Bear Activity in Alabama

[Mountain Dog]

The Alabama Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources issued this in their most recent letter. 

Bear Activity on the Increase in Alabama
Numerous species of wildlife become more active as seasonal changes trigger various physiological responses. Some species migrate and others increase their movement patterns mostly in efforts focused on the propagation of their species. Many species perform this annual ritual including songbirds, butterflies, and even bats, but none cause quite the commotion in Alabama as that of the black bear. While typically not a common sight in most of Alabama, a flurry of black bear sightings throughout the state has been the case this year including areas of Holly Pond, Double Springs, Boaz, Cullman, Birmingham, Roebuck, Lake Harding, Auburn, Atmore, Mobile and Macon County. 

If the tourist will not feed them they will not bother hikers. 

[jedbear]

Two animals that I haven't but would love to see in Alabama:
A bear; I know they are here.
A Panther; I think they are here.

[Mountain Dog]

Panthers are in Alabama although the official position is that they are not around.  I knew a man that watched a female with cubs several different years near the XXXXXXXX Air Port.  He knew the difference between bob cats and panthers and saw the female and cubs enough to not be guessing as to what he saw.  ( I chose to eliminate the exact airport but it is in north west and not really far from the Sipsey)

I also talked to two diferent "locals" at each end of the Pinhoti.  Both had seen what they believed to be a panther at nearly the same time, meaning there were two sited.  I've heard that other people living neat the Talladega Forest have seen panthers but these are the only two people I personally talked to who clamed to have seen panthers in that area.

I live in a developed area near Pensacola and have seen bears within one mile of my house.  They have been captured in Gulf Breeze and other towns around. So, bears are adaptable and could be anywhere, not just wilderness areas.  I worry more about raccoons around my camp than bears.

[blisterbob]

I can't say about bears in Alabama and I do not have positive proof of Panther/Cougar either.

I am very familiar with bobcat tracks and scat as we have seen it many times while walking our
trails. Last winter, we noticed that there was no more indication of our resident bobcat, but we
began noticing a much larger track with longer strokes to cover the scat.
My theory;
The larger cat has claimed this as his turf and the smaller cat has moved on.

Clay County, Alabama

[squidbilly]

We even had a bear sighting in town here (Attalla/Gadsden) a couple of years ago.
Bear sighting

[camel]

My only bear observation has been in the Dugger area - 3 years ago. Many comments two years ago about sign in the Sipsey - never seen any myself.
Camel

[Cuffs]

The bears are here, have been here, and by their tracking they are just passing thru. 
http://blog.al.com/spotne...ms_second_black_bear.html

If the tourist will not feed them they will not bother hikers.

I would have to disagree.  Tourists are quite filling.  Kids might be an appetizer, but adults should serve as a full meal.

[wyleone]

Well we made it back from our Pinhoti backpacking trip...Whew, that was a good one!!

On topic, when we arrived at Clairmont gap to climb north on the trail, one of our scout leaders got out and withing three feet of his drivers door was a pile of bear scat. Since seeing plenty of it along the AT back in June, I was quite positive what it was. No bear sightings but the pile was fresh enough not to have been rained on yet. This was Friday August 5th.

[buck]

I worked with a man years ago and he recalled his dad telling stories of bears getting into their food at camp ... as they built the road to Cheaha - he was in the CCC program.

I used to hunt with another man who told the story of hunting with his dad in what is now the Wilderness Area on Cheaha - a mother cougar and her cubs crossed in front of them as they were moving through the woods hunting.

As for me, never seen a bear or any bear sign in Alabama. However, I personally viewed a dead cougar cub in the back of a man's truck in the community of Franklin in Macon County nearly 10 years ago. We were in a hunting club in that area and had rode over to a barbeque place for lunch where we saw several people looking in the back of a truck. He claimed to have shot the cub that morning.

[Chris]

I saw a black bear walking down 65 on the way to Montgomery once. It was just past Evergreen. The bear was just chilling. The cars didn't seem to bother it at all.

[vapor]

Mountain lions do exist in Alabama & one area in particular that I will not mention. The person who shot the lion cub should check out the link here --> http://www.westalabamahun.../hunting-regulations.html as it is illegal to kill Mountain Lion in this state. The numbers are low & one reason is because the mountain lions were hunted heavily in the late 1800's - early 1900's. See --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Lilly. It is estimated that he alone killed 600 - 1000 mountain lions.

[WolfVanZandt]

In re: the mountain lions.

We used to have the Florida Panthers which made it a point to stay away from humans and rarely caused any problems, but, unfortunately, since we killed off or ran off all the Florida panthers, the western variety have seen the opportunity to move in and they do tend to cause problems.

[jbassplayer]

Bears and panthers are here. Just take precautions. Panthers have been here for years if you know any "old heads" from the country. They'll tell ya

[OwenM]

Watch your step on the Nubbin Creek Trail. Bear/s actively pooping on it...

[jbassplayer]

I saw some fresh sign around McDill point last week.

[Lane]

Never seen any bears, but they're obviously out there.

Know a fellow near Blountsville...c aught a lion in a trap he'd set for coyote (iirc).  I figure the numbers are low enough compared to 100+ years ago that they've got room to stay hidden.

[ashman]

I am not 100% sure, but I think I saw some scat on the trail in the McDill point area this past weekend.

[bear^2]

My wife and I have logged countless hours and hundreds of miles in the Bankhead National Forest, and I have not seen what I would consider 100% bear or panther sign-that's not to say that I have been suspicious a few times.

There is a generally larger species of bobcat-the black bobcat-that many confuse with a panther.  My parents have at least one that roams their land in SC, and there was also a black bobcat rumored to live near my Grandparents' land in NC.

We have a series of "Bear" caches in the Bankhead National Forest that could quite possibly give anyone a very memorable adventure if you think you can take it...no trails...long distance...nothi ng easy.  Plan for a full day for each and do not go unprepared to spend the night.

[elbowman]

Bear,

How would one find info to start them searching for one of your "bear" cache?

Eric

[bear^2]

Here's one: http://www.geocaching.com...65-4252-8ccb-2dca479b657d

I think all of the caches in Bankhead with "Bear" in the title are ours (user name bear^2).

I think you'll enjoy Bear Falls 7-10 in the Quillan/Hubbard area.  Tough terrain in those areas...

We hope you enjoy the adventure!