A bust on opening day!

[FrankT]

Today was the opening of our deer season, a friend took a yote, I saw the male of the pair but did not get a shot, deer were spooked and THEN, we had a bear take out 2 feeders wit at least 100lbs each of corn, plenty of bait on the ground so will try again tomorrow!

just as he dumped the corn

 

[Ratdog68]

Double whammie on ya there. Nice lookin' bear, even if just a PITA.

 

[FrankT]

He had already been on the other side of the lease destroying things, thought he was gone...jerk!

 

[Curly Shuffle]

Dang nice lookin bear, seeing a bear in Florida,, it just does not sound right. You know there are some there and I am glad you guys got one on the camera!!! Is there a bear season in Florida??
BANG BANG!!

 

[FrankT]

We are over run w bears, some of the biggest in the country, up to 600lbs, no season and do no harm.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

WOW, sorry about the feeders, but those are some great images. Better luck tomorrow!

 

[FrankT]

What gets me is w all the deer and hogs corn laid on the ground 2 days, the bears must be terrorizing them.

 

[Chopperdrvr]

Good luck tomorrow. Those bears can be a real pain. I have a couple pictures of my Grandson's feeder being destroyed in Louisiana by a bear.

 

[Curly Shuffle]

Dang hogs look well fed also. Hope you do not see the bear again and you get a shot at those deer and some porkers!! I was just being smart on the season, wait till they get good and well established even more so and they start to get into trouble then they will probably have a season. Never been inland in that part always passing by offshore or in the intracoastal. Best of luck to you. BANG BANG!!

 

[FrankT]

We have been fighting for a season, they hit the middle of town. Our lease is less than 5 miles from the inter-coastal, and 10 from the beach. Have had them here in town 2 blocks from the Gulf and walking in the water.

 

[DaveABQ]

hate it when that happens, when is bear season lol

 

[FrankT]

Dave, that is just it, we don't have one and can do no harm, they are protected...would make a nice rug

 

[Wassman]

Wonder if a heavier feeder would prevent that. My buddy made a plate steel feeder that held 1000+ lbs. My recent built feeder holds 500 lbs but probably has another 200 lbs in empty weight and four legs. I think that plate feeder weighs 500 lbs empty and four legs. Add some anchors to each leg and that would make for a hard feeder to tip, but bear proof who knows.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Just make sure it isn't Frank season while you are out.

 

[FrankT]

yeah sometimes they tip the tripod over but lately they bend or knock off the motor. you can see in the pic the ontime feeder motor style we use. My other 2 feeders are 4 bolt designs, there the bears just knock it all over. There are styles to defeat this but I have 3 feeders and there are 20-30 on the lease, so it gets a bit expensive.

Brian we can kill to defend ourselves but you better have claw marks on you! They even chip and collar some of them. The State knows there is a problem but the do gooders don't want us killing bears.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

We have the same problem here, just not as many bears yet. We have a slowly growing east Texas population and a migrant alien Big Bend/south Texas population.

 

[FrankT]

Well thank goodness we only have them passing thru so far a couple time of the year. They are heading to the county dump 5 miles from the lease, never stay long. other areas are terrible. Last lease I was on they were living on my plot and we used bear poles to hang feeders from.

This is 20 yards in front of my shooting house



Bear pole, clad in flashing material, w bear...lol

 

[FrankT]

Better success today!

Well it ruined my deer hunting but this was a big dog, especially for FL Glad to get him off the lease, they really go after our turkeys and fawns, especially a big male like this. I was in my favorite box blind, 250 yd shot N and S, 85E and 50W. He came in from the East down a narrow cut where 1 row of pines has been taken out, head to the ground, never could get a good target so just popped him twice with my *** Scout 16" and Hornady 120SST at 50 yards. Another yote came out at 85 and I think I hit it but could not find it or a blood trail. Damn gun jammed, I cleared it and recovered my prize. I cannot age these, maybe you can, nice teeth. Funny thing was I had gotten out to pee and just got in and noticed something headed my way, he should have seen me.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Nice shot, Tex!

Glad it wasn't a bear.

 

[Chopperdrvr]

Nice job. Another fawn killer down.