Bears

Aw shucks. Here at home, with boundaries with Everglades NP, Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Collier Seminole SP and 10,000 Islands Wildlife Preserve, we see black bear at least bi weekly and have bear scat on the street, driveways and sidewalks more often than not. On the other side of our sidewalk is one of the many wooded strands of Everglades National Park. Probably 3 or 4 evenings a week, a pair and sometimes 3, of coyote amble down the sidewalk before heading behind the pond into the woods. Any and every nite, if you go outside you are heralded with a chorus of howls from them and sometimes they are so loud that it's quite easy to hear them inside as well.

And then there are alligators - every day. See one sunning on the lawn at least weekly and they are always cruising the basin. Driving in to Naples to shop or to Everglades City on a sunny day, it's pretty easy to count 50 gators sunning themselves on the canal banks. Have only seen a python once but it was across a whole lane plus shoulder of US 41/Tamiami Trail on my way home.

Deer abound as do manatee (which on a quiet evening with my lanai doors open, I can hear frolicking in the basin). Eagles, osprey, commorants (anhingas), great white and blue herons, egrets. Nature's paradise.

I was out west for work for several weeks a few years ago. Every Friday night I'd rent a car and hit the road. I'd drive as late as I could go, then crash for the night and get busy sight seeing Saturday and Sunday and get back late to my hotel Sunday night.

One night I was in Montana on my way back from Glacier NP. I stopped to sleep at a truck stop. I was parked way in the back. After a few hours, I woke up. Decided to head inside for something to eat, some coffee and a bathroom break. Opened the door, closed it and started to lock the door with the key. Right about then I saw a grizzly bear exploring the edge of the lot, probably 25ft from me. Not being from anything close to bear country, I never even thought to look around before I got out. My fingers instantly forgot how to hold a key and I came close to taking my bathroom break right then and there.

This my bear story. Wife and I were walking down a road 1/4 mile from camp when we saw a big bear. It ran down hill in some very thick brush. We looked at each other and said wow a bear. Just a few minutes later we heard some rumbling in the brush near where the bear went down. Right in front of us came a deer running. Scared the sh%t out of us!

I think I've only seen two wild bears near Townsend Tn.
However, son saw one three or our years ago near RxR tracks.
Others have seen one or two over the years.
A 150 to 175 lb Cougar, according to TWRA, with a cub was sighted now over ten years ago up the hill above our home. Kids played near the spring and in the field.
Lots of deer and some turkey or food for them.
When I hear of reports of either one in the area I carry a .44 Revolver while mowing.
The Bambi syndrome is responsible or a lot of People getting killed by wildlife.
Two coyotes denning near the house, came or my Son In Law and two pups he was walking. He called and Mama and Dad A Chocolate Lab and a Australian Shepard came running. They chased the coyotes a bit before he called them back.
One game trail goes right behind the house, muddy and deep in parts.
The coyotes chased the cat up it and he ran into the house.
Wild animals look cute and cuddly but they live by not letting a chance for food escape. Bears Cats and Wolves and Coyotes are predators and you may get away with approaching them a time or two then you may become dinner.
Pepper spray and little bells have no reality in a serious world.

Ralph Cramden wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
One better.

Buy a winter home in Florida only to find out there are 3 bears 'LIVING' on your property.

Fishing on my dock, I was chased by a huge 400+ huge black bear who came out of the woods and jumped into the water at me and chased me all the way to the house!:E BTW, Not an easy task for an aging RV'er.

Went out to my RV carport and met up with the other one blocking me against the wall.

And then this, late at night I heard a huge crash against the window in the bedroom. thank god I stayed up late watching TV in the living room. Found this paw print on the window above bed the next morning.


The next day I put the house up for sale after only 2 months of owning it. Me nor the dogs could not go outside or even out into the screened lanai.

I could not use my BBQ grill because they all would come out to see what I was cooking. We became prisoners in what was to be my dream Florida winter house.

Thank God the sellers disclosure does not have a line for "do bears live on your property?" and still wondering when uncle sam will catch up to me for the capital gains selling before 2 years.

Be thank full you'all are only meeting them on your weekend camping trips! :B

Probably should of called Florida's version of our PA DCNR? They would of trapped and relocated them most likely. Personally I would of deferred to Mr Weatherby.

If they would have trapped and relocated them I would have called it in. But At that time, since they were taken off the endangered list, DNR was euthanizing all bears that were the result of called in reports of nuisance bears. So if I called it in all three would have been euthanized.

Even though they had caused me great harm in having to sell my newly purchased home, I didn't want to be the one that gave them a death sentence. So I moved. :R

Perhaps euthanizing was the answer? What about the people who purchased the place? Have they been what's for dinner yet? Mr Cramden and Mr Weatherby would of dropped them without a second thought.

After the closing on the house I had to go back to the house to pick up my MH. It was then I told the new owners they should be aware about the bears and not let their little dog wander outside alone. :C

rockhillmanor wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
One better.

Buy a winter home in Florida only to find out there are 3 bears 'LIVING' on your property.

Fishing on my dock, I was chased by a huge 400+ huge black bear who came out of the woods and jumped into the water at me and chased me all the way to the house!:E BTW, Not an easy task for an aging RV'er.

Went out to my RV carport and met up with the other one blocking me against the wall.

And then this, late at night I heard a huge crash against the window in the bedroom. thank god I stayed up late watching TV in the living room. Found this paw print on the window above bed the next morning.


The next day I put the house up for sale after only 2 months of owning it. Me nor the dogs could not go outside or even out into the screened lanai.

I could not use my BBQ grill because they all would come out to see what I was cooking. We became prisoners in what was to be my dream Florida winter house.

