Florida - Big Cypress

[joey46]

Within in the last 24 hours a man and his dog were killed by black bear(s) on the border of Big Cypress.  As of this minute FWC has killed two bears in this area.  Nothing to joke about but as many know Big Cypress can be an exciting area.  Pythons, alligators, panthers, and now bears.  Adds a layer of concern when searching for that Osceola.

[Tail Feathers]

Some years back, I hunted a WMA where everyone warned me about bears.  The employee there had a pic of a 600+ bear they had trapped near there.  It was frequenting a high end neighborhood of million dollar homes she said.  They killed the bear after trapping and she talked FWC into mounting it.  It should be on display at their HQ now. 

[joey46]

This story gets crazier by the minute.  FWC has killed three bears so far in hopes they get the offender(s).  Being reported the bear(s) entered the victims home. 

[Ihuntoldschool]

Sounds like a mother and couple cubs.

As I read the reports they're saying 3 bears were seen and man and dog were killed at separate times?

Gets more bizarre the more you read about it.

[CALLM2U]

I had one at 15 yards from me last weekend.  Didn't seem to care too much about me, but I was none-too-pleased when I got back to my truck to find that he had crawled all over it.  Luckily the only damage was a bent antenna. 

All of the ones I've encountered were way more scared of me.  But they are all back in the mountains where they are not used to seeing people. 

[joey46]

Dog was chained up outside so he was toast from the onset.     

Does sound like a big sow and two nearly grown cubs.

[Ihuntoldschool]

See we are getting conflicting reports.

The report I read said dog ran out the house growled, ran back inside and homeowner then stepped out and allegedly got attacked.

Not sure about cubs nearly grown. I ran up on a couple in a den one time mid April, they were barely bigger than a raccoon.

[joey46]

You've never seen local news like we get in S/w Florida.  Conflicting reports the norm. FWC doing press conferences.  The news story of the year so far.
A reliable source that hunted the Deep Lake section that is close to this incident reported bear tracks seen during his turkey hunt this season .

[WLT III]

Unfortunate, but there has been bears in The Cypress forever. Time to have another hunt, and they will because of this.

[joey46]

Just a thought but with the python explosion reducing the bears natural prey in Big Cypress they may be a little more aggressive than in year's past. Again a dog being involved is the common denominator in these FL incidents.

[Ihuntoldschool]

Probably garbage outside or bird feeder or they've been feeding them, something drew them to that man's house

[joey46]

Most likely true. 

Nothing new on FWC's latest update.  DNA from the three dead bears being analized to see if they got the right ones.  Family's claiming bears a continual problem for the 89 year old victim.

[joey46]

The bear circus seems to be winding down.  No update this morning as yet. Probably won't hear much until the DNA results. The new Florida wildlife tragedy is a 61 year old woman and husband canoeing in shallow water when they passed over a monster alligator that spooked, thrashed up, upsetting their canoe.  The woman was thrown out and landed on the alligator.  It killed her.  FWC has since removed two alligators from that immediate area both in the 11' range.  What's next?

[silvestris]

People and tied up pets don't mix well with wildlife.  It is just another cross to bear.

[joey46]

I'm not sure the chained up dog was ever confirmed.  Did this 89 year old or 61 year old ever imagine their last days would end in the claws of a bear or jaws of alligator.  RIP to them both.