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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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