We spotted the above collared bear eating berries high in a tree on Town Mountain. Asheville However, while the coastal bear population has stabilized due to increased hunting in those areas, the western population continues to grow at an estimated 6 percent a year. Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. Reservation holders were contacted by park staff and through the online reservation system, recreation.gov. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. If were going to talk about the rash of bear attacks and bear encounters in and around the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, then we may as well start with this: The remains of a friend of mine from high school were found down a ravine in Blount County earlier in the year. If the bear gets closer, talk loudly or shout at it and act aggressively. Lake proponents argued that turning Cades Cove into a body of water would promote tourism (photo by Patrick Jennings/stock.adobe.com), Puy du Fou is coming to the Smokies as part of the Exit 407 development. The gorge is formed by the Jonas Ridge on the east and Linville Mountain on the west and is bisected by the Linville River which drops 2,000 feet into the valleys below. State and federal wildlife regulators say more bear hunting is needed. We never went out of the room without a partner and were always careful. The U.S. Forest Service is warning visitors to Pisgah and Nantahala national forests that bears are coming alarmingly close to humans and even circling campsites in western North Carolina. The hiker was experienced, and the attack was unprovoked. Over the next several minutes, there were repeated attacks by the bear while the couple retreated with their dog to the safety of their vehicle. In fact, its so uncommon that it can be difficult to find many statistics on the subject. I suppose my evidence for this is anecdotal and observational, but it does seem that bear encounters are generally on the rise. Though rare, attacks on humans do occur, causing injuries or death. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. Camping is temporarily prohibited along the trail in the Pisgah National Forest because of a bear with cubscontinuously coming too close to campers with food. In June 2021, reports of aggressive bears led to a temporary ban on camping. Black bear attacks are very rare in the Great Smoky Mountains. In it, Russell plays a mother who must find her runaway daughter in a national park . To avoid bear attacks, experts recommend the following: For more tips, visithttps://bearwise.org/six-outdoor-bearwise-basics/ or go towww.fs.usda.gov/nfsncand click on "Learn about Bear Safety. Without hunting allowed anymore, the famed mountain woman opined in the 40s or the 50s that the bears and the foxes and other critters were getting far more annoying. Act aggressively, yelling and waving your arms. on official, secure websites. Mama bears are very protective of her cubs. We dont plan to change that model. For more tips, visit go towww.fs.usda.gov/nfsncand click on "Learn about Bear Safety,"orwww.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/bears. Never approach a bear or other wild animal. Hi, we went to SMNP in August 2021 & encountered a bear. Shes even seen tourists throw food to bears to try to entice them closer to get better photos of them. Sometimes youd hear about a bear startling a camper whod been a little loose with food security in the mountains. They screamed and ran. He would walk around the edge of the porch smelling whatever. Last month, a bear was spotted in our very residential neighborhood in the middle of an East Tennessee town. If attacked by a black bear, rangers strongly recommend fighting back with any object available and remember that the bear may view you as prey. Follow the National Forests in North Carolina on Facebook(. The trail remains open to hiking, but camping is not allowed from Grassy Fork Road, mile marker 245, to Max Patch Road, mile marker 253, including the Groundhog Creek Shelter. Visitors are encouraged to prevent bear interactions by practicing these additional safety tips: Properly store food and scented items like toothpaste by using a bear-proof container. Wildlife experts say bears are taking an opportunistic approach to finding food in the national forests, using the supplies campers and hikers bring with them. She backed back into her room, but if it would have been a child that could have been bad. In June 2021, reports of aggressive bears led to a temporary ban on camping. Never run away from a bear back away slowly and make lots of noise. Act aggressively and intimidate the bear by yelling and waving your arms. Get into a vehicle or a secure building. Keep your dog on a leash in areas where bears are reported. John Gullion, Managing Editor at the Citizen Tribune, is a freelance contributor for TheSmokies.com LLC the parent company of TheSmokies.com and HeyOrlando.com. Well, the bears have had to learn that people are everywhere, so a lot of times they don't pay people any attention. "This bear was exhibiting predatory behavior; it attacked in the middle of the night with no known provocation," Dana Soehn, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, told ABC news . 160 Zillicoa St. Suite A The state added the Pisgah and Standing Indian sanctuaries to the proposal due to higher numbers of interactions in those areas as well. All food and food-related items should be stored at campsites in a hard-sided bear-resistant canister, or in the trunk of a vehicle, except when preparing and consuming food. Typically a bear is more afraid of humans. Between Wildcat Top, Mile Marker 246 and Groundhog Creek Shelter, Mile Marker 248, Pisgah National Forest on Snowbird Mountain. This time of the year black bears are opportunistically looking for food that campers and trail users bring on their trips. If you are attacked by a black bear, try to fight back using any object available. The report Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (JCTDA) has once again shown its commitment to environmental stewardship by increasing its funding to $2,500 for the third year By Kristin Fox Next month, the Park It Forward Program will begin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). And very, very rarely, youd hear about a bear attack. At any rate, I started banging on the side of my jeep with my open hand and yelling at him as loud as I could. Hed been struggling, I understand, and at the time of his death was wanted by police for car theft. Have you had a black bear experience in the Smokies? In fact, bear attacks are not listed within the average number of injuries within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If a bear is observed nearby, pack up your food and trash immediately and vacate the area ASAP. A 16-year-old girl was attacked and injured by a bear early on the. United States. Camping in cars will be permitted during this time, and some tent sites may accommodate hard-sided campers. We will announce dates and all other pertinent information once authorization from landholders and other permitting agencies has been established. