Although it’s not likely, it’s also not impossible to have a bear encounter in Sheboygan, or any other county in the state. Five years ago this June the Sheboygan Police Department had to use a chemical device to safely capture a black bear which was then turned over to the DNR for release about 100 miles away. And the Wisconsin DNR is now telling the public to be “Bear Aware” after a bear was caught on a Ring camera at home in the Capitol City of Madison.
The DNR says that bear sightings increase this time of year as mama bears kick out their male cubs at around 18 months of age to find their own way in the world – and that can lead to our part of the world, too.
The DNR advises that if you see a bear near your home or cabin to wave your arms and make noises to scare it away, making sure it has a safe path to leave. If you’re in the open, back away slowly and look for a safe place to wait for the bear to leave, and never corner a bear or approach a sow bear with cubs. Some people have attempted to break up fights between a bear and their pets…the DNR says that’s a bad idea.
Black bears are naturally cautious and usually avoid people, but their drive for food often attracts them to bird feeders and garbage, making encounters with humans more likely, not just in the northwoods, but even here.
So the DNR has a pamphlet available here that you can download, helping you to be “Bear Aware”.
Bear in Madison from Wisconsin DNR
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