Yearling Bear

7/31/2012

We had a disappointed little bear when he figured out we did not leave food out for him to eat. This is our first persistent bear of the season. He looks to be a yearling. I am guessing around 75 lbs. It is that time of the year when they start passing through camp trying to find food and a place to call home. He is going to be unhappy with the accommodations we have to offer on LeConte. They are not very bear friendly. Between starting this blog early this morning and sitting to finish now, we have caught the little guy in our bear trap the Park Service gave us. He is currently deciding that his room at LeConte is a little cramped. He will soon find out the services we have to offer. A Park Service biologist is on his way up the mountain to give this bear a not so friendly welcome. We hope the bear has such a traumatic experience he will tell his friends that LeConte Lodge is not the most hospitable lodge around. I will keep you posted on the events of the day. We hope to give him a not so friendly send off and hope this bear stays wild.

Devin R

7/31/2012 01:30:09 am

What exactly is involved with the "not so friendly welcome" that the PS Biologist will be giving him?

He sure is a cute little guy anyway.

tomk

7/31/2012 02:00:07 am

I was there a few years ago when 505 was treated to the dark side of LeConte. Unless something has changed, the bear will be darted and removed from the trap. While knocked out he will be carefully weighed and measured. I believe some blood is drawn and his ear is tagged. So far, not so bad. 505 had a tooth pulled to get info about growth etc. The bear is then given a wake up shot and will get up and get out of Lodge. The pulled tooth will likely be painful for awhile. Add that the memory being stuffed into the trap for awhile, and with any luck the bear will stay away.

Michael

7/31/2012 04:23:26 am

I think I echo Devin's comments when I say that I hope most of this entry was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. While I know bears are a problem, they are only being bears and don't deserve to be tormented or hurt if they encounter humans.

Mitch

7/31/2012 04:44:00 am

We enjoy your comments each day and look forward to your pictures. My wife and I were scheduled to stay at the lodge tonight but had to cancel for health reasons. Hope to see you next season. Keep up the great work.

Rod R

7/31/2012 05:15:09 am

Tagged, measured, and released is a far better fate than if the bear were to be fed and become a nuisance animal.

Hikers beware. This is what the staff also does to those who forget their wallets! ;-)

Connie Houk

7/31/2012 07:09:48 am

...........and hiking back down the mountain with one less tooth. ;-)

Tony Ga

7/31/2012 05:33:08 am

Was up there one year and seen a bear near the outhouse. Then all of a sudden a lady came running at the bear yelling and slinging rocks. Not only did the bear run so did we. I don't know which lady it was, but she was a good bear and day hiker deterrent...LOL

Tony Ga

7/31/2012 05:52:21 am

Actually, that is a video on YouTube...but makes a funny story.

Tony Ga

7/31/2012 05:57:39 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtO7OCzxcjs&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL4F390585630665E4

tomk

7/31/2012 11:00:21 am

I was at dinner at the Lodge a couple years back and was seated at the end of the first long crosswise table from the front door. Suddenly the tone inside changed and I heard someone say ". . .bear!." I looked left and there was a big ol' bear lumbering down the main staircase. Before I could react, Allyson came flying out of the kitchen and through the front door of the Dining Room. Now I never saw the bear turn around, but he must have, and in a hurry. I jumped in behind Allyson as she flew up the stairs in pursuit. I don't know how she did it, but Allyson scooped up a handful of rocks without breaking stride, and unloaded those same rocks on the bear at speed and to good effect. In seconds I was standing on the staircase with Allyson looking across the back row of cabins just in time to see the back half of the bear disappear around the corner behind the far cabin.
By that time, Chris was out of the kitchen as well and was down the lower path to the same place. Someone got a glimpse of the bear, but effectively it was gone from just above the Dining Room to out of camp somewhere between the Boulevard and Trillium Gap trails in well under 10 seconds with a whirling Allyson setting the pace of change.
The idea is for the bears to eat berries and whatever bears are supposed to eat without creating an environment where bears and humans interact. A bear visiting the Lodge has to be profitless for the bear, or he will come back and someone will either leave food out, feed or otherwise create a nuisance bear that the park service has to deal with.
It was a great show, and an effective one!

Mark B

7/31/2012 06:30:30 am

Hiked 50 miles in five days a few weeks ago, visited LeConte, etc. Besides birds, saw no wildlife. Sitting in my Chalet, reading a trail book, a bear walked by on the deck of our chalet on Ski Mountain Rd. Besides the glass door, she was about a foot away from me. When she saw there was no food, it casually walked back off the deck below to be with her three cubs. They then put on a cute show, which probably is when they would be thrown food. These little cubs will be doomed to be bad begging bears.

High On LeConte

7/31/2012 06:41:31 am

The Park Biologist sedates the bear. He then pulls a tooth which will tell them exactly how old. The bear receives a couple of ear tags so we will know if we encounter him again. He receives a tattoo on the inside of his mouth. This will help with identification as well. The biologist is extremely careful to make sure the bear is taken care of and is no danger. After the work up is finished, the bear will be put in an area outside of camp where he will be awoken. The bear awakes felling like it has been to the dentist and is not a fond memory. The idea is to make sure the bear does not associate humans or buildings with food. We want the bear to rely on its natural instincts to find its natural food source. Everything that is done to the bear is to help make sure it lives a long and healthy life.

doug

7/31/2012 08:07:39 am

great story on the yearling bear; the Park service will take excellent care of him, which is far better than the "toment" bears go through from tourists who chase them, tryng to feed them junk, etc. I doubt there will be an end any time soon of unknowing and uncaring tourists who are simply uneducated; I know folks want to see bears when they visit the Park, but I wish they were more careful among other things, etc. It's interesting to hear just what all the rangers do in identifyiing and marking a captured bear; The job then is to carry him to his new location ! nice photo, too !

Debi link

7/31/2012 11:08:57 am

Thanks for all the good info everyone. I think I may bring a rock to the bathroom with me when I need to go at 3 in the morning. Either that or I will hold it!!

Carol in TN

7/31/2012 11:41:18 am

My husband and I will be staying at the Lodge in Sept. and I've already starting worrying about my midnight trip to the bathroom. I may make my husband go with me!

Tony Ga

7/31/2012 12:30:16 pm

Just take that yelling, rock throwing lady when you got to go.

Rod R

7/31/2012 12:47:21 pm

There is nothing there during the night, that isn't there during the day. . . . . . . . . hmmmm, I guess that doesn't help much, does it?

Deb

7/31/2012 01:38:19 pm

Yes, carry a rock to restroom at night along with flashlight a great idea!

J Mark

7/31/2012 02:40:31 pm

Thanks for the pic as we were at the Lodge last night. Let us know how the bear story ends. We enjoyed our stay!

Robin M.

7/31/2012 04:05:06 pm

I bet this was the same yearling that was trying to bounce our backpacks off the cables up at the trail shelter on Saturday night! He snuck around behind the shelter and hung out about 20 ft in front watching us for a while before heading off across the trail and into the trees.

Gina

8/1/2012 12:59:33 am

Cute pic

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