Posted on 07/13/2008 5:34:51 PM PDT by SJackson
Beware the bear.
The Department of Natural Resources is getting reports of black bears being sighted this summer in southwest Wisconsin, including Dane, Sauk, Richland and Iowa counties.
DNR wildlife biologist Becky Roth said there's little cause for alarm because the bears are normally timid and try to avoid contact with people, but they could cause problems if scavenging for food around homes or campsites.
The local sightings were near Blue Mounds in western Dane County, near Barneveld in Iowa County, near Richland Center in Richland County and near Lake Delton in Sauk County, all during the past three weeks.
Black bears are common in northern Wisconsin but usually don't show up in southern Wisconsin unless forced out of their breeding territories and have to go a long way to find new habitat.
Population estimates show about 12,000 bears in the state, but only 1,800 living in the southern two-thirds of Wisconsin.
Southern Wisconsin could become more popular with bears, thanks to more young adult males coming down from the north to breed, and sows, cubs and yearlings staying in the south instead of going a long distance "up north" over a short period of time.
"The wooded hills, coulees, creeks and river bottoms of southwestern Wisconsin provide abundant food and cover for bears as well as potential winter den sites, so it's possible wandering bears will find it to their liking and some may decide to stay," Roth said.
If bears are hanging around your neck of the woods, you can avoid trouble by taking some simple steps to not invite the bears into your backyard or campsite.
Don't knowingly feed a bear, keep meat scraps in a freezer until garbage day and garbage containers in an enclosed building until pickup time, reduce garbage odors by rinsing out cans before putting into recycle bins or garbage cans, keep pet food inside or don't feed in the evening, and keep barbeque grills and picnic tables clean.
Campers shouldn't sleep in clothes worn while cooking, don't bring food into a tent, don't dump food scraps by a campsite and make sure all food, scraps and cooking utensils are in bear- and critter-proof containers.
If you have a close encounter with a bear near your home, wave your arms or make loud noises to scare the bear away and back away slowly or go inside and wait for the bear to leave.
If you are out in the woods, stay calm, don't approach the bear or try to shoot it, give it space, walk away and watch from a distance, and never approach mama bear with her cubs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service also has a 24-hour bear hotline at 1-800-433-0688, that people in need of assistance can call if a situation becomes un-bear-able.
I don't think this surprises anyone.
What surprised me, and why I posted it, there is a 24-hour bear hotline, 1-800-433-0688.
If you call, I wonder what they do.
If I have to call it will be to tell them to come and get their dead bear.
Black bears are OK with me. They coexist with people well in central and northern Wisconsin. Just so the Chicago Bears don’t starting moving in.
Better to use a shovel
Which is why no one pays them any attention.
“If you have a close encounter with a bear near your home, wave your arms or make loud noises to scare the bear away and back away slowly or go inside and wait for the bear to leave.”
Bravo Sierra!
This is what the above should have been:
“If you have a close encounter with a bear near your home, aim carefully, squeeze the trigger, then skin and cook the bear.”
2. It's global warming.
3. 3. The NRA is behind this.
I work in a county park during the summer. One thing we do to keep bears out of the campground is to put up goalposts! ; )
Some don't live around humans, highly unlikely a casual visitor to the woods will encounter them.
Like racoons, some positively love humans.
Those bears, waving our arms entertains them, they think the garbage is about to be thrown out, and anecdotally I'm convinced certain common loud sounds, banging pots, a blast of a boat horn, not only doesn't scare them off, it attracts them.
I've found a good whistle works, for a few minutes, or you can whack them with a broom, but if they're after your food, they'll be hanging around.
Hunting season excepted, they're not stupid.
Meant there are two varieties of blacks, those who know humans, those who don't
Paint ‘em white and call ‘em polar bears.
Thanks for the ping. I have never seen a bear in the wild. Indiana hasn’t had bears since the days of “Bears of Blue River”.
Most bares in the area are University of Wisconsin students without clothes.
Pretty ballsy for Bears to show up in Packer country.
OK, so if I do all that, then what do I do with the bear meat? What, eat it?
The hide makes a nice rug in front of the fireplace. As for the meat, well, worms need food too....
“or you can whack them with a broom” ? ? ? ? ? ?
I can’t find any firearm manufacturer operating under the name “broom”. What caliber is the “broom” you are suggesting that I whack the bear with?
perhaps broom handle mauser??
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