Bear warning in the south

**OldStormcrow** · 08-11-2009, 16:13

Originally Posted by Chaco Taco

Im posting this to let everyone know that if you are camping in areas that see alot of foot traffic, bear's are lurking. Had my food bag ripped out of my tent this morning as it layed 2 inches from my head. i always keep my food with me in my tent, but will not do that again. The incident was at Watauga Lake, which is a landfill for the local campers. Be safe out there

I guess that it is a lucky thing that you happened to roll of of your food bag, rather than having your head grabbed along with it. I've never had a problem with bears getting into my tent, but I have had skunks and mice to chew through perfectly good tents and ruin them. I always hang my stuff up these days, but that is primarily for the bear's safety.....I wake up kinda mean.....

**little bear** · 08-12-2009, 16:55

Originally Posted by Summit

Yeah, heard about your close encounter of the worst kind from Little Bear on FB. My question was, why was a guy who did an AT thru last year sleeping with food (LW's bad habbit aside!)? It only takes one time to make a believer out of keeping food out of your tent, I guess!

Glad you guys are OK and going back. Have fun, hang your food (ha,ha) and enjoy!

yeah for 6 years, I have always sleep with my food.....NOT anymore........

**Rowdy Yates** · 08-12-2009, 17:41

Originally Posted by DAKS

i stayed at watauga lake shelter about two weeks ago. there is indeed a bear around there that is not at all afraid of humans. the said bear came right up to the shelter area within 10 or 15 feet(twice!). clapping and yelling didn't work so well as to scare the bear, so we resorted to banging a shovel on a rock. the bear left, but didn't seem to upset with all the noise?! be careful down there!

This is correct. I and HalfTrax spent the night here, with DAKS, and this black bear just walked into camp without even a "howdy". We managed to run it off but it just circle around to the front and came back again. I banged a shovel on the iron grill that was located there, but even then it didn't seem alarmed, so definitely be careful in this area.

**wakapak** · 08-12-2009, 21:18

Talked with Chaco tonite, apparently the bear has been a big "problem" in that are for quite some time. I guess there were a few other reported incidences within the week before this happened to him. Word is the bear is going to be relocated to a different area sometime soon.

**Tinker** · 08-12-2009, 21:39

Originally Posted by Rowdy Yates

This is correct. I and HalfTrax spent the night here, with DAKS, and this black bear just walked into camp without even a "howdy". We managed to run it off but it just circle around to the front and came back again. I banged a shovel on the iron grill that was located there, but even then it didn't seem alarmed, so definitely be careful in this area.

Most of what I've read about bear/human encounters in camp situations is that the bears associate the banging of pots and pans (and probably a shovel, too) with the preparation of food (don't we???). I've probably heard them around camp, but have never seen one on the trail (except, possibly, for the crashing in the bushes last Sept. in Maine when something very big and heavy took off just as I rounded the bend on the trail -even then, I didn't actually see the beast).

**summermike** · 08-12-2009, 23:03

I'd be curious to know what was in the bag, just to get a better idea of what the bear was capable of sensing in route to your bag.

When a bear ripped open my tent and took my pack there was NO food in it. Toiletries and food had been bear-bagged away from my tent. All it had was my journal, a pen, an extra buckle and tent pole repair, and a few other odds and ends that shouldn't have been attractive in terms of smell.

They will take anything that has food ODOR on it which probably includes your pack and the rest of your gear. Once they learn "bag-in-tent = food" it doesn't matter whether your bag or pack has food in it or not, a bear will simply take it.

**Egads** · 08-13-2009, 04:25

Good that your loss was only gear

**Snowleopard** · 08-13-2009, 10:48

Originally Posted by summermike

When a bear ripped open my tent and took my pack there was NO food in it. Toiletries and food had been bear-bagged away from my tent. All it had was my journal, a pen, an extra buckle and tent pole repair, and a few other odds and ends that shouldn't have been attractive in terms of smell.

They will take anything that has food ODOR on it which probably includes your pack and the rest of your gear. Once they learn "bag-in-tent = food" it doesn't matter whether your bag or pack has food in it or not, a bear will simply take it.

The big problem is that bears can learn. Once one learns that tents sometimes contain food, they may rip into every tent they see just to check. All it takes is a couple of people with food (and food odor) in their tent to train the bears to go after it. People that don't use good bear practices (hanging or canisters) are training the bears how to take food.

In one of the national parks out west bears have learned that cars sometimes contain food and have learned to pop the trunks and break the windows. They'll go down the row of parked cars and break into all of them. If one in twenty cars contain a meal, they come out ahead of the game.

**Tennessee Viking** · 08-13-2009, 11:46

Originally Posted by Chaco Taco

Im posting this to let everyone know that if you are camping in areas that see alot of foot traffic, bear's are lurking. Had my food bag ripped out of my tent this morning as it layed 2 inches from my head. i always keep my food with me in my tent, but will not do that again. The incident was at Watauga Lake, which is a landfill for the local campers. Be safe out there

I just got word that the Forest Service is going to try to catch the critter. As for the decision to relocate or put down the thing...don't know yet.

