(Undated) -- Iowa could see more black bears in the next few years. Vince Evelsizer [[ EH-vel-size-er ]] of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says as bear populations expand in neighboring states, Iowa will likely to see more too. He says northeast Iowa is most likely to see bears wander in from Minnesota and Wisconsin, where bear populations are higher. He says black bears have also been spotted in southern Iowa.
“Within the next three to five years, I think we can expect to see cubs show up and a small breeding population become established. If that occurs, we should look to our neighbors in Wisconsin and Minnesota who have learned to live with bears,” said Vince Evelsizer, furbearer and wetland wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “It won’t be perfect and there will be bumps along the way, but we need to start having conversation about the idea of bears coming back to Iowa, at least in certain places along the Mississippi River and Northeast Iowa where suitable habitat exists.”
Wisconsin’s black bear population is estimated at close to 30,000, Minnesota’s 15,000 and Missouri, which is holding its first bear hunt later this fall, as many as 1,000.
“For example, in Wisconsin, with that many black bears, residents have learned to make a few adjustments to minimize bear conflicts, like putting away their bird seed in the spring, putting away their barbeque drip pans, and by keeping pet food and garbage in places bears can’t access. There are still occasional problems, but these basic precautions result in much fewer negative encounters between bears and humans,” Evelsizer said.
(Photo of bear near Osage, Iowa, submitted to DNR in 2015)