GPS Tracking of Bears in Smoky Mountain National Park

21 Jan 2016

During a fairly active fall for bears, GPS tracking technology was used by academic researchers and Great Smoky Mountains National Park to figure out ways to curb food related human-bear interactions.

Since there has been a decline in natural sources of food this past fall in the wild, bears turned to wandering the public Park areas, as well as other places in search of handouts or discarded food items.

Bill Stiver, Park Wildlife Biologist, said that figuring out where the bears are accessing human food is one of the easiest ways to put a stop to it.

The Twin Creeks picnic pavilion, the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area and the Cosby campground tend to be the perpetual trouble spots.

The bears that make an appearance in the populated areas are captured and fitted and tagged with a GPS radio collar. There have been 14 bears so far outfitted with these collars. Each collar costs $3,600. A federal grant funds the project.

The Park works closely on the project with the University of Tennessee. Investigators are able to track the bears through the GPS tracking collars and while the bears are in the Park, every couple of hours the bears’ location is recorded. When they leave the Park, the data is recorded more often.

Along the Park boundary is a virtual fence. Stiver says they record the bears every 20 minutes once they leave the Park. If they begin noticing a pattern of a certain area the bear wanders off to more often, they will investigate the area to determine there is a trash can or Dumpster or a natural food source that the bear is attracted to. If it ends up being an open dumpster, they can work with the owner of the dumpster to correct the problem.

Dana Soehn, GSMNP spokeswoman says they are very excited about what they can learn through the GPS tracking about how the bears move between the Park and the communities.

The Park scientists are able to learn more about the crucial areas of travel with this technology, she says.

Fall is a busy time for bears hunting for food in preparation for their winter hibernation, with female bears often entering their dens before their male counterparts.

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George Karonis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LiveViewGPS Inc., a company he established in 2008 with the vision of making real-time GPS tracking more reliable, affordable, and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as an innovator in GPS tracking, fleet management, asset monitoring, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) communications. Under George's leadership, LiveViewGPS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of GPS tracking solutions, serving businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations, and public works departments throughout the United States. The company's technology helps organizations improve operational efficiency, protect valuable assets, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs through real-time location intelligence. Before founding LiveViewGPS, George developed a background in security, surveillance, and emerging location technologies. His passion for innovation and practical problem solving has driven the development of products that combine dependable hardware with easy-to-use cloud software, giving customers actionable information when it matters most. In 2018, George expanded into nationwide Push-to-Talk over Cellular communications by launching PeakPTT, providing businesses with rugged, instant communication solutions that operate over LTE and Wi-Fi networks. His focus has remained the same throughout his career: delivering dependable technology backed by exceptional customer service and long-term customer relationships. George regularly writes about GPS tracking, fleet management, asset protection, business technology, and communication systems. Through this blog, he shares industry insights, practical advice, and emerging trends to help organizations make informed decisions about tracking technology and connected operations.