Building homes in the mountains of East Tennessee is rarely boring… With that in mind, one of our current build projects, which is going on in Gatlinburg, TN, (The Bradshaw Home) was a little more interesting today. The builders were working, just minding their own business, and all of a sudden… blam! A black bear is standing there 40′ tall and weighing 800 lbs looking for food! Ok, maybe it wasn’t all that big, but still… and in the middle of the day with record high temps it is a bit unusual. The bear may not be all that big, but where there is a young bear, there is almost always a big momma bear close.

These critters must be getting hungry, or the heat might be going to their heads to have them rummaging for food during the heat of the day. Just goes to show you, though… the job site must be kept free from food or you might be getting all “buddy buddy” with things you didn’t expect. This little girl chewed up an interior door earlier this year. She made her way into the home and just couldn’t figure out how to get out. The Bradshaw’s have decided to keep the door with the bear marks for a good conversation piece at parties.

Thanks for the pics, Ken! Shoot over some more when you get your normal camera gear.

What to do when confronted by a bear:

Also, please be careful around these guys. We have seen way too many people get dangerously close to them, especially in Cades Cove where things seem more like a city zoo. Trust me here when I say this, even small bears can easily kill a human. They aren’t pets and can’t be treated as tame, even if they look tiny and cute. They may be cute but momma bears typically don’t take kindly to people getting near their cubs. Keep in mind, if you or your group is being chased by these guys you only have to outrun one person in your group… 8) (Totally kidding!) Running is a bad idea. Make sure you have pepper spray if you are going into an area where bears are likely. More info on what to do when you are confronted by a bear can be found here. And Bear Saftey Guild here. Please be safe out there!