Finally!!! After over 12 years and hundreds of hikes
on the Florida Greenway, I have a bear story!
And yes, I've seen bears over the years. I've been fortunate to hike in a lot of forests in the US, including Alaska. I've even seen them in the Ocala National Forest from my vehicle.
But this story takes place on one of my favorite Florida trails close to home.
I parked my Jeep at the trailhead and started off on a hike/bike trail until I got to the paved part of the Greenway. I planned to hike for one hour, which is a short hike for me. It's very hard for me to turn around at the 30 minute mark but I did this particular day.
This is the first photo I took by just lifting my camera and snapping without zooming. So he is in the far distance and you can get an idea of how far away he was.
The bear walked across the trail I was on and was ambling.
I was walking parallel to a firebreak. (a wide path that is dug up by heavy equipment to form a break that would stop a forest fire from spreading)
So I took a few steps to my right onto the firebreak so that I had a better view when he went across the firebreak.
And there he was.
He did not turn....and he did not look at me, so I didn't feel threatened.
I was scared of course and saw a spike in my heart rate on my watch!
But he kept going and I stood perfectly still. I wanted to make sure there weren't any cubs following or another bear. And when a few minutes went by, I called my husband. I told him there was a bear between me and my Jeep and he said loudly 'A WHAT?'!!! I think that was one of the best parts of the story. He told me to wait awhile longer and give the bear a chance to get farther away before I walked to the Jeep. I was never so glad to get in my Jeep and 'head for the house'!
To describe how I felt....
I would say I was scared and excited and JAZZED!
But having said that....I'm happy to have seen a Florida black bear in the wild right on the Greenway. But I'm done now. I don't need to see another one! I'm a happy hiker and a blessed one too.
So that's my bear story. It was a medium sized bear. I know they get bigger ....and mine may get bigger in the telling. We'll see!
I saw a Downy Woodpecker on the hike.
And lots of beautiful wildflowers.
But I was so fortunate to actually get a few decent photos
of the HUMONGOUS bear I saw!
40 comments:
...but no alligator? Take care and be well, Diane.
What an encounter with this bear!
Luckily for you, it didn't come any closer, and you were still able to take some beautiful photos.
I think I would be terrified.
Luckily, bears don't live here, we can only see them at a zoo.
I wish you a wonderful weekend.
Greetings Irma
Awesome to see in the wild - great photos!
Well, that was a surprise. Now you know they live around there.
My heart is pounding just reading your story. Glad the bear wasn't interested in you and you got to your jeep safely. I can imagine it was scary but still a thrill!! Judee
And there you were, nothing to stop him from noticing you and coming over to check you out! Of course your heart rate zoomed. Yes a wild bear does that!
he she is adorable and I am so happy you were/are safe and glad that it was you not me. I have had 2 enconters with coyotes while walking Big boy and then Beau and I was terrified.. glad we both lived to tell the stories. are your sure it wasn't a GR'izzly? ha ha ha
Good on you for not having a heart attack and reacting correctly!! Quite a big bear!!
I'd rather come across a bear than an alligator!! The bears out back of our house just run away when they see us.
Gracias que el oso no se vino a por ti ¡ que miedo !. Besos.
Goodness! What an encounter!
No wonder you felt "scared and excited and JAZZED"
Stay safe out there.
All the best Jan
I think Mr Bear had a hot date with a lady bear and that was on his mind--so he didn't even 'see' you--he was thinking about where to take his date??? Glad you were safe--hope you take Bear spray with you on your walks and a whistle--thanks for the photos--
hugs, di
Wonderful picture of the bear! He looks rather young to me. My first thought was to be careful for the mother bear nearby, but perhaps he's more of a yearling and totally on his own. I'm glad he didn't seem to notice you. Do you carry a bear whistle with you? It's made especially to let the bear know you are coming and he will stay out of your way. Whenever I used to walk in the woods in Ocala National Forest I often would just blow the whistle every so often to let any bears know I was there. Surprising them when they least expect it can be more dangerous, so I would whistle while I walked. I'm so happy for you to get these pictures and to "live to tell us about it". LOL. The Downy Woodpecker is so beautiful too! Nice photos!!!
