Bear!

[Taxman]

Mans remains found at camp 82 on Hazel Creek. Near found scavenging around his remains. Bear was “euthanized “.

 

[pupnsuds]

I'm camping at #83 Hazel Creek next weekend... the GSMNP sent out a bear warning email late last week. I checked the news this weekend and saw that was the story. Disturbing stuff.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Mans remains found at camp 82 on Hazel Creek. Near found scavenging around his remains. Bear was “euthanized “.

Yeah, I doubt if it was "scavenging" his remains. I'd bet it pulled him out of his tent like that one did to that guy sleeping in the hammock at #84 a few years ago.

Don't trust park bears. The last folks camping in your spot may have been feeding them cookies.

 

[BigBass123]

Mans remains found at camp 82 on Hazel Creek. Near found scavenging around his remains. Bear was “euthanized “.

I was set to camp there by myself last Tuesday, didn’t happen due to a last minute change of plans. At the time I made the reservation I was the only person staying at that site.

Sad to see that happened.

 

[flyrod444]

Sad story for sure. It has been legal to carry with concealed carry permit in the park since 2010. I always carry when camping in the back country sites there. Hope to never have to use it but as the old saying goes, better to have it and not use it then to need it and not have it. One can usually just make some noise and the bears move off for a while anyway. Keeping the campsites clean of any food items not hung on the cables is extremely important. We always completely burn any food items not eaten such as fish bones after eating. As nchillbilly said you never know what the campers before you did. My brother had a park ranger tell him he would be in major trouble if he fired his pistol in the park. He told her that if he ever had to fire it in the park, that would be the least of his worries.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Sad story for sure. It has been legal to carry with concealed carry permit in the park since 2010. I always carry when camping in the back country sites there. Hope to never have to use it but as the old saying goes, better to have it and not use it then to need it and not have it. One can usually just make some noise and the bears move off for a while anyway. Keeping the campsites clean of any food items not hung on the cables is extremely important. We always completely burn any food items not eaten such as fish bones after eating. As nchillbilly said you never know what the campers before you did. My brother had a park ranger tell him he would be in major trouble if he fired his pistol in the park. He told her that if he ever had to fire it in the park, that would be the least of his worries.

I feel exactly the same. No way I would go to sleep without a pistol. And it's more because of the thought of the two-leggeds than the four-leggeds, but if it turns out this was a predatory attack, it would be the second fatal one and one of many, many non-fatal ones in the GSMNP in the last couple decades. I've had a few hairy campsite encounters with bears over the years in the GSMNP, but luckily, none so far that I couldn't get the bear run off eventually.

Then again, I don't think I would really want to live in a world that is so tame that there is nothing out there that can theoretically eat you. Bears are just part of the backcountry experience.

 

[trout maharishi]

I've personally seen bears fed M&Ms and sardines on Hazel and Deep Ck. They don't know yet if the bear killed the guy or not. That campsite is way up the creek and doesn't get nearly as much use as the others. If I'm not mistaken you can open carry on the NC side of the park without a permit. I believe it goes according to the state's laws you are in. I think TN requires a permit to open or conceal carry. I CC only, everyone doesn't need to know my business.