Moving to Black bear country

[eruby]

Just carry some Kools, and maybe a lake trout sandwich

 

[lazarus]

Turns out that is quite a thing now!

In fairness while stone sober in my yoot I flipped a golf cart working grounds crew on a golf course. With no limiter, you can get some of those suckers up to a solid 25+mph down hill, and of course I went to spin it for fun at that speed. Hit a divot sideways and flipped it up into the air. Me and the guy I was working with landed on our butts and knocked the air out of us maybe 40ft away and the golf cart landed upside down DIRECTLY behind us. Like 2ft closer and we'd both be dead.

We just sat there looking at each other gasping for breath for a few minutes before we discussed our stories to the boss.

Golf cart had a broken steering column and that was it. Kind of fun driving it just holding the steering wheel with 2-axis of freedom of movement of the steering column (still worked). Boss wasn't pleased. I am sure he'd heard similar stories before.

I was a LOT more circumspect and careful in my golf cart driving after that.

 

[OMCHamlin]

Your biggest concern in the villages should be the other residents. My buddy's parents live there and some of those people are completely nuts. Brawl at the voting booths, people driving drunk, public nudity (gross) etc.

Okay, topic shift, what round for q-tips?
Seriously though, we moved from VA's eastern shore (Parksley) to Cumberland County, TN last year. I had read in several places that there was "no significant bear population" here on the plateau.
Here is a pic, a month old, from a neighbor's trail cam in his back yard, which is contiguous to ours, about <1/4 mile apart. I'm don't have the heart to tell him he's "not significant", Bears Lives Matter!...

 

[308Scout]

Okay, topic shift, what round for q-tips?
Seriously though, we moved from VA's eastern shore (Parksley) to Cumberland County, TN last year. I had read in several places that there was "no significant bear population" here on the plateau.
Here is a pic, a month old, from a neighbor's trail cam in his back yard, which is contiguous to ours, about <1/4 mile apart. I'm don't have the heart to tell him he's "not significant", Bears Lives Matter!...
View attachment 382421

https://www.mdshooters.com/threads/lets-talk-about-bear-defense-for-an-82-year-old.265058/

 

[mauser58]

Your biggest concern in the villages should be the other residents. My buddy's parents live there and some of those people are completely nuts. Brawl at the voting booths, people driving drunk, public nudity (gross) etc.

Yes I have heard the same

 

[OMCHamlin]

https://www.mdshooters.com/threads/lets-talk-about-bear-defense-for-an-82-year-old.265058/

My .357 stuffed with Black Talons will cover us, but my dog is a knucklehead, keeping him on a leash as we exfil will be a concern! Except I seriously doubt we'll ever actually see that bruin...

 

[mauser58]

I used to have a farm in WV near Kingwood and barns and animals were far away from house. Usually down there at dark in evening and before sunrise taking care of animals. Carry a pistol on your side if in doubt about coming face to face with a bear. I saw enough of them trying to get into animal feed. Also they would knock down feeders and stomp on the barrel to get corn out. I have a son in Far east Tenn. He lives at an end of road and bottom of mountain. Each morning him and wife peek out garage door for bears before they open both electric doors. Have a pistol on you again. No good if out in woods or field and shotgun and slugs are in house. I have a friend who lives in Southern Florida and he sees bear quite a bit. One son used to live in Florida panhandle and on the Air Force base they had bear walking around like they owned the place. Be ready

 

[lazarus]

As others said, the likelihood of a problem with a bear is low. Low isn't zero of course, so I understand wanting to be prepared. Since you want to be prepared when walking the dog, I'm thinking a handgun instead of a shotgun though, plus maybe some bear strength pepper spray. I like camping and the outdoors, most of what I read, bear strength spray is good stuff and pretty effective. On the East Coast, most black bears are about the size of a large man. Most handgun calibers suitable for stopping a two legged attacker should work for bear, though you want to go for higher penetration than you would need for human attackers. Personally, I'd want something relatively heavy and high velocity. 180gr or 158gr .357mag, 180gr .40S&W or 10mm would be my top choices. Though, a 9mm should do it for most black bear as well from what I've been reading lately (I'd probably go with an "outdoors" load from Buffalo Bore or similar though).

