Don't feed the Dexter bear, residents advised
Few details have emerged as officials try to determine more information about the black bear spotted near Dexter this week.
No additional bear sightings have been reported Wednesday, and officials are asking residents to be cautious. State bear experts should be visiting Washtenaw County next week to learn more about the bear.
Picture Courtesy Washtenaw Sherriff's Office
According to Kristin Bissell, a wildlife biologist with the DNR, the Webster Township resident who spotted the bear near Hudson Mills Metropark took multiple photos and a conservation officer found bear scat as well as evidence that the bear had tampered with bee hives.
According to the DNR, young male bears are often chased off by older males from the northern part of the state and have been wandering down to southern Michigan more often in recent years.
Bissell said that the department’s “bear people” are in the Upper Peninsula at the moment.
Efforts to capture the bear and put a radio collar on it for further observation will occur when they return sometime next week.
“They [the experts] are just too far away for too long for us to start baiting and setting a trap for the bear,” she said. “If we started baiting and setting a trap for the bear and we caught it, they wouldn’t be around to handle it in a timely matter.”
Mary Dettloff, DNR spokeswoman, said in an email that the DNR is advising people in the Dexter area to secure their trash, take down bird feeders (especially hummingbird feeders), and not leave pet or animal feed out in the open.
“We are especially advising people not to intentionally feed the bear in attempts to lure it in to their backyards,” she said. “Once a bear becomes habituated to humans and associates them with food, we have a major problem.”
The DNR is still unsure how the bear came to Washtenaw County. The only local registered bear owner has all of their bears accounted for, so the department is working on the assumption that the bear migrated on its own.
Click here for more information on living with bears in the area.
Ben Freed is a summer intern at AnnArbor.com. You can reach him by email at benfreed@annarbor.com or by phone at (734)-623-4674. Follow him on Twitter @BFreedInA2.
Comments
Patrick Fifelski
Sun, Jun 19, 2011 : 1:14 a.m.
Click here for more information on living with bears in the area. This link did not work. Thanks for keeping us updated. I am hoping that bears don't care much for chickens. For about a week now, though, my feed bin has been moved/knocked over each night. We live near Zeeb and Joy. Time to do a little research, I guess! It's all very fascinating!
Michigan_Jayhawk
Fri, Jun 17, 2011 : 2:25 a.m.
Much a do about nothing. We actually live in his habitat. Co-exist with him, take normal precautions, don't leave garbage out. He doesn't wane to see you anymore than you want to see him. He'll eat anything, but likes berries, fish, grubs, moles, rabbits and other small game. Yes, if he can be trapped and relocated, that would be good for both him and the scared community.
BeautifulAlbtraum
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 11:24 p.m.
Once there was a little bear, He lived and lounged without a care, He tramped through the woods, At least he thought he could, Until all of the townsfolk got scared. First of all, are we for serious? It's a bear. We live in Michigan. Get over it. Second, am I the only one who thinks that bear people ought to be dressed in little bear suits? Third, tampering with bee hives implies malicious intent. Perhaps thats why we should call 911 - to report a honey burglary in progress. I wonder what kind of codename that police call would get. "Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore Too" would definitely be my vote.
brittney
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 8:41 p.m.
Hello, I am one of the people who reported seeing a bear in my back yard. The police officer was able to come and confirm that there was a small blackbear in a tree right out front of my door. I live no more than a minute from town, and have several small farm animals and two dogs. One of my dogs was able to chase the small black bear into a tree, but this morning I woke up to find none other than another bear! This bear was very much different from the first bear. For starters it was much larger (if i had to guess about double the size of the first bear). The second bear was also completely black, and had no fear when I made loud sounds or whistled to try to get it away. I am greatful that I have had the chance to see these creatures and see how wonderful they are, but I am also concerned that it is a matter of time before someone gets hurt. I hope that everyone is reading up on how to protect themselves, and please watch your animals. It is true that blackbears don't normally eat meat, but the bear I saw today would have done anything to protect the smaller bear. Be careful and aware. -Brittney
Mr. Tibbs
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 6:06 p.m.
funny. someone in here said when they become a threat? when and how does one determine a threat? my guess is when some gets eaten. or perhaps when some dog or cat gets eaten. then what? put this animal in someone elses nieghborhood? personally I think the coyotes and pigs are far more dangerous than a lone bear, but you will find the usual band of nature lovers who will seek out this animal for a phot-op and put themselves in harms way when this bear acts like every other wild animal....oh I do have a question tho - if our environment is bad, how are all these predators and others like them able to survive the harshness of our awful environment? in a case like this, I am perfectly willing to arm bears......
Bertha Venation
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 2:46 p.m.
Don't sell him short. He's smarter than the average bear. Right, Boo Boo?
mermaid
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 1:23 p.m.
Townie54 You are so right, the poor (bare) bear should be moved up north so he may live out his life in relative peace, but don't worry about him eating kids! LOL
FredMax
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 12:48 p.m.
