Black Bear spotted in Pt Washington!

[eddiej]

First hand report of black bear seen crossing Hwy 395 N by Butler Elementary. Large! Keep us posted and be careful if you are in the area. Eddie J

[barefootguy]

That wouldn't be near Butler, but near Bay Elementary.

[DuneLaker]

Lots of people probably out enjoying the day in that beautiful area around Eden State Gardens and Pt. Washington Methodist Church, which are between Bay Elementary and Albert Butler's place on the bay. Hope the people and bear are careful today.

[scooterbug44]

How cool!

[eddiej]

confused details on bear location...thanks for the correction! ej

[mikecatadjuster]

Now getting that on camera would be nice. A friend of mine had a black bear cross a golf course he was on some around here a few years ago. Great news about this one. Good to hear.

[Groovegirls]

Good thing its not garbage night. The bear would have a feast!

[ShallowsNole]

No kidding about the garbage. Neat to know bears are still around!

I did hit something bigger than a dog a couple of months ago on E Point Washington just east of Groovegirls' place - it was dark, whatever I hit was dark and just kind of "ambled" out into the road. But, it evidently got up and kept going. No damage; in fact, nobody believed I had hit anything (like I would make something like that up) until our lab decided to sniff around the front right tire and started barking/yelping. Fuzz and I figured out it must have been a wild hog, and a couple of days later we saw a couple of wild hogs dead on Bay Drive. Case closed.

But now I wonder... and I think I'll instruct everybody to walk the dog on the main road now, instead of down the powerline toward Eden.

[kurt]

Black Bears are very shy. Only very hungry ones come near people and it is usually because of garbage being left out (dumpsters). These woods used to be full of them but they are still hunted here though there are hardly any left. They will sometimes migrate large distances, even crossing open waters during mating season.

[Foodlover]

Black Bears are very shy. Only very hungry ones come near people and it is usually because of garbage being left out (dumpsters). These woods used to be full of them but they are still hunted here though there are hardly any left. They will sometimes migrate large distances, even crossing open waters during mating season.

That is sad. Is it legal to hunt Black Bears here?

[jodiFL]

That is sad. Is it legal to hunt Black Bears here?

Been illegal since 1994, but they were thinking about resuming some kind of season according to this report.
EDIT:
http://myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/Bear_rules_regs.htm

[kurt]

That is sad. Is it legal to hunt Black Bears here?

Legal but restricted. They are listed as a threatened species in Florida and cannot be killed without a permit. Apparently there is not enough room for humans and bears to coexist.

FWC - Florida Black Bears


The Bear Facts - 25 Things Every Black Bear Hunter Should Know

Fact #22 - Baiting is far from easy, and holds no guarantees! From time to time you get lucky and have one move in cautiously to inspect the provisions, but this is frequently more the exception than the rule. Perhaps the biggest advantage I see in baiting is that, if and when a bear finally does come to the bait, it can allow the hunter time to assess size and stature. This is advantageous for the trophy hunter, allowing the option to pass up smaller bears, thus diminishing the odds of falling victim to ground shrink.

[barefootguy]

Humans don't seem to coexist well with any animals. If that bear decides to hang around someone will get him. We had a beaver move into Driftwood Estates last year. I thought that was odd, but was excited about it. It took down a few trees, built nice home, and did it's best to remain unnoticed, but I'm starting to think that someone may have noticed (and removed him).

I was curious to see if a beaver family would be a help or a hindrance to Driftwood's drainage issue. I'm still out there looking for him, hoping to find him alive!

[beachmouse]

We had bear+dumpster problems at work a while back, and the same bears were also getting into people's trash in a couple neighborhoods over by Turkey Creek. They ended up having to kill one of them because he actually went into someone's house (which meets the criteria for overly agressive bears) and the rest were trapped and relocated to the Bad Bear Reformatory area of Tate's Hell Swamp over in the Big Bend.

They're actually pretty common on Eglin reservation these days. A couple years back, I saw one that was sadly roadkill on 20 in Choctaw Beach.

[dmarie]

THAT TOTALLY EXPLAINS the very odd noise I heard last night. I live in Eden Estates - several minutes walk to the school. With all the windows open, I very clearly heard a noise that I have never heard in the 30 years I've lived here. The dog, outside, was going nuts!!!! I have to deal with my fair share of wildlife out here, squirrels, rats, possums, raccoons, and the dog has a certain response to them. Last night was something completely different. Her bark told me it wasn't just our garden-variety visitor. The sound made me mute the TV and just listen for awhile to figure out what it was.

