Here is a Florida Black Bear/pictures
 

This bear was in a populated neighborhood along the intercoastal waterway. A biologist darted it and it ran into the water where the drug took affect, the pictures tell the story. The biologist went into the water and the bear brought is back to shore. Not often you see a bear in a cross chest lifesaving carry.
























All is well that ends well!

I've seen that on other sites and it is really cool! I did have to chuckle when I read on the other thread that super hunt54 didn't consider them dangerous game. I consider anything that can easily kill and eat me dangerous! Maybe they aren't after all, LOL!

You can see that wasn't that bears first rodeo as well with a tag n the ear. I have helped tranq and tattoo and remove a tooth from bears, I once had a 300 lber stand up while I was straddling him. I assure you I thought he was dangerous and after we got him back into the trap for transport, he about took it apart when he came around. Never under estimate a bear, they can and will hurt you real bad and could kill you with one bow.

I've had a couple big sows with twins and triplets right behind my cabin and got some great video of them, but until this turkey season I had never run into one while I was actually out hunting and I've had the place up north since 1973. Just as it was breaking day when I was going out to get set up I looked down the two track I was on and saw what I thought was a deer coming toward me. As it closed the distance I then realized that it was a decent size bear that was probably at least 250#. He kept coming until I finally decided that my turkey loads weren't quite enough to do serious battle with him, so I waved my arm and made a loud "shush" that stopped him. He looked me over and I waved one more time and he just turned and jumped down into the swamp and was gone to my delight.

:D Well I'm bigger than most black bears and my wife is meaner so I guess I'm used to it?

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Sure wish I could read the date on those pics. That Bear has a BEAUTIFUL coat for a Florida bear. Looks like a high mountain North Carolina Mid Spring coat.

I don't know what year it was, it came to me via e-mail. Here is the narative that came with it:


A 400# black bear wandered into a residential neighborhood in Florida.
Black bears half this size have attacked and killed humans across the nation recently
... twice in Florida.

Wildlife officers sedated the bear to safely relocate him,
and that's when things began to go horribly wrong.

A 400# black bear wandered into a residential neighborhood in Florida.
Black bears half this size have attacked and killed humans across the nation recently
... twice in Florida.

Wildlife officers sedated the bear to safely relocate him,
and that's when things began to go horribly wrong.
As he swam further and further out, he became drowsy and started to drown.
But Adam Warwick, a biologist with the Wildlife Commission, wasn't about
to let that happen. Adam went into the water after the bear
... yeah, after a bear … to stop him from going under.
It was a spur of the moment decision.
I had a lot of adrenaline pumping when I saw the helpless bear in the water dying."

He knew the very high risk, considering the powerful bear was scared and could
have easily became aggressive to defend itself, killing him with a single swipe
or bite. B ut the bear somehow seemed to know it was in good hands
It seemed to become calm when under the man's control?
Adam's determination finally got the 400 pound wild creature safely back into shallow water.
Adam suffered only a scratch from the rescue
Once they reached the shore, other team members came to help
The team was able to use a tractor bucket to transport the poor guy
back to his home in Osceola National Forest.
Adam rode with him back home ...
a sight you don't see on the highway every day (neither had a helmet).
where he is safe and happy again and has one honking’ story to tell the grandkids.

If there is anyone here from FL they may recognize the patch on the arm of the uniformed individual in the boat. I have seen FL patches but I don't remember the shape or color.

The video on the net was published on 7/29/14 and the lady speaking said it had happened 4 months earlier, so that would put it around late March or early April.

Dang am I good or what!! :D I do find it very surprising that bear had a coat like that in Florida. Like RR said in the other post, they usually have a "less than full" coat (Can't think of a better word for it) in hotter climate places. I know in the foothills of NC in early Summer months they look dang near bald for the most part.

I live in Northeast Florida where the bear population is actually pretty high and into the panhandle they are problematic and frequently visit neighborhoods like this bear did. We don't have any in my club that I know of. But in Clay County they are almost everywhere. FWC has finally approved to hunt bear. But the season is a joke to me. 2 days long if quota reached, but no more then 7 days. It week be October 24-25 or through the 30. Permit is 100 bucks also. Not worth it in my opinion unless I knew I could harvest a bear on the 1st day.

I lived in Pensacola for 4 years and we had quite a few bear. I hunted deer and turkey on the Perdido Wildlife Management Area and saw them often enough to know I could hunt one there without too much trouble. There are a lot of them on Eglin Airforce Base over by Navarre too. They even have bear crossing signs on the main roads. Some of the bruins are really big since there is no need for them to hibernate.

But then, what do I know. According to Pete, FL bear aren't worth the $$$ to hunt in the first legal FL bear season.