How much does that crystal ball add to your pack weight?Originally Posted by jumbojimbo
My bad,should be Sept.24,2013.
Another fact to consider is that bears are hunted on October in GA and pretty much on the run from humans/dogs.
From my viewpoint, seeing a black bear in the woods is a blessing, a GREAT "Mother Nature" sighting
be it hanging, tenting, or sharing ramen in a shelter..............when was the last time a bear ate a hiker on the AT?
First time for everything
Are the bears out in "full force" in GA right now? Well, not as much as in the spring - when thousands of thru-hikers are throwing food all over and nothing has bloomed yet in the barren woods .... BUT ... the probability of bears seeing you and you not seeing them are pretty good. Just be generally aware and responsible with your food. They are light on their feet and can walk right by you without a sound. Their sense of smell is 2,330 times better than you or I - and 7 times better than a bloodhound's. "HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE" to be sure - and YES - many folks sleep with their food et al - but it's being kind to the bears themselves when you hang your food. You'd be surprised how many bears are being euthanized when a cycle is set into motion when people don't take care of their food. It's usually months after you are gone and you'll never know it.
Bears are out in force in my area. Even coming into our development. I've heard they have been sighted in Asheville. The mast crop is way down this year.
bears are still awake as of yesterday
Of course they're still awake; it's barely Fall and the sustained Low temps are still way above freezing.
yeah, I was just answering the OPs question. Personally I think most of the bear threads are ridiculous, but who am I to judge
Bears in the south dont hiberate, they just sleep a lot more.
Kind of a "light" version of what is usually considered hibernating.
Bears arent anything to worry about. Welcome any opportunity to see one.
Your only risk , is losing your food.
Rules:
If you have food , its YOURS and the bear knows it. It will not fight you for it.
If the bear has food, its HIS, and he can protect it
If you leave food anywhere, at any time, out of your possession, its UP FOR GRABS and can be treated as such by Mr. Bear.
Sleep with your food, or learn to hang it VERY WELL and you will have no issues.
I had a great encounter with a small bear a few days ago in GA, they are active. It was high up in a tree (eating acorns I presume), and even though I was about 20 ft from the tree base, it was so scared of me, it quickly climbed down in front of me to run away.
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