Thanks for informing us! Watch your kiddies!

[scooterbug44]

Bears are not a danger or problem (sans cubs) until people start feeding them and leaving out trash/food.

If you are worried about a bear near your home, remove the things that attract them - bird feeders, trash, etc.

If you DO have a problem, there are many non-lethal ways to discourage them.

[Smiling JOe]

black bears don't like dogs.

[seagrovegirl]

This is my neighborhood and I live next to the school off of 395N. My dogs have been going nuts lately...just ask my po'd neighbor. My garbage is getting scattered nightly.
I think I'll go look for bear tracks!

[T Cline]

black bears don't like dogs.

If I was out very early morning with my dogs on the park trails just on the other side of E Point Washington and my dogs smelled one and ran after it...what would be the best thing to do?...I let my dogs off leash back there..now I am a little bit freaked!

[passin thru]

Black Bears are very shy. Only very hungry ones come near people and it is usually because of garbage being left out (dumpsters). These woods used to be full of them but they are still hunted here though there are hardly any left. They will sometimes migrate large distances, even crossing open waters during mating season.

Kurt, thanks for the insight ... I, too, will cross open waters during mating season.

Honestly, I'm very pleased to still have some of our large carnivores (omnivore in this case) this close by. They're good indicators for the health of an ecosystem.

As many above have wisely noted -- people, keep your garbage securely contained so that the bears can live peacefully in these woods & not be unfairly tempted by your Haagen Daz containers, OK?

[Smiling JOe]

TCline, bears are stinky animals, and dogs can easily track them. Most hunting type of dogs will eventually tree a Black Bear, if they don't get swiped by a claw first. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about my dogs around a black bear, unless it was a small cub with Mama Bear. Much like a dog chasing a car, I'm not sure what a medium sized dog does when if he were to actually catch a black bear. I've had dogs which have chased and caught very large hogs which escaped the farm, and they always end up holding onto the hogs by the ear.

[kurt]

Kurt, thanks for the insight ... I, too, will cross open waters during mating season.

Honestly, I'm very pleased to still have some of our large carnivores (omnivore in this case) this close by. They're good indicators for the health of an ecosystem.

As many above have wisely noted -- people, keep your garbage securely contained so that the bears can live peacefully in these woods & not be unfairly tempted by your Haagen Daz containers, OK?

Every day for humans.

[bluemtnrunner]

Just to be on the safe side we have taken all of the food out of the house and hung it in a bag from a really high branch!

[DuneLaker]

Just to be on the safe side we have taken all of the food out of the house and hung it in a bag from a really high branch!

Oh, what a great chuckle for the evening. Thank you! I don't have bears around my house anymore here close to the beach. Guess I don't need to bag up my food. I did have a possum looking in the window the other day after a big rain storm.

[avalon]

My husband saw a black bear yesterday as we drove east from Freeport on Hwy 20. We have seen two others, unfortunate victims of cars, in the three years we have lived at Windswept. Nokuse (bear) Plantation is just down the street, I guess the name is no idle noun.

[jodiFL]

Ahh...springtime.... gators on the beach, bears moving about, these bluejays and little brown birds that keep flying in my open backdoor to steal a bit of dog food out the bowl. But at least there isnt seagulls crapping on my car to try and get a McDs french fry.

[T Cline]

TCline, bears are stinky animals, and dogs can easily track them. Most hunting type of dogs will eventually tree a Black Bear, if they don't get swiped by a claw first. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about my dogs around a black bear, unless it was a small cub with Mama Bear. Much like a dog chasing a car, I'm not sure what a medium sized dog does when if he were to actually catch a black bear. I've had dogs which have chased and caught very large hogs which escaped the farm, and they always end up holding onto the hogs by the ear.

thanks SJ!

[jjnole04]

t.cline i would recommend not unleashing your dogs...
State Forest Fees and Information: Florida Division of Forestry
LEASHED PETS are welcome on most state forests in designated areas. Please check with the state forest you plan to visit.

[sunset07]

not sure if i should post this here or with the "ransack" post, but on an early morning bike ride last week we saw a bear cross 30A just west of grayton corners.