Hammocks and bears

[AJ]

According to Esquire, a bear decided to rest for about 20 minutes in a hammock in Florida recently.

Warning adult words in the article with their vowels removed.

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/bear-hammock??src=rss

[OakAshandThorn]

I love it . And who said Yogie Bears couldn't cool off in hammocks?
It is a bit odd, though, that Florida would have black bears (or even a few) roaming around . I as I understand it, they prefer a cooler environment and are thus mainly located up north or in the mountains...but I could always be wrong.

[rawfish111]

I thought the same O.A.T. Also the size/weight of even a fairly small bear.... hammock isn't sagging much ... then again a dead un full of kapok?

[AJ]

I should have put a disclaimer on this.
1. Its on the internet
2. Its Esquire mag, not a news channel or outdoor site
3. Its the internet.

However, I checked around and there's more footage on CNN here (as corroboration)

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/31/us...ear-in-hammock

[rawfish111]

Interesting... I would be less than enthusiastic about a top predator visiting my garden but great to watch from far away.

[OakAshandThorn]

Interesting... I would be less than enthusiastic about a top predator visiting my garden but great to watch from far away.

Well,...aside from raiding your bird feeder and bathing in the bird bath, black bears really won't bother you much. Of course, in some locations, they'll be cheeky enough to snatch a few goodies from your garbage cans (then again, so will the raccoons ), but it is rare that they take an interest in human confrontation. Most, at least in my area, are downright scared of us - and who's to fault them?...their population was poached nearly out of existence up until the late 1800s on the eastern side of the Hudson River, and it is only recently that they've made a comeback, venturing down from the Catskills and Adirondacks to wander the hills and valleys.

[jbrown14]

Yep, I guess it's not that commonly known, but Black Bears are native to most of North America and even down into Mexico in Central America.

I've seen a number of them in the Adirondacks, most near towns, but a few in the back country. I've seen the aftermath of their visit to a camp with food inadequately stored, and my bear canister bears the teeth marks from a little femal bear known as "yellow-yellow" for her ear tags. She's become adept at breaking into the Bear Vault canisters: New York Times article.

That bear looks totally chilled in the hammock, by the way. Nice!

Josh

[rawfish111]

Ah, thought they were more aggressive than that.... Too much Hollyhoax I guess. Cheers guys.

[jbrown14]

Ah, thought they were more aggressive than that.... Too much Hollyhoax I guess. Cheers guys.

Nah, a Black Bear would rather avoid you if it can unless it's a momma bear with cubs, then you could be in a tight spot. Even when they enter a camp where people are cooking in the evening it's not that they're necessarily being aggressive toward the humans, but that they've become accustomed to the people scattering and leaving heapings of yummy dinner for them. Easy pickings. They're omnivorous, opportunistic scavengers.

They're quite inspiring to see when out in the back country too.

Josh

[midas]

Interesting... I would be less than enthusiastic about a top predator visiting my garden but great to watch from far away.

.3oo win mag would solve the problem.