The other thought on that is what are Florida's laws? My understanding is open carry is ONLY allowed hunting and fishing. Not sure if that applies to long guns.

So anything you get, you'll need to carry concealed once you have a FL permit. And you'll want to ensure it is small enough you can conceal it. FL frowns on printing.

 

[Chaim]

The other thought on that is what are Florida's laws? My understanding is open carry is ONLY allowed hunting and fishing. Not sure if that applies to long guns.

So anything you get, you'll need to carry concealed once you have a FL permit. And you'll want to ensure it is small enough you can conceal it. FL frowns on printing.

Florida hasn't modernized their carry laws yet? They were one of the first, but as the shall-issue movement went on, most subsequent states are so much easier. Heck, here in MD, until whatever they may do in the upcoming legislative session, we are even better. Once you have your W&C, open carry is legal, so we won't really have to worry too much about printing or having our shirts ride up.

Given that, my suggestion definitely remains going with what you may carry for regular self defense, just maybe with different rounds. A 3" small frame .357mag (whether an older S&W J-frame or a new model Colt King Cobra), or a CCW pistol in .40 or 10mm (an excuse for a Glock 29 if you don't already have one) could be ideal. Or, a small CCW 9mm but using some of the specialty Buffalo Bore rounds for the outdoors (they may be a bit punishing in a micro-9, but something Glock 26 size or bigger may work).

 

[Pale Ryder]

I’m gonna assume this is for on your property. Walking the dog around the Villages with a 12 gauge will get you an encounter with a different kinda bear.

Look at all the snakes you stand a chance of encountering too.

 

[slsc98]

Moving to central Florida in a few months. Understand there are black bears around sometimes. …

Do some more research. You need to worry about running into a skunk (or rabid opossum) 1,000, make that 100,000 times more than an Eastern Black Bear.

99.9% of anytime Black bears anywhere in South Eastern US are gonna do anything possible to get away from a human w a dog - before you even know they were there. …

@arbud Looky-looky who is wrong - ME!

Guess I owe an apology to this 10-year old and his kin folk …

Just rec’d from Msr. John Farnam, via DTIQuips:

When in Bear Country ....!

18 Oct 22

Coming to a “park” near you, maybe even a back yard!

Last Sunday, a ten-year-old boy was attacked in his own back yard by a black bear, who apparently considered it his back yard!

The bear was chased-off by relatives, but the boy suffered significant injuries, albeit not life-threatening.

Had the bear not been dissuaded from dragging the boy away, the boy likely would have been eaten.

Bear populations in eastern states have expanded significantly, and reports of bear sightings and attacks, even in populated areas, are now common.

Grizzly bear attacks in western states are also on the rise. The grizzly bear population is far in excess of what government agencies would have us believe!

And, NY’s current governor (Democrat, of course) has piously declared all state and county parks “sensitive areas,” where no visitors are allowed to be armed (except her of course)

All bear species are extremely dangerous, and there are lots of them around!

Bear-hunting seasons have been done away with (by naive liberal politicians) in many states, so there is
nothing to control population growth, and bears are rapidly losing their fear of humans.

Why should they fear (unarmed) humans?

You will never outrun a bear, and when hungry, bears will attack and eat anything that looks like food!

Of course human predators, enfranchised and emboldened by liberals, still represent a bigger threat to most of us than do bears.

Still, for one I arrange for a rifle to be always nearby, no matter where I am!

“You may pray to God to fill-in potholes on your path, but don’t be surprised when He gives you a shovel!”

Israelmore Ayivor

Yes, even an “illegal” shovel!

/John Farnam