[Southwest737]

Great post. 🤣🤪

[banjobob]

Not a thing to worry about, gators or bears are few and far between , I would worry more about coyotes also rare to encounter, carry a hand gun (with a concealed carry permit) for safety.

[mlmarr]

Originally Posted by arbud

Have been a member of this forum for 2 years and am moving here with my wife and little dog in June 2023.
This has been discussed many times before I know. I might not make any friends here, just looking for informed answers. Not funny little comments that aren't funny.
Have spent plenty of time down here in village of Santo Domingo. Walked my dog in morning light on a leash. I actually clean up after her and take it home with me. I do take her out on a leash at night to do her business.
Now from what I have read over the last couple of years, because of human encroachment on wild lives environment, there is a chance of an encounter with bears especially.
I have read that you can not kill a gator or bear. Do not know about coyotes, foxes, or bobcats.
I am however getting prepared to protect what is near and dear to me.
A super powerful flashlight for going out at night so I get no surprises. With some aid just inside in case there is a bear that I have bothered and he wants to eat me or my dog.
In walking around the neighborhood with my wife and dog will have licensed concealed aid in case of an encounter with anything that wants to eat any of us.
Now I know I have left myself wide open to antigunners and make shift lawyers but guess what I am completely competent on the use of the things I am talking about and will protect all of us.
Would anyone like to talk me out of my paranoia.

BEST thing to remember ALL the animals were here first!!! ... with all the construction going on everywhere... their homes are destroyed ..
Paranoia .. let it go .. relax and enjoy yourself ..

[CoachKandSportsguy]

So it's obvious that negative news has a much larger non linear effect on humans' survival instincts than positive news. Yes, you can get paranoid if you read MSN news which is all negative attention getting preying on human hard wired emotional survival.

I lived in rural/ now fringe suburban New England, and have seen bears, coyotes, bobcats, deer, fisher cats, all in the yard at one time or another. Never ever thought about shooting them for our cats' safety, nor ever thought about carrying a firearm just in case of the near zero probability of getting attacked by a bear. A neighborhood couple was walking the street with their heads down, and one looked up and was staring directly at the black bear in the neighborhood about 10-15 yards away. The couple moved to the other side of the road, and the bear basically ignored them. . .

Me thinks your image / pre conceived notion of bears as man eating / dog eating creatures roaming the earth as the apex predator. . are what comic books will do to you. . . Dude the apex predators are brown recluse spiders and flu/pnemonia viruses, end of story

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Caymus

Grizzlies can be found in Orlando in January.

Also Bulls, Raptors, Pelicans, Hornets, Timberwolves, and Pelicans.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

"Venomous"...

nitpicker!

but you are correct.

My neighbor: That snake is more scared of you than you are of it.

Me: Good thing, then, that I'm the one with the shovel.

(don't worry, I didn't kill it. I gave it a path to get away and get on with its life)

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by mlmarr

BEST thing to remember ALL the animals were here first!!! .. ..

that's why I leave all of my doors and windows open, so they can move back in to their homes.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

I don't know what you're talking about, because there are NO Grizzly Bears in FL...

Did you forget to bring your sarcasm meter?

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by arbud

Have been a member of this forum for 2 years and am moving here with my wife and little dog in June 2023.
This has been discussed many times before I know. I might not make any friends here, just looking for informed answers. Not funny little comments that aren't funny.
Have spent plenty of time down here in village of Santo Domingo. Walked my dog in morning light on a leash. I actually clean up after her and take it home with me. I do take her out on a leash at night to do her business.
Now from what I have read over the last couple of years, because of human encroachment on wild lives environment, there is a chance of an encounter with bears especially.
I have read that you can not kill a gator or bear. Do not know about coyotes, foxes, or bobcats.
I am however getting prepared to protect what is near and dear to me.
A super powerful flashlight for going out at night so I get no surprises. With some aid just inside in case there is a bear that I have bothered and he wants to eat me or my dog.
In walking around the neighborhood with my wife and dog will have licensed concealed aid in case of an encounter with anything that wants to eat any of us.
Now I know I have left myself wide open to antigunners and make shift lawyers but guess what I am completely competent on the use of the things I am talking about and will protect all of us.
Would anyone like to talk me out of my paranoia.

