Bear Bells or Dinner Bells?

[Hotel]

I am hiking Springer to NC starting this weekend and was wondering if bear bells are effective. I have a hunter orange pack cover to notify the hunters that I am not a bear or deer or any other animal they like to shoot. I would prefer to hike in relative solitude without a bell sounding constantly, but also don't want to be careless.

Thoughts?

[BradMT]

Bear bells are unnecessary for bears, that's for sure, and I wouldn't bother with anything besides a bit of blaze for the hunters.

[Lone Wolf]

I am hiking Springer to NC starting this weekend and was wondering if bear bells are effective. I have a hunter orange pack cover to notify the hunters that I am not a bear or deer or any other animal they like to shoot. I would prefer to hike in relative solitude without a bell sounding constantly, but also don't want to be careless.

Thoughts?

totally useless

[Creek Dancer]

I don't bother with bear bells, but if I see evidence of bear scat in the area and I am hiking alone, occassionally I will yell out "yo bear" just to let them know I am in their woods. I don't want to surprise some huge sow and her babies that are just around the bend. This might be a uselss tactic too. I really don't know. But it makes me feel better.

[88BlueGT]

I don't know if bear bells are effective or not but like you said... I'm sure they will become VERY annoying, after about a hundred feet or so! I'd stick to the 'yell out' method.

[tdoczi]

I don't bother with bear bells, but if I see evidence of bear scat in the area and I am hiking alone, occassionally I will yell out "yo bear" just to let them know I am in their woods. I don't want to surprise some huge sow and her babies that are just around the bend. This might be a uselss tactic too. I really don't know. But it makes me feel better.

ive done it. the babies will run up a nearby tree and the mom will go hide in the woods and watch to see what happens. that black bear moms will use hostility to defend their cubs is just another bear un-truth thats been spread far too much.

now, grizzlies are a different story, but last i checked there werent any in GA or NC.

[Sarcasm the elf]

The only bear species that is found on the A.T. Is the black bear, which are a medium sized bear that is generally scared of humans, though they will try to swipe unattended food on occasion.. If you are worried about them, click on this link and do some reading about the facts and misconceptions about black bears.

http://www.bear.org/website/

When you think of the classic bear attack story, you are thinking of grizzly, bears, the much larger much more fearsome bear species that inhabits the western part of the continent. To my knowledge there are no grizzlies east of the Mississippi river.

Also, all those stories of people being attacked by a mother bear protecting her cubs involve grizzly bears. I don't know of a single documented case of a female black bear aggressively going after a human simply for being near her cubs.

[HikerMom58]

Hotel... are you trying to avoid encounters of the wrong kind with bears as well as hunters? OR are you suggesting the use of bear bells and wearing orange to alert, just the hunters .... it's confusing. :0)
Personally, I don't think that wearing bells for the hunter's sake is neccessary but I've never hunted so I wouldn't know for sure.

[Slo-go'en]

One rarely sees bears while hiking along the trail on the AT. You make enough noise just tromping along that they hear (or smell) you coming. The ones you have to worry about are the ones which come vist the camp sites looking to steal your food at night.

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


Bear bells = not effective.

Bear spray = very effective.

[Creek Dancer]

The most bears I have seen on a single trip on the AT was in Shenandoah National Park. I saw three one day, and two the next. The two babies scampered up the tree, and the mother ran toward them. The other adult bears were hardly afraid of me. They didn't move upon noticing me and I made sure they knew I was there. I felt very fortunate to see them, and honestly, I wasn't really afraid. I thought they were beautiful, albeit rather smelly. I just gave them plenty of room and time to move along off the trail and then I went by.


The idea that a mother bear would act aggresively toward humans if they get close to her babies is not farfetched. A mother protecting her babies is natural, both with humans and animals.

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


PS: Just make sure that any bear spray that you carry is DEC registered...and is NOT beyond its 'use by' date.

