Bears in and around Gatlinburg
BEAR ENCOUNTER - DO’s AND DON’TS
If you meet a bear in the woods:
Remember that bears are wild animals that deserve your respect. They are not cuddly teddy bears or ferocious, man-eating killers.
Never, never feed wildlife. Food that you offer to a squirrel or chipmunk may attract a bear. Besides, it probably won’t be good for the small mammal, either.
Never, never approach a bear. No matter how “friendly” it looks, there are no tame wild bears. Do not look the bear directly in the eye. Animals perceive this as a threat.
Back away slowly, speaking in a calm, monotone voice to show you aren’t a threat.
If a bear comes into your yard:
If a bear comes too close for comfort, or behaves in a way we wouldn’t tolerate from another human, we tend to freeze and retreat into the house. Bear behavior experts say that is sending the wrong message. You need to let the bear know you want it to leave!
Be sure the bear isn’t cornered, and that it has a safe escape route. Then look directly at the animal (yes, in this case, direct eye contact is a simple and powerful way to send the message that this is your territory and you want it to leave – now) If the bear ignores you, keep staring and make noise: yell, throw small rocks, bang pots together.
DO NOT APPROACH THE BEAR!
After the bear leaves, try to determine what attracted it to your home, and remove the attractant. Your job is to make sure the bear doesn’t find any reason to linger at your home. If you live in bear country, you and the bears are sharing space. Bears are tolerant of humans, and are willing to share their territory. It is we humans who often are unwilling to share what we consider to be our space, with bears.
FACTS ABOUT AMERICAN BLACK BEARS
Where they are found: American black bears are found throughout Canada and in forested areas of the United States.
Size: Adults range from 4 to 6 feet in length, are approximately 2.5 to 3 feet tall at the shoulder, and can weigh 100 to 600 pounds. Weight varies with the seasons.
Color: Not all American black bears are black in color. Variations include brown, cinnamon, blonde, white, and blue-gray. Some individuals have white V-shaped chest patches. Black coats are found in moist areas. In the Rocky Mountains, only about 50% are black.
Paws: American black bears have flat feet with 5 toes. Their short, thick, sharp claws are non-retractable and are used for digging, climbing, and handling foods.
Senses: The vision of an American black bear is reasonably good, although they are somewhat nearsighted. Their hearing is far more sensitive than ours. The sense of smell is a bear’s most important sense; it is keener than that of any other animal.
Food: Although classified as carnivores, bears eat far more vegetation than meat. Diet varies with the seasons and the availability of foliage, roots, berries, seeds, and nuts. Insects and carrion are the main sources of meat. Bears spend a high percentage of their time foraging, and may travel many miles seeking food.
Sounds: While a bear is usually silent, it can vocalize in many ways to communicate with other bears. Sounds include chomp, cough, huff, woof, moan, bawl, snort, and yawn, as well as an occasional growl.
Hibernation: In winter, when food is not available, bears enter a state of dormancy. Their body temperature drops only a few degrees, and they may awaken and move around outside the den during a warm period. They will not eat, drink, defecate, or urinate during hibernation, which can last up to 6 months in the north.
Locomotion: American black bears can run at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, although this speed is maintained only for short distances. They are good swimmers, and excellent climbers.
Aggression: Black bears are seldom aggressive, unless threatened.
BEARS AND TRASH
1. Why do bears come to town for garbage? They may do this at first during a natural food shortage. Later, they remember that they were rewarded by easy, calorie-rich meals, and a pattern is formed, which can last for years. They become food-conditioned, and a food-conditioned mother will teach her cubs, thus perpetuating the problem.
2. Do bears prefer garbage to natural foods? No, given the choice, they will choose natural foods. The bottom line is that they must eat large numbers of calories in order to gain weight before hibernation. They look for foods that are highly digestible, high in calories, and abundant. A bear’s natural wariness of humans will keep it away from homes until it is desperate, when it will be lured by the smells of our garbage.
3. What should we do about our garbage? It is up to us to avoid attracting bears to our garbage. There are 3 rules we should follow First, only place trash outside on the morning of pickup (or the day you are taking it to the dump); Second, always store trash in a secure, lockable building (not on a screened porch or under a deck); and Third, clean trash containers thoroughly and spray with apple cider vinegar.
4. What if you don’t have lockable storage? Obtain a metal drum (30 or 55 gallon size) with a locking metal lid, and always keep the lid securely locked. Another tactic is to freeze food scraps until pickup day.
5. Is trash the only thing that brings bears to homes? No, another attractant is birdseed (see “Birds and Bears” below). Greasy barbecue grills are also a lure, if not cleaned thoroughly after each use. Spray your grill with apple cider vinegar after cleaning. Another potential attractant is pet food. If you feed your pet outside, do not leave the dish there overnight.
BLACK BEAR FAQs
- How many black bears are there in NC, TN, and GSMNP?
The reclusive nature of the black bear makes a precise population count difficult, however based upon hunting success studies and biological marking censuses, the statistics are: NC (mountains outside of the GSMNP) – approx. 1100-1200; TN (outside the park) – approx. 1200; in the GSMNP—approx. 1500-1600 (2 per square mile)
- What do black bears eat?
