Open Carry in GSMNP

[NonHyphenated American]

Has anyone open carried in the Great Smoky National Park? Get any reactions from Karens? Going to be by myself in an area with the high probability of bear activity.

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[Jefe1018]

Fact check, but open carry is open in both Tennessee (with some odd restrictions) and North Carolina.

 

[BUZZHEAD]

The problem, its a national park.
You might have an issue .
I carry everyday the last 40 years. I often wondered why one would want to let the criminal know you are carrying.

 

[Killroy Was Here]

I wouldn't worry about it too much, as black bears are pretty easy to spook & scare away if you encounter one.

 

[NonHyphenated American]

I have a full size 10mm pistol and concealed wont work out too well. One, dont have a IWB for it and two, Ive gained abit of weight over the years and dont want it poking into me.

 

[Alfonz]

I have a full size 10mm pistol and concealed wont work out too well. One, dont have a IWB for it and two, Ive gained abit of weight over the years and dont want it poking into me.

 

[kevman65]

https://www.nps.gov/articles/firearms-in-national-parks.htm

Open carry is not mentioned, neither in denial nor in acceptance. They pretty much fall back onto the State and local laws where the park is located.

As to any debate on open versus concealed in a U.S. National Park, there usually aren't criminals scoping the place out to heist some bear dens and the faster you can draw your sidearm and bring to ready the better when bears and mountain lions decide you are Sunday brunch.

 

[mx5red]

“the use or discharge of a firearm within a park area is prohibited. 36 CFR 2.4(b) and 13.30(c). In parks where hunting is specifically mandated or authorized by federal statute, firearms may be used to hunt in accordance with NPS regulations and state laws. 36 CFR 2.2.

Visitors should not consider firearms as protection from wildlife.”

so, you can take a firearm into a national park, but you’re not to use it.??
I wonder if you actually defended yourself from wildlife if you would be fined/charged with a violation.

 

[kevman65]

“the use or discharge of a firearm within a park area is prohibited. 36 CFR 2.4(b) and 13.30(c). In parks where hunting is specifically mandated or authorized by federal statute, firearms may be used to hunt in accordance with NPS regulations and state laws. 36 CFR 2.2.

Visitors should not consider firearms as protection from wildlife.”

so, you can take a firearm into a national park, but you’re not to use it.??
I wonder if you actually defended yourself from wildlife if you would be fined/charged with a violation.

The use or discharge of a firearm is also illegal inside most city limits. In either case it's still better to be tried by 12 than carried by 8.

 

[Panthers65]

straight from fs.usda.gov. You can carry in the national forest and national park area managed by the NPS.

Basically carry for self defense, but you can't just got out shooting targets for fun.

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest - Recreation (usda.gov)

 

[WILDHOBO]

“the use or discharge of a firearm within a park area is prohibited. 36 CFR 2.4(b) and 13.30(c). In parks where hunting is specifically mandated or authorized by federal statute, firearms may be used to hunt in accordance with NPS regulations and state laws. 36 CFR 2.2.

Visitors should not consider firearms as protection from wildlife.”

so, you can take a firearm into a national park, but you’re not to use it.??
I wonder if you actually defended yourself from wildlife if you would be fined/charged with a violation.

Bear spray is the accepted approach.

 

[Killroy Was Here]

I think it would do well to put this topic into a much more realistic perspective.

We are after all talking about black bears, not grizzly, brown, or polar bears.

As mentioned in my earlier post, black bears are very easy to scare off if you encounter one on the trail.

I have personally had three encounters with black bears while on wilderness canoe camping trips in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, and in Ontario over the last 26 years of making these trips.

In all of these encounters, they were easily frightened away by making loud noises & or yelling.
In fact, in two of the three encouters, as soon as the bear spotted us (their eyesight isn't that great) it turned tail & ran away.
The third encounter was just last month, we didn't actually see the bear as it was just getting started in tearing into our food pack as we returned to camp from fishing in the canoe one evening.

As soon as it heard the sound of our boat hitting shore, it took off.
Yes, that was all it took to scare it away.

Am paraphrasing a quote here by Dr Lynn Rogers of the North American Bear Center:
"Black bears main motivation are only two things: fear, & food, but mostly fear."

In my experience, he is 100% correct, & for obvious reasons. He has only been researching black bears for over 50 years.
https://bear.org/visit-us/about-us/our-founder/
https://www.bearstudy.org/

Am thinking unless you are going to be hanging out around the dumpsters & garbage cans around Gatlinburg or Pigion Forge, or walking around in the woods with a Snikerz bar tied around your neck, the odds of you even seeing a black bear while in the GSMNP are slim to none.

Fun fact: the black bear's sense of smell is 5X that of a dog.
So take some water with you on your hike, but leave the snacks & food at the motel (not in your car at the trailhead).

If you are still concerned about running into a bear while on a hike, just a simple $3 emergency whistle, or if you would feel better, a can of Counter Assault Bear Spray will be more than enough.
You can order the Counter Assault from Amazon.

After having to fill out the rediculous paperwork just to report the bear at our camp on Agnes Lake last month at the ranger station, I can only imagine what a shit show it would be if you actually plugged a bear with your 10mm while on your hike.

Just some random thoughts for whatever they are worth from someone who has actually encountered black bears in the bush, not just some keyboard cammando.

Dave

 

[WILDHOBO]

As you so accurately stated, there are always better ways to deal with bears, than with guns. People that bring guns to supposedly protect themselves from bears are more interested in using the gun, than safely ending the encounter. And I mean safely for both the people and the bear. National parks are there so wildlife and habitat can be preserved. Let’s avoid going there to shoot wildlife.

 

[mx5red]

As you so accurately stated, there are always better ways to deal with bears, than with guns. People that bring guns to supposedly protect themselves from bears are more interested in using the gun, than safely ending the encounter. And I mean safely for both the people and the bear. National parks are there so wildlife and habitat can be preserved. Let’s avoid going there to shoot wildlife.

How am I supposed to impress my kids then?

 

[WILDHOBO]

How am I supposed to impress my kids then?

Gross. If that’s what it takes, you’re doing it wrong.

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