Northeast Iowa Bear Sighting 2012

This past week, Tuesday, May 15th, Northeast Iowa, specifically Ridgeway ,11 miles east of Decorah, found themselves hosts to another uncommon sight.

You ask what sight that might be??? Well,it happens to be another Black Bear sighting.

Picture owned by: Terry Hovden       Black Bear leaving  Ridgeway, IA

In the last three years Iowa seems to be witnessing an increase in transient Black Bear visits. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources have stated that verified statistics list 30 Black Bear visits since the 1960's,or should we be increasing that number?

Another bear was seen wandering north of West Union early Friday morning, it was believed to be the same bear first seen at Rideway earlier in the week.

Later Friday, after the Fayette County Sheriff's department searched the area, they located the bear not far from the North Fayette County High School. The officials locked down the school until the Law Enforcement people escorted the bear to a wooded area northwest of town.

The warning remains to Northeast Iowa citizens by the Iowa DNR - if you should see a bear leave them alone and they will usually exit the area without incident...

Iowa Black Bear Sighting 2010

Post Update : This little Black Bear has been given some aide by the Iowa DNR to get him closer to Wisconsin. The DNR tranquilized him after his visit to Postville and moved him to a remote part of  Allamakee County in an attempt to encourage his departure. They aren't sure if he is the same one sighted earlier in the video below...




Iowa has been host to yet another Black Bear.

How long until we will list them as a native animal? Only time will establish that fact.

Des Moines Register Columnist, Kyle Munson, blogged  about the recent sightings in our northern tier counties.

The  young male has found himself the main character in a  short video,when he decided to raid a backyard bird feeder.  ;)

Black Bears in Iowa ?

(Photo by Todd Waterman - Published at The Decorah Newspapers site) This black bear was seen near Castalia on Monday, June 8th,2009. Reports by two individuals of their bear sightings was confirmed by Winneshiek County officials. The bear looked healthy as it made it's way out of Winneshiek and into northeastern Fayette County.The Sheriff’s Department is telling people to keep their distance, not to frighten the animal,preventing it from becoming defensive. It looks like there are more and more sightings of single bears in different sections of the state. One can only speculate from what direction they are arriving. Often it is believed they originate from the Minnesota/Wisconsin direction, and now it is being thought that increasing populations in the Ozarks are expanding northward. Whatever the cause,seeing a Black Bear in Iowa is not an everyday occurrence.

I know I am not ready to co-exist at Timber Life with those critters. Guess I can change if the need arises. Ahhh, the bear skin rug I need to put in front of our fireplace when we build our new home. ;) Iowa DNR report 2002. May 29,2008 North Liberty,IA. September 11,2008 KCCI News in Des Moines, IA reported a Black Bear sighting in Atlantic,IA a southwest Iowa community not far south of Interstate 80. They reported there had been bear sighted in six Iowa counties by that time, up since the last sightings in 2005.