BLACK BEARS living in our area!!!

[DisneyFan32WI]

Here in the Milwaukee area, we have had numerous reports of BLACK BEAR sightings....EEK!!! This is a cut-n-paste from the newspaper:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- It's official, bears have taken up residence in south-central Wisconsin.

The state Department of Natural Resources says since so many bears have been spotted lately, along with several sightings of sows with cubs, that that means they've found a home there.

The DNR's Eric Lobner says sightings are up dramatically this season and they've been spotted in every county in the region.

He says seeing cows with cubs is noteworthy because sows don't travel more than 25 miles with their cubs.

Lobner suspects there may be a population of a dozen or more bears in the region.

He tells the Wisconsin State Journal that several areas provide dense cover and denning areas, including the heavily wooded Baraboo Hills and the Lower Wisconsin Riverway with its broad floodplain.

So, tell about what YOU have living in YOUR area! I can tell you that I was amazed when I saw my first ever armadillo along the streets by Disney. They seemed to be all over the place! Do they bite, attack, or just sit and soak in the sun??

 

[jazzielady]

There have been numerous reports, pics, and videos of black bears in our general area around Pittsburgh!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Awww....black bears are tiny (relatively). Well, technically we could have black bears in my area, but they're pretty much all on the other side of the state. Our biggest predator is the coyote, although there have been random accounts of cougars (probably escaped pets) and we had an honest to god wolverine causing a huge stir a couple years back!

 

[freckles and boo]

While it isn't nearly as exciting as a bear, we saw a fox trotting down our sidewalk one snowy morning. This wouldn't be remarkable but we live half a mile from the border of the city of Chicago. We have plenty of raccoons, possums, red-tail hawks, and feral parrots. I have never seen a coyote around but others have.

 

[HelenePA]

I get a bear in my yard each spring (right after they wake up for the winter) looking thru our trash.. not sure if he's black or brown. Last time we saw him (actually saw him!!) he ran as soon as he heard us making noise..

 

[MM27]

NJ has announced that there will be a six day black bear hunt permitted in December to deal with overpopulation of bears. We haven't had one in a few years.

 

[MIGrandma]

You can see what is in our back yard by my signature picture.

Not really, but we do have them on our property (30 acres) up north and this picture was taken with a critter camera we have attached to a tree.

We saw one from our camper last spring, but haven't seen one this year.

They say we have them here, downstate, but I've never seen one around. Wouldn't be surprised to see one though.

We have lots of white tailed deer, see those all the time in the yards and farms (eating the crops ). Raccoons, skunks, possums (they come right up on the deck and eat the cat's food). We've heard coyotes, but haven't seen them. Occasionally see a fox. Turkeys too quite often, again eating the crops.

 

[PatsGirl]

Foxes, wild turkeys, and hawks have all been seen in my neighborhood within the last few weeks. In the past we had problems with coyotes but I've only seen one this spring a few weeks ago. Those wild turkeys are scary and the hawk looks like he wants to dive-bomb my kitty We also have lots of bunnies, squirrels and other small wood animals now that the coyotes have moved on.

 

[luvdzny]

The Wisconsin bear was captured yesterday in Port Washington. It was first spotted about 15 miles from where I live. It has been relocated to a rural area.

 

[kydisneyfans]

There was a black bear hit and killed on I75 in southern KY last week.

 

[java]

We also had one hit by a car recently. Right down the road.
Generally they leave us alone and we leave them alone.
Oh and bear tip- you will SMELL a bear before you see one. So if you are standing there thinking "dang what stinks?" there's a good chance that's a bear!

 

[Amelia Peabody]

Check out bear.org for the story of Lily and Hope. They put cameras in Lily's den and we got to "participate" in the whole baby bear thing. Lily also has a facebook page. It's become quite dramatic lately as Hope was separated from her mom TWICE. This time the researchers are not going to reunite them. They hope to get a radio collar on her. They are supplementing her food until more berries ripen and she can fend more for herself. She's such a little thing and would have been with her mom a year I think? So this is a learning experience for us all.

 

[Nancyg56]

We have bears in our neighborhood too. We just do not leave bird food out because they have gone into porches after the bags of seed.

 

[piglet too]

Sorry, but all I can think about is that there are Bears in Packers territory.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Sorry, but all I can think about is that there are Bears in Packers territory.

LOL, that's a good one!!!!

 

[disneymarie]

Here in the Milwaukee area, we have had numerous reports of BLACK BEAR sightings....EEK!!! This is a cut-n-paste from the newspaper

So, tell about what YOU have living in YOUR area! I can tell you that I was amazed when I saw my first ever armadillo along the streets by Disney. They seemed to be all over the place! Do they bite, attack, or just sit and soak in the sun??

