Black bear sightings on the rise (more on FReeper's son and dog attack)

ABC-7 via SOUNDOFF ^ | 12-04-03

[AAABEST]

COLLIER COUNTY, December 3, 2003— Bears are looking for food and they could be finding it in your back yard. About 20 bears a week are spotted turning trash cans into take out meals, stocking up for the winter. But if you get in the bear’s way, it might attack.

Brandon Wojciechowski almost lost his dog Sparkle a month ago.

“He got 70 stitches or something crazy like that,” said Wojciechowski.

Sparkle was attacked by a black bear.

“He was trying to protect our house and kind of wound up on the losing end,” said Wojciechowski.

Sparkles survived after Wojciechowski and his brother were able to scare off the bear and its cub.

“That's all we were thinking about...getting him away,” said Wojciechowski.

Bear sightings are on the rise in Collier County.

“Right now they are trying to find a lot of food because the cool part of the year is coming up,” said Jeff Carter of Caribbean Gardens.

The bears fatten up by feasting on just about anything they can find.

“They're very smart and they have a great sense of smell. They will follow their nose quite a ways if they think there is something they want to eat,” said Carter.

That includes things like garbage, pet food, bird food, even dirty grills.

Cut down their food supply and chances are the bears will go somewhere else for dinner.

But if you do see one – leave it alone.

“Don't mess with them, don't approach them, don't get close. Back off and wait for them to leave,” said Carter.

It's a lesson Sparkle learned the hard way.

“Now he is growing his hair back so he doesn't look so goofy,” said Wojciechowski.

Collier County has one of the largest black bear populations in the state. Combine that with cooler temperatures and wildlife officials say they are getting two or three bear sighting reports a day.

Bears attacks are very rare and experts say if you don't bother them, they won't bother you.

[AAABEST]

Brandon is my FReeper/neighbor Tony Wojo's son.

[AAABEST]

ping

[GeronL]

Sparkle was attacked by a black bear.

“He was trying to protect our house and kind of wound up on the losing end,” said Wojciechowski.

Sparkles survived after Wojciechowski and his brother were able to scare off the bear and its cub.

“That's all we were thinking about...getting him away,” said Wojciechowski.

It's a lesson Sparkle learned the hard way.

“Now he is growing his hair back so he doesn't look so goofy,” said Wojciechowski.

Wow, the story makes Wojo sound like its a funny thing that happened. I wonder if the reporter was on the bears side?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

where is this ?

[Spottys Spurs]

Seems to be happening in many places.. up here in the north country of New York State we had a black bear wander across the golf course at the Saratoga Spa Golf Course in Saratoga Springs, NY. The golfers let the bear "play through!"

[TonyWojo]

Naples, FL

[Jim Cane]

Sightings are on the decline here and will remain low until about the middle of March.

[AAABEST]

I thought the tone of the article was odd as well. As if the attack is no big deal and everyone should "leave the bears alone" and get used to it.

Brandon or Matt could have been seriously hurt or worse. So it really isn't very funny or harmless. In a few years we'll be forced to start hunting them to cull the heard.

[alaskanfan]

I had a brown bear tear the hell out of my bird feeders this year. It was my fault for putting them out too soon.

[TonyWojo]

Especially with Everglades restoration. They will be plugging canals, and pulling up Roads to flood 400,000 acres 3 miles South of my home.

No where for the bears to roam there anymore along with, deer, fox, raccoons, possum, bobcat,................

[lindsay]

l live in northern Ontario and 2 large black bears were in my driveway.My little Bichon chased one bear up a tree and the other bear took off.l guess Canadian bears are wimps.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Black bear ping!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

We had a black bear in our mid-Missouri back yard in July. He visited our bird feeder and lapped up the spilled seed.

[GeronL]

I haven't seen any bears around Texas, but we got lotsa cows and you have heard of Mad Cow right??

[thiscouldbemoreconfusing]

Do black bears vote? If so do they vote conservative? If they don't vote or they vote liberal, the solution is simple,











































































Aim, squeeze, bang, end of problem.

I am not recommending this solution be used on all liberal voters, only black bears that raid back yards and vote liberal.

[ZULU]

"But if you do see one – leave it alone"

The kind of advice that America great. (sarcasm/)

Imagine giving that advice to Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett, or Daniel Morgan, or Simon Kenton, or Lewis and Clark, or Jeremiah Johnston, or Hugh Glass or Kit Carson, etc., etc.???

The right advice SHOULD BE, if it threatens you, pull down your rifle and blow its @ss away!!!!!

[GeronL]

Thats you?.

Any idea why they would try to make it sound like you were making fun of the incident? It'd have to have been pretty scary I bet.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

For me, this story is meaningless because the state is not identified, only the county.

It could be in Montana or Idaho and not news!

[Bikers4Bush]

I think I'd be keeping a shotgun next to the back door if I lived around there.

[depenzz]

Welcome Naples........ I lived in Naples for 28 years and my guess is, where you live was where we hunted when I lived there. Naples has grown so much that I am sure the animals of the everglades are feeling the pinch. I assume you live in what was (may still be) Golden Gate area. (Its the only way besides north that Naples could grow) I moved back to Pennsylvania about 15 years ago. Just finished deer hunting this week and froze my butt off. It was fun though, hunted with my grandson in an area I hunted when I was his age. It was kewl. We have black bear in that area now, weren't there when I was a kid. The black bear population in the US is larger now than when Columbus discovered America.(at least I read that somewhere about a year ago. Good luck with the bear, put some honey out for the bear for Christmas. lol