Thank God the sellers disclosure does not have a line for "do bears live on your property?" and still wondering when uncle sam will catch up to me for the capital gains selling before 2 years.

Be thank full you'all are only meeting them on your weekend camping trips! :B

Probably should of called Florida's version of our PA DCNR? They would of trapped and relocated them most likely. Personally I would of deferred to Mr Weatherby.

If they would have trapped and relocated them I would have called it in. But At that time, since they were taken off the endangered list, DNR was euthanizing all bears that were the result of called in reports of nuisance bears. So if I called it in all three would have been euthanized.

Even though they had caused me great harm in having to sell my newly purchased home, I didn't want to be the one that gave them a death sentence. So I moved. :R

Perhaps euthanizing was the answer? What about the people who purchased the place? Have they been what's for dinner yet? Mr Cramden and Mr Weatherby would of dropped them without a second thought.

Ralph Cramden wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
One better.

Buy a winter home in Florida only to find out there are 3 bears 'LIVING' on your property.

Fishing on my dock, I was chased by a huge 400+ huge black bear who came out of the woods and jumped into the water at me and chased me all the way to the house!:E BTW, Not an easy task for an aging RV'er.

Went out to my RV carport and met up with the other one blocking me against the wall.

And then this, late at night I heard a huge crash against the window in the bedroom. thank god I stayed up late watching TV in the living room. Found this paw print on the window above bed the next morning.


The next day I put the house up for sale after only 2 months of owning it. Me nor the dogs could not go outside or even out into the screened lanai.

I could not use my BBQ grill because they all would come out to see what I was cooking. We became prisoners in what was to be my dream Florida winter house.

Thank God the sellers disclosure does not have a line for "do bears live on your property?" and still wondering when uncle sam will catch up to me for the capital gains selling before 2 years.

Be thank full you'all are only meeting them on your weekend camping trips! :B

Probably should of called Florida's version of our PA DCNR? They would of trapped and relocated them most likely. Personally I would of deferred to Mr Weatherby.

If they would have trapped and relocated them I would have called it in. But At that time, since they were taken off the endangered list, DNR was euthanizing all bears that were the result of called in reports of nuisance bears. So if I called it in all three would have been euthanized.

Even though they had caused me great harm in having to sell my newly purchased home, I didn't want to be the one that gave them a death sentence. So I moved. :R

Despite the real need to be alert and cautious around bears, I think the danger of attack gets overhyped a bit? Although no doubt national park personnel are trying to "play it safe" they can have you thinking that you will encounter an attacking bear behind every tree. When I worked in and near YNP and Glacier NP I would tell visitors that they should enjoy the trails and carry bear spray but their chances of being injured or killed in the Park from an accident traveling to a trail head is MUCH higher than from a bear.

BadgerMcAdams wrote:
Several years ago, my father was the maintenance guy at the Monument Lake Camp Grounds outside of Trinidad Colorado. We would go up and visit during the summers. At night around 8:30 or so dad would hop in the pickup and go out on bear patrol.

The first time I went with him, I thought he was pulling my leg...Until we round a bend in the road and there is a black bear, batting around an Igloo ice chest like it is a soccer ball. The lid comes open and all the food, ice, beverages, etc come spilling out like a Carnivore Slot Machine. The bear just got a bite of something and dad stuck the barrel of his 12 ga. out the window and popped a round of rubber bear shot into the backside of the bear. It jumped and took off for the brush at about Warp 6.

We got out, collected the debris and cooler, and continued the patrol. I asked about the shells and he said that the ranger would drop off a box (25 shells) about every 2 weeks or so. The rubber pellets don't penetrate (unless it is point blank - 10 feet or so) but sting like hell and run the bears off.

The people took their cooler back, they wanted to show it off to their friends. The bear had bitten into the cooler and had ripped the plastic with its teeth...I have pics of it someplace. Will see if I can dig them out.

Never underestimate wild things...Because in the wilderness, you are no longer at the top of the food chain.

Coolers are nothing for a bear. Heck, cars aren't even that much of a barrier. I was camping at the Mt Whitney portal and we saw an Isuzu Trooper with the passenger door peeled back like a can of sardines. Turns out the owner had not followed the warning posters and had left a bag of tasty cashews in his vehicle. The bears put their claws in the rubber gasket at the top of the door and pull down, the glass breaks and they climb in and get their snack. That same trip we had a black bear about 3' from our tent, luckily the neighbors dog started barking which had that bear moving at warp 6. Like Florida the California black bear is relatively small averaging about 100lb less for males than those in the west and midwest.

Several years ago, my father was the maintenance guy at the Monument Lake Camp Grounds outside of Trinidad Colorado. We would go up and visit during the summers. At night around 8:30 or so dad would hop in the pickup and go out on bear patrol.

The first time I went with him, I thought he was pulling my leg...Until we round a bend in the road and there is a black bear, batting around an Igloo ice chest like it is a soccer ball. The lid comes open and all the food, ice, beverages, etc come spilling out like a Carnivore Slot Machine. The bear just got a bite of something and dad stuck the barrel of his 12 ga. out the window and popped a round of rubber bear shot into the backside of the bear. It jumped and took off for the brush at about Warp 6.

We got out, collected the debris and cooler, and continued the patrol. I asked about the shells and he said that the ranger would drop off a box (25 shells) about every 2 weeks or so. The rubber pellets don't penetrate (unless it is point blank - 10 feet or so) but sting like hell and run the bears off.

The people took their cooler back, they wanted to show it off to their friends. The bear had bitten into the cooler and had ripped the plastic with its teeth...I have pics of it someplace. Will see if I can dig them out.

Never underestimate wild things...Because in the wilderness, you are no longer at the top of the food chain.