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  1. #141
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    What was a bear seeking through a tent wall? Was it you specifically or rather something it very likely smelled? Why did a bear seek you out through a tent wall?



    the bear wasnt seeking him through the tent wall-----rather the bear, based on past actions, knew that a brightly colored object, such as a pack or a tent, could potentially contain food in it....

    it happens at a bunch of the popular shelters in the park---russell, spence, and cosby all have "resident" bears that will steal a pack or something else away, taking the chance of it containing food............

  2. #142

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    I just talked to one of the trail maintainers that I met at Spence Field shelter, and he said that another bear was collared and released. The Park Service is waiting for DNA evidence.

  3. #143

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    Geez, talk about denial...

    Everyone seems so bent on this theory that all black bears are seeking picnic snacks from tents, forget about the incredible sense of smell of the bear and all the other facts that we know, yet people want to think that all bears that bite people in tents is because it was looking for picnic food

    This has been brought up before, so I can't believe it must be hammered home again and again...

    Black Bears are predators, remember the guy in New Jersey? Sure, they're not the most menacing of predators, but they are predators.

    Don't take my word for it, rather look here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/sc...ears.html?_r=0

    Some Key Excerpts:

    He might be surprised, then, by a new study that found that black bears — the most common bears in North America — have killed only 63 people in the United States and Canada over the last 109 years.The study also found, contrary to popular perception, that the black bears most likely to kill are not mothers protecting cubs. Most attacks, 88 percent, involved a bear on the prowl, likely hunting for food. And most of those predators, 92 percent, were male.

    “Mother bears, whenever they feel threatened or a person is too close, they act very aggressively,” said Stephen Herrero, the study’s lead author. “They make noise, they swat the ground with their paws and they run at people. They want to make you think that they’ll eat you alive, but they almost always stop.”

    By contrast, “the kind of bear you need to be afraid of is not feeling threatened by you — it’s testing you out as a possible prey item,” said Dr. Herrero, a professor emeritus at the University of Calgary. “It’s quiet. It stalks you just like a lion might stalk you.”

    “It’s not an increase in hungry bears,” said Dr. Herrero. “It’s simply more and more people out there interacting with bears.”Still, most deaths occurred in places with fewer people: 44 in Canada and 5 in Alaska, the state with the most attacks. That may be because bears in more sparsely populated areas are less accustomed to people or because television shows and wildlife tours have “generated in people a desire to get close to dangerous things,” said Barry Lopez, an author of books on wildlife. “There could be no change in the resident population, but the visiting population has grown dramatically,” Mr. Lopez said.

    Most attacks killed one person, but in three cases two or three people were killed by the same bear within several hours. And once, in Saskatchewan, a bear that killed one person tried to kill another several days later.


    “That person was able to kill the bear, and when they skinned out the bear they found the remains of the other person,” said Dr. Herrero, suggesting that bears that have been aggressive once will be more likely to try again.

    For example, a black bear that grabbed 11-year-old Samuel Ives from his family’s tent in Utah’s American Fork Canyon in 2007, killing him, had apparently slashed another tent earlier that day.

  4. #144

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    I had a similar account at Wautauga when I made the mistake of leaving a fully wrapped nutritional bar inside the tent in a mesh pocket affixed to the outer wall. The CS was heavily beaten down with leftover Spaghetti O's in the campfire ring I noticed the following morning. In the middle of the night a large female and a cub came to the CS rooting around the fire ring. The sow pushed against the back wall of the tent with it's wet nose directly up against where the bar was stored. The bear was already in a curious predator/prey mode from the food it smelled in the campfire ring. Then, it could smell the wrapped bar inside my tent. If I hadn't lightly punched the bear in the nose when inside the tent I absolutely believe it would have torn through or perhaps through touch and smell bit at anything including an arm or leg through the tent wall. Would it have been the bear looking to attack or eat me specifically? NO.
    That does sound like a case of a habituated bear (and sadly it's teaching its cub a bad behavior), but it was NOT in predatory mode, more of a scavanging/gathering mode. There is a real problem with these habituated bears, especially in busy areas, such as Wautauga, as has been mentioned before, but it shouldn't be confused with a bear in true predatory mode. There's a big difference between the mindset of a bear scavenging for food/grub as opposed to one doing this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JVkaMqD5mI

  5. #145

    Default Appalachian Trail hiker describes agonizing bear attack - WBIR.com


    WBIR.com

    Appalachian Trail hiker describes agonizing bear attack
    WBIR.com
    A thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail said it was agonizing when a bear bit him in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Bradley Veeder, 49, was sleeping in his tent near Spence Field Backcountry Shelter on May 10 when a bear attacked and bit him in ...



