Man thinks quickly to ward off bear

It was 1:30 in the morning on Monday when John Seabolt heard the rumble of garbage cans tumbling in the carport outside his home.

Not knowing what he might encounter, Seabolt grabbed a pistol and went to check out the scene, only to find a large black bear “munching” on the contents of his trash.

Seabolt lives in a wooded neighborhood off Woodville Highway in Leon County, about 30 minutes from the heart of Tallahassee. He said neither he nor his neighbors have ever seen a bear wandering their streets in the 30 plus years he has lived there. Deer, coyote and raccoons have been seen moseying about but never a bear.

Bear tranquilized near FSU campus

No Florida black bear hunt this year

“He was probably, if he stood up, about 6 feet and looked to be about 300 pounds. Bigger than the ones I’ve seen in the national forest,” said Seabolt, a deer hunter in his free time. “He was definitely a good sized bear; he wasn’t hurting for food.”

Thinking quickly, Seabolt decided to try to startle the bear in hopes it would leave the property without incident.

“I finally decided to grab the car keys and set off the emergency horn in my truck, which was right next to him, and that got him moving.”

The truck’s alarm worked like a charm, sending the bear scampering through the back of the premises.

When he finally made sure that his property was bear-free and let his dogs outside, the dogs lingered and sniffed around on his back porch, indicating the bear may have been wandering in that area.

Seabolt, whose children have moved out of the house, is primarily concerned for children in the neighborhood who may encounter a bear outside.

“I’m worried that there are little school kids walking to the bus, a lot of times in the dark of the morning. And for people’s animals,” he said.

Bears in Tallahassee:

From January 1 through October 12 of this year, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has received 121 bear-related calls with Tallahassee listed as the Incident City. The most popular reasons for these calls were bears in garbage (40 calls), bears in the area (18), dead bear (14), bear in yard (9), general questions (8), and property damage caused by bears (5).

Bears are more active this time of year as they prepare for the winter season. It is more important than ever that people reduce attractants in their yards and neighborhoods. Read more at: myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2016/september/20/active-bears.

- Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission