First instance of a bear attacking an occupied tent on the AT?

[Jalum]

While reading Flatfoot's 2013 AT Journal, he writes on April 5:

"Woke up at 7:00 am sharp when the lights came on. Someone announced pancakes were ready so everyone got up quickly. When I stepped outside into the "living area" I found two girls, Sandy and Maddie, stretched out on the flood in their bags. They said they had no where else to go. I remember meeting them the night previous at dinner. There was no more room in the hostel and all cabins were rented so they continued on in the evening an additional 3 miles up the trail and made camp. Unfortunately they slept with their food in the tent and were attacked by a bear. The area between Neel Gap and Tesnatee Gap is known for very aggressive bears. They grabbed all they could, their sleeping bags, and returned down the mountain to the hostel.

...

About 2 1/2 miles up the trail I came across Sandy and Maddie returning from their previous bear ravaged campsite with their packs and what was left of their tent and other belongings. They were headed back to Mountain Crossings but I don't know if they bought more gear or called it quits. I haven't seen them since."

I've read about attacks by grizzlies. I've read about attacks by black bears out west. I've read about black bears on the AT raiding unoccupied tents for food. But this is the first I've read about a black bear on the AT attacking an occupied tent. I'm hitting the trail on Monday and had planned to sleep with my food in an opsak, but this has me second guessing.

[HikerMom58]

Why should we be surprised? A bear that looses it's fear of humans is a dangerous bear. They want our food. We don't want them that close to us. It's a problem.

[The Old Chief]

http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=406421

This also happened the night of April 5th in the same area.

[HikerMom58]

http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=406421

This also happened the night of April 5th in the same area.

Wow... that just makes my heart stop. Just reading that.....

[atmilkman]

http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=406421

This also happened the night of April 5th in the same area.

I wonder how far this hot dog cart was from the incident. I also wonder what is meant when they say the people were "running" a hot dog cart. Were they charging a fee, was it free, donation, magic. Just wondering.

[max patch]

I wonder how far this hot dog cart was from the incident. I also wonder what is meant when they say the people were "running" a hot dog cart. Were they charging a fee, was it free, donation, magic. Just wondering.

The only place on the AT in GA where you can buy a hot dog is at Neels Gap and they were past that. So it either had to be a trail feed at one of the road crossings or they went into Helen or Hiawassee. Thats a good a guess as we can make.

[bfayer]

I am glad they were not hurt, but I think we need some more info before this is entered in the record books.

If a bear actually attacked someone in a tent, they would most likely be seriously injured. Even if the bear was not trying to hurt someone, just the act of trying to get to the food would cause some serious injury.

So I guess what I am saying is were they actually attacked, or did the bear just poke his head in and scare the crap out of them? Still scary, but not the same as being attacked.

[bear bag hanger]

I've had problems with bears just north of Neels Gap in the past. I woke up from a nap to a bear sitting about ten feet from me waiting to be fed like a puppy dog! I chased it away, but it kept coming back and so I packed up and move a mile or two down the trail and didn't have any more problems.

[Kookork]

I've had problems with bears just north of Neels Gap in the past. I woke up from a nap to a bear sitting about ten feet from me waiting to be fed like a puppy dog! I chased it away, but it kept coming back and so I packed up and move a mile or two down the trail and didn't have any more problems.

Did you tell to the bear that your WhiteBlaze name is bear bag hanger?

[max patch]

I've said this before, but the "bear vault zone" is arbitrary. They very easily could have extended the area from Neels to Low Gap Shelter.

[aficion]

I've said this before, but the "bear vault zone" is arbitrary. They very easily could have extended the area from Neels to Low Gap Shelter.

Canisters through this area do make sense....matter of time probably.

[AngryGerman]

You would think that if you have prepped for a NOBO thru-hike the one thing I wouldn't forget to check would be bear habitats and frequently visited shelters and/or hang your food, properly, in a tree not in your tent! I just cruised through there in early FEB and some NOBO's had experiences with bears already while I walked 2184 miles to not see a single freaking bear or have one mess with my food. I even hung my food bag from my hammock at times just to see if I could entice a black bear to come and play with AG. As a matter of fact, in all the years I've been hiking on the AT I have yet to see a bear; I've seen everything else you could imagine but a measley bear, huh! Must be my scent!

[henry g wilgo]

You would think that if you have prepped for a NOBO thru-hike the one thing I wouldn't forget to check would be bear habitats and frequently visited shelters and/or hang your food, properly, in a tree not in your tent! I just cruised through there in early FEB and some NOBO's had experiences with bears already while I walked 2184 miles to not see a single freaking bear or have one mess with my food. I even hung my food bag from my hammock at times just to see if I could entice a black bear to come and play with AG. As a matter of fact, in all the years I've been hiking on the AT I have yet to see a bear; I've seen everything else you could imagine but a measley bear, huh! Must be my scent!

you know what, so what...all you need for trouble, is to just see one bear..."the wrong one bear"

[bfayer]

Canisters through this area do make sense....matter of time probably.

The problem is once a bear learns that "tent = convenience store" it does not matter if food is in the tent, the bear will stop in for look.

Unfortunately the only solution at this point is to remove the bear or bears that have tents on their list of nightly stops. Sadly that probably = dead bear.

Canisters may be an option after that to make sure more bears don't learn to equate tents with food, but for now, without removing the bear, they won't do much of anything.

I still don't see this as an attack. Just a shopping trip.

[Dogwood]

"The problem is once a bear learns that "tent = convenience store" it does not matter if food is in the tent, the bear will stop in for look."

If I was a wild foraging 300 lb+ animal trying to feed myself I would do the same thing! I could only forage for and eat so many berries before I sought an easier to get SHNACK that I was attracted to because of the ODOORS!

"Unfortunately the only solution at this point is to remove the bear or bears that have tents on their list of nightly stops. Sadly that probably = dead bear."

Actually, there is another solution. Let's do a one for one. Every bear that dies because of negative bear/human interactions equals one human that dies. MAYBE, then, AND ONLY THEN, will humans take into greater consideration how their own HUMAN BEHAVIOR AFFECTS BEAR BEHAVIOR. Not going to happen though because humans MISTAKENLY have this belief that the universe revolves only around them and their needs and wants! - Talk about a species that's supposedly of higher reasoning yet can be some damn self absorbed!

"Canisters may be an option after that to make sure more bears don't learn to equate tents with food, but for now, without removing the bear, they won't do much of anything."

Maybe so, but it should also be equally noted, animal behavior CAN AND DOES CHANGE! Happens quite often! Even when a bear has already learned to equate humans with food that behavior can be reconditioned! Not a whole lot of researchers interested in that though. Requiring canisters can also help ALTER HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THAT IS AT THE HEART OF THIS PROBLEM!!! There is MORE THAN ONE RESPONSIBLE PARTY in these types of questionable encounters. IT IS UP TO HUMANS TO CHANGE THEIR IGNORANT I"LL DO AS I PLEASE BEHAVIOR!!!

"I still don't see this as an attack. Just a shopping trip"

I see it the same way! MANY humans go into the outdoors all the time on "shopping trips" taking whatever they need or want with little or no regard as to how it affects anything but themselves yet when another species does the same humans get in a huff! See it all the time!

It's going to get REAL INTERESTING when other species reveal themselves in a more profound way to enlighten humans they DO NOT OWN OR ARE ENTITLED TO EVERYTHING!

[rocketsocks]

It's going to get REAL INTERESTING when other species reveal themselves in a more profound way to enlighten humans they DO NOT OWN OR ARE ENTITLED TO EVERYTHING!

I got chased by a angry goose today....does that count....S*** birds, think I'll take up goose hunting......

[Teacher & Snacktime]

I got chased by a angry goose today....does that count....S*** birds, think I'll take up goose hunting......

I can't say I'm surprised RS that you're thinking of spending your days looking for a good goose.

[aficion]

I got chased by a angry goose today....does that count....S*** birds, think I'll take up goose hunting......

Last winter swim I went for in the Maury River, an angry male goose swam right up to me and attempted to attack. If I had been somewhat less than 56 years old I would have grabbed him by the neck, throttled him, and served him for dinner. Instead I did a deep dive and swam off safely to the side and resurfaced. No harm done.

[FarmerChef]

Sounds a bit suspect to me too. Not that I doubt they had an encounter with a bear but it doesn't seem consistent with bear behavior. He probably swatted at the tent or fly and tore it with his claws. That could be pretty frightening but wouldn't constitute an attack.

[atmilkman]

While reading Flatfoot's 2013 AT Journal, he writes on April 5:

"Woke up at 7:00 am sharp when the lights came on. Someone announced pancakes were ready so everyone got up quickly. When I stepped outside into the "living area" I found two girls, Sandy and Maddie, stretched out on the flood in their bags. They said they had no where else to go. I remember meeting them the night previous at dinner. There was no more room in the hostel and all cabins were rented so they continued on in the evening an additional 3 miles up the trail and made camp. Unfortunately they slept with their food in the tent and were attacked by a bear. The area between Neel Gap and Tesnatee Gap is known for very aggressive bears. They grabbed all they could, their sleeping bags, and returned down the mountain to the hostel.

...

About 2 1/2 miles up the trail I came across Sandy and Maddie returning from their previous bear ravaged campsite with their packs and what was left of their tent and other belongings. They were headed back to Mountain Crossings but I don't know if they bought more gear or called it quits. I haven't seen them since."

I've read about attacks by grizzlies. I've read about attacks by black bears out west. I've read about black bears on the AT raiding unoccupied tents for food. But this is the first I've read about a black bear on the AT attacking an occupied tent. I'm hitting the trail on Monday and had planned to sleep with my food in an opsak, but this has me second guessing.

We camped at White Oak Stamp on March 26th, a few days after the people posted about losing a bear bag and needing a ride back to Neels. 4 of us slept with our food and 2 hung without an instance. But this is a couple of miles north of the problem area. Sounds like the bear(s) has/have developed a taste for the resupplies from Neels. They know people have got food and probably lots of it.