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  1. #51
    Senior Member ikemouser's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wisenber View Post
    Oh heck, everyone knows about the Black Mountain Monster. I just thought I'd leave that out as it might discourage you from going there.

    There are some big critters in that area. Some with claws, some with hooves. If you set camp in the hollows, the wind will rush down the trail sound like a heard of rhinos just before it smacks up against your tarp. Just as you settle in after that, another wind will come up the trail in the opposite direction.

    Two adults with their food hung won't have much problems with bears. A herd of wild pigs on the other hand have much less fear.
    If you are trying to make your miles after sunset, be wary. A lot of bear activity happens around dusk.

    Like I said, it is wild in there. That's part of the fun.
    Do you pack heat in that area? Honestly i would be more worried about armed redneck cannabis growers in remote areas than animals. I've found evidence of where they've been before.

  2. #52
    Senior Member wisenber's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ikemouser View Post
    Do you pack heat in that area? Honestly i would be more worried about armed redneck cannabis growers in remote areas than animals. I've found evidence of where they've been before.
    Cannabis will usually get rooted up by the pigs and the area is pretty steep and rocky to boot. Now there may be the occasional methlab, but they are mostly harmless as they have no teeth.

    I'm not saying whether I have one with me or not, but I do fancy my Glock 29 as a 10mm with the right load will drop anything in North America and it weighs 21 ounces empty.

    I can say that have never returned home with fewer rounds than I left with unless I stop by a firing range.

  3. #53
    Senior Member leepingreenlizards's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ikemouser View Post
    http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=16995

    Could this be an HF member? He said he uses a hammock. Probably a curious bear, thoughts?
    Sounds just like a bear maybe sizing things up. That's why I go packed.

    As far as darkness goes, it's pitch black, especially in the valleys. You literally can't see your hand in front of your face. I forgot to leave a small light on in camp one night (to see what happens to wonder in and relief trips) and even though my friends tents were right next to my hammock, I absolutly could not see them. When it's like this, every little noise is a monster. LOL!
    Last edited by leepingreenlizards; 05-05-2010 at 10:32.

  4. #54
    Senior Member leepingreenlizards's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wisenber View Post
    Oh heck, everyone knows about the Black Mountain Monster. I just thought I'd leave that out as it might discourage you from going there.

    There are some big critters in that area. Some with claws, some with hooves. If you set camp in the hollows, the wind will rush down the trail sound like a heard of rhinos just before it smacks up against your tarp. Just as you settle in after that, another wind will come up the trail in the opposite direction.

    Two adults with their food hung won't have much problems with bears. A herd of wild pigs on the other hand have much less fear.
    If you are trying to make your miles after sunset, be wary. A lot of bear activity happens around dusk.

    Like I said, it is wild in there. That's part of the fun.
    Yeah, I won't hike after dark, the bears use the hiking trails at night. You also have to be wary around the berry patches. I saw an article with a picture of a teenage girl (maybe 14) killed a black bear in western NC, that weighed well over 700 lbs.

  5. #55
    Senior Member leepingreenlizards's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wisenber View Post
    If you ever want to give it a whirl, we could meet out there. Using both vehicles would make it easy. I've done that parking on the Skyway and hiking down to Warden Station a few times.
    If I decide to go, I might just take you up on the offer.

    By the way, your not one of those toothless meth lab guys are you?

  6. #56
    Senior Member wisenber's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by leepingreenlizards View Post
    Yeah, I won't hike after dark, the bears use the hiking trails at night. You also have to be wary around the berry patches. I saw an article with a picture of a teenage girl (maybe 14) killed a black bear in western NC, that weighed well over 700 lbs.
    Ive found the bigger one to be skiddish than the younger ones. Since there is bear hunting in that area, the bigger older ones know to avoid humans. The adolescent males are the more aggressive ones.
    I'll hike into dark if the trails are open enough. I don't fool with the heavily overgrown ones when its dark if I can avoid it.

    These are my rules for Citico and that area. Big Frog on the other hand is different. That's where they take the "problem bears" from the Smokeys. Those are the worst of the worst in terms of their behavior around people.

  7. #57
    Senior Member ikemouser's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by leepingreenlizards View Post
    Sounds just like a bear maybe sizing things up. That's why I go packed.

    As far as darkness goes, it's pitch black, especially in the valleys. You literally can't see your hand in front of your face. I forgot to leave a small light on in camp one night (to see what happens to wonder in and relief trips) and even though my friends tents were right next to my hammock, I absolutly could not see them. When it's like this, every little noise is a monster. LOL!
    You really think you could kill a charging bear with a pistol? First you have to hit something running super fast, then you gotta hit it in the kill zone, then you probably gotta hit it again. You also have to be loaded and aiming during the attack-ie you saw it coming, which may not be a possiblity at night.

  8. #58
    Senior Member ikemouser's Avatar
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    I have both the brown book and the falcon smokies books. The falcon lists trails that are supposedly not croweded year round. ARe there such trails in the smokies or will they all be packed leading up to and following the 4th of july.

  9. #59
    Senior Member leepingreenlizards's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ikemouser View Post
    You really think you could kill a charging bear with a pistol? First you have to hit something running super fast, then you gotta hit it in the kill zone, then you probably gotta hit it again. You also have to be loaded and aiming during the attack-ie you saw it coming, which may not be a possiblity at night.
    Odds are, you wouldn't have to hit it, just shoot in the general area or in the air. Unlike brown bears (none there), most black bears scare off fairly easily. The one that attacked that family tried to charge the park ranger that found him with the little girl, but a couple shots and he was gone. More could be said, but out of respect for the family, I'll leave it at that.

    Listen, don't let all of this unsettle you. Odds are, you won't even see one except in the really remote areas and it's still not likely you will.

    It's well worth the visit---you won't regret it.

  10. #60
    Senior Member leepingreenlizards's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ikemouser View Post
    I have both the brown book and the falcon smokies books. The falcon lists trails that are supposedly not croweded year round. ARe there such trails in the smokies or will they all be packed leading up to and following the 4th of july.
    There are black bears there too friend. You can't let things like that freak you out, or you'll never go and never enjoy yourself.

    Just take along a recording of the sound track from the movie "deliverence" and play it all the time. You'll have plenty of solitude.

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