Jesse: One of my favorite spots to camp and trout fish is the Nantahala River in western NC. The campground is a NFS C/G called "Standing Indian", located west of Franklin, NC, (about 14 miles with another 3 miles off US-64). There are black bears aplenty in that area and they frequently "visit" campsites, usually during the night. Important to use the bear proof trash receptacles rather then keeping any trash campsite, and keep coolers off the picnic tables for the night and kept in the trunk of the car, (albeit there have been some known daytime "raiders" every once in awhile).Originally Posted by Uncle Jesse
On my last visit there we had a favorite campsite on the out skirts of the C/G, and it had been a light sprinkling rain that afternoon. So we extended the little popup camper awning with a larger plastic tarp so it would shelter the C/G picnic table as well, where we could cook and eat, dry. Anyway, in the late afternoon we cooked dinner, ate same, washed the camp dishes right there at the table, removed all trash to the bear proof trash receptacles, put the cooler away, and decided to have an early evening after-dinner cup of tea. We were sitting at the table with our backs to the camper when all at once came this big black bear right into the campsite and headed right to our table, on the opposite side of the table. It took me a second (maybe) to comprehend what was going on (same for my buddy), and we stood up and yelled "get the hell out of here!" I suspect the bear did not see us until we stood up and yelled. Even at that, the bear turned and strolled away, in no big hurry, as if to tell us not to press our luck!
Now, we didn't report that incident to the campground/NSF folks simply because of the risk of them destroying the animal. I understand the NFS use to relocate nuisance bears to another part of national forest but have ceased to do so. Seems the NFS was taken to task by folks in the relocation area didn't appreciate the problem coming to them. I understand now they destroy the problem animal.
I figured this was a good place to tell a bear story!
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