More bear activity at Watauga Shelter

[Uncle Joe]

If you follow Highlander58 on Youtube you maybe be aware of another bear incident at the Watauga Shelter. This shelter was apparently closed a couple of years back due to bears getting into food. If you click on the link below and go to the 33min mark you can hear what happened. Apparently a couple of bears came into the shelter and managed to get at least one food bag despite it being hung. They also destroyed 2 tents looking for food. At the end he notes that rangers were made aware and are likely closing that shelter again. It sounds like these two have already associated humans with food beyond the foraging in dumpster stage. It would seem a convenient place for rangers to set up and deal with them directly, IMO.

[Miel]

Oh dear.

Could they be tranquilized and relocated to some kind of bear sanctuary instead?

[Venchka]

Oh dear.

Could they be tranquilized and relocated to some kind of bear sanctuary instead?

The folks using the shelter?
Wait. The bears?
Isn't that shelter used by walk in, non hikers? Said in my most PC voice.
Why isn't the shelter posted about food storage and bears? And/or provide proper hanging hardware?
Or move the shelter?
People make problem bears.

Wayne

[Traveler]

The folks using the shelter?
Wait. The bears?
Isn't that shelter used by walk in, non hikers? Said in my most PC voice.
Why isn't the shelter posted about food storage and bears? And/or provide proper hanging hardware?
Or move the shelter?
People make problem bears.

Wayne

We tried that here once, but people kept waking up and wandering into HoJo's for something to eat.

[Malto]

The shelter was closed when I went through on Thursday, signs everywhere. There was another snatch and grab just over the dam on a poorly hung food bag.

[Pedaling Fool]

This shelter (and surrounding area) is basically a party spot for all the locals; I wouldn't be surprised if people actively feed those bears and that activity makes for the worst case in habituated animals -- they become totally fearless to humans and not only associate humans with food, but they expect to be fed.

[misterfloyd]

when I went through last thanksgiving, I was told by a local that it was a local party spot.

Anyone with eyes could see it. There was garbage in the lake, surrounding areas, everywhere.

I realized it was closed. It was also closed for a long period.

This has been reoccurring for years.

It really would not surprise me if it was closed, deconstructed, and eliminated altogether.

I say that since area wise, there is not another place to put a shelter. at least one that would eliminate the problem.
Floyd

[Miel]

The folks using the shelter?
Wait. The bears?
Isn't that shelter used by walk in, non hikers? Said in my most PC voice.
Why isn't the shelter posted about food storage and bears? And/or provide proper hanging hardware?
Or move the shelter?
People make problem bears.

Wayne

I just don't see the need to kill things unless there is an absolute need.

To paraphrase the Passover seder, why is this shelter different than all other shelters? Why are the people who use this shelter different than all other hikers? (I'm not being sarcastic. I honestly don't know. I hope there is a way to keep both the people and the bears alive. Up here in Massachusetts, we've had couple of instances where the Staties were trigger happy when it came to bears in suburban backyards - kill first, tranquilize no.)

[Traveler]

I didn't see a post advocating killing anything or anyone.

[Pedaling Fool]

I just don't see the need to kill things unless there is an absolute need.

To paraphrase the Passover seder, why is this shelter different than all other shelters? Why are the people who use this shelter different than all other hikers? (I'm not being sarcastic. I honestly don't know. I hope there is a way to keep both the people and the bears alive. Up here in Massachusetts, we've had couple of instances where the Staties were trigger happy when it came to bears in suburban backyards - kill first, tranquilize no.)

Already answered above, it's a party spot for locals. These bears are inundated with things to eat. No different than giving people handouts, they not only become dependent on them, they come to expect them as if it's theirs.

[Gambit McCrae]

another great example of why shelters need to be built(if they are going to be built), at least a mile or 2 from a road. Drunks and weekend partiers aren't going to walk that far to party, and Hikers do a better job (for the most part), of protecting their food.

[Miel]

Already answered above, it's a party spot for locals. These bears are inundated with things to eat. No different than giving people handouts, they not only become dependent on them, they come to expect them as if it's theirs.

So sorry. Thanks to you and misterfloyd. I was writing my post while the two of you had posted yours.

Traveler - When the OP said the rangers should deal with it, that it what I assumed, killing. Catastrophic thinking on my part.

[Tipi Walter]

Bear encounters on the trail and in the woods---I've had my share of them and even stayed up late one night to protect my food. (Like a griz guards his kill?).

When a bear does something not "politically correct" it is usually murdered. Or the forest cops get it wrong and murder a couple bears hoping to get the right one.

When a person goes out in the forest he is subject to various types of accidents. ACCIDENTS. Falling, lightning strikes, falling trees, drowning, hypothermia, food poisoning, mouse attacks (yes, once had a mouse bite me on the finger as I slept), and Bear Attacks. It's all part of "wilderness" travel. You take away the bears and the chance for a bear attack and you take away wilderness.

When someone dies on a highway in a car wreck, do we permanently close the road? Point is, accidents are part of highway car travel. Negative bear encounters are accidents and are part of forest travel.

[Uncle Joe]

I don't have a particular problem with eliminating habituated bears if circumstances require it. Maybe someone can correct me but over time at Yosemite better food management eliminated the problem and habituated bears died off. I heard many years ago that nuisance bears from GSMNP would be relocated to the Cohuttas. Probably made sense back in that day when there were few tourists making their way into that wilderness. I guess my point is relocation would seem a better first option. Tag it, relocate, if that bear finds it's way out and back into trouble perhaps then take it down. I don't like that option but I understand it.

[JumpMaster Blaster]

The folks using the shelter?
Wait. The bears?
Isn't that shelter used by walk in, non hikers? Said in my most PC voice.
Why isn't the shelter posted about food storage and bears? And/or provide proper hanging hardware?
Or move the shelter?
People make problem bears.

Wayne

Agreed. Any shelter that becomes a party spot for locals more than hikers in itself becomes a "nuisance" and should be demolished. Tear it down, put in a water spigot or something and call it a day.

[JumpMaster Blaster]

Already answered above, it's a party spot for locals. These bears are inundated with things to eat. No different than giving people handouts, they not only become dependent on them, they come to expect them as if it's theirs.

Hmm, that's quite the statement about society.

[Venchka]

I'm sticking to my original thought: Relocate the knuckleheads using the shelter and mistreating the wildlife.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[Venchka]

Hmm, that's quite the statement about society.

Totally factual if you ask me. But nobody asked.

Wayne

[rafe]

Already answered above, it's a party spot for locals. These bears are inundated with things to eat. No different than giving people handouts, they not only become dependent on them, they come to expect them as if it's theirs.

Nice little dog whistle. C'mon and say what you really mean.

[martinb]

A trail shelter by a road? Never been to this particular one but if it's that close, it should have never been opened in the first place. Many wild areas in the east suffer from too much easy accessibility.