Many like to paddle in Florida. I thought this might be of interest to some:
Sounds like the poor guy darn near stepped on the bear in the dark…maybe more of a bear “defend” than an attack.
I didn’t see but I suspect mom and the older Cubs we’re visiting trash cans or gas grill located a the back of the house. I think Cubs stay as long as two years.
Two, pomeranians don’t make good beardogs.
@Overstreet said:
I didn’t see but I suspect mom and the older Cubs we’re visiting trash cans or gas grill located a the back of the house. I think Cubs stay as long as two years.Two, pomeranians don’t make good beardogs.
That might depend on your point of view. From the bear’s point of view, Pomeranians might be very tasty bear dogs.
Meh. Still going.
My kids and grandkids and everyone else in Naples are fine
First recorded bear attack in South FL. There have been several along I-4 and North. Lots of Black Bear in FL! Most people don’t think Black Bear when they head to FL. Members of my Dad’s hunt camp in Ocala NF see almost as many bear as deer while hunting. They are a common sight in that part of FL.
Shotgun, 00 Buckshot for dog walking. Although I agree those are more morsels than dogs.
@string said:
Shotgun, 00 Buckshot for dog walking. Although I agree those are more morsels than dogs.
That’s a little heavy for a pomerainian.
@Overstreet said:
@string said:
Shotgun, 00 Buckshot for dog walking. Although I agree those are more morsels than dogs.That’s a little heavy for a pomerainian.
Not if he’s in a bear’s mouth.
If you paddle or hike in central Florida, you may be lucky and see a Florida Black Bear. If you live near bear habitat and have attractants such as unsecured garbage, bird feeders, pet food, and grills accessible to them, you will almost certainly see one in your yard sooner or later.
http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/bear/
This link has lots of good information about the black bear. And by the way, there is no record of even one person ever being killed by a Florida Black Bear. “Attacks” are almost always defensive, from the bear’s perspective.
A good dog would have alerted that poor soul that something was nearby. My pup will start going crazy in the house if something is around the house. The tailless feral black cat drives her crazy! Fox, coyote and deer are her favorites. Still waiting to see a black bear or a wild hog though.
I live in Central Florida, and black bears are an “indigenous species,” as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Dept. likes to say.
My neighborhood, while large and somewhat surburban, is located close to Wekiva Springs State Park, which is not too far from the Ocala National Forest. Bears are frequently sighted in our neighborhood and the county imposes a fine on any one feeding bears or leaving trash unsecured (most folks use bear proof trash cans).
I walk early each morning (before sunrise), and am not overly suprised to come accross a bear. In fact two mornings ago my wife and I walked past one sitting in a neighbor’s driveway. It was dark and we didn’t see him/her until we were about 10 yards apart. It just sat there watching us walk by.
Interestingly, I rarely if ever see a bear when my dogs walk with me – althought yesterday morning the dogs and I did stumble accross two large does making breakfast of a neighbor’s lawn. I suspect the bear hears/smells the dogs and experience tells it to head another direction --ironically, the deer are not as cautious. 
“Bears are now wandrin’,
in places ya would not think,”
Said the ol’ kyote,
with a foxy wink.
“What next? A sabre tooth!?”
“Well, we don’t know ’ bout that.
But seems all’s gone to the birds!”
Spoke by a thousand feral cats.
Perhaps we’ll all twist in those coils,
of old to new invasive species.
Aren’t we after all still in the game,
try’n to not step in each other’s feces?
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
(Chief Brodie speaks to Mother Earth.)
My car never has been quite right since my husband hit a bear
$8000 damage
13 miles from
The GW Bridge NYC
I used to see them all the time when I lived in Port St Joe. They’d often raid the Mexico Beach ice cream store dumpster.
They were also around the World Golf Village when I was building there.
The usually only attack when started, trapped/cornered or cubs involved.
When possibly throwing a sow with cubs into a fight or flight situation…ya’ never know what humans are gonna do…