Black Bear Encounters

[3flies]

You are probably right about them seeing us and us not seeing them. Did I say that right? It has been about 40 yrs since I've seen a 55 gal drum for a trash can in the park. I LOL imagining the bear with the sticker .

[bamafly]

while fishing the roaring fork area one late fall evening..........this stumbled up on me.......

the light was getting bad so i had to set my camera on night shot. *that is why it looks black and white.

he was rather curious of what i was doing and i was not about to stick around to explain it to him. *i took a few shots and eased out....

[Kytroutbum]

A couple of years ago, a bear harassed a jogger about Tremont. Unprovoked it followed the jogger very closely and would not leave when the jogger turned and stared him down. I had an instance above Elkmont several years after the death where a bear beelined down a hillside toward me, and stood on the bank and walked back and forth before my son , fishing above me came down and we both threw rocks and it left. There is a bear population explosion going on and they also have mostly lost fear of humans. My wife and I both carry a canister of "Counter Assault" Grizzly spray on us. I believe I'll probably have to use it on someone's fido before a bear though.

There are a lot of Human Bear encounters in the Park, that DON"T get publicized by the NPS. A Smokies Bear may or may not act like a "WILD bear. Respect them.

A old guide in Wyoming told me the difference in Griz and Black bears is: A griz is angry at the world and if he attacks you, he just wants you to have a BAD DAY also. Play dead, curl up and he'll leave. If a Black attacks you he is hungry, fight like Heck.

[3flies]

Your advice on handling bears jives with what I have learned also. Thanks for contributing.

[Fishabug]

Eddie,
June '05 on a backpacking into #23 for an overnighter and backcountry fishing trip I was about 1-2 miles shy of reaching 23 when I spooked a Blackie in the middle of the river. I took both of us by suprise. He made little of the side of that mountain. That REALLY gave me a perspective of strength in their hind quarters. Being in the same area as the mauling and that close to Gatlinburg's resturant bears made for an uneasy evening.
Then there was another @ #13 where a 100lb'er spent the night in the campsite rummaging through the firerings.
I've never been threatened by one, just spooked.

[3flies]

Fishabug,
Thanks for contributing. I believe that the more we learn about others experiences regarding bears may better prepare us to handle future encounters. We have all seen or heard what a large dog can do such as a Pit or Rotwieller and that is just teeth. Imagine a 100 lb. dog with the ability to use it's claws.

[Fishabug]

Eddie,
It hurts to even think. *Glad you started this thread.
Fishabug

[sammcdonald]

saw my first black bear of the spring on sunday 3/12. last years mast was not nearly as good as 2004 and this bear was not nearly so fat as last year's early bears.
i see about 75 different bears a year and can only remind people-They are BEARS.

[Kytroutbum]

A suggestion: A can of Bear Spray is good insurance. We don't know what some Touron(Tourist-Moron) did to the bear before we encountered it. This stuff will turns Grizzlies around. Love them from a distance!!!

[sammcdonald]

use of bear spray in the gsmnp is prohibited and can result in fine or imprisonment.