Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Friday, May 16, 2008

Black bear spotted in Hixon Forest

By ANNE JUNGEN | La Crosse Tribune

Hide your porridge. Several hikers spotted a 250-pound male black bear in Hixon Forest on Thursday morning, said forest naturalist Stephanie Hanna.

The 3-year-old bear likely is hunting for plants and berries “and then love after that,” said Myrick Hixon EcoPark Executive Director Jim Morgan.

“He’s probably finding food in the forest. He should have a lot out there,” Hanna said.

The bear was sighted in a clearing of the reforestation project, about ¾-mile from Hwy. 16 and La Crosse Street.

The bear doesn’t pose a risk to humans and is a sign of a quality ecosystem, Morgan said.

“Enjoy him, smile when you see him, but obviously we don’t want people throwing a peanut butter sandwich at him,” he said.

The bear likely is more scared of us than we are of him, despite his intimidating size, large teeth and sharp claws, Morgan said.

“They don’t really like humans any more than we’re comfortable with bears in our backyard,” he said.

If the bear sees you, Morgan recommended you make loud noises to scare him away.

Park users should steer clear of the bear and head in the opposite direction if they encounter him during a hike, Morgan said.

“This is a wild bear — there are no bars to protect you. Give him lots of room,” he said. “You have to respect the bear. He has as much right to be in the woods as we do.”

Anne Jungen can be reached at (608) 791-8224 or ajungen@lacrossetribune.com.