24-05-2025
'Bear'ly believable? Ring cam catches furry midnight visitor in northeast Tallahassee
A Killearn woman realized she had a close encounter of the bear kind after it was sighted on her Ring doorbell camera just after midnight Friday.
Samantha Haas was at her family's home near Kerry Forest Parkway and Velda Dairy Road and unaware of the furry heavyweight approaching her door. She said she was grateful it was late at night and there wasn't busy traffic outside.
"It was shocking to see it on video," she said. "My mom checks the Ring footage for racoons, foxes, cats, but this time it turned out to be a large bear. We have bird feeders, but they were empty at the time, so the bear didn't mess with anything in the yard."
While the bear left well enough alone, it left a parting gift for Haas — some bear droppings.
Florida's black bears aren't all that uncommon in these parts, but not many get house calls. Most are active in the spring and early summer when they're breeding and in the fall, right before they hibernate.
If there is a bear in your yard, on your property or just somewhere near you, the FWC recommends first getting to a safe location by backing away slowly and then using something noisy to let the bear know it isn't welcome. You're allowed to use a paintball gun or a slingshot.
'Scare it away by yelling, banging pots and pans, using an air horn, or anything else that makes a lot of noise,' the FWC says. 'The use of paintballs, bear spray and sling shots are also allowed under FWC guidelines.'
If the bear was eating something, once it leaves, identify what attracted it and get rid of it.
There are a few ways you can report a black bear sighting.
If you see a bear during regular business hours, call the regional FWC office closest to you. If you see a bear after or before regular business hours, call the FWC's wildlife alert hotline at 888-404-3922.
You can also fill out a bear sighting form on the FWC's website.
This story contains previously published material. Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@ and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Doorbell camera shows a bear house call in Tallahassee, Florida