I lived in the mountains of Pennsylvania for 34 years and saw a bear half a dozen times, hundreds of deer, plenty of coons and possums, a few turkeys, a couple snakes. You are not very likely to see a bear in The Villages. Well, highly unlikely, actually. Gators don’t roam the streets. Neither is likely to attack your little dog, even if you see one, especially if your dog is on leash. I’ve never heard of anyone carrying bear spray here. I’m grinning at the thought. The Villages is a giant suburb, not a wilderness.

[Bogie Shooter]

Looking forward to the post saying dog walkers should walk in squads, well armed with a designated leader.

[airstreamingypsy]

Originally Posted by arbud

Last thing in the world I want to do is kill an animal. I am no cowboy. I hit what I aim at. Just want to be prepared that is all. Would love to just carry some bear spray. 35.00 rather than much more. But there sure are a lot of shoulds. I love the villages just do not want to end up dead as the population increases. Not worried about gators. You are stupid if you let your pet run near the water.
If you come between a mother bear and her cubs lets see if the loud noise or spray would work. Oh shoot it didnt I am mauled.

I have bad news for you, you are going to end up dead.

[airstreamingypsy]

Sounds to me someone is a scaredy cat...... Good grief, this is the most paranoid post I've seen here. I've been in Florida for 30 years and have never seen anything scary, with four legs. Instead of a little foo foo dog, get yourself a Cane Corso...... then you won't need to be armed to the teeth to walk it, it will keep you safe.

[villager7591]

Don't worry about the Bers. They are not having a good season: QB problems (again). Wait till next year...

[Teemotay]

Originally Posted by arbud

Well the funny not funny guys have popped up. For the guys that actually had something constructive to ad here. 44mag is the way I would go. It would be in a holster just in case. Not carried at night with low visibility. I dont walk around at night just take dog out on a leash to do business last thing. In day time walks is when I would carry it. Would never just here a noise and shoot. Not interested in going to jail. But as the saying goes to protect my stuff I would rather be judged by 12 then lowered by 6.

Brother, you are far too worried about something that has little to no chance of happening.

I spent my life’s work in the forests of Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Northern California, Minnesota, Michigan and Mississippi. I’ve had encounters with Grizzlies, Black bears and most other forest-dwelling creatures that could put the hurt on you. I’ve met black bear mommas with cubs and solitary bears alike and not one time was I attacked or severely threatened and I had two dogs with me when we met momma bear.

Now Lady Lake is my home (Harbor Hills) for the past two years and I’ve had one bear in my yard. He/ she was just passing through going about it’s business. It didn’t stop when I went outside; it actually picked up the pace to get away from me.

I’d suggest that you save your money on the .44 magnum purchase and get some bear spray. Then do a little study on wildlife behavior. It just might save you and your dog and will go a long way to keeping you out of jail.

Most of the guys I met out west that were going into bear country all thought they needed to have the largest caliber handgun to protect themselves from bears. You can include me in that group when I moved from western New York to Montana. I went to forestry school and also studied wildlife biology. I traded my .357 for pepper spray because it’s safer, more effective and works well on anything that breathes and has eyes.

[jimschlaefer]

Originally Posted by arbud

Have been a member of this forum for 2 years and am moving here with my wife and little dog in June 2023.
This has been discussed many times before I know. I might not make any friends here, just looking for informed answers. Not funny little comments that aren't funny.
Have spent plenty of time down here in village of Santo Domingo. Walked my dog in morning light on a leash. I actually clean up after her and take it home with me. I do take her out on a leash at night to do her business.
Now from what I have read over the last couple of years, because of human encroachment on wild lives environment, there is a chance of an encounter with bears especially.
I have read that you can not kill a gator or bear. Do not know about coyotes, foxes, or bobcats.
I am however getting prepared to protect what is near and dear to me.
A super powerful flashlight for going out at night so I get no surprises. With some aid just inside in case there is a bear that I have bothered and he wants to eat me or my dog.
In walking around the neighborhood with my wife and dog will have licensed concealed aid in case of an encounter with anything that wants to eat any of us.
Now I know I have left myself wide open to antigunners and make shift lawyers but guess what I am completely competent on the use of the things I am talking about and will protect all of us.
Would anyone like to talk me out of my paranoia.

You worry too much. If ya really need that sense of security, get a can of bear mace and hook it to your belt. It's called bear mace for a reason and will turn off any attackers (raccoons, bears, canines, felines, homeless, etc.) you should encounter while not threatening any neighbors. Available on Amazon or at Cabela's.