**wakapak** · 08-13-2009, 12:40

Originally Posted by Tennessee Viking

I just got word that the Forest Service is going to try to catch the critter. As for the decision to relocate or put down the thing...don't know yet.

From what I understood, they were going to try relocating it. As far as I know, usually relocation is attempted before putting down, unless there has been someone hurt or worse by the critters. That's just my understanding though.

**summermike** · 08-13-2009, 13:12

The big problem is that bears can learn. Once one learns that tents sometimes contain food, they may rip into every tent they see just to check.

Yet another reason you should never sleep with food in your tent.

**Chaco Taco** · 08-13-2009, 19:24

Originally Posted by DAKS

i stayed at watauga lake shelter about two weeks ago. there is indeed a bear around there that is not at all afraid of humans. the said bear came right up to the shelter area within 10 or 15 feet(twice!). clapping and yelling didn't work so well as to scare the bear, so we resorted to banging a shovel on a rock. the bear left, but didn't seem to upset with all the noise?! be careful down there!

So after being assaulted with everything from insults to friendly reminders, I hung my food last night. To answer the question, being a thru hiker made me sleep with my food. When you are in such big packs, animals typically leave you alone and dont mess with you because of the numbers. I hung my food less and less the further north I got. Typically, from now on, I will hang my food only when Im near a road or town that has frequent visitors from towns, or when its peak bear season, right now. Bob Peoples made a good observation about the surge in bear presense saying that during the drought, there were so few nuts and berries that the trees are overcompensating and bears are having a field day. I also must say that the Watauga Lake area is a mess. Its completely trashed with boat trash, camp trash, abandoned tents, coolers, 3 foot tall piles of trash and beer cans. Its a shame because it really isnt the bears fault. If you are hungry and at a place that keep having food, would you leave it???? I blame this one on myself. I accept responsibility for what happened and am going to continue to do things the way i always do them but just use better judgement about my food. Its one thing to criticize me about what i did wrong, but its alot easier to do that from a chair in front of a computer. Those of you that have sent well wishes, thank you. The rest can kiss my rosie red arse

**Tennessee Viking** · 08-13-2009, 19:35

At least he didn't have a Chaco Taco for dessert.

**Lone Wolf** · 08-13-2009, 19:51

Originally Posted by Chaco Taco

So after being assaulted with everything from insults to friendly reminders, I hung my food last night. To answer the question, being a thru hiker made me sleep with my food. When you are in such big packs, animals typically leave you alone and dont mess with you because of the numbers. I hung my food less and less the further north I got. Typically, from now on, I will hang my food only when Im near a road or town that has frequent visitors from towns, or when its peak bear season, right now. Bob Peoples made a good observation about the surge in bear presense saying that during the drought, there were so few nuts and berries that the trees are overcompensating and bears are having a field day. I also must say that the Watauga Lake area is a mess. Its completely trashed with boat trash, camp trash, abandoned tents, coolers, 3 foot tall piles of trash and beer cans. Its a shame because it really isnt the bears fault. If you are hungry and at a place that keep having food, would you leave it???? I blame this one on myself. I accept responsibility for what happened and am going to continue to do things the way i always do them but just use better judgement about my food. Its one thing to criticize me about what i did wrong, but its alot easier to do that from a chair in front of a computer. Those of you that have sent well wishes, thank you. The rest can kiss my rosie red arse

i don't see any assaults, insults or criticizing in this thread

**wakapak** · 08-13-2009, 21:05

Originally Posted by Lone Wolf

i don't see any assaults, insults or criticizing in this thread

i dont believe he was referring to them happening in this thread....

**Panzer1** · 08-13-2009, 23:04

Originally Posted by Lone Wolf

i'll still sleep with my food

Just don't do anything improper with that food bag..

Panzer

**Blue Jay** · 08-14-2009, 08:16

Originally Posted by Chaco Taco

Those of you that have sent well wishes, thank you. The rest can kiss my rosie red arse

It's sad how many threads deteriorate back to chafing.

**brooklynkayak** · 08-14-2009, 12:47

Originally Posted by Chaco Taco

When you are in such big packs, animals typically leave you alone and dont mess with you because of the numbers.

I do agree there. The big danger would be sleeping with food while tenting alone or in a small group in popular campsites.

I think that has been the most common issue with bears on the AT. And I believe, even then the bears ran away after ripping open the tent and finding a person inside.
The tents were ripped and I think someone was scratched up, but I'll bet it scarred the ***** of the occupants.

**wakapak** · 08-14-2009, 12:53

Originally Posted by brooklynkayak

I do agree there. The big danger would be sleeping with food while tenting alone or in a small group in popular campsites.

I think that has been the most common issue with bears on the AT. And I believe, even then the bears ran away after ripping open the tent and finding a person inside.
The tents were ripped and I think someone was scratched up, but I'll bet it scarred the ***** of the occupants.

No one was scratched the other nite when Chaco's tent was ripped...just the food bag was stolen.

**Petr** · 08-14-2009, 13:42

I'm planning on NOBOing starting in late January; would it be safe to say that I'm less likely to run into bears at that time of year?

Thread: Bear warning in the south

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Display

Watauga Bear

Posting Permissions