"We are especially advising people not to intentionally feed the bear in attempts to lure it in to their backyards," On the other hand, this activity would have one resulting merit of raising the average intelligence in the human gene pool. How to keep bears away, be careful to read the included disclaimer: <a href="http://www.callchristoday.com/598/little-bells-to-scare-away-bears/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.callchristoday.com/598/little-bells-to-scare-away-bears/</a>
jjc155
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 12:46 p.m.
really???? a third story to say "don't feed the bear" which I believe was also said in the other articles, LOL
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 11:09 a.m.
If I promise not to feed the bear can I dress up like a giant Blueberry to see how close I can get?
RTFM
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 1:48 a.m.
Meanwhile, Washtenaw County's bear hunting season looks to have more favorable outcome for local bear hunters.
BornInA2
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 1:34 a.m.
"Once a bear becomes habituated to humans and associates them with food, we have a major problem." This is untrue. Once this happens, it's the bear, not "we" who has a sad and major problem. Though an Ann Arbor native, I've lived for many years in a Seattle suburb where we coexist with bear, cougar, and bobcat. The animals are put down or moved when they become a threat, not when they exist. Hopefully the same approach will be taken in this case.
Dave
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 9:06 p.m.
No, *we* have a problem. Spin it any way you want, but fact is that it's going to cause both bears and humans grief if said bear population habituates to raiding backyards and trashcans. I'm not vouching for trapping/hunting/forceful relocation, but apathetic co-existence with a bear population is conditional to the threat bears pose to the local populace. The potential for (and actual occurrence of) property destruction, and "less than amicable "encounters with aforementioned wildlife will ultimately dictate the need for wildlife policies to be enacted. Last I checked, the bear is new to town. Not us.
RunsWithScissors
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 1:23 a.m.
If I've been an asute enough reader of annarbor.com then I anticipate a "Best Local Bear" poll in about 5.., 4.., 3.., etc. seconds. I only wonder what kind of advertisement they could attach to the poll.
rocco
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 12:38 a.m.
"the only local registered bear owner has all of their bears accounted for." Registered bear owner in Washtenaw County with multiple bears! No one sees this as potentially troubling?
jjc155
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 12:47 p.m.
Rocco-no I dont see this as troubling, why do you?
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 3:16 a.m.
When i lived in Phoenix AZ in the early 70's Amanda Blake aka Miss Kitty from the old Gunsmoke series had a couple Lions on her "compound" right in the heart of the city. I think she lived on Arcadia Dr just off Camelback Rd if memory serves me. You could hear the Lions roar at night sometimes.
alan
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 12:24 a.m.
Don't feed the bears. This is as dumb as yesterday's story: Don't try to capture the bear.
alan
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 4:13 p.m.
Or invite it in for a glass of wine.
NUXI
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 3:23 p.m.
Tomorrow's story will be telling us that we shouldn't try to pet the bear.
lindsay erin
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 1:07 p.m.
Durr... Peek*
lindsay erin
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 1:06 p.m.
Haha! Just burst out laughing at work while sneaking on to A2.com for a quick peak at news updates...
spm
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 11:48 p.m.
"...the bear had tampered with bee hives" Hey, we've got our own Pooh bear.
townie54
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 11:28 p.m.
how about relocating him(them)to a less populated area?No good will come to them here.To many people to mess with them.They will get shot,get hit by a vehicle.Kill a pet or child.There are just too many people in southeast Michigan for Bears.Saying learn to live with them is pie in the sky great but not practical
jjc155
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 5:34 p.m.
How about leaving the bear alone? He has expanded his range (likely due to threats and/or "violence" from other adult males) to where he feels safe and secure. Move him back upnorth (at taxpayer cost) and he will either move again (and be in danger of getting hit by a car while on the move) or get his rear end kicked by other bears. The DNR has no problem letting black bear expand their range into Southern lower michigan and have been ecouraging it for years. Please post links to alllll of the fatal black bear vs human attacks in michigan (hint there have been 3 total EVER and the last one was 1979). I have said it before but Black bears are more scavenger than hunter so unless your pet is a parapalegic I would not worry about a Black Bear killing it, LOL. Between hunting in michigan, going to my properties in the UP and south of Alpena and countless miles of backpacking NC, SC, TN etc I have dealt with Black Bears on aprox 50 occasions and have never been scared or threatened. Why is it not practical to learn to live with them? There are millions of people in the US and Canada that have no problems living with Bears. Are you saying that the people of the Manchester Area are not flexible enough to secure their trash cans and keep their properties clean and free of trash?? It's not like someone dropped 1000 bears out there over night. There is confirmation of ONE bear, I think you can baby step it and make out just fine, LOL
treetowncartel
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 11:21 p.m.
You may want to fix this, but it is quite a good read as it is. "According to the DNR, young male bares are often chased off by older males from the northern part of the state and have been wandering down to southern Michigan more often in recent years"
DDOT1962
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 11:05 a.m.
lol...yes, and they find new homes down here in Ann Arbor or Ferndale, and occasionally are spotted summering in Saugatauk...;-)
mbbb
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 11:21 p.m.
"young male bares" = "young male bears".
Bertha Venation
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 2:43 p.m.
'specially if they're nekkid.