--- title: TDOT Warns Motorists About Black Bears Along Byways description: Summertime is here, which means wildlife is is active and, at times, in the way. TDOT has issued a warning to motorists to be on the lookout for black bears. image: https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/BlackBearonHighway.png --- [![TEL_Logo_Blue_Button_RGB](https://news.tel360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TEL_Logo_Blue_Button_RGB.png?width=190&height=87&name=TEL_Logo_Blue_Button_RGB.png "TEL_Logo_Blue_Button_RGB")](https://www.tel360.com/) [CONNECT NOW](https://tel360.com/connect-now/) - About Us ![](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/carrot-dropdwn.svg) - [About TEL](https://tel360.com/about-tel/) - [The TEL360 Advantage](https://tel360.com/the-tel360-advantage/) - [Testimonials](https://tel360.com/about-tel/reviews/) - [FAQs](https://tel360.com/about-tel/commercial-truck-trailer-faqs/) - [Contact Us](https://tel360.com/contact-tel/) - Commercial Truck Leasing ![](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/carrot-dropdwn.svg) - Fleet Leasing ![](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/carrot-dropdwn.svg) - [For Hire Fleets](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-fleet-leasing/for-hire-fleets/) - [Fleet Support Program](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-fleet-leasing/fleet-support/) - [Fleet Owner’s Guide](https://tel360.com/fleet-owners-guide-to-profitability/) - Owner Operators ![](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/carrot-dropdwn.svg) - [Independent Owner Operator Program](https://tel360.com/independent-owner-operator-program/) - [Lease Purchase](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-lease-purchase/) - Trailer Leasing ![](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/carrot-dropdwn.svg) - [Trailer Leasing for Private Fleets](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-fleet-leasing/private-fleets/) - [TEL’s Guide to Trailer Leasing](https://tel360.com/tel-guide-to-trailer-leasing/) - Equipment Sales ![](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/carrot-dropdwn.svg) - [Overview](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-equipment-sales/) - [Used Truck Inventory](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-equipment-sales/used-truck-inventory/) - Maintenance ![](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/carrot-dropdwn.svg) - [Overview](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-maintenance/) - [Freightliner Truck Maintenance](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-maintenance/freightliner/) - [Peterbilt Truck Maintenance](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-maintenance/peterbilt/) - [Volvo Truck Maintenance](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-maintenance/volvo/) - [Kenworth Truck Maintenance](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-maintenance/kenworth/) - Careers ![](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/carrot-dropdwn.svg) - [Overview](https://tel360.com/tel-careers/) - [Open Positions](https://tel360.com/careers/openpositions/) - [News](https://news.tel360.com) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # TDOT Warns Motorists About Black Bears Along Byways [Home](https://tel360.com) > [News](https://news.tel360.com) > TDOT Warns Motorists About Black Bears Along Byways Summertime is here, which means warm weather, time spent outdoors, and.... black bears on the highway. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has issued a warning for motorists to be on the lookout for black bears on scenic byways. In Tennessee, there are between 5,000-6,000 black bears, with the majority in East Tennessee. ![TDOTBlackbearWarning](https://news.tel360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TDOTBlackbearWarning.png?width=2048&height=1364&name=TDOTBlackbearWarning.png) According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, there are some guidelines that can help drivers minimize dangerous bear encounters: - Never feed or approach bears - When camping in bear country, keep all food stored in a vehicle and away from tents and dispose of food waste in the proper receptacles - If you see a black bear from a distance, alter your route of travel, return the way you came, or wait until it leaves the area - Make your presence known by yelling and shouting at the bear to scare it away - If approached by a bear, stand your ground, raise your arms to appear larger, yell, and throw rocks or sticks until they leave the area - Never run from a black bear. This will often trigger its instinct to chase - If a black bear attacks, fight back aggressively and do not play dead - Use pepper spray, sticks, rocks, or anything you can find to defend yourself. If cornered or threatened, bears may slap the ground, “pop” their jaws, or “huff” as a warning - If you see these behaviors, you are too close. Slowly back away while always facing the bear Owner-operators: make sure you're staying vigilant as the temperatures rise and wildlife starts to get more active. Being alert and cautious can help ensure a safe journey for everyone on the road. ### Subscribe to Our Newsletter! Written on: June 10, 2024 | Topics: [Chattanooga, TN](https://news.tel360.com/tag/chattanooga-tn) , [Transport Enterprise Leasing](https://news.tel360.com/tag/transport-enterprise-leasing) Share this post: [![Share on Facebook](https://news.tel360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/5296499_fb_facebook_facebook%20logo_icon.png?width=24&name=5296499_fb_facebook_facebook%20logo_icon.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.tel360.com%2Ftdot-warns-motorists-about-black-bears-along-byways%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://news.tel360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/5296501_linkedin_network_linkedin%20logo_icon.png?width=24&name=5296501_linkedin_network_linkedin%20logo_icon.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.tel360.com%2Ftdot-warns-motorists-about-black-bears-along-byways%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://news.tel360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/11244080_x_twitter_elon%20musk_twitter%20new%20logo_icon.png?width=24&name=11244080_x_twitter_elon%20musk_twitter%20new%20logo_icon.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.tel360.com%2Ftdot-warns-motorists-about-black-bears-along-byways%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.tel360.com%2Ftdot-warns-motorists-about-black-bears-along-byways%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=TDOT%20Warns%20Motorists%20About%20Black%20Bears%20Along%20Byways) [![RSS Feed](https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/rss-logo-vector.svg)](https://news.tel360.com/rss.xml) [‹ PREVIOUS](https://news.tel360.com/idaho-tire-inspection-sensors-at-ports) ##### [Idaho Tire Inspection Sensors at Ports](https://news.tel360.com/idaho-tire-inspection-sensors-at-ports) [NEXT ›](https://news.tel360.com/operation-safe-driver-week) ##### [Operation Safe Driver Week](https://news.tel360.com/operation-safe-driver-week) ![TEL_Logo_Blue_Button_RGB-1](https://news.tel360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TEL_Logo_Blue_Button_RGB-1.png?width=203&height=92&name=TEL_Logo_Blue_Button_RGB-1.png "TEL_Logo_Blue_Button_RGB-1") [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tel360) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/tel_360/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://youtube.com/@TEL360) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TEL360) 400 Birmingham Highway Chattanooga, TN 37419 423.214.3910 ##### Quick Links   - [Fleet Leasing](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-fleet-leasing/for-hire-fleets) - [Lease Purchase](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-lease-purchase) - [Equipment Sales](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-equipment-sales) - [Truck Maintenance](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-maintenance) - [Fleet Support Program](https://tel360.com/commercial-truck-fleet-leasing/fleet-support) ##### Resources   - [FAQs](https://tel360.com/about-tel/faqs) - [News](https://news.tel360.com) - [Careers](https://tel360.com/tel-careers) - [Contact Us](https://tel360.com/contact-tel) © Copyright 2024 - TEL  |  [Privacy Policy](https://tel360.com/privacy-policy/)  |  [Disclaimer](https://tel360.com/disclaimer/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Transport Enterprise Leasing", "url" : "https://news.tel360.com/author/transport-enterprise-leasing" }, "dateModified" : "2024-06-10T12:00:02.436Z", "datePublished" : "2024-06-10T12:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "TDOT Warns Motorists About Black Bears Along Byways", "image" : [ "https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/BlackBearonHighway.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://news.tel360.com/tdot-warns-motorists-about-black-bears-along-byways", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://news.tel360.com/hubfs/navyTEL.png" }, "name" : "Transport Enterprise Leasing" } } ```