Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire six bear sightings in 4 days

got back from Gatlinburg a few days ago

been going there for almost 20 years and never saw a bear. The past two times we've gone, we've seen bear.

This time we saw bears 6 different times in a 4 day period, 2 on Cades Cove Loop, 2 at our cabin, 1 on our drive into Gatlinburg from Ski Mountain and as we were coming out of the park toward Townsend. It probably helped that our cabin was next door to a convenience store/pizza place.

I'm not sure whether the bear population is growing rapidly or we just happened to hang out in bear areas. While I was face to face with a bear at the cabin, we hiked 4 trails (all very popular) and never even heard people talking about seeing one. Also, the park put up "police tape" around some tourist areas to protect copperheads who had a nest and eggs. I get the whole environmental responsibility of the park but damn, couldn't you just chase the damn snakes off?

on another note, walking the strip in Gatlinburg and doing moonshine tastings, you can get a pretty decent buzz for $10 - $5 will get you 10 tastings, 2 of which are 100 and 133 proof.

There are an estimated 6,000 bears in TN today. There were an estimated 1500 twenty years ago.

welp that would explain alot. glad its happening in the park.

I'm just across the state line in North Carolina. Haven't seen a bear in 4 years.
However, this year I'm seeing more deer and turkeys than ever.
Also lots of sightings of box turtles.

I saw more bear than deer. Did see a bunch of wild turkeys though

I’ve been bear baiting and hunting at my camp in northern MN since the 80’s, pizza and also lasagna are two favorites of bears.

Osky

Louisiana is trying to repopulate the state with bears and it seems to be working. The cameras at deer feeders are catching a few and deer hunters in elevated stands are seeing a few. One of the biologists in the department once told me the bears would become the worst nuisance animal in the state. They don't yet rival hogs and alligators as trouble makers but their ability to climb and open garbage cans could put them in contention.

They look a lot like hogs in poor light or thick brush so a few have been inadvertently shot.

a few years ago we had a black bear swim across the Ohio river from Kentucky and ended up in our neighborhood, he didn't stay long and eventually worked his way back to the river

had helicopters circling the town ( I assume they were news helicopters). Our initial thought was an armed dirtbag was on the loose until we heard the story. The bear got within 2 miles of our house.

They said he was probably searching for a mate.

It's mating / breeding season right now. I'm getting a lot of bear pics on the game cameras right now. Several are adult bears running in pares.

Yeah, I heard they're pretty good at hiding behind the billboards.

I'm a sucker for that town. I think its mandatory that Ohio people go there.

Depending on how the mast turns out, it could be a good bear season this year. Bring them on!

Yeah, it work in reverse too, with all the TN folks going to Cedar Point.

A bear got hit and killed on I 10 east of Ft Stockton in the west Texas desert a few days ago.

They are on the increase around here. They've been back around for quite a while but it takes a while for the AC / TV to catch on.

Are you saying that you were in Gatlinburg in mid-July?

You should become an investigator. You are good at this.

We have a Ohio couple that rents our house for 9 days every summer, and a Michigan couple that rents for 7.

They've both already come down this year as well as booked for next year.

We were downtown Saturday evening taking grandkids to aquarium and several other places.
The storms helped clear the streets by about 50%

Hahaha!


He had just hit town and his throat was dry....I guess.

I believe he’d just hit town & his throat was dry.