Rogue Bear???

[pkinnetz]

I just returned from a very abbreviated trip with my reluctant spouse. We had planned on doing a section from Dicks Creek Gap to Rock Gap, but when we got to Deep Gap and started to go up Standing Indian Mt. we saw a notice on the bulletin board that said that there was a bear that showed no fear of humans that took backpacks from hikers and to take caution from Standing Indian Mt. area to Wayah Bald (I think). That was all he had to see so we exited the AT via the Kimsey Ck. Trail to Standing Indian Mt. Campground. How long has this message been there? I remember reading sometime ago that there was a bear that was invading some GA (maybe NC?) shelters with hikers present, so is this the reason that this was it was posted? How long do such notices stay up? I tried to tell him it was an old one (I wanted to go on) but didn't really know. In the future, how do I know of possible bear warnings ahead of time?

[steve hiker]

You lucky you got away from there. I got to warn you just how dangerous them blackies are. They are MUCH MUCH MUCH badder than grizzlers are.

Most of you think black bears are cute and harmless. In eastern U.S. National Parks you often see beggar black bears bummin chicken mcnuggetts by the side of the road with a warm, shy, gentle and friendly look in their eyes. Make no mistake! Those bears are DRUNK! In the Smoky Mountans not far away from where you were a black bear attacked and killed an experienced woman hiker.

When other hikers found her the bear and her yearling were standing over her dead body, munching away like they'd just gotten an order of babyback ribs. The killers wouldn't move from their human feast even when several hikers gathered and started throwing rocks!!! And you know what? That momma bear was teaching her baby to STALK and KILL and EAT humans!!!!!! This is all true it happened in May 2000.

Unlike griz, black bears are PREDATORY and will stalk and circle you as you walk in the woods. When they attack they don't just want to kick some arse, they want a MEAL! These bears may try to silently sneak up behind you, charge suddenly from ambush, or just circle in the woods around you like a shark. When they decide that you are prey and they are going to take you, they often approach with a slow but relentless pursuit that can be extremely difficult to turn away.

One man, before he used his 12-gauge, had such a bear rise up and look him directly in the eyes at close range. He could see in the bear's eyes what it intended to do to him, and it made his soul quake--he never had experienced such terror before (or since) in his life!

It is very difficult to shake off a predatory black bear, once they sniff you its like they're after the last $1 Big N Tasty before closing time. Please take SERIOUSLY the threat posed by a predatory black bear! A man-eating tiger is no more determined or deadly. Once such a bear has tasted human flesh, he will often try to stalk and kill every human he can find in the vicinity and cache the bodies for his food supply. Do not let him add YOUR carcass to his freezer!

[Skidrow]

Has anyone else heard anything on this I'm planning to be in that area next week some time and I'm gonna be hiking alone I don't want to be a 1$ Big & Tasty,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I carry bear repellent & a bear bell has anyone ever had to use this stuff?....Does it work?


Skidrow

[Percival]

Skidrow--

If you carry a cheap wine bottle and a bear charges you can break it on the ground real easy and slice the bear's juggler before he gets in too deep with the first bite.

[Skidrow]

Skidrow--

If you carry a cheap wine bottle and a bear charges you can break it on the ground real easy and slice the bear's juggler before he gets in too deep with the first bite.

Too funny I like beer though you think a bud bottle might work?

[smokymtnsteve]

I've seen bear warning signs in deep gap before...saying the same thing ..and I've seen such signs other places...yep there are bears in the southern nantahala wilderness area and there are a lot a people hiking around standing Indian some better and LNT than others..a lot of easily acessible backcountry..so some bears get feed and lose fear of humans ...so yes it is posssible...I hiked over Wayah Bald last month and run up on a bear that was sniffing around a campsite that was obviously used the night before cause there were still hot coals in the fire pit...I got real close before I saw the bear or it saw me ..but when it did it turned and ran off before I even had a chance to take a picture..

It not to worry about and it's getting cold and the bears won't be as active....

there are also wild hogs and they are active in the winter and meaner than bears....lightning also strikes the top of Standing Indian and Albert alot...but not so much this time of year...

you have a much better chance of falling and getting hurt than you do even seeing a bear much less being hurt by one...but it does happen.

[Percival]

Too funny I like beer though you think a bud bottle might work?

Bud's a little too classy for you skidrow types, better stick to thunderbird and md
20/20.

[Lumberjack]

Jumble I hope you meant that post as humor

[Blue Jay]

Yes, everyone please stay off the trails and under your beds. There are wild man eating black bears every where, also shape shifting Matrix programs. Oh no, they found me, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
PS - That message was there in 1998, but gone in 2000. I know it's very hard to believe but there are some people who just like to scare other people. Never could understand why.

[steve hiker]

NO NO NO bluejay it's true them black bears are cold blooded predatory killers if you ever see a blackie circling you even if from a distance get ready to defend for your life. That blackie sees you as food and is stalking you and will close in the circle for a KILL.

I know I nearly lost my life to a black bar a few weeks ago I was camping at Commissary Ridge near the Mount Mitchell summit. It was a windless night with about a 1/2 moon out.

