Bear spotted in iowa

[AZHunter]

My feelings as well. Those freaked out about the risk of bears in Iowa will obviously never go on a hunt out west. Statistically, you should fear the herd bull in the pasture WAY more than a bear or mtn lion.

Well put, Randy. I've lived, worked, hunted, & hiked/camped in bear country since 1999 & have never seen a bear, which is odd. I've seen plenty of fresh sign (couple hours old), but not once have I ever been scared or remotely worried. I have plenty of friends who have encountered them & the bear always turned away first. Yes, attacks have happened, but its not the norm. Most attacks are associated with getting between a sow & her cubs, keeping a messy camp site (including those who keep food in their tent), or feeding bears. There were several bear encounters on the wildfire I was on last summer, but bears were being pushed all over and stressed majorly by the fire and suppression crews. One firefighter got rolled around in his sleeping bag and then the bear tried to tip his engine, but nobody got hurt (pants got messied, though). Black bears are also notorious for bluff charges. Just because a bear "reacts" when you encounter it doesn't mean it will attack you.

 

[IowaChiro]

It's legal, no hunting season. My friend in Sidney Iowa shot one a few years ago. It was a big deal around our area.

At least it was legal when he shot his bear. It was all over the news and I'm pretty sure it's mounted in the Skyline Sportsmanship Club in Thurman. If I remember right.

He really had no reason to shoot it, caused some controversy. It was a DNR agent who shot it, thinking he thought no one would question it.

 

[milkweed seed]

We've got tons of black bears around us here in WI and we don't worry a lick about them. You very rarely even see one when you're deer hunting. Sure, you'll hear one whoof at you now and then in the dark, but they're mostly just trying to figure out what you are. Too many people have an unfounded fear of them and are too willing to shoot first if they see one thinking that its going to harm them when its usually just curious or trying to get out of your way.

X2. I'm in northern NJ where bears roam the neighborhood looking for garbage and what's ever an easy meal. See them from stand often and never had a problem. Only problems I hear of, is if a bear finds your deer before you do, know of 3 different instances. Wish my state would let me go after them with a bow.

 

[SaskGuy]

I spend alot of time in the woods.I see alot of bears, in fact I saw 2 this weekend. I've had to kill a bear in my yard because I couldn't make it leave. It was the 1 unlucky 1 out of many.
You are more liable to be hurt golfing than by a bear, even where bears are extremely plentiful, like here. I have never felt the need to be "armed" because of bears and spent the first month of whitetail archery season last yr attempting to stalk black bears instead of deer. Not once did I feel threatened.

That said, you do not want them. I believe the bulk of the people on this site are whitetail nuts. You like running cams and licks etc. Bears change that entirely. My cams are in a box, will be for 2 months at least yet. Why? Bears love to try and rip them from the tree and eat them and bears love licks as much as deer.

 

[milkweed seed]

That's very true they take over bait spots. I have a bunch of trail cam pics of bears dumping over feeders. All my cameras are in metal boxes as well, because people are more of a threat to them than the bears:-(.

 

[TheMadCatter]

My friend posted this on Facebook yesterday.

 

[Doeregulator]

More and more

 

[nannyslayer]

Ok if you startle a bear it will react, if you come between a sow and her cubs you will be attacked,

I highly disagree with you. I got to spend 2 weeks with a bear guide running bait stations for other hunters. On several occasions, we would go up to a bait barrel and there would be a sow with 2 cubs. She would run the cubs up a tree, then back off. The guide, who has around 35 years of experience with bears, sows and cubs in particular, said you will never get attacked if you just come between them, only if you take interest in her cubs. He said 100 percent of the sow/cub attacks in his area was because people would see the cute little cuddly cubs and try and get closer for a picture of a better look.

We jumped several sows with cubs and just kept on about our business. They would go up a tree and we could just skirt around them and keep going. By the time we would come back through, sow had already gotten the cubs and moved off.

Just like any other female animal with young, you mess with them, she's going to get after you. I moved a fawn out of a field one day while mowing hay, that is the closest I have ever came to getting my butt stomped by a doe. She was mad and letting me know it while carrying her fawn to the fence row, and she was within arms reach of me most of the way.

 

[stringleech]

There not going to hurt a person. But they are really good fawn killers and would be bad if they started populating in Iowa.

i live in northern wis, they take about 30 % fof our fawns. add the wolves and yotes and bobcats...predator nation!!! dont welcome black bears to Iowa

 

[SaskGuy]

You're 100% correct Brian. I've been between a sow and cubs before and have each time, lived to tell the story without incident.

 

[msalow]

My sister and Brother in law had the bear in front of their house last week they live on Hwy 18 about 2 miles west of Fredericksburg. Have pictures on her facebook page. Looks like it was a good sized critter. they were a little nervous as the raise dogs at their kennel. But had no problems with it it hung around for a few hrs and then moved on west.

 

[Daver]

My sister and Brother in law had the bear in front of their house last week they live on Hwy 18 about 2 miles west of Fredericksburg. Have pictures on her facebook page. Looks like it was a good sized critter. they were a little nervous as the raise dogs at their kennel. But had no problems with it it hung around for a few hrs and then moved on west.

Nice fish MSalow!! Is that a carp? Seriously, that looks like a real beauty!