RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) Every year the Wisconsin DNR and USDA Wildlife Program gets about 800 calls for bear-related complaints.
Sometimes interactions between bears and humans are unavoidable. Brad Koele is a wildlife damage specialist with the Wisconsin DNR, who says stay calm if you find yourself face-to-face with a black bear.
“Don’t play dead or don’t try to approach the bear aggressively or anything like that because that could provoke an attack. Just try to make yourself appear big, talk loud, yell at the bear, slowly back away and get out of there. Bear are overall pretty docile animals and a lot of times once they see you or take notice of you they’ll turn and run the opposite way.”
He says bear attacks on humans are rare. Koele says there have been some incidents when the bear’s young or food is involved.
Conflicts with bears and pets are more common. “We do have a number of conflicts every year where pets are involved. If you can keep your pet on a leash or at least before letting your pet out in the yard in those afternoon hours, take a look out in the yard. Make sure there’s no bear there to avoid any conflicts between your pet and a bear as well.”
The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office recently reported a bear killing a dog off County Highway P in the Town of Pelican.
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