Bears in Topsail Hill State Park Florida

[DAVES04RV]

Just got back today from a 16 day vacation at Topsail Hill State Park Florida and had several reported ranger or camper reported bear sightings in and around the campground area or on the shuttle road to the beach during our stay. We had a large black bear stroll the campground late yesterday beginning from site 123 to behind our site 160 and behind other sites thru 168. You don't have to go to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to enjoy the wildlife now!

[Dog_Folks]

edatlanta wrote:
I was hosting at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, FL last year and a 9' alligator walked through my site and several others two days in a row. That was exciting to say the least. We didn't see it again after those two days. The park did move some tent campers to another site after the first day.

No big deal. Here in Florida the alligators go to WalMart!!! (news story) LOL

[jolooote]

We spend 6-8 weeks each year in the back country of N.Mexico, Arizona, Colorado or Utah. Years ago we always enjoyed seeing the bears. We haven't seen a bear in the last 7 trips, 7 years. Rocky Mtn. N'tional Pk. used to be thick with bears. Last years trip reported there are only 70 bears left in the entire park. Yes... this was before the fires & floods...Not a practical excuse...

[jolooote]

OMG !!! A BEAR !!! Quick, capture it and haul it off to the wilderness where Noone will EVER experience it & it will probably starve.

[chris3403]

Back in 2007 we were near Spring Hill FL and coming around a curve when we spotted a bear crossing the road in front of us. What was really odd about it it was January when bears were supposed to be hibernating then we realized we were in FL. DUH

[edatlanta]

I was hosting at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, FL last year and a 9' alligator walked through my site and several others two days in a row. That was exciting to say the least. We didn't see it again after those two days. The park did move some tent campers to another site after the first day.

[loulou57]

We camp mainly in Northern Ontario and bears are quite frequent. We are well educated in the matter of bears and take them very seriously.

There are some places where we have to use a tent. One particular place we had a lge male visit every night. We would sit down at the boat and watch as he toured our site. This was on crown land, beautiful area, 6 hours from anything. We could go for 2 weeks and see nobody else.

He had a routine and part of that routine was walking around our tent about 2 in the morning. There was nothing to interest him so he would continue on but I would lay awake waiting for that grunting noise as he circled us. After he left I could fall asleep.

[Vacation_Bound]

We were in Topsail the 2nd week of Sept and a bear just casually walked through the campground. We were walking our dog when we saw it. My wife was really freaked out.

[down_home]

They pass through here infrequently but five or six, seen each year. If one or two settle in the cove, I won't tell anyone but neighbors.
Neighbor has cows and would be concerned with calves. So long as they don't come on the porches and bother Garfield, I'll leave them alone.
Several years ago there was an article about a town in Pa that ha bears sleeping under porches and houses as an ordinary thing. those Folks must have been educated in the ways of bears. Like Humans they can go either way sometimes but so long as they respect/fear you you're safe.
When they start popping those jaws better get away quick or raise that rifle.
If they know of bad consequencies if they bother you then you're generally safe. My limits are probably more lenient than others should be. I'm not going out into the yard or woods with a bear without a weapon though.

[loulou57]

Enjoying wildlife is great....however, some people need to know that if you see a bear in the wild, you are too close. For how surprisingly clumsy a bear may look they move a lot faster than most people realize.

Did the CG set up a bear cage to safely remove the bear to a better environment for it.?