Great, now we're dragging birds into this drama too?Originally Posted by George
I don't think anyone should feel bad that a bear was shot. It's important to remember that all bears die. When people say, "the bear didn't have to die", I just roll my eyes. People will eat a burger (well done) while talking about the horrors of shooting a bear.
i find that the people who feel bad that a bear was shot and killed are the same people who never get into the Park at all.........or stay/drive in the frontcountry...
i may be stereotyping------but i see this with the people i work with along with the general public.....
i also see/read/hear a bunch of the backlash that happens when the Park puts down a bear for whatever reason....
working in a TV station, we get it all.............
Great, now we're dragging birds into this drama too?
and with the introduction of elk, once they have migrated over the hill-----they will join their furry or feathered friends in all of this......
I saw the Elk on my way to Elkmont and they are YUGE!
Get, now we're adding another species to this tragedy of a drama...
And are you sure it was Elkmont? Was it instead Smokemont?
The elk were originally released in Cataloochee, and plenty have migrated to the area around the Oconaluftee Visitor Center (not too far from Smokemont).
I've heard of some reports of lone elk in relatively far-away places, but for the most part, they haven't yet migrated over the ridge to the Tennessee side (with Elkmont in the general vicinity of Sugarlands Visitor's Center).
I was driving to Elkmont,must have seen them on my way at Smokemont.They were inside an enclosure and people were lined up on both sides of road to look at them.They were YUGE! I remember thinking what a menace they will be once they get loose in the road.Do we really need Elk in the Southeastern USA?Hitting one with your car would likely involve traffic fatalities.BTW,putting the aggressive bear down was the correct action because he likely associated man as an easy meal.Sorry a man and a bear had to die though.
Do we really need Elk in the Southeastern USA?
they were here once before---and thanks to the reintroduction, they are here again...
within ten years---they will be over to elkmont and beyond...
theres also a couple of herds in Tennessee, just off of interstate 75 before the kentucky line..
The elk were reintroduced in 2001. So far, about the only problem they have created have to do with idiots who think it's ok to approach them for pictures. It's become bad enough that the fields around the visitors center are officially closed to park visitors when elk are present.
Man this sucks...sounds like an episode of Dateline or something.
Saw me some fresh bear scat today up on the AT in Ga
Somebody told me that T-Rex also roamed these parts once upon a time,just sayin'.If I see a herd of T-Rex on the side of the road,sorta doubt I will be pulling over to gawk.
The volunteers at RMNP are issued 2 Valium so they can deal with idiots.
This is the time of year Estes Park and RMNP are overrun with hundreds of elk
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I’m not sure that 2 would be enough for some of the idiots.
To the person who thinks that elk are HUGE:
Next to whitetail and mule deer elk are bigger. Bison and moose are huge.
Wayne
They sure look HUGE to me when I've encountered them in the back country.
Actually, I was surprised by how little difference there is in size between an elk and a moose.
While there are various subspecies for each, looking at the average mature bull:
Elk: Just under 5ft tall at the shoulder and weighs about 700lbs.
Moose: 1ft taller than elk and weights about 1,200lbs.
Either outsizes me by a factor of 3 or more.
Last edited by HooKooDooKu; 09-21-2018 at 12:59.
I always enjoy the pictures/videos of Yellowstone visitors trying to pet the bison. A few years back I witnessed a father son combo chasing after black bear cubs to do a selfie, natural selection at work every day, lol
Backpacking into a large meadow near a meandering stream and camped at the end of dark timber, moose poured out at dusk. Easily a dozen, several large bulls and sows with calves trampsting a few feet from our tents. They have no fear of humans and can become aggressive without provocation. I am far more wary of moose than black bears.
As far as the GSMNP is concerned, I've always been told to be more wary of the wild boar than black bears.
True , true. My buddy just got back a helicopter hunt in Texas, quite a bit of carnage. They are major pest and destroy lots of agricultural lands.
The wild hogs in GSMNP are considered the most destructive force in the park.
Some add the caveat "after man".
MMMmmmmmmm Bacon.....
---Where ever you go
There you are---
In a manner of speaking...
The National Park Service tries to keep the population in check thru professional hunting. It's impractical to haul the carcasses out of the foods, so they either get buried in the woods, or left for other animals to scavenge the carcass (sort of makes up for the pigs eating their food... as one of the reasons pigs are a problem is that they are a direct competitor to many animals such as bears for food).
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