bear encounters in mass

[jjmcgo]

"Then he'd tie it to a tree, and procede to kick the crap out of it."
What a visual! I imagine the Gerry Cooney left hook to the liver was particularly effective.
How bad do you have to beat up a bear that when you release him he doesn't go for revenge?

[jjmcgo]

"New Jersey has had problems too more because of development encroaching on the AT in a narrow corridor."
Though it comes as a surprise to some people, New Jersey has been a developed state for a long time. Most of the trails in NW NJ, including the AT, follow old roads.
The problem is not encroaching sprawl. The NJ AT was located in a developed area, near Stokes State Park that was the (human-) preferred place to locate a few bears. The NJ AT goes through an area that was heavily mined and farmed back to colonial times. Many people were thrown off the land when the never-completed Tocks Island dam was going full steam ahead.
A generation later, many changes of political leadership, a rising animal-rights movement, etc., and there are about eight times more bears than the land can accomodate. Thus, bears are on the move all over New Jersey, even one that jumped into the ocean near Monmouth Park.
There's been quite a battle in recent years to reduce the bear population to sustainable levels within an acceptable "bear range." However, some political leaders are trying to make suburbanites accomodate their lifestyle to reduce and/or make acceptable the presence of bears in communities. In one case, they surreptitiously placed a bear in the Assunpink Wildlife Refuge, which is surrounded by developments. The area is east and south of the NJ Turnpike, an area past administrations successfully kept bear-free. A mayor of an adjacent town was outraged to learn of this major policy change being done in secret.
Both Pennsylvania and New Jersey have officially complained to New Jersey about the state's irresponsibility in regard to the runaway bear population.
By rough guess, it is estimated there are 4,500 bears in New Jersey. The once-recognized range (Stokes and Worthington and national park area)can accomodate about 800.

[uphillklimber]

As I always say, I'll have my camera ready. Age 45 and never seen a bear in the real world. I'm sure they have seen me, though. I am a pretty clean hiker, and bag my food and keep it clean anyways. Does having my dog with me discourage bears????

I'd love to see one, at a great distance, of course.

[MtnMagic]

I've seen 2 in one day while hiking on gravel backroads. If a bear can smell a dog it'll get out of the area in a hurry.

Bears look better close-up