Victory for Campaign No. 1

 Victory for Campaign No. 1. Campaign No. 1 sought to donate bear-resistant trash containers to the five County Conservation Boards of NE Iowa. Last year Dubuque got one, this July marked the campaign's completion as Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, and Winneshiek County Conservation Boards each accepted a container. That was about $6,000 in value.

The bear-resistant containers will serve three goals. First, they are practical instruments to keep all animals out of the trash. Second, the containers will educate park goers that bears are possible in the area. Lastly, the containers establish a commitment that the Boards are preparing for the natural return of the black bear

A significant debt of thanks goes to the Lohse Family Foundation. Special thanks also to RJ Thomas Manufacturing and the Kay Park Corporation.

John L. Hanson presented a identifying aluminum label for the bear-resistant trash receptacle to Heather Gamm, Executive Director of the Fayette County Conservation Board on 14 July, 2026.

HF 2099 did not make the cut for this last legislative session of the 91st General Assembly

 HF 2099 did not make the cut for this last legislative session of the 91st General Assembly. Our sights are set on the 92nd!

In good news, Ursus Iowa has made progress in our "Bear-resistance trash containers for County Parks Campaign." Our first container donation went to the Dubuque County Conservation Board in 2025. We look forward to sharing updates on which counties are next and why. Stay turned.

The Iowa 91st Assembly can make history-for bears-will they?

 The Iowa 91st Assembly can make history-for bears-will they?

Representatives Lohse and Jacoby introduced HF 2099, a bill to recognize the black bear as a regulated animal, thee critical step to realizing the potential of natural recolonization.

As a bi-partisan bill, my fingers are crossed. The bill passed the Subcommittee on Wednesday. The Gazette ran a comprehensive story of it on Thursday. Call your legislator!

Nationwide Encouraging News for Black Bears to end the Year.

 Nationwide Encouraging News for Black Bears to end the Year.

Wisconsin black bears continue to thrive and expand the population, as evidenced by stout data from the fall's season. Patrick Durkin reported in the 14 November 2025 issue of "Wisconsin Outdoor News" that Badger State hunters tagged 3,724 bears. 13,110 people drew a tag, the success rate was 28.4% But of the six hunting zones, the success rates varied from 69% to 5%.

Louisiana marked its second bear season with growth a sure bet. Missouri held its second scientifically managed hunt as well, the state let 600 licenses with a quota of 40 bears. The Florida bear season is back on after a 10 hiatus, it runs through 28 December. There were 172 permits, they were won by lottery.

There are stories of success, success for nature in general and bears indeed. Black bears are a keystone species that co-evolved with a multitude of plants and other animals. The bears create habitat for other creatures, disperse seeds, and contribute to a more complex and resilient biome. They are biological force multipliers.

What states or areas will see bear recovery enough to warrant a scientifically manage hunt? I predict east Kentucky and southern Indiana will be next, though it could easily be ten years hence. Confidence makes the wait easy.

First in the State, Thank you Kay Park and Dubuque County Conservation Board.

 First in the State, Thank you Kay Park Inc. and Dubuque County Conservation Board.

Facilitated by Ursus Iowa, Kay Park donated a Bear-resistant refuse container to the Dubuque County Conservation Board.

Chad DeBoer of Kay Park was on hand to present the container and explain its features to the Board at their monthly business meeting on 14 August 2025. Also present were Urus Iowa board members: Camille Eastburn and John L. Hanson.

DeBoer, Hanson, and Eastburn (L to R)

Dubuque county has the most consistent sighting and transit of black bears in Iowa. This container will serve several purposes. First, it will be a functional tool to thwart animal scavaging, whether bear or raccoon. Second, the container will be a teaching tool to the public alerting them to possible presence of bears as well as seeding their minds with the knowledge of the bears' efforts to recolonize Iowa.

Ursus Iowa was very proud to make this donation happen. We look forward to securing bear-resistant refuse containers for additional counties to use in their parks. The bears are coming back--let's be ready.

Illinois is set to re-wild the Prairie State, but will they?

 Illinois is set to re-wild the Prairie State, but will they?

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/PublicActs/View/104-0062

A recently signed law gives the Department of Natural Resources the authority to re-establish wildlife in Illinois, specifically apex animals.

Illinois had a bear in its north west this summer. Bears are expanding in Wisconsin, Missouri, and Kentucky and that all makes Illinois a candidate to take up new populations. Unlike Iowa, the bear is already a protect animal in Illinois so wanderers have a puncher's chance to establish a new home range in relative peace. Southern Illinois and the Mississippi River bluff lands seem like the obvious places for new territories.

The farm lobby and most sporting groups were opposed to the measure. The specter of lions, wolves, or bison damaging crops, stock and property were the most cited reasons.

Bears or lions returning slowly and on their own costs the state nothing. Reintroducing costs a lot of money, and I'm not aware of how "flush" their state budget is.

I don't see the possibility of elk or bison coexisting with row crops, fences, or all the miles of roadway in Illinois. The similarity to Iowa is tight. It's my opinion that the cooperation and trust of the public that live in likely "rewild" areas will cost a lot more than the dollars to release and manage apex animals. Trust in our government is fundamental in a democracy, it transcends agreement or disagreement on given issues.

This law is exciting. It will stimulate a lot of dreaming and probably a good amount of nightmares to boot. The IL-DNR now has the power, will they choose to wield it?

Coming soon to a road near you: bears!

 Coming soon to a road near you: bears!

A recent article in the July 2025 FUR-FISH-GAME magazine was titled, "Wandering Bears in the Midwest" by Jeffrey Goddin. He related accounts as well as state data of black bear sightings and breeding populations in states or places for which it's been hundreds of years.

He generously listed Iowa as having a population in the same list with Wisconsin and Minnesota, that was premature. Goddin did provide information on wandering bears in Illinois and Indiana, as well as recovering population in Ohio and Missouri. Almost all good news in my ledger.

There is a cost to everything. One of those costs is animal-vehicle incidents. As black bears increase in the Midwest it will be no surprise that more accidents will happen. A dark bear crossing the road in the wee hours or at night is a bad combination.

Case in point: June, northern Missouri. The Show Me staters were watching with great attention as a bear/s was making rounds hundreds of miles north of the state's established population. This is totally unexpected as young male bears will go on great journeys in the early summer to seek our new territory with available females.

Tragically the bear was hit by a vehicle in Macon County on Thursday, 12 June; it was euthanized owing to grave injury. What made this doubly tragic was the bear was a breeding age female.

Our car-centric culture and wildlife don't mix. I look to the wildlife overpass and underpass systems becoming normalized in the West as one part of the solution. Other ideas will come. They must because the bears are on their way.