We're Goin' On A Bear Hunt

Actually, we just got back from our bear hunt!

The Smoky Mountains seem to call out to John and I every few months. It is our favorite weekend escape.We usually go during the winter months. Recently we were there for the Tennessee ballgame weekend and again for our usual end of hunting season get away. We see all kinds of wildlife.....turkey, deer, raccoon, coyote but we have never seen a BEAR. Now, John can spot wildlife but we are always there during the wrong months. So we decided we needed to take a warm weather trip to the mountains in search of a bear. This is a bit of a joke for John and I since we have been to Yellowstone National Park without seeing a bear. We saw a lot of everything else including a close encounter with a huge elk and the elusive grey wolf. We did see a bear on our last day in Yosemite National Park but that was it as far as bear go.....one bear. John sees bear when he hunts out west every winter. He comes home with tales of bears trying to get in their cabin and he has pictures as proof so I am assuming I am the problem! We discovered Cades Cove years ago and can spend a whole day watching the animals, hiking in the woods and having a wine and cheese picnic as the sun goes down. We just don't get tired of Cades Cove. It might be because a lot of the land in Cades Cove originally belonged to Lawsons.Well, you ask, did we see a bear? Yes, mission accomplished. We saw several bears. The best thing was a mama bear with three cubs. The little cubs would all climb the same tree and then they would fall like dominos. So cute.