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  6. #146
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    Wautuga last year- a hiker called Cheesesteak hiked past and camped beyond the restricted area- same site I had been at the night before. Two bears-one big, one smaller, got their foodbags- very high up according to Cheesesteak- and decimated them. Cheesesteak and another person picked up their tents and walked them away with all of their gear and packed up away from the bears to hike away. Went back the next day and their feedbag stuff was shredded and strewn around the area.
    Another thing I saw last year- I was inside one of the lodges in the Shenendoahs and outside a juvenile bear (not a cub) was walking around the building. People were actually crowding it, trying to get a picture. I saw one woman walk up to a few feet of the bear holding a camera up. This bear was not small- it was grown but not filled out yet, maybe a young male that had been expelled. Next day- I was hiking and a juvenile bear about the same size- maybe it was the same one- came close to me, walked around me- and followed for a minute on the trail. My brother had joined me for the hike and he was a little freaked out. I wondered at the time if the bear was conditioned to humans being close. I know the deer in that part of the country are freakishly bold with humans and will walk almost right up to you and stare at you.
    Last edited by BonBon; 05-27-2016 at 06:53.

  7. #147

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    If you smeared yourself with coconut oil maybe it was a gypsy bear from Jamaica that bit you?

    I ask these questions because 99.99 % of the time there are missing critical details. That bear was rummaging for something it was attracted to! And, it very well could have been odors that attracted it initially and going forward that factored into your experience.

    Thx for be willing to share.

    Again, it's my contention the bear was not after you specifically to eat or bite you. It was after something else and you happened to be there.

  8. #148
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    It was after something else and you happened to be there.



    yup....

    thats why the bear also tore apart another tent (with nobody in it) along with a bunch of gear.......

  9. #149

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    http://www.bear.org/website/bear-pag...ack-bears.html

    Given the confirmed black bear attacks stats in the past 100 yrs MANY more things to be concerned about than black bear attacks IF IF CONSCIENTIOUS HUMAN BEHAVIOR through applying some human/bear safety guidelines(KNOWLEDGE) are applied BY HUMANS.

    Now, can we talk about those fearful Hollywood wolves and Mountains Lion attacks? Roar. Hoo howw hoo.

  10. #150

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    If you smeared yourself with coconut oil maybe it was a gypsy bear from Jamaica that bit you?

    I ask these questions because 99.99 % of the time there are missing critical details. That bear was rummaging for something it was attracted to! And, it very well could have been odors that attracted it initially and going forward that factored into your experience.

    Thx for be willing to share.

    Again, it's my contention the bear was not after you specifically to eat or bite you. It was after something else and you happened to be there.
    Quote Originally Posted by TNhiker View Post
    yup....

    thats why the bear also tore apart another tent (with nobody in it) along with a bunch of gear.......
    yup yup, and again thanks for tellin' your story "PP" I'd have died of a heart thing...and two broken hands.

  11. #151

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    If you smeared yourself with coconut oil maybe it was a gypsy bear from Jamaica that bit you?

    I ask these questions because 99.99 % of the time there are missing critical details. That bear was rummaging for something it was attracted to! And, it very well could have been odors that attracted it initially and going forward that factored into your experience.

    Thx for be willing to share.

    Again, it's my contention the bear was not after you specifically to eat or bite you. It was after something else and you happened to be there.
    I really don't have much else to say about the "smearing with coconut oil" internet meme.

    You're free to believe what you want to believe, and I wish you the best regardless of your choice.

  12. #152

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    ...and not fer nothin' but regardless if a bear is going after someone cause of an oil, scent, or bad berry year, I'd imagine it can feel quite personal with a bear wants to eat you regardless if he knows why or not.

  13. #153

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    http://www.bear.org/website/bear-pag...ack-bears.html

    Given the confirmed black bear attacks stats in the past 100 yrs MANY more things to be concerned about than black bear attacks IF IF CONSCIENTIOUS HUMAN BEHAVIOR through applying some human/bear safety guidelines(KNOWLEDGE) are applied BY HUMANS.

    Now, can we talk about those fearful Hollywood wolves and Mountains Lion attacks? Roar. Hoo howw hoo.
    No one is peddling fear; furthermore, no one is arguing against the fact that many bears have become habituated to human food. The point is that just because a bear tears something apart, you can't automatically blame it on habituation, if fact were only that easy to determine, we'd all be detectives

    If you look at the link I posted above in post #143, the bear that killed the little kid tore up another tent, why? >>>>
    ...For example, a black bear that grabbed 11-year-old Samuel Ives from his family’s tent in Utah’s American Fork Canyon in 2007, killing him, had apparently slashed another tent earlier that day.
    What attracted that bear to the other tent, according to you the only possible answer is because of stupid humans. You like to lecture people about human-centric attitudes. Well, your mindset of some bear tearing apart a tent being the result of stupid humans is just the flip side of the same coin -- it's a mindless human-centric attitude on your part.

