Big Cypress Swamp - Black Bears of the Swamp

 
Big Cypress Black Bear in Full Display

Another Big Black Bear from a few years ago

Over the years, there has always been Black Bears in the Big Cypress Swamp, Even in the early Six Pack days, there were bears visiting our camp. Once every two or three years a bear would come by, his presence being know by used bear food left in the yard for us to step in.
Or worse, the bear managed to break into the kitchen, and destroy the food cabinet, leaving a mess all over the floor. I don't know what it is about bears, but they can never leave a building the same way they got in. We learned finally, what not to do in handling our food storage and we have not had a break in for about ten years now.
The bears are still there, in fact with modern game cameras, we are able to record the visits and those now average about every two or three weeks. The bear population has grown over the years, which is opposite the trend for most other animals of the swamp.

As you might imagine, food still is a motivator for the visits. Food is now provided by a feeder hanging about 50 yards from the buildings. Shared by all animals of the swamp, the feeder gets visits from Deer, Raccoons, Possums, Turkeys, Fox Squirrels, Grey Squirrels  Dove, all kinds of song birds and BEARS.

The feeder is set to throw a hand full of corn and birdseed, once a day. Hardly enough to satistify a hungry bear, but the smell of corn is enough to bring them around and try to help themselves to more.