keep an eye out for the local wildlife.. this happened fairly close to the Deal's Gap area...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/14/bea....ap/index.html

 

I knew someone would post this. There are bears in the area, but with the Fontana campsites so close together, I doubt that a bear will enter the area, especially if folks are careful about how they handle their food.

 

well I HAD to be the one to post this.. In all seriousness though, it's something to keep in mind.. it's one of those "I doubt it would ever happen to me" kind of things...

I've been around black bears before, they're definately not shy about going through a campsite..

 

Also, Just a reminder to those that going to be hiking or just walking into the wooded areas. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times. You just never know where they are. Like MetalMiniMayhem says, it's one of those "that would never happen to me" kind of thing. It can happen.... BE AWARE!!!! MINI Thanks MetalMiniMayhem for this post

 

Black bears can and do kill people in NC, but it's pretty darn rare. It's much more likely that you will be run over by a tractor-trailer on the way to the Dragon.

 

56 deaths in 100 years in all of North America.
You're more likely to be run over by an antique Sherman tank, going in reverse, on the Dragon.
http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusgen/...01.asp?t=APNEW

 

I have ridden mt bikes, kayaked, hiked, fished all over that area....... there is a ton of info on bears and bear encounters......take a minute to read up if your not sure........ man,..... watch out for that Sherman tank...... wierd......

 

Benton is about an hour from Deal's Gap, but independent from whatever distance, it is always smart to be careful when you are hiking and camping. But when possibly encountering an injured/sick animal, all bets are unfortunately off.


Herbert

 

Campers should read up on safely "bear proofing" their food, and this doesn't mean storing it in your car. A bear'd tear your car apart for a bag of marshmallows.

 

And for those of you who intend to hike in the area, it's always a good idea to whistle as you go - or tie bells to your shoes so animals hear you coming and vacate the area. This tip was given to me by hikers in the back woods of Montana and sworn by them to work.

 

This seems like a good place to forward this tip from the Montana Department of Fish and Game:

In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts, the Montana Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field. "We advise that outdoorsmen should wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them," a spokesman said. "We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear".
It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear paw prints and scat.
A grizzly's paw is larger and its claws are longer than that of a black bear. Black bear scat contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper.

 

Hmmmmmmm......... Donuts

 

I have this odd picture of hundreds of city folks with MINI t-shirts wandering in the forest, whistling, with bells on their shoes and cans of pepper spray in their hands.

Let's see, black bears (no grizzlies here) kill .56 people a year in North America. Honeybees kill about a hundred a year. I'd worry more about copperheads and rabid raccoons than bears. And black widows. And don't forget the brown recluses. Seriously folks, worry more about your safety on the highways getting to and from the Dragon, and don't worry too much about angry bears.

 

My wife says I have to apologize now for making fun of city dwellers. I'm sorry.

(She's an ex-city dweller).

 

 

How to for Bears:

Walk softly

Make sure food is put away properly so as not to attract them

Keep eyes and ears open for critters that hurt people

Carry a pocket howitzer with lots of ammo

Just kidding about the walk softly!

 

Actually you need a bear bag for all smellables (Food, analog film, deodorant, fenimine goodies, tooth paste, AP (toilet) paper, soap, shampo, etc.) Then find a spot to hang it from. Ideally a tree limb about 25-30 feet off the ground and at least 15 feet from the trunk of the tree. When backpacking at Philmont Scout Ranch, they had placed Telephone poles 25-30 feet apart with cable running between the poles at every camp site. Nothing gives more of a rush than seeing those 10 toe prints in the dirt near your tent!