    The fact is there are non-food items that bears will be attracted to on and cause them to tear those things up, such as insulation in refrigeration and other things, see here: http://www.mountaintrue.org/wp-conte...deterrants.pdf

    Hot Tub Covers
    Made with formaldehyde give off formic acid bears are naturally drawn to the smell of formic acid from ant colonies and will bite into hot tub covers, refrigerator insulation, bicycle seats, etc...
    Note the etc part...


    Bottom line: there are many things we could be carrying that the bear and their amazing sense of smell can confuse for something else.


    But I know you'll continue to deny these facts and continue living in your very comfortable, closed world where humans are the cause of all things bad.

  14. #154
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    Quote Originally Posted by BonBon View Post
    Another thing I saw last year- I was inside one of the lodges in the Shenendoahs and outside a juvenile bear (not a cub) was walking around the building. People were actually crowding it, trying to get a picture. I saw one woman walk up to a few feet of the bear holding a camera up. This bear was not small- it was grown but not filled out yet, maybe a young male that had been expelled. Next day- I was hiking and a juvenile bear about the same size- maybe it was the same one- came close to me, walked around me- and followed for a minute on the trail. My brother had joined me for the hike and he was a little freaked out. I wondered at the time if the bear was conditioned to humans being close.
    In those places, or GSMNP, they are conditioned. If you're followed you should act aggressively. Following can be a sign of predatory behavior.

  15. #155

    Default Appalachian Trail hiker describes terrifying moments when bear attacks - WATE 6 On Yo


    Appalachian Trail hiker describes terrifying moments when bear attacks
    WATE 6 On Your Side
    GATLINBURG (WATE) – Dana Soehn started his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail on April 30, starting at Amicalola State Park. On May 10, Soehn said he hiked 17.3 miles into the Spence Field shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He said he ...



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  16. #156

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    So, what if we did this - we don't shoot any bears, we don't thin any herds, instead, we go hike the backcountry and accept that there is some inherent risk in dong so and that even if we do everything we can do to reduce that risk, bad things still might happen to us. And, if we can't accept that level of risk, we hike somewhere else - somewhere that has a better track record for bear attacks or snake bites or lightning strikes or whatever haunts our dreams. Further, if we do choose to hike in some risk-infested wilderness and the worst occurs, we don't turn around (or our next of kin) and insist that the government or some unnamed someone do something to make the wilderness less.... wildernessy and something we're more.... comfortable with.
    Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.

  17. #157

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    Some one has been storing food in their hot tub cover again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqlr56rNdDM

  18. #158
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    Quote Originally Posted by full conditions View Post
    So, what if we did this - we don't shoot any bears, we don't thin any herds, instead, we go hike the backcountry and accept that there is some inherent risk in dong so and that even if we do everything we can do to reduce that risk, bad things still might happen to us. And, if we can't accept that level of risk, we hike somewhere else - somewhere that has a better track record for bear attacks or snake bites or lightning strikes or whatever haunts our dreams. Further, if we do choose to hike in some risk-infested wilderness and the worst occurs, we don't turn around (or our next of kin) and insist that the government or some unnamed someone do something to make the wilderness less.... wildernessy and something we're more.... comfortable with.
    We can also take reasonable precautions to take care of ourselves when we step off the blacktop and into the wilderness.

    The wilderness contains wild animals that may attack us just because that is their instinct. It's not personal. Prepare yourself. When bears might attack, do your best to minimize the risk, but have a weapon handy that can be used to defend yourself from an attack.

    The big issue is the notion that you can always call 911 on your cell phone and rely on SAR save you. You can't, and they can't.



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  19. #159

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    Black bears are not predators of humans. Yes, they are capable of predatory behavior. This is why running from a black bear (or any bear) is not wise. Polar bears are the only bear that is an acknowledged predator of humans. I have hiked for decades in GSMNP. I see or have encounters with black bears on at least 75% of my trips there. If black bears were true predators, i'd either have very interesting stories to tell or I would have no stories to tell.

  20. #160
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    I've also hiked in the GSMNP for years and have had many encounterS with bears over the years. Bear attacks are so rare that no one can explain why. Park personal must protect humans and must take actions that are questionable. A study of bears shows that bears normally will not attack humans, but attacks can occur. Proper behavior will minimize the possibility of an attack, but even improper behavior doesn't lead to an attack. Unfortunately this incident occured and Park action was mandated, and everyone can speculate as to the reasons. Unfortunately we will never really know. Hopefully this attack will remain an aberration and we will learn nothing from it.

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