How do you know the difference between black bear poop and brown bear poop?
Brown bear poop has bells in it and smells like pepper spray.....
I have black bears around my house. They've been seen in my driveway (not by me) and there is bear sign in the woods above the house. We've never had a problem with them. I don't see them as being a problem on a hike either.
I have been led to believe that the Black Bear is the predominant breed in the lower USA. The only other bear in the US is the Grizzly found in mainly Montana, northern Wyoming, Idaho. The Black bear varies in color from brown to black. The Grizzly is brown. AT hikers will experience the Black in national parks, forests, but it would be rare indeed to bump into a Brown or Grizzly.
J D Cool
Blood Mountain has some great spots to camp, but you have to look around a little for them tucked back in the trees. We had a nice sunset on the rocks, a great night and a beautiful sunrise. Hiked down to Walasi and had hot dogs for breakfast. Life is good around there!
That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. Henry David Thoreau
Haven't read all of the posts about the bear, and won't, because I'm on a brief town stop. I'm part of the Class of 2011, and I was in the area when the bear encounters were happening. I was lucky, and yes, my food is in my tent with me, along with my dog. I may reevaluate this position,but for now that's what I do.
The bear DID come into the shelter. The Blood Mountain shelter has two rooms. The hikers that were there put their packs in the front room and bedded down in the rear room. The bear crawled into the window of the front room and made off with a hiker's food. I know because the hiker, known as Quiet, told me about it himself, so I heard it first hand. I was sleeping on the mountain just before Blood Mountain myself, and missed all of the action.
Red nylon mesh bag with Parmesan cheese in it? I picked up the trash and packed it out. Looks like a very small bear, judging from the teeth imprints on the containers.
Using this near crowded shelters or camping areas can potentially cause human fatalities to asthma sufferers; there have been fatalities from the use of police pepper spray, which I think is less potent. Certainly, use it if a bear is attacking someone, but just to punish a bear for stealing food it's overkill. If I were downwind from a spray, I'd get pretty sick but probably not die.Originally Posted by randyg45
There used to be pretty bad bear problems in the Adirondack High Peaks region; that has improved since bear canisters were required.
Am I stepping into a trap here? Are you serious? I don't carry spray, but if I did there's two senarios I could think of using it. To stop an attack and to stop a bear from stealing food.
Ain't an issue of punishing; simply a matter of not allowing the bear to become accustomed to associating human with food.
That's exactly what's happening now down in Ga/N.C. area. Bears now know people (in very large numbers) hang food.
From the USFS.
So if I am correct, one could just hike down the blue blaze to the Kimsey Creek Campsite??? I think that is the blue blaze between Woods Hole and Blood Mnt., is it not?REFERENCE:
Appalachian Trail Closed to Camping Between Neels Gap and Jarrard Gap
Area(s): Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Byron Herbert Reece Trail, Dockery
Lake Recreation Area, Duncan Ridge Trail, Lake Winfield Scott Campground,
Springer Mountain Trailhead, Woody Gap Trailhead
Date(s): Apr 15, 2011
Contact(s): Erika Mavity, (706)745-6928
The Appalachian Trail between Neels Gap and Jarrard Gap is closed to camping
as a safety measure until further notice.
This includes the Blood Mountain and Woods Hole Shelters. Day hiking is
allowed. Any camping on side trails should take place at least one-quarter
mile from the AT. Persistent bear activity and improper food storage by
hikers has led to this temporary closure.
Call the U.S. Forest Service at (706)745-6928 if you have any questions.
"Why is it a penny for your thoughts, but you always have to put your two cents in?"
- Stephen Wright
No. Kimsey Creek is about 60 miles N in NC.
You can blue blaze W down to Lake Winnfield Scott or blue blaze E around (instead of over) Blood Mtn.
Map of closed area
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_...rdb5292809.pdf
The trouble I have with campfires are the folks that carry a bottle in one hand and a Bible in the other.
You never know which one is talking.
Mostly, I agree with you. Just be aware that pepper spray may not be safe to use near some people with asthma.
I've read of rangers in the GA/NC area using something to teach the bears the bears to associate human food and shelters with pain or fear -- rubber bullets? pepper spray? firecrackers? They do this sort of thing midweek so there aren't so many people around. Sadly, it doesn't seem to helped enough.
When the game wardens here trap a problem bear, before it's released they do use fireworks and other techniques to make bear-human contact a negative experience and it seems to work. I can't remember if they pepper spray them or not but the bears don't seem to want any more human contact. Mind you this isn't on the AT, just bears causing problems in the community.
i could hike tommorow and hug janet too . if only. but alas, my bearproofing inventions have no investers.
one last time:
a mylar foodbag with a mirrorlike finnish and a colapsable stiffner that when used creates a mirror the bear thinks he sees another bear in .
a rather large , yet colapsable and light passive parabolic sound dish that when used atop a foodbag reflects any sounds, breathing, snorting, grasping sounds,..back at a volume that disorents the bear into thinking someones comming.
a food bag material that simply cant be handeled without creating the loudest crinkeling poping noises when armed by turning it inside out and reversing the lining made of chalk and chalkboard materials that screetch when handled but are scilent when simply blowing in the wind. this material is still in the brainstorming stage but i call it loudlon,as i belive it will be made of nylon and loud.
matthewski
it is possible a lifelike blow up representation of a dog sleeping with the foodbag could be my ticket outta here. just sayin.n some of yall got trees where you live and die. we dont. i dare you to street google map my hood. do it . if you find a tree i be shocked. 16th st and snyder ave
matthewski
My bad. I was thinking of Slaughter Gap maybe???
"Why is it a penny for your thoughts, but you always have to put your two cents in?"
- Stephen Wright
you might consider reading a more recent thread, this thread was opened in 2009...just saying
Yeah, but its probably the same bear
^very true, their territory/ range is vast but usually, especially in areas such as these, they stay in the same general area for a few years. When there is easily obtainable foodstuffs why leave. Probably is the same bear.
...God's Country, and Scotch.
no, it's not. that bear was taken care of. however, it is most likely another cub from the same mother bear. her den is within 20 miles.Yeah, but its probably the same bear
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