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us. To avoid bear attacks, experts recommend the . If you notice a bear nearby, pack up your food and trash immediately and vacate the area as soon as possible. The trail remains open to hiking, but camping is not allowed from Grassy Fork Road, mile marker 245, to Max Patch Road, mile marker 253, including the Groundhog Creek Shelter. Act aggressively and intimidate the bear by yelling and waving your arms. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a397710eda080adca09ecf28cdbe5e18" );document.getElementById("e96589b9de").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. One even dug out a cave under the swimming pool the year before. In June of 2021, a teenage girl was backcountry camping deep in the national forest when a bear attacked her as she slept in a hammock at night. For instance, each backcountry campsite and shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a cable and pulley system which allows backpackers to easily hoist their food and packs out of the reach of black bears, providing a safer environment for hikers and animals alike. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. A big papa bear we saw while driving in Pisgah National Forest in the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area. In June 2021, reports of aggressive bears led to a temporary ban on camping along the Appalachian Trail in the area, from Double Springs Shelter to Backbone Rock Side Trail. But still, it was a tad bit scary. Mama bears are very protective. Both me & the bear just stared for what seemed like long time but prob only a few minutes. If necessary, attempt to scare the animal away with loud shouts, by banging pans together, or throwing rocks and sticks at it. Black bears look for food that campers and trail users bring on their trips. Bears have also been reported in other parts of the national forests including on the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest near Old NC 105 and in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness on the Nantahala National Forest. Once in a while, youd hear of one coming down out of the mountains, confused and lost and accidentally finding itself among people. July 14, 2021 3:31 PM Reports of aggressive bears have escalated this summer in mountains along the North Carolina-Tennessee state line, including a June 18 bear attack on a teen as she slept. Always lock up your trash and do not litter. If you are attacked by a black bear, try to fight back using any object available. At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Around 10 yards he finally turned and ran off back up the mountain road. While black bear attacks on people are rare, such attacks have resulted in human fatalities. Get into a vehicle or a secure building. About 100 feet up the road he stopped and turned around and came running back down the road directly AT me! According to the 2020 census, the population of Buncombe Countyhome to Asheville and the public gateway to the Pisgah National Forestgrew 13.1 percent since 2010. Chance of rain 90%. If you notice a bear nearby, pack up your food and trash immediately and vacate the area as soon as possible. She rarely sees them there, but she does see them frequently around trash cans in town and in the parking lots at the forest. Associated Press. The rise in bear encounters coincided with the three-day Memorial Day weekend and was concentrated in the Pisgah, Appalachian, and Nantahala Ranger Districts, officials said. When bears are common, its easy to forget that they remain quite dangerous. Morebear safety tipsare available on the Parkways Bear Safety page. ) or https:// means you've safely I reported it to management, but they just laughed and said they have one about every year. While black bear attacks on people are rare, such attacks have resulted in human fatalities. Increased reports of bear activity in these areas indicate that visitors should take precautions to avoid encounters. Clean up food or garbage around fire rings, grills, or other areas of your campsite. The bear has been lingering among campers and has been deemed a safety threat. It's the same thing that happens out westyou see people trying to get too close to bison and take their picture, and then they get charged, Huehls said. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. In the wild, they will feed on whatever is readily available. The Pisgah National Forest warns visitors to North Mills River, Bent Creek Experimental Forest, and Black Balsam and surrounding areas on the Pisgah Ranger District to be on the look-out for black bears. The couple drove to Mission Hospital where they were both treated for their injuries and released.. Asheville, NC, June 25, 2021 Due to continued bear activity, camping is still prohibited along the Appalachian Trail in the Pisgah National Forest from Grassy Fork Road, mile marker 245, to Max Patch Road, mile marker 253. All rights reserved. The couple was having a picnic on a grassy hill near the Folk Art Center, when they were alerted to a bear by their dog, NPS officials said in a news release. ", Forest Supervisor's Office As the bear population has risen, so too has the human population around these parks, leading to more opportunities for bear-human interactions. I dont know why they made such light of the situation. Its was a nightmare scenario, and also an anomaly. Some offices are closed to the public while others have limited hours or are open by appointment only. Asheville, NC 28801 If a bear approaches, move away slowly; do not run. Rain earlythen remaining cloudy with thundershowers developing overnight. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock More info athttps://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD921040, Forest Supervisor's Office Walk up camping will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by park staff to ensure equipment meets current requirements. Never run away from a bear-back away slowly and make lots of noise. Throw non-food objects (such as rocks) at the bear. The dumpsters smell like trash and food, but also smell like people. LockA locked padlock United States. Public Warned About Bear Encounters In Pisgah District, City officials review public camping proposal, Commissioners respond to trail, bond criticism, At-home remedies available for treating back pain, Brevard Music Center invites you to be a volunteer, Zen and the art of credit card maintenance, VISION Transylvania class to begin accepting applications, Brevard resident's memoir recounts murder of grandmother. Pisgah National Forest and the Birthplace of Forestry. Retirement communities have sprouted up throughout the area, fueled by affordable land prices and the temperate climate. 160 Zillicoa St. Suite A Read Also: How the Walker sisters became a living tourist attraction in the Smokies. And adult bears in North Carolina have no predators to keep their numbers in check other than hunting and car strikes, which, Howard says, are also increasing. 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