About 1:45am I awoke to a crashing noise. I tried to quickly get the sleeping bag opening large enough so I could stick my head out. In the middle of my head being stuck in my bag hole I heard several large branches crack then sounds of hooves or claws scraping rocks. Then suddenly I heard heavy SNORTING coming near. I got out the hole and sat up quickly and looking around. I never heard nothing like this, although deer can make all sort of noises but they breath quietly.

The heavy breathing and grumbling grew closer. Soon there is was. A large black bar about 10 feet in front of the tent. It didn't see me and went over to the campfire ring and sniffed around. I'd lit a fire earlier but didn't cook anything. The smoke had went up about 10 feet then took a quick turn and went down the slope alterting bars that a hot meal was up on top the mountain -- human flesh!

He as about 40" high and a good 70" long. He kept his head near the ground, sniffing and snorting for my scent. I watched him till he went out of sight but I could tell he was very near the rear of the tent. I felt that he was still 10 feet or so away. He seemed too curious of the area and after several minutes or so had not moved on. I heard him snorting and grumbling something like Fe Fi Fo Fum, I Smell the Blood of a Hiker Bum. felt he was much closer to my tent and was pretty sure that he'd rip the nylon and start munching right away.

So I thought my only chance of survival was to scare him away and I took in deep breath and yelled out "HEY BAR!" He jumbped like a boar had bit his balls and scrambled around to the front fo the tent and raising his head to zero in on the sent of that Big N Tasty and standing raising his head up and down and snorting & huffing then he dropped down on all fours and .....


(to be continued ...)

[Rain Man]

I just returned from a very abbreviated trip with my reluctant spouse. We had planned on doing a section from Dicks Creek Gap to Rock Gap, but when we got to Deep Gap and started to go up Standing Indian Mt. we saw a notice on the bulletin board that said that there was a bear that showed no fear of humans that took backpacks from hikers and to take caution from Standing Indian Mt. area to Wayah Bald (I think). That was all he had to see so we exited the AT via the Kimsey Ck. Trail to Standing Indian Mt. Campground. ...

Hey Mama Llama, I wuz following you, reading your posts in Shelter registers. We also got off at Deep Gap on the Kimsey Creek Trail, though honestly, there were SO MANY hunters and hound dogs around and on the trail, we feared them more than the bears and boars. There were THREE pick'em up trucks at Deep Gap alone, with hunters and the backs full of dogs. I say, bring on some bears!!!

BTW, we also hiked out on the Kimsey Creek Trail yesterday. Don't you think that's a pretty poor trail??? We had to push aside blackberry brambles and plenty of small tree limbs, walk through through lots of muck along the creek, and got totally lost at the end where the blazes just ran out and it was dark.

Anyway... the sorry state of the KCT made me appreciate the fine job the AT maintainers do!

Rain Man

[manzana]

and raising his head to zero in on the sent of that Big N Tasty and standing raising his head up and down and snorting & huffing then he dropped down on all fours and .....



... and then he ate you and now you are dead? That's a little hard to believe!

[Jester2000]

Jumble Jowls is just showboating. He's a writer for the Weekly World News.
Can't wait for the part where the bear spreads his huge, scale-covered, dragon-like wings. . .

[Saluki Dave]

Nonono!! I saw that bear! It was wearing a sequined, white leather karate gi, big ol' lambchops and some funky singlasses. The King lives!

[smokymtnsteve]

Nonono!! I saw that bear! It was wearing a sequined, white leather karate gi, big ol' lambchops and some funky singlasses. The King lives!

Couldn't resist reposting this....and now we know what happened to the baby bear

Once upon a time there were three bears , now these three bears lived down south here(in the southern Nantahala widerness) so they were the southern three bears ..of course there was papa bear a mama bear , and a little bitty baby bear....


now being from down south ....the ole papa bear jsut loved to drink beer

and the mama bear...she loved to eat pinto beans
( they are bascically veggietarin you know )

and the litttle bitty baby bear ....

well he liked to listened to Elvis Pressley records...(The King LIVES)

one day the papa bear said" my beer is too cold" (i assume he keeps his beer in that spring that is near the top of Standfing Indian)

and the mama bear said " my pinto beans are too hot" (she sure wasn't using esbit tabs to cook)

and the baby bear said ' I'm tired of listening to my Elvis Pressley records"

so they went out for a walk...


well why they were out for a walk a shelter mouse came out ....
( these bears weren't practicing LNT or good food storage techniques)

and he drank all of papa bear's beer

and he ate all of mama bear's pinto beans

and he listened to the little bitty baby bears elvis pressley records so much that he wore all the grooves off the records..( the baby bear didn't have a cd player or mp3)

well the 3 bears came back to the Standing Indian shelter ....

and the papa bear said...somebody been drinking my beer!

and the mama bear said ...somebody done et all my pinto beans!

and the little bitty baby bear said...somebody has worn the groove off all my elvis pressley records..


and just about that time the mouse staggered out and said

pfft, hiccup..I'm All shook-up

[U-BOLT]

HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR

And then you know what happened?????

A hunter stepped up, blew away the three bears with three shots, and said ...



ah .. mah 'lotment's all done up.