Gosh, living in the mountain Pocono area you name it on my two acres we have it. I remember one night Tigger cat ran outside when I took out trash; I wondered why is there a plastic bag in the drive about 75 ft away. Then I called to Tigger to come back in.

As I went across the side yard, sitting in the back was Tigger pulling from the bottom of the trash bag and a fat ol' bear along side tearing through a box of Captain Crunch Berry cereal.

Then the Turkey's walking with momma across the hill as I am in the laundry room, go across, back again gobbeling away on the way to the creek. THe deer come down in the late evening, cross to the field for the night. The woodpecker starts early in the day,
The cats have a pet squirrel that comes everyday. One winter a sleet storm first brought him to perch at the window little hads up to beg...oh ya sure all the cats and bring him in????

The rabbits tempt fate at my garden, as does the fat old groundhog, so many humming birds, birds or all colors and songs. I sing along sometimes, they echo back. I put out the day old bread, the old fruit, and even some cereal.

THe critters I can do without are the snakes, lizards, slugs, and skunks!
I recall one night working the midnight shift as a police officer and receiving a call or a potential chemical spill from a passing train.
When I arrived the familar smell was a moment I had to keep from a chuckel....then came the dog, phew wee....I explained it was not a chemical spill and a few qrts of tomato juice would help neutralize the doggie's unfortunate run in with a skunk!!!!! They had just moved here from NYC.

We have Deer heads mounts, a growling black bear leaping from the wall. pelts, the family came from generations of hunters and love the meat....not me.
This is 8 generations on the land......

Oh one more bear story. A Sunday afternoon in the summer I had a police call for a bear in the back lot at the Dunkin Donuts. When I arrived big mamma bear was sitting next to the dumpster with bags of donuts around her. SHe poured the cups of coffee over the pile of donuts. She picked out the cake ones and toss them aside, then took the fruit ones and ate away.

Customers were fearful to use the drive through so I tried to scare her away... I hit the lights on top, blew the horn then finally the sirens..... Mamma got up on her hinds and walked over to the cruiser with two planted paws started to rock me and growl.....scratch that plan. So I back up, then drove around and made a block between the drive through and Mamma....She finally left fat and full.

 

[jme829]

I lived in Hudson, WI close to St Paul , MN and we had one wandering around in our neighborhood last week ...we're transplants from Toledo, Ohio and are just starting to get used to seeing deer and white squirrels in our residential area and now bears????!!! I love wildlife, but geez...

 

[C.Ann]

Just found out this weekend that we have a nice, big bear wandering around here on my road again this year.. (Had bear issues before up here in the mountains, but not last year..)

This particular bear was spotted Friday afternoon - around 4 p.m. - in what would be considered less that a quarter of a block from me if I were in the city.. Saturday (late morning), it was spotted meandering up the road 2 camps away from me..

Seems to be wandering in the areas where I know for a fact that there's blackberry bushes - although I don't know if the berries are out yet.. I'm dying to get a picture - a nice close-up - but will only attempt it from my car or standing in my kitchen doorway if he/she is in my yard.. I love bears - think they're adorable - but also know they are very, very dangerous - so I won't be chasing him'her around my property.. LOL..

If this is an indication of past years, where there is "one", there will be more - so no more putting the garbage out after dark for me and I'll need to be more aware of my surroundings when I'm outside, walking down to my mail box or the lake, etc..

 

[HelenePA]

Just found out this weekend that we have a nice, big bear wandering around here on my road again this year.. (Had bear issues before up here in the mountains, but not last year..)

This particular bear was spotted Friday afternoon - around 4 p.m. - in what would be considered less that a quarter of a block from me if I were in the city.. Saturday (late morning), it was spotted meandering up the road 2 camps away from me..

Seems to be wandering in the areas where I know for a fact that there's blackberry bushes - although I don't know if the berries are out yet.. I'm dying to get a picture - a nice close-up - but will only attempt it from my car or standing in my kitchen doorway if he/she is in my yard.. I love bears - think they're adorable - but also know they are very, very dangerous - so I won't be chasing him'her around my property.. LOL..

If this is an indication of past years, where there is "one", there will be more - so no more putting the garbage out after dark for me and I'll need to be more aware of my surroundings when I'm outside, walking down to my mail box or the lake, etc..

I know our blackberry bushes have green berries just starting on them.. some are medium size but none are near ready for picking.

 

[PebblesMK]

I am on the Illinois border and have two hawks and a bald eagle who live in my backyard (they stalk my cat and dog) and foxes, coyotes and wolves have been seen in this area. I didn't think those were common?