Has there been any reports in the last few years of Black Bears attemping to go into Occupyed Tents in search for food? I know most people Hang their food on bear cables, and bears have been sucessful in even getting some of these food bags as they have learned where there is always food hanging, any incounters with Tent busting bears??
johnny be afraid of Bears
Hiking through the Smokies last January, I would have thought the bears were hibernating. Shows how much dumb-ass me knows.
Just before Ice Water Springs shelter, I encountered a bear on the trail, maybe 20-25 yards ahead. I did what is suggested: raised my poles over my head and clanged them together. Supposed to scare the bear away.
Well, it didn’t work. The bear proceeded to climb a close tree and worked his way out onto a sturdy limb - right over the top the the trail! I’m thinking “What do I do now?” I did not want to try hiking under the bear. I didn’t even want to approach on either side of the bear. Can bears jump out of trees? I didn’t know.
So I retreated a couple of miles and set up a stealth camp for the night. I figured if a SNP Ranger came by and wrote me a ticket - so be it.
Please, please hang your food, smellables (i.e. toothpaste, etc.) before you call it a night. If your not sure what to hang, then hang your entire pack - and hang em high enough and far enough out from the nearest branch.
Bears indeed have ripped into tents because they smelled something good. In addition, if your tenting anywhere near a shelter, the field mice can do a pretty damn good job of eating through the wall of your tent.
JAWS
I have always heard that GSMNP is the worst for bears along the AT. Which is likely due to the fact that it is the most visited national park. Over the years the bears have learned where the food is. If you properly hang your food (I hang my pack) at night, it is likely that your food will be safe. Also, black bears are scavengers by nature, so they will naturally run from a fight, UNLESS you get between a mom and her cubs. Just make your prescence known and they will respect you.
Hammock PhD
If you’re thru-hiking north bears aren’t all that common in GSMNP because you get there early enough in the season that the vegetation hasn’t grown up at the altitudes yet. But man, they were everywhere in the Shenandoah’s.
But the only time that bears weren’t afraid of me was in New Jersey. Plus a few shelters have a resident bear that visits daily.
But if you’re posting due to a worry about bears on the AT, have no fear. The first time you see one you get a little jumpy, but eventually you’ll see enough that it’s no issue at all.
0101
I think the bears in NJ would be afraid of you now, they just finished shooting 4,123 of them the past week or so.
Hokey Pokey
4,123? Yeah - the’re scared!
Bears in the Smokies? I only saw one. But then that is the only bear I have ever seen in the past years.
Aren’t all of the chain-linked fences off the Smokey Mtn shelters now? Of course the bear cables are there instead.
JAWS
4,123 bears killed in New Jersey?that number seems a little high,but I lost track after a few days.Did you see the report of a hiker being pulled from High Point Shelter in New Jersey", he was in his sleeping bag when it happened,dont think he got too much sleep after that.I do feel rather sorry for the Bears though,man keeps moving more and more into the bears territory,then we “off the bear”,quite sad really.
old&in the way
I told you a million times, Don’t exaggerate!!!
As of thursday night, with two days to go, they shot 246 bears. Oo
Onlyone
Bears invading occupied Tents, Anybody know anything about this? does this happend offen with food or no food present??
johnny be afraid of bears
Only in New Jersey.
Seriously, bears are attracted to smells. This includes food in your tent. Supposedly, it can happen to women who are having their period.
A bear could possibly attack an occupied tent where there is no food. After all, what’s to stop him? With or without food, there are documented cases where a bear has invaded occupied and unoccupied tents. Anything is possible. Several years ago a hiker in a shelter woke up to find a bear standing over him.
A high percentage of shelter sites have bear cables. It doesn’t hurt to use them, and it might really help. If you are camping somewhere else - it’s your decision and your food. Personally, even though it can be a pain at times, I’d err on the side of safety.
JAWS
Opps- Sorry, 4,123 bears killed in PA not NJ.
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?Q=166701&A=11
Hokey Pokey
Jaws,
They are s l o w l y restoring each hut in the smokies, after they got done with Silers BAld, they decided that they should take off the fences. so Silers Bald should keep its fence for some time, but other places already don’t have one, i.e. Miollies ridge (I think)
Hammock PhD
Just remember when you go in those dark forests you are not king of the food chain. BEARS are. They are stronger than any other animal. Humans are warm tasty treats to them, like Big Beef Burrito Supreme on sale for $1. And those b-g-b-B-BEARS are smarter, too.
They’ll watch you hiking by not knowing there’s a bear there because we don’t have a sense of smell, stick out a bear paw and trip you up, you go flying and the bear grab the Snickers in mid-air. Then the next thing you know, that Snickers is all gone and that bear’s putting hot sauce on you and didn’t even pay his $1.
Bear Scared
Female hikers beware. If you are “in season”, don’t hike. Bears will investigate a woman that is having her monthly estrus cycle
roy mercer
This thread seems to be perpetuating a lot of bear myths. Women can hike anytime of month without worry in black bear country. In grizzly country (only Alaska, Montana, Wyoming) women should take a little more care with personal hygiene, but bears stalking menstruating women is a myth.
Since this is an AT question, the only bear you might see is a black bear. They are easily frightened away with loud noise. Use the poles and hang your pack, don’t sleep with your food, and consider yourself lucky if you get to see a bear on the AT.
As to the guy pulled out of the NJ shelter by a bear, his “friends” videotaped it rather than making noise to scare away the bear. The man was not seriously hurt.
Seeing a bear while hiking is a thrill. Not hiking because you are afraid of a bear attack is rather ridiculous as the risk is so, so low.
Turtle Walking
An dat ole bear … he go … Wooooo!!!
That’s worth saying again. Seeing a bear while hiking is a thrill.
But back to the original question. If a bear doesn’t smell anything in the tent that smells like food then he(she) will probably not invade the tent.
The bottom line is don’t have anything that has a strong scent (other than yourself ;-)) in the tent. Hang your food by whatever best means presents itself and have no worries. And try not to wipe the tuna juice on your pants 
~Conductor
:cheers
Conductor
myth or not, I advise women to stay off the trail while “riding the crimson wave”. lmao
roy mercer
I advise the opposite: Go hiking whenever you want, women.
I had heard people say that bears can be attracted to menstral scents, but they are way more attracted to the scent of food left on your clothes after cooking.
After hiking thousands of miles with a woman in many bear-filled wilderness areas (not to mention the far more dangerous car campgrounds), I’m starting to think that the menstration warning is nothing but a scared man’s myth.
You will not be attacked because you are a woman.
Tha Wookie
Yes, I want to apologize if anyone thought there was a suggestion that women would not be safe or should not hike.
JAWS