[oldbear]

I sing when I hike for a couple of reasons
* Although I love to sing ; I'm a really bad singer that avoids singing in public unless of course I'm reasonably well intoxicated
* I use singing to tell me if I'm hiking too fast ; If I can't sing and hike at the same time then I'm hiking too fast
* Singing allows whatever critters that need to be warned of my presence more than adequate time to avoid me

[gizzy bear]

[QUOTE=Sarcasm the elf;1349416]The only bear species that is found on the A.T. Is the black bear, which are a medium sized bear that is generally scared of humans, though they will try to swipe unattended food on occasion.. If you are worried about them, click on this link and do some reading about the facts and misconceptions about black bears.

http://www.bear.org/website/


thanks for the website...it is very good that being said...i still do NOT wanna come face to face with a bear...even a friendly bear...because NONE of them look friendly to me ... i don't know why they freak me out so much?!? snakes don't bother me... although i am not gonna pet a wild one...moose don't bother me... as long as they are chasing me and pretty much all the other creatures don't bother me...well except spiders and alligators... i don't like them either!!! but other than those 3...i am good

[gizzy bear]

moose don't bother me... as long as they are chasing me and pretty much all the other creatures don't bother me...well except spiders and alligators... i don't like them either!!! but other than those 3...i am good

clearly that should read as long as the moose is NOT chasing me...jeesh :/

[tdoczi]

The most bears I have seen on a single trip on the AT was in Shenandoah National Park. I saw three one day, and two the next. The two babies scampered up the tree, and the mother ran toward them. The other adult bears were hardly afraid of me. They didn't move upon noticing me and I made sure they knew I was there. I felt very fortunate to see them, and honestly, I wasn't really afraid. I thought they were beautiful, albeit rather smelly. I just gave them plenty of room and time to move along off the trail and then I went by.


The idea that a mother bear would act aggresively toward humans if they get close to her babies is not farfetched. A mother protecting her babies is natural, both with humans and animals.

so, you yourself have experienced what a black bear mom does when she spots a human with her cubs and you still choose to believe urban legend instead of your own 2 eyes? fascinating stuff. that said, would i walk up to a black bear cub and actually touch it or do anything nutty like that? no, for various reasons. but this idea that youre going to "surprise" a sow with cubs as your out hiking and shes going to attack you is utter nonsense.

[Creek Dancer]

so, you yourself have experienced what a black bear mom does when she spots a human with her cubs and you still choose to believe urban legend instead of your own 2 eyes? fascinating stuff. that said, would i walk up to a black bear cub and actually touch it or do anything nutty like that? no, for various reasons. but this idea that youre going to "surprise" a sow with cubs as your out hiking and shes going to attack you is utter nonsense.

Reread my post. Where did I say that a mother would attack me because I surprised her? Nowhere. Reading is fundamental. Facinating stuff. You should try it. So before telling me I am talking nonsense, make sure you understand what I wrote.

I don't want to suprise her because I respect her place in the woods. I also don't want to be surprised coming around a bend in the trail. That is why I yell out occassionally if there is good reason to think bears are nearby.

Again, the idea that a mother animal would protect her young is not farfetched.

[tdoczi]

Reread my post. Where did I say that a mother would attack me because I surprised her? Nowhere. Reading is fundamental. Facinating stuff. You should try it. So before telling me I am talking nonsense, make sure you understand what I wrote.

I don't want to suprise her because I respect her place in the woods. I also don't want to be surprised coming around a bend in the trail. That is why I yell out occassionally if there is good reason to think bears are nearby.

Again, the idea that a mother animal would protect her young is not farfetched.

so, if you are innocently walking in the woods quietly and not making noise and you surprise said black bear sow and cubs, what exactly do you think might happen?

[Hotel]

Thanks for all the passionate replies. I will leave the bells at home and enjoy the hike that much more.

[HikerMom58]

Atta girl Creek Dancer.

I think these comments are getting off the subject of what the OP was asking ... just sayin....