Number of Bears in Wisconsin (Portage, Waupaca: live, safe, move)

[susancruzs]

Did anyone else see the news story tonight on TV? WBAY reported the DNR claims there are 30,000 bears (at least) instead of the 15,000 or so they originally thought? Double the amount, isn't that a little odd although they are probably hard to count!

They were commenting on how far south they are showing up Hwy 29 apparently. Also said people have to learn about keeping garbage cans tightly sealed, no food outside, etc. like people that live north already know.

I had to learn that even in Waukegan because I lived by a forest preserve. The racoons and possum were totally pesty made worse by the cute little senior ladies that insisted on feeding them.

Do they hunt bear in Wisconsin to keep the numbers down or is that not allowed? I'm just curious, in northeast Illinois, the talk would be about the deer population, sometimes I'd see fox. People swore there were cougar and coyote around, those I never saw.

[Geechie North]

WDNR - Wisconsin Bear Hunting.

Coyotes can be found in Central Park, fyi.

The cougar that was shot in a Chicago burb last spring was a S. Dak. animal that was staking a new range in N. ill.-S. Wisc.

[JoshB]

Honestly, I don't care if there's a bear hunt. Wolves however, that's a no-no. I wrote an article in our local paper a few months ago regarding the wolf hunting.

Link:Opinion: MAILBAG: Hunting wolves in state the wrong move - The Portage Daily Register, - portagedailyregister.com

[susancruzs]

Thanks, Geechie for the info, and did not know about Coyote in Central Park. Thanks for the link, Josh, great article.

I remember reading an article about a man researching wolves in a very remote area, he had to be flown in, he tracked them for a long time from a distance. Yet when he went to the spot where he was to be picked up, all the wolves showed up, too.

[JoshB]

Susan, If you could find that article and post the link. I'd appreciate it!

[dreamhunter65]

They have bear season in Wisconsin with dogs and baiting. But it is on a draw system with preference points and takes a few years to get a kill tag. In my woods neighbor has pics of a sow with 3 cubs. We have bear in town every year. See alot more now while driving than ever did. My step son shot a bear 3 years ago on a tag given up to SHOT (Safe Huntersof Tomorrow). Man that gave up tag video taped the hunt for tv.

[Hntr]

I've seen bears in Waupaca county dating back to the late seventies. Two were shot by my land near Big Falls, maybe around '79-'81. A few years ago we had a very dry summer with not much forage in the woods for them. Every weekend the newspaper was full of reported sightings. Many of them in Waupaca county, a few in Waushara and Portage county.

[Hntr]

[Hntr]

[dreamhunter65]

I know when first start waking up say stop feeding birds and such as will walk into yards o get seeds and such until clover fields start greening up and berries start.