Approximately 75% of the black bear diet is vegetable matter. Wild berries, fruits and nuts are staples of the black bear diet during summer and early fall when bears gain the most weight in preparation for hibernation. Common bear foods in the southern Appalachians include clover, dandelions, chokecherry, all varieties of berries, acorns, hickory nuts, and much more. For protein, bears rely on insects, especially larval ants, bees, and hornets. Black bears are not very effective predators, but they will catch and eat fawns and elk calves. Bears are also attracted to human foods at campgrounds and garbage dumps when natural foods are scarce.
- Is there a hunting season for black bears in TN and NC?
The black bear is a big game animal in both states. It is legal to hunt black bears during the fall hunting season with a permit. No hunting is allowed in the national park.
- What do I do if I see a bear in my yard?
The best thing to do is to make sure you have no food or food odors that may attract a bear. This includes pet food, bird seed, garbage,and a greasy barbecue grill. A bear that can’t get to food will likely move on to some other location. Bears do not naturally seek food from humans. However, some bears have learned to identify certain houses with obtaining food. Bears are very smart. They are also very strong. A determined bear looking for food can get through a screen door or even a glass door in no time at all. When a bear enters your yard, if it is not habituated, loud noisesshouldcause it to leave. If it does not leave, it is probably used to obtaining food from humans. You should then call thewildlifeofficers(in Tennessee call the TWRA) to obtain further help. TWRA’s general number is 1-800-332-0900.
- Do black bears mate for life?
No. Black bear males and females come together only during breeding season. They find each other by following scent trails. A female may mate with several males in a period of 2 or 3 days and cubs from the same litter may have different fathers. Fertilized eggs remain in the uterus, but do not begin developing until females enter their dens in October or November.
- How many cubs do black bears have?
A female black bear can produce a litter of up to six cubs every 2 years. The average number of cubs is between 2 and 3. Cubs are born in their mothers’ dens in January. They rely on the mother’s body heat for warmth and her rich milk (33% fat) for food until it is time to emerge from the den in the spring. The black bear is the only mammal known to lactate (produce milk) for about 3 months without eating.
- How large is a black bear’s territory?
The size of bear territory varies depending upon the abundance of food. In an area with lots of berry and nut producing plants, a territory will be smaller than in an area with scarce food supplies. Yearling females often share the territory of their mothers, but young males may travel far to find their own territory. A black bear sow’s home range is 2-6 square miles. The breeding territory of adult black males can cover over 100 square miles to overlap with as many female home ranges as possible. Due to the high density of bears in the GSMNP, the home ranges are much smaller.
- Do black bears hibernate?
Technically, black bears do not hibernate. However, their metabolism does slow down during the winter. While they are in the den, they do not need to eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. In the Southern Appalachians, pregnant sows and sows with cubs hibernate, frequently high in hollowed-out trees, until they emerge from their dens in late March or early April. Sub adults may den for at least part of the winter, or until food becomes available again. Large males may just lie down for a few days at a time. If food is still available, they may remain active.
- How much do black bears weigh?
Cubs weigh only 8-12 ounces at birth and are hairless. Cubs that weigh 5 pounds or more when they leave the den in the spring have the greatest chance of survival. Adult males are larger than adult females, but they both fluctuate widely in weight over the course of the year. Adult males can weigh 150-300 lbs, while females with cubs can weight 90-150 lbs. Pregnant females lose about 35% of their weight over winter, while males and females without cubs lose about 20% of their weight.
- Are all black bears black?
No. In eastern North America, most black bears (Ursus americanus) are black. But as you move westward across the continent, the proportion of brown color phase black bears increases. There is also a white-phased black bear (Kermode or Spirit bear) that is found on islands off the coast of British Columbia, and a blue-tip, or glacier bear found in Alaska and the Yukon.
- Are black bears dangerous?
Unprovoked attacks on humans by black bears are very rare. Dozens of minor injuries have occurred when people petted or crowded black bears that they were feeding or photographing. Considering their size and strength, black bears show amazing restraint with humans and each other. They normally nip or bluff charge without harming and often without even touching their antagonist. Deaths by black bear attacks average a little more than one every four years across the United States and Canada. A person is 180 times more likely to be killed by a bee and 160,000 times more likely to die in a traffic accident.
- Can I have a bear moved from my property or neighborhood?
Wildlife officers seldom relocate bears, because this simply moves a problem to another location. The best thing to do is to make sure that there are no food sources or odors around your home. This includes garbage, pet food, bird feeders, and greasy barbecue grills.
- Where can I go to see bears?
In the park, bears are most frequently seen in Cades Cove. The best time to see bears or other wildlife is early in the morning or late in the afternoon/evening. Remember the park’s rule that you cannot approach wildlife closer than 50 yards (150 feet). If an animal changes its
Disclaimer
This area is provided to assist our visitors with important information about black bears that inhabit the Gatlinburg area. We hope that it will be of great benefit to you and should you find an error please email us right away. info@jacksonmountain.com. The information provided in this section of our web site is believed to be factual, however, it has been provided by others and therefore, Jackson Mountain Homes, Inc. does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of the materials provided by other agencies or organizations. It is highly recommended that prior to relying on any information provided herein that the reader should verify the accuracy.
