Bear attack of hammock camper last night in GSMNP

[Dux]

Bears need to associate humans with pain.

True. Hooray for all those who run dogs on bears. Swear that's what keeps 'em so polite hereabouts.

Once saw a report that rangers at Yellowstone harass bears with non-lethal slugs.

Once saw a vid where a sow grizzly with cubs nearby was raiding campsites. Ranger hit her in the thigh with a rubber bullet fired from an M79 (40mm grenade launcher). Spun her around 90 degrees. One of those in the chest would probably have killed most people. She got up and charged straight at him. His hands were shaking but he got another round in. This time hit her in the chest. Could hear a big Woof!! as it impacted. She fell flat on her face. As he was trying to get another one in the pipe, she got up, looked at him, then turned and walked away. If he had missed on that second shot, she would have mauled and probably killed him.

Think of that next time we think our job is tough, hey?

[OneClick]

Once saw a vid where a sow grizzly with cubs nearby was raiding campsites. Ranger hit her in the thigh with a rubber bullet fired from an M79 (40mm grenade launcher). Spun her around 90 degrees. One of those in the chest would probably have killed most people. She got up and charged straight at him. His hands were shaking but he got another round in. This time hit her in the chest. Could hear a big Woof!! as it impacted. She fell flat on her face. As he was trying to get another one in the pipe, she got up, looked at him, then turned and walked away. If he had missed on that second shot, she would have mauled and probably killed him.

Think of that next time we think our job is tough, hey?

[MDSH]

True. Hooray for all those who run dogs on bears. Swear that's what keeps 'em so polite hereabouts.



Once saw a vid where a sow grizzly with cubs nearby was raiding campsites. Ranger hit her in the thigh with a rubber bullet fired from an M79 (40mm grenade launcher). Spun her around 90 degrees. One of those in the chest would probably have killed most people. She got up and charged straight at him. His hands were shaking but he got another round in. This time hit her in the chest. Could hear a big Woof!! as it impacted. She fell flat on her face. As he was trying to get another one in the pipe, she got up, looked at him, then turned and walked away. If he had missed on that second shot, she would have mauled and probably killed him.

Think of that next time we think our job is tough, hey?

Thing is -- what did the cubs learn about humans from that?

Man is the apex predator because of our sizable brain. *We should use it.*

We will not win every battle but something has changed since the day we hunted them down for fun and these politically correct times.

Once saw a guy back down a bear in Shenandoah just because he was big and confident. All around him picnickers were losing their sandwiches, watermelon, and iced tea. But he stood his ground.

Animals have a keen sense of cost/benefit.

Survival of the species is the most powerful instinct so one might need a grenade launcher to stop of bear sow.

But under most circumstances we can dole out more pain than a bear if we make full use of our capacities.

[Dux]

Amen, preach it brother.

[sixty7flh]

Nothing will stop me from getting out there, the most dangerous part is still driving to my destination.[/QUOTE]

So true

[joe_guilbeau]

CS 84 is several miles up Hazel Creek from Fontana Lake. The only access is either by boat or a pretty long walk; it is not accessible directly from any road, which is where most of the 9 million visitors are going to be found. There would not be any McDonald's in the vicinity. The only other sites that are nearby are all campsites with the same accessibility issues. This bear most likely became habituated at this site or one of the other sites very nearby. Again the issue may be regulating sites and keeping all the food/people in the same places. Bears are going to go where they can find food the easiest--and the easiest sometimes is where the people pack it in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltLQWDzoVHA

July 20, 2015

The trails are closed in the Hazel Creek section of the park.

Park officials say Saturday night at about 10:30 p.m., a 16-year-old male from Ohio was pulled from his hammock by a bear.

The incident happened at campsite 84 approximately four and a half miles from the Fontana Lake shoreline.

According to officials, the victim's father was able to drive the bear away from the campsite.

The victim and his father hiked to the lakeshore and were transported to a boat dock by campers.

Graham County emergency service workers took the victim to a landing zone and he was flown to Mission Hospital in Asheville at 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

The young man is in stable condition after sustaining multiple injuries including laceration to his head.

Hazel Creek Trail, Jenkins Ridge Trail, Bone Valley Trail, Cold Spring Gap Trail and campsites 82 through 88 are closed.

[WV]

We have bear hunters around here, and bears run away when they see us. I feel privileged when I get to see one. I'll probably never hike in the Smokies because they don't allow dogs. Too bad.

[Quishy]

We have bear hunters around here, and bears run away when they see us. I feel privileged when I get to see one. I'll probably never hike in the Smokies because they don't allow dogs. Too bad.

In my opinion there are too many bears here in the smokies and the fact that you have to use permitted established campsites just makes it worse. They learn pretty quick were they can get food and garbage left by not so clean campers.


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[Carrico]

“They learn pretty quick were they can get food"


That's it, when bears associat food with humans without any disincentive they learn fast were to get an easy meal. Here in north Cali they have regulated hunting to the point were the black bear population is at a fifty year high. I live on 80 acres around eureka and have black bears in my yard a couple times a month threw the summer. I had to shoot one last year, it stomped,bite my dog(which ended up dying from her wounds) I shot and mist with a 12 gauge slug. The dang thing cam back two weeks later and started eating my chickens. Ate over 20 before I shot it, it was on top of my coop at 3:00pm with my other two dogs barking at it. I don't like killing things I don't intend to eat, even then I don't in joy it, but it had to be done. I have three young kids that play in the yard all the time. Every one of my neighbors have bear problems.

[Fastmatt]

100 percent not factual. Not worth a debate. So let's stick to the facts.in relation to the no such thing as a human kill.