How fascinating yet I am sure it was an anxious moment too!! I am glad you spotted it and all was well. Love the woodpecker photo!!
What a great encounter but a scary one as well. I smiled when I saw the bear had grown to humongous by the end of your post.
That is an exciting story. I would love to see one. I would be a bit scared myself but I would want to get pictures for sure.
Wow! What a bear story and great photos ~ Like the 'downy' too ~ Have a great weekend ~ hugs,
an artist reflects
https://anartistreflects.com
How exciting! I understand the heart rate. I saw my first bear in Yellowstone and even from the car window, so no fear, but the excitement was intense.
Good morning dear Dreamer 😊
A firebreak pause, a sudden sight,
A shadow crossed in morning light.
Your heart beat fast, yet you stood still,
The forest hushed, the air grew chill.
No cubs appeared, the path was clear,
But still you’ll laugh, “I saw a bear!”
And in the telling, year by year,
That humongous beast grows bigger, Dear. 😊
John
Hello Diane,
What a great sighting of the Black Bear. Usually they will ignore people, unless they are with cubs or feel threatened. Your photos are awesome. I also love the Downy Woodpecker and the pretty flowers. Thank you for linking up and sharing your critter post. Take care, have a great weekend.
Terrific last shot of the bear. Sounds like you might have needed a big bear hug from your husband after that sighting. :)
Good you are safe! Scary!
I hope you reported the sighting. We read about bears in the local online Front Porch Forum.
i would have been so scared. Lucky that you saw it and then lucky to get back to your jeep, Diane.
Wow, that is scary. We have bears in Oklahoma but I have never seen one. When we went to Yellowstone a few years ago my head was on a swivel constantly. I just knew that we were going to run into a grizzly. We would get back from our hike and sure enough somebody else sometimes encountered a bear on the same we were on.
I can understand your fear. It must have been a special sight! Beatiful photos.
Such an amazing sighting and you got photographs too. My heart would be in my throat, as the saying goes. The only time I've seen a bear is when we were on the train crossing Canada, and one crossed the tracks and the train slowed right down so we could view it.
I think just about anyone would be scared and nervous. You got a wonderful photo of the bear and a memory that will last a lifetime.
hehehehe...your very own "fish story" i am not so sure i would be so brave. but, your bravery was well rewarded with AWESOME pictures to prove it!! the wildflowers are gorgeous, such pretty shades of pink. i suspect you will be talking about this hike for a long time to come!! enjoy the rest of your weekend!!
What an amazing experience! Glad the bear kept moving along and you were able to enjoy the encounter safely.
Oh wow!
Ha-Ha! Yes, by the end of this post, your bear had already gotten bigger!!! Great story and excellent photography, as always.
How very cool you got to meet Yogi! I woke up a bear once when I was on a fishing trip in the mountains. I said I was so sorry and backed away. She accepted my apology.
Friends in Carrabelle told us about bears outside their home; other than that, I've never heard about bears in Florida. I've seen one up on tree while hiking on a trail in Asheville, N.C.
I felt my heart rate go up just reading your story! It's good your encounter had a positive outcome. I guess you need to be ready in your mind for an encounter anytime you are out in that area.
Wow!! Very cool!! I would have been jazzed, too, and more than a little scared! Thanks for sharing the fun with us!! I bet your hubby was happy to know you were safely back in your vehicle!
It's only: Wow! Seeing a bear!
Good looking bear! I’ve seen them from the car, but not on the trail. Once when I was a kid, my brother was hiking in the lead and he saw a bear. It disappeared before I could see it, but we saw where it had been pawing under a log, looking for insects or something to eat.
Some hikers wear bells to scare away bears. I’d be afraid that they would think I was the ice cream truck and come up to get something to eat.
It is rare
to see a bear
out there.
I wouldn't dare.
Amalia
xo
OOh, I know how your heart rate must have increased because mine does, too, when I come across a bear on a trail. I'm glad you saw one, though!
my goodness - I would have been terrified! I am so glad you were safe and got back to your jeep ok.
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