
    Could have been a buck. They will thrash trees with their antlers. How big was the tree? I have seen them do this on smaller trees up to about 6" diameter.

    DO you think a buck could violently shake a grouping of 3 trees around 5in in diameter and a really steep incline??

  10. #10

    Default

    You have been warned.

  11. #11

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    Sasquatch obviously

  12. #12
    Registered User Kaptainkriz's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-28-2015
    Location
    Leonardtown, Maryland
    Age
    55
    Posts
    650
    Journal Entries
    57
    Images
    19

    Default

    Beware of the Yeti! - Read the logs...
    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Sasquatch obviously
    Plaid is fast! Ticks suck, literally... It’s ok, bologna hoses off…
    Follow my hiking adventures: https://www.youtube.com/user/KrizAkoni
    Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphagalhikes/

  13. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-19-2013
    Location
    Harrisburg PA
    Age
    61
    Posts
    162

    Default

    As a wildlife professional, my advice is: Get out of the tent and tell the critter--whatever it is--to get the hell out of there and stay away. It will leave. There are no wild animals you need to fear on the AT. As a human, you are the king of the forest whether you like it or not.

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-19-2013
    Location
    Harrisburg PA
    Age
    61
    Posts
    162

    Default

    As a wildlife professional, my advice is: Get out of the tent and tell the critter--whatever it is--to get the hell out of there and stay away. It will leave. There are no wild animals you need to fear on the AT. As a human, you are the king of the forest whether you like it or not.

    And at this time of year, bucks are scraping the velvet off their antlers and leaving rubs in the dirt and trees. Learn to recognize a buck rub and it will add pleasure to you hike.

  15. #15

    Default

    I'd go with the buck deer guess. This is rutting season and the SNP is thick with deer. You'd be amazed at where they can go.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  16. #16
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
    Join Date
    12-13-2004
    Location
    Central Vermont
    Age
    68
    Posts
    2,661

    Default

    Sounds like buck to me... bears don't do much "crashing through the trees and bushes", they're pretty quiet. Were you in New England, a moose would also be a likely candidate.

  17. #17

    Default

    It's worth mentioning that at times of heightened awareness, a chipmunk can sound like a D-9 dozer

  18. #18
    Registered User Maineiac64's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-09-2016
    Location
    Woodstock, GA
    Age
    60
    Posts
    688

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye View Post
    Sounds like buck to me... bears don't do much "crashing through the trees and bushes", they're pretty quiet. Were you in New England, a moose would also be a likely candidate.
    a few weeks ago a friend was camped north of neels when he heard crashing around in the woods down a draw, he said it was loud, he went over and looked and a bear was coming up the hill. He yelled at it and it kept walking his way, he threw sticks and kept yelling and it finally turned and walked off.

  19. #19

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by us1err View Post
    On a recent hike on the AT I had what I assumed was a visit to my tent from a bear during the night. Came crashing through the trees and bushes and started whacking at a tree that was right beside the flap of my tent. I was petrified for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only 2 or 3 mins. When I got out of the tent in the morning there was large chunks of bark from the tree all around my tent. Does any one know why the (assumed bear) acted in such a way?
    Chances are the bear was looking for grubs that live behind the loose bark. It probably wasn't even aware that you were so close.

    I had a similar incident on the PCT last year. My son-in-law and I were sleeping in bivies. In the middle of the night, a bear started peeling the bark off a log that was between our bivies. The bear was less than 5 feet from my son-in-law. My son-in-law sat up and yelled. The bear ran right through our camp (their were six in the party) and into the woods. The next morning there was loose bark around the log. And, yes, there were claw marks on the log.
    Shutterbug

  20. #20

    Default

    Sounds much more like a buck trying to clean the velvet off his antlers.

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •