Caledonia Argus

Bear helps himself to bird seed before accident

Posted: 6/4/02

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

It was a bent bird feeder that clued in the John and Joan Forschler family of Brownsville that all was not right.

Not even a 20 pound raccoon could bend it that low, reasoned John Forschler. And the ripped siding next to the feeder, a deer couldnít do that either.

Friends told Forschler that it had to be a bear.

The next day a paw print was discovered in the bird seed food that was stored in the Forschlerís shed. And a few faint tracks were found near a bird bath that had been pushed over.

After a few days at the Forschlerís farm, the bear was hit by a car directly below their house on Saturday, May 18.

Joan Forschler suspects that activity at their house the night of the accident may have pushed the bear out on the road.

Later, in talking to neighbors, it appears the bear may have visited other yards too.

Joan said she used to tell her grandkids that there was no such thing as bears up in the woods behind their house. Now, she has to take it back.

She also notices that her grandchildren no longer go out to play in their tree fort in the woods. ìItís really kind of scary because it gives you a different perspective about going outside,î she said.

John Forschler said heís heard talk that the bear may have been an animal that was released by the DNR.

DNR says its not releasing bears

DNR Regional Manager Jack Heather said the DNR is absolutely not releasing bears.

He said the rumor may have gotten started last year when there were some deer that were tagged with collars and released. Also, there are people in southeastern Minnesota who privately own bears and sometimes transport them.

Heather said the DNR would not release a bear into an area unless public meetings were held notifying the public.

The bears are presumed to have wandered into the area from either the north or from Wisconsin. Heather said swimming across the Mississippi River is not an obstacle for bears.

When a bear becomes a nuisance in northern Minnesota, said Heather, the bear is not transported to another area, rather it is taken down.

It is a law in Minnesota that you cannot shoot a bear anytime but open bear hunting season in September, or to protect oneself from harm or from harming a personís livelihood.

Getting into bird seed is not reason enough to shoot a bear. Instead, the seed should be removed out of the reach of the bear to discourage its nuisance behavior.

Verified sow and cub sighting near New Albin

Heather confirmed that there has been a bear sow and cub sighting near New Albin.

It is not certain whether the cub is a yearling or born recently.

Heather said as long as the cub is left alone, the mother bear will not pose a threat to humans.

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