# Bear attack in Western North Carolina



## whitetailfreak (Jun 8, 2015)

I wish the young man a speedy recovery. Hazel Creek is my stomping grounds, and is as beautiful and remote as it gets in the Smokies.


http://www.citizen-times.com/story/...sites-closed-bear-attacks-ohio-teen/28647319/


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 8, 2015)

Never trust a national park bear.


----------



## whitetailfreak (Jun 8, 2015)

4.5 miles from the lake would put the attack just below Sugar Fork Creek, not far from where Horace Kephart lived and wrote "Our Southern Highlanders"


----------



## Hammer Spank (Jun 8, 2015)

Hillbilly said it. Protected bears are dangerous.


----------



## whitetailfreak (Jun 8, 2015)

Here is my Pap with a Hazel Creek bear not long before it became a part of the GSMNP.


----------



## NE GA Pappy (Jun 8, 2015)

kool picture freak.

thanks for sharing


----------



## ripplerider (Jun 9, 2015)

You look a lot like him( Im assuming hes the one on the left.) Man I bet that was a rough night for the boy and his Dad. Hope hes doing O.K. Park bears are definitely not to be trusted. Wonder how the dad beat him off his boy? You never know what you can do till you have to do it.


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 9, 2015)

Cool pic! Whitetailfreak, I bet your dad and mine may have hunted together at some point. My dad and his brother bear hunted Hazel Creek a lot in that period-they hunted with the Laneys and some others from over there.


----------



## whitetailfreak (Jun 9, 2015)

Hillbilly, Id say you're right. Pictured is my paternal Grandfather Gene Laney, Legendary Hazel Creel Bear hunter Roby Mcclure, and Jack Brooks. The annexation of the Hazel area into the park, and the daming of the Little Tennessee (Fontana Lake) forced my family and many others to abandon their homeplaces and move to the south shore of the Little Tennessee River.


----------



## Killer Kyle (Jun 9, 2015)

Hey Freak and Hillbilly, That is an AWESOME photo, and really cool how you guys are linked together that way! Funny how so many of us are linked together in history like that. 
As for the attack, I'll bet this wasn't a true attack out of aggression. I'm sure the bear just identified the boy as a simple meal just as it would with carrion. We should all use this as a reminder that although most bears seem shy around people, we should always be alert and vigilant in bear country, and to expect the unexpected.


----------



## model88_308 (Jun 9, 2015)

Totally agree with the comments regarding bears not typically hunted. Since the year 2000, we have had two fatalities due to black bear attacks within the nearby Tennessee mountains. Might be interesting to note that only one other state (in lower 48) has had 2 or more fatal attacks in that timeframe and that would be Montana which has had several incidents with grizzlies in that timeframe.

Hope the boy makes a full recovery and Kudos to his Dad in doing what needed to be done!


----------



## whitetailfreak (Jun 9, 2015)

model88_308 said:


> Totally agree with the comments regarding bears not typically hunted. Since the year 2000, we have had two fatalities due to black bear attacks within the nearby Tennessee mountains. Might be interesting to note that only one other state (in lower 48) has had 2 or more fatal attacks in that timeframe and that would be Montana which has had several incidents with grizzlies in that timeframe.
> 
> Hope the boy makes a full recovery and Kudos to his Dad in doing what needed to be done!



The attack on the women and child in the Chilhowee Recreational area comes to mind.


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 9, 2015)

And the woman killed and partially eaten near Elkmont.


----------



## The mtn man (Jun 9, 2015)

Ain't that the same area where some of the stories of the Plott family hunting took place?


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 9, 2015)

cklem said:


> Ain't that the same area where some of the stories of the Plott family hunting took place?



Some of them probably hunted over there. My dad hunted with Von Plott a few times. The Plotts mostly lived on Plott Creek over here in Haywood County just outside of Waynesville, but they hunted all over WNC.


----------



## whitetailfreak (Jun 9, 2015)

Ive got some family over in Waynesville who are some of the best bear doggers I know. They are Chandlers.


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 11, 2015)

Saw the attacked guy on the local news this morning, interview from the hospital. He looked pretty messed up, they said he would probably need plastic surgery.  

