Be Bear Aware: South Walton's Black Bears Are Active in the Fall

South Walton was once home to a large black bear population. The 15,000-acre Point Washington State Forest spans a large portion of SoWal and many bears live among the pines. Hunting and development has nearly eliminated Florida's largest land mammal. But in recent years we've seen bears return to the area in larger numbers.

Just like it is for SoWal vistors and locals, Fall is an active time of year for Florida black bears as they stock up on calories for the coming winter. Though black bears don’t really need to put on pounds to survive the state’s usually mild winters, they behave as if they do need to – eating about three times as much as usual.

Because bears now are busy filling their bellies, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) asks our community to be extra diligent in securing food sources around their homes and businesses that can attract bears and create problems. As fall approaches, Florida black bears are packing on the calories to prepare for the upcoming winter. You can help protect both people and bears by securing garbage and other items that could attract these animals to where you live and work.

Read all about South Walton & Florida Black Bears at www.bearwise.org.

This time of year, the search for food keeps bears busy up to 20 hours a day as they are looking to increase their body fat for cooler months. Easy meals in neighborhoods are often more convenient for bears than foraging in the woods, which encourages them to stay in the area. However, if food attractants such as garbage, birdfeeders and pet food are not available, bears have no reason to linger, and they typically leave on their own.

“If you are a Florida black bear, raiding a garbage can to eat stale doughnuts and the leftovers from last night’s spaghetti may be more appealing than foraging in the woods for palmetto berries and acorns,” said David Telesco, the FWC’s bear management program coordinator. “Preventing bears’ access to food is the most important thing people can do to keep bears and other wild animals out of neighborhoods.”

In autumn, bears begin a natural process called hyperphagia, which means they are putting on fat for the winter. They will consume around 25,000 calories a day and eat almost anything that’s convenient. The easier a food item is to get, the more likely it is that a bear will take advantage of it – and a bear’s sense of smell is so keen it can detect food more than a mile away.

Bear-related calls to the FWC are up this year in many parts of the state. Since January in central and south Florida, the FWC has documented the highest number of calls per month on record for six of the past nine months. Calls in other parts of the state also are relatively high this year.

“Now more than ever we are relying on residents to keep bears from getting rewarded for being in neighborhoods,” Telesco said.

To keep bears away from your home and neighborhood, follow these tips:

• Feed your pets indoors or bring in dishes after feeding.
• Secure household garbage in a shed, garage or a wildlife-resistant container.
• Put household garbage out on the morning of pickup, not the night before.
• Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters consisting of metal lids or metal-reinforced plastic lids and lock bars.
• Clean grills and store them in a locked, secure place.
• Remove wildlife feeders or make them bear-resistant.
• Protect gardens, apiaries, compost and livestock with electric fencing.
• Pick ripe fruit from trees and remove fallen fruit from the ground.
• Encourage your homeowners association or local government to institute ordinances on keeping foods secure that would attract wildlife.

What should you do if you look out the window and there’s a black bear nosing around your bird feeder or trash, taking a dip in your swimming pool, or investigating something that looks or smells interesting?

Discourage the Bear

    From an open window or a safe place on your porch or deck, yell at the bear, bang pots and pans, and do your best to let it know it’s not welcome around your home.
    DO NOT let your dog out or let your dog chase the bear. A bear may view a charging dog as aggressive and respond by defending itself or its cubs, which could injure or kill your dog. Or the bear may climb a tree in your yard to escape and stay there until it feels safe.
    Teaching bears it’s OK to hang around homes almost always has consequences for both people and bears. So don’t offer food or encourage it to stay so you can watch and take photos.
    Give the bear an escape route. Anxious, nervous bears can run over people or pets standing in the way of freedom.