[Servant of the 9]

If the dog wouldn't have been there we would have probably walked right into the bear,"

Paging Dr. Darwin!
Lack of Situational Awareness Alert
Honorary Mention Category

So9

[Carry_Okie]

This problem isn't limited to Florida.

[GladesGuru]

Sorry, Sam - but that area is thick vegetation where one can just about step on a bear before seeing it. Add in a cub, and the risk potential is obvious.

And for what it is worth, down the street fron Tony's place a man's wife watched while a puma killed one of their four pet goats which was about 25 feet from her.

Their last goat was renamed "Dead Goat Walking." While funny, it is a sad commentary on America's values when a cat or a bear is so protected by money and power grabbers that a citizen can't protect himself or his property.

They no longer allow the grandchildren to visit because the grand kiddies like to fish in the canal which is 75 feet from the house.

As they say on Radio Socialism (NPR) "Let's do the numbers." If the cat kills within 25 feet and the canal is 75 feet, decision is clear.

Time to add the "Florida" puma to the hunting seasons as well as the bears. The population of both is already too large for the habitats. Population reduction is necessary.

[RatSlayer]

This isn't all that unusual.

Predators tend to move much more quietly than prey animals, so unless you're looking in the right direction, you probably won't notice them.

If you've spent a lot of time in the woods, you've probably walked right past bears and cougars without even knowing it.
They usually notice you first and just stay silent and motionless until you're gone or they quietly slink away before you get close.

I had my first close encounter with a bear just this year in the Flagstaff area. It was about 40 yds to my right and quartering away from me, but watching over its shoulder to make sure I didn't get any closer.