They apparently found the bear and killed it.


----------



## whitetailfreak (Jun 11, 2015)

I wish the young man a speedy recovery. Ill be on Hazel Creek the last Sunday in June for the Bone Valley Cemetary Decoration.


----------



## B. White (Jun 11, 2015)

We were in a  campsite in N. Ga. Monday night.  The bottom fell out right after dark, so I stood under the pop up canopy we had over the picnic table.  I saw a huge bowlegged bear across the creek (45 yds) in the downpour.  A car came and he went in the woods, but back out shortly.  Had another come through around 10 pm, but smaller, closer to 200 lb.  Another small one crossed in the same place around 9 the next morning.  This campsite is more crowded than the subdivision I live in.  I'm no bear expert, but these were way too comfortable around folks.  I had told the folks we were with that I can't believe the state doesn't close half the park during the fall and at least allow archery bear hunts.  Seems like allowing them to grow up foraging on picnic leftovers can only lead to bad news.


----------



## whitetailfreak (Jun 11, 2015)

Whiteboy said:


> We were in a  campsite in N. Ga. Monday night.  The bottom fell out right after dark, so I stood under the pop up canopy we had over the picnic table.  I saw a huge bowlegged bear across the creek (45 yds) in the downpour.  A car came and he went in the woods, but back out shortly.  Had another come through around 10 pm, but smaller, closer to 200 lb.  Another small one crossed in the same place around 9 the next morning.  This campsite is more crowded than the subdivision I live in.  I'm no bear expert, but these were way too comfortable around folks.  I had told the folks we were with that I can't believe the state doesn't close half the park during the fall and at least allow archery bear hunts.  Seems like allowing them to grow up foraging on picnic leftovers can only lead to bad news.



A quota at Ft. Mountain SP would be a good start.


----------



## j_seph (Jun 11, 2015)

Whiteboy said:


> We were in a  campsite in N. Ga. Monday night.  The bottom fell out right after dark, so I stood under the pop up canopy we had over the picnic table.  I saw a huge bowlegged bear across the creek (45 yds) in the downpour.  A car came and he went in the woods, but back out shortly.  Had another come through around 10 pm, but smaller, closer to 200 lb.  Another small one crossed in the same place around 9 the next morning.  This campsite is more crowded than the subdivision I live in.  I'm no bear expert, but these were way too comfortable around folks.  I had told the folks we were with that I can't believe the state doesn't close half the park during the fall and at least allow archery bear hunts.  Seems like allowing them to grow up foraging on picnic leftovers can only lead to bad news.


No offense but if folks clean up their picnic leftovers and leave em be there probably wouldn't be an issue. Was this around Unicoi per chance?


----------



## B. White (Jun 11, 2015)

j_seph said:


> No offense but if folks clean up their picnic leftovers and leave em be there probably wouldn't be an issue. Was this around Unicoi per chance?



Vogel.  I didn't see any area that looked like folks were not keeping everything put up.  Huge dumpsters that are only emptied once a week probably leave quite a bit of scent.  Licking fat off of the grills is probably a nice enough treat to keep them passing through, when compared with an occasional grub under a log.


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 11, 2015)

Whiteboy said:


> We were in a  campsite in N. Ga. Monday night.  The bottom fell out right after dark, so I stood under the pop up canopy we had over the picnic table.  I saw a huge bowlegged bear across the creek (45 yds) in the downpour.  A car came and he went in the woods, but back out shortly.  Had another come through around 10 pm, but smaller, closer to 200 lb.  Another small one crossed in the same place around 9 the next morning.  This campsite is more crowded than the subdivision I live in.  I'm no bear expert, but these were way too comfortable around folks.  I had told the folks we were with that I can't believe the state doesn't close half the park during the fall and at least allow archery bear hunts.  Seems like allowing them to grow up foraging on picnic leftovers can only lead to bad news.



The city of Asheville is infested with bears. I see them roaming around frequently, in the middle of the day. I had to lock my truck down to keep from hitting one running across the street right in the middle of town a few months ago.


