Black Bears in Hudson? You Bet!

A few weeks back, in this very column, I wrote about feeding backyard birds. Then, as now, migrant and resident song birds were frequenting feeding stations all around our area. Just yesterday I saw my first oriole of the year, and earlier this week several pairs of rose-breasted grosbeaks came and went with regularity from the black-oil sunflower seed feeders on my deck. Just yesterday, the first indigo bunting arrived.

This parade of new species will likely continue into June, but one recent arrival at my feeders, and at those of my neighbors, is raising some eyebrows in this part of Hudson.

It was astutely pointed out in the comment section of that past column, by one , that certain types of feed may attract fur rather than feathers. Suet was the specific feed in question then, and I agreed wholeheartedly with Richard about taking down the suet at this time of year.

Unfortunately, even though my suet feeders were mothballed many weeks ago, certain furry critters have been showing up with regularity.  And not too surprisingly, they appear to like sunflower seeds just fine.

Some of them come in the daylight, some only at night, but by the tracks under the feeders, we knew deer, rabbits, raccoons, and squirrels of the gray and red variety were regulars at our house. There was a black cat hanging around, probably after the mice that also showed up, and coyotes regularly yip just over the hill from us. But, we had a sneaking suspicion there were other things about, too.

So I put up a trail cam—one with infrared, night-time image-capturing abilities—just to see. The images obtained aren’t of the highest quality, but all the usual suspects did show up, as expected. There are lots photos of deer, for example, and rabbits. Every morning when I let the dog out, she spends much of her time investigating the wondrous smells that have arrived overnight.

You should know right off that I don’t live in the city of Hudson, but rather just outside the city limits in the town of Hudson, not too far east of Carmichael Road. So, it’s not the city, but it’s not exactly way out in the country either. We’ve had running water and electricity for some time now, and the mail service is amazing.

The one thing we weren’t expecting when we moved to Hudson more than 20 years ago, was that some of our neighbors would turn out to be boars—literally. Well, maybe it’s a sow; that has yet to be determined.

The key point is, a large, adult black bear has been hanging around our neighborhood. Yep, right here in the wilderness just off Exit 4.

I’m a live-and let-live kind of guy, usually. But even I have my limits. That limit was reached when the bear made off with one of my better bird feeders. He took the whole thing, leaving only the stainless steel cable it was hung by—dangit! And I can’t get that kind of feeder anymore. I’ve been searching all week for the remains of the feeder, so I could file an insurance claim, but to no avail.

And, yes, I know it’s my own fault for leaving them out overnight. I won’t be making that mistake again, and haven’t for nearly two weeks. Doesn’t seem to matter to the bear. He was back again a few days ago, just before 11 p.m., and I don’t think it was to return the stolen goods. But he didn’t damage anything either.

Given my penchant for wild things, I actually don’t mind living in close proximity to bears, or any other large furry things, but I don’t want them to become a nuisance, either. A bear wandering the neighborhood in the wee hours doesn’t bother me…a bear tipping over garbage cans and ransacking screen porches, does. So far, this one has been relatively well-behaved, for a bear.

Many of my neighbors share my fascination with the critter. The bear’s den, well-known by everyone around these parts, has a stream of curious onlookers. But some of my neighbors are not happy and want the bear removed by the Department of Natural Resources.

Personally, I think the bear is unlikely to make off with anyone’s  children, including mine.  The chance of being attacked by a neighbor’s dog is much greater than by the neighborhood bear. It can happen, of course, but it’s not something I’m worried about, and I’m having trouble jumping on the torches-and-pitchforks bandwagon.

Further, it's my belief that the DNR will not, and should not, relocate every wild creature which chooses to move into, or through, our neighborhoods. People all over Wisconsin have been living with bears in their immediate vicinity for generations. Black bear attacks are rare as hen's teeth and you learn to make allowances.

The chief concern I have is that the bear is going to get hit by a vehicle, probably on I-94, and at night. That will be a lose/lose situation for the bear and for the vehicle.

So I guess the whole point of this column is, don’t leave things out that might attract a bear, even here in Hudson…unless you want to attract a bear.

I’ll let you all know if this one ever returns my feeder.

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To report a nuisance bear in Wisconsin, call the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services Division at this toll-free number, 1-800-228-1368.