does anyone know where all the squirrels are in the Smokies?

[Duppers]

We stayed in a cabin near the park boundary high in Wears Cove last week and did not see a single squirrel! ....nor a rabbit, nor a deer!

What the hell are they doing to the wildlife there now?

We did hear several loud gunshots one afternoon; and when we were driving down the mountain, passed an old hotel building that's being renovated, there was a park animal 'control' officer with a small dead bear loaded in the back of his pickup!! Grrrrrrrr! Damn!

I'm not afraid of bears (hiked & camped too much w/them about, many yrs. ago) but I understand that they've been dangerous lately and I'm wondering if that's because their protein sources have been destroyed.

Any thoughts?

-d

[jules1962]

1. I live about 75 miles north of the Smokies

and we have noticed the rabbit population has dwindled lately. We have also noticed the amount of hawks in the area. As far as deer and squirrels, they are everywhere around here. The county I live in has the most population of deer in the entire state. The deer do know when hunting season begins. You see them everywhere until the season begins. My parents live in a neighborhood named Deerfield and there is no hunting allowed there. I believe that a lot of the deer go there during the season. They actually had 19 deer in their yard at one time. All of the neighbors love them.

[Duppers]

6. Hey, Mt Carmel !!

I have an uncle living in Chuckey, probably only 5 miles from you! I was born and raised in Morristown and my mom still lives there. My hubby and I lived in Knoxville for many years. (We met over 40 yrs ago while students at UT.)

I'm glad to hear that the dear are thriving in Greene Co. (My deceased father was born and raised there.) Up here on the coast of Virginia, we live in a wildlife refuge. Along with all kinds of birds, water foul, turkey, beaver, eagles, hawks, raccoon, and even red fox, we have two families of dear who practically live on our very-treed large lot, which is adjacent to a small lake. It's idyllic actually, but not as nice as our dearly beloved Smokies!

About the area surrounding the Smokies: I'm not talking about the wildlife population in the larger surrounding areas/counties but only those at the edge of the Smokies off Wears Valley Road.

There are many (too many, in fact) nice, well-built cabins in that area whose owners rent to vacationers. Income generating cabins! Bears have been know to break into these cabins, so I think they are poisoning the small wildlife there to discourage the bear from hunting in the area. That's just my theory.

While we were there, on one Wed. afternoon, a game officer from Sevier Co. came up the mountain to the an old hotel (that's being refurbished) on Wonderland Lane and shot a bear! Fuckers! This was only 1/4 mile from our cabin!

Since we're very familiar with bears, my hubby and I do not fear them. We respect and love them, of course. Years ago I was charged my a mama bear near the Double Springs Gap shelter's spring. She was only protecting her cub, and thank goodness, I was way up hill from her and ran back to the shelter. She chased me all the way back to the shelter yard before being convinced that I'd leaver her alone and turning back.

Hubby and I hiked and camped on the AT for many years, but that was so many yrs ago. (He's hiked over 5,000 in the Park; I've probably done half that amount.)

My point is that I hate to think that the bears could become extinct in the Park because people are squeezing them out.


On the way to Double Springs Gap:

[doeriver]

8. Where's Sarah Palin Been Flying?

Missing wildlife in Tennessee? Has anyone checked to see if Sarah Palin has been flying her airplane over the Volunteer State and taking pot-shots at the critters...?

[GaYellowDawg]

2. They're all on the ETSU campus.

Seriously, that campus is absolutely lousy with squirrels.

[doeriver]

9. re:

Are you in College Democrats at ETSU?

[southerncrone]

3. I know here in Middle TN the drought the last few years has had an impact

on their food supply. I believe many of them here have starved out. Three years ago, they were eating the little Bradford pears on those trees. I had never seen ANYTHING eat those. Our hickory trees are loaded w/nuts that are now beginning to fall. I have not seen squirrel one gathering them or eating them.

I suspect this is one of Nature's cycles to curtail the population. We were overrun with them a few years ago. They'll be back....after all, they are rodents & you know how they reproduce.

[Flirtus]

4. Squirrels are in my attic

Something about the drought may be limiting population in the mountains? I feed birds, the squirrels come along for what gets dropped. I don't have any chipmunks, and haven't seen many raccoons/possums, but I haven't been looking. Ask the Ag Extension people.

[Kalyke]

5. Really?

I stayed in the Park about three weekends ago and saw TONs of the cute little boogers.

And, while I didn't see it, I did SMELL a skunk about, too. :)

[Duppers]

7. I relieved to hear this.

Where did you stay? We were there three weeks ago too!! :)