----------



## NCMTNHunter (Jun 11, 2015)

NCHillbilly said:


> The city of Asheville is infested with bears. I see them roaming around frequently, in the middle of the day. I had to lock my truck down to keep from hitting one running across the street right in the middle of town a few months ago.



Bears are the least of my worries when I go to Asheville!


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 11, 2015)

NCMTNHunter said:


> Bears are the least of my worries when I go to Asheville!



No doubt, man, no doubt!  That place has been completely taken over by them.  Maybe the bears'll eat some of 'em.


----------



## NCMTNHunter (Jun 11, 2015)

NCHillbilly said:


> No doubt, man, no doubt!  That place has been completely taken over by them.  Maybe the bears'll eat some of 'em.



There are some things even a bear won't eat...


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 12, 2015)

NCMTNHunter said:


> There are some things even a bear won't eat...






If it wasn't for green pieces of paper with pictures of dead people on them, I'd never set foot in Asheville.


----------



## NCummins (Jun 12, 2015)

You guys don't like my hometown?
We have a lot of.....uh.....diversity.









Here is picture of hillbilly having fun on a weekend.


----------



## blood on the ground (Jun 12, 2015)

Creeps me out a little... Just saying!


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 12, 2015)

NCummins, didn't I see you at the Pritchard Park drum circle last weekend? I was one of the guys with dreadlocks and a long matted beard wearing a black wedding dress and combat boots, and smelled like green tea, incense, skunk weed, and terminal unwashed human. I think I asked you if I could hold a dollar.


----------



## NCummins (Jun 12, 2015)

Sorry man, I ate a bunch of delicious mushrooms some guy in a nun outfit gave me and I woke up next to the frenchbroad in a school bus painted like Scooby doo's van.


----------



## NCMTNHunter (Jun 12, 2015)

And that's why I don't go past Arden or the Papa's and Beer on 191.  Things get real weird real quick past that!


----------



## NCummins (Jun 12, 2015)

I actually go downtown and drink every now and then and just watch people. I love it.


----------



## lbzdually (Jun 13, 2015)

NCHillbilly said:


> If it wasn't for green pieces of paper with pictures of dead people on them, I'd never set foot in Asheville.



I'd like to be a Subaru salesman there.  If you can't sell a Subaru in Asheville, you can't sell anything to anyone.


----------



## NCummins (Jun 13, 2015)

Ha, one of my friends owns a mechanic shop called Suburu's R Us.

He does well. Lol.

He also has a 600# bear that hangs around his shop.


----------



## swwifty (Jun 20, 2015)

Whiteboy said:


> Vogel.  I didn't see any area that looked like folks were not keeping everything put up.  Huge dumpsters that are only emptied once a week probably leave quite a bit of scent.  Licking fat off of the grills is probably a nice enough treat to keep them passing through, when compared with an occasional grub under a log.



Vogel is loaded with black bears. I saw my first one there years ago on the coosa trail.

I don't think that many people hunt around there, but they should cause there are tons!!


----------



## ripplerider (Jun 25, 2015)

Im reading on a local trout fishing forum that the bear that was euthanized did not match the DNA of the bear that attacked the boy. However,they apparently shot and wounded another bear which was hanging around the camp the day before they caught the bear which was euthanized. Caught the second bear in a culvert trap, then put him down. So apparently theres a wounded bear on the loose that may very well have been the culprit to start with.


----------



## ripplerider (Jun 25, 2015)

swwifty said:


> Vogel is loaded with black bears. I saw my first one there years ago on the coosa trail.
> 
> I don't think that many people hunt around there, but they should cause there are tons!!



I killed one not too far from there several yrs. ago.


----------



## PARA1977 (Jun 27, 2015)

whitetailfreak said:


> 4.5 miles from the lake would put the attack just below Sugar Fork Creek, not far from where Horace Kephart lived and wrote "Our Southern Highlanders"


That is a book all mountain hunters should read, It makes me feel good you referred to, a true work of art.


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jun 28, 2015)

"Our Southern Highlanders" is a great book, have it on my shelf along with his "Camping and Woodcraft." Ol' Horace was a good, honest writer, and quite an interesting feller.


----------

