BeachSteelers avatar
BeachSteelersBeach Fanatic
2,339 views
Today 5:30am ,my first day off to sleep in after 24 straight days of work,my dog is barking like crazy downstairs at a Black Bear in my driveway. First bear I've ever seen. Probably about 3.5 ft tall on all fours maybe 250lbs. He looked fat and happy. I advise caution on anyone seeing one. Think i'll name him Ditka.

Replies

21
Lake View Too avatar
Lake View TooSoWal Insider
#2
what area of Seagrove are you in?
BeachSteelers avatar
BeachSteelersBeach FanaticAuthor
#3
West end is a far as I'll say. He needs his space.
grace avatar
graceBeach Fanatic
#4
black bear also spotted near blue mt.
Chi2GBBeach Lover
#5
My wife and I have seen a black bear at our house in Grayton Beach twice in the last two weeks.
Gidget avatar
GidgetBeach Fanatic
#6
Cool!!! Someone take a pic!!

G
PearceBeach Lover
#7
We have a black bear, spotted last night, helping himself to the all-you-can-eat buffet of trash cans. every morning the cans are pulled out of their places and trash spread all over the yards. He likes to take our trash can from the front of the house to the back corner to snack! We've been advised by Dept. of Forestry to lock the trash cans up and don't set cans out until the morning of pick-up. The bear will get bored and move on. I haven't personally seen it yet, but a neighbor can face to face with it last night while walking the dog. I think both were scared enough... the bear ran up a tree! 🙂
seagrover avatar
seagroverBeach Fanatic
#8
Keep Ditka in your 'hood - don't send him over here. :shock: I knew there was a reason I don't like to go outside!!!
Everytime avatar
EverytimeBeach Fanatic
#9
Black bears aren't usually aggressive, right? I'm planning on running on the Eastern Lake Trail in Pt. Washington State Forest during the mornings this weekend, and don't want to be involved in one of those "When Wild Animals Attack" incidents.
Dia avatar
DiaBeach Fanatic
#10
Ditka hit our trash can this week.
Miss Kitty avatar
Miss KittyMeow
#11
Ditka hit our trash can this week.
:floor:...was there a fumble?
NotDeadYet avatar
NotDeadYetBeach Fanatic
#12
Black bears aren't usually aggressive, right? I'm planning on running on the Eastern Lake Trail in Pt. Washington State Forest during the mornings this weekend, and don't want to be involved in one of those "When Wild Animals Attack" incidents.
Correct, black bears are not aggressive. I'd worry more about the wild pigs, if I were you, but that trail gets a lot of use. Runners, walkers with dogs, you should be fine.
grace avatar
graceBeach Fanatic
#13
i ran into a wild pig with her youngins on the trail i run this morning.
she was not happy!
Smiling JOe avatar
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert
#14
Black bears aren't usually aggressive, right? I'm planning on running on the Eastern Lake Trail in Pt. Washington State Forest during the mornings this weekend, and don't want to be involved in one of those "When Wild Animals Attack" incidents.

You are right. Black Bears are not usually aggressive, unless you are running from them. :yikes: Seriously. You don't want to run away from one, nor do you want to ever get between a mama and her cub.


I cannot promise you that you won't be attacked by a falling pine tree limb, black bear, florida panther, etc while running in the woods, but you are more likely to get hit by a car when you get back on the road. The woods are not that dangerous around here.
Everytime avatar
EverytimeBeach Fanatic
#15
You are right. Black Bears are not usually aggressive, unless you are running from them. :yikes: Seriously. You don't want to run away from one, nor do you want to ever get between a mama and her cub.


I cannot promise you that you won't be attacked by a falling pine tree limb, black bear, florida panther, etc while running in the woods, but you are more likely to get hit by a car when you get back on the road. The woods are not that dangerous around here.

Thanks for the feedback, Smiling JOe and NotDeadYet. I just hope one of these black bears don't perceive me to be running "away" from them if they see me. Regarding the local panthers, I thought they were deemed a myth, but I had also heard reports of them around the Bay and around Eglin. Anyone ever seen one around here?
Smiling JOe avatar
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert
#16
no reported panthers around here, but reports of big cats like the Jaqurundi (sp?), which are slightly larger than a bobcat. I wouldn't be concerned.

Bears don't want anything to do with people around here, yet. Why do you think that you haven't seen any photos of the bears in SoWal? They fear their safety. Man=threat.
BeachSteelers avatar
BeachSteelersBeach FanaticAuthor
#17
I believe I saw a panther about 10 years ago down here. Big cat long tail and small head at night in the fog. SJ is correct cars are way more dangerous than anything else down here. Snakes I think are your big concern when running in the woods here. Seen bobcats and a red fox( not Redd Foxx) or red wolf not sure. Great diversity of wildlife here, I'm constantly amazed by it.
Russ&Kimberly avatar
Russ&KimberlyBeach Lover
#18
i ran into a wild pig with her youngins on the trail i run this morning.
she was not happy!

What trail were you on when you saw the pig?
Russ&Kimberly avatar
Russ&KimberlyBeach Lover
#19
I believe I saw a panther about 10 years ago down here. Big cat long tail and small head at night in the fog. SJ is correct cars are way more dangerous than anything else down here. Snakes I think are your big concern when running in the woods here. Seen bobcats and a red fox( not Redd Foxx) or red wolf not sure. Great diversity of wildlife here, I'm constantly amazed by it.

I saw a red fox in Seagrove a couple days ago. It was defintely a fox. I did see the red wolf video and it was not a red wolf. It was beautiful, bright red and the largest fox I have ever seen. He was not the faded our or brownish red looking fox. He had a long, bushy tail. It was exciting.
Lake View Too avatar
Lake View TooSoWal Insider
#20
I've been around here a long time and have never heard of a bear sighting before now. And, if they have figured out that garbage cans mean food, that's not too cool.

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