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.

Beat you!

I would think new vegetation springing up in all of the burned areas would probably help the wildlife somewhat.

As a point of interest, copperhead snakes do not have nests and eggs. Copperheads are ovoviviparous, the female carries eggs in her body and gives birth to live babies.

city people

Official guesses on bear populations are always ridiculously low.

fair enough, I just figured they had a reason to stick around in a spot for awhile given the park was closing off the areas

They have all headed to Asheville for the easy pickings. Seriously. Beyond the idiots who feed them, the bears have grown fat on all the available food in trash cans. I think the NC Wildlife Resource Commission biologists have done studies that found the urban bears have more cubs and are heavier than those deeper in the mountains.

https://www.citizen-times.com/story...ts-north-carolina-bear-study/5913069001/

Hasting repopulating the black bear is working here in my area. We have more than we want the deer herd is down on our property. They are a PITA they tear up deer stands, ruin our deer hunts see them all the time don't like them at all.

I doff my cap to you sir

No schidt, never again. We were there with this crew...Bear Gets into Truck

My daughter and her family are in Gatlinburg now. They are staying at a cabin/condo just outside of town. They have seen and sent me pics of bears every day. This one was behind the cabin thia morning. She sent me a pic of mama and 2 cubs in the road yesterday.

Ron

Yesterday

Ron

One of our LA members posted a pic of a BIG one they caught on a trail camera. I had no idea they got that big in this state.

It was dang close.

Lions

and tigers



and bears.............................oh my???

When she was still with us my mother said that bringing back those bears was a terrible idea. She said it was hard enough to get rid of them to start with.

I bet the cattle a sheep owners in the west feel the same way about wolves.

It is easy to like things such as bears, coyotes, wolves, and lions if you don't live near them and they aren't eating your expensive crops and livestock. You ought to hear the suggestions some of the white do-gooders give to African farmers about lions eating their goats.

Not as bad as introducing Muslims and Mexicans or whatever. If you get to many bears they put a season on them. Edk

they are overrun with 'em!

they like pizza

Gatlinburg after midnight is a mecca for bears[after the restaurants restock the dumpsters].

Well LDWF needs to do just that have a season on them, in my area we are overrun with bears & hogs.

My place in Southwest Virginia is loaded with bear. They are also seen this time of year because its basically the bear rut. Mating is going on and the sows are running off the 2 year old cubs to mate again. Those 2 year old's are wondering around lost without momma. Saw 4 over 4th of July while sitting on my porch. Posted this pic a while back. By far the biggest I've seen around.

Interesting.

Lots of bear here.

Bears marking my pasture, eating berries, digging up yellow-jacket nests, and otherwise doing proper bear things.

They don't bother the horse. But I don't keep sweet smelling grain around, just hay.

I keep my garbage closed up in the garage though.

BMT

In Louisiana hogs are "shoot on sight" day or night at least on private property, but if you shoot a bear it's most likely jail. If you shoot one thinking it's a hog you better walk off and not entertain any questions if the law shows up. I made lots of cases because someone would say "can I just tell you what happened".

Copperhead snakes are ovoviviperous...they do not lay eggs.

No kidding...

Laffn......hard !

He's also a song writer apparently. 🤣

Curious to know if he stopped and had himself a brew.

I hear it's like a $10k plus fine If you convicted for shooting a bear. A few times deer hunting they come in the area and hang around and ruin my hunt gets me mad enough to shoot all of them.

Lots of bears in the Smokies.

That looks like a good one.

Nice picture

They’re quite fond of old saloons and streets of mud.

Farmer told me to shoot every beer I saw when I was out deer hunting. He said his backhoe would clean up.

I can only imagine what a bear would do to the average chicken coup.

And drive right through the center of town at 1:00 p.m.