Shawnee
member
Marshfield, Wisconsin (where my old high school chum works)
News Posted November 3, 2006
Bear brings Halloween scare downtown
By Liz Welter
Marshfield News-Herald
While hundreds of children were cavorting through Marshfield neighborhoods on Halloween, a big black bear was also on a search -- for a way out of the city.
The bear was spotted around 4 a.m. Tuesday in the Marshfield Public Library parking lot by an avid hunter, Lance Casperson, 30, of Stratford.
It was last seen in the city Tuesday night.
"It was surprising to see a bear," Casperson said. "I watched it. I'd just crossed the new bypass (Veterans Parkway) on Maple, and saw it coming from main street. It did a big circle in the library parking lot and headed back to downtown."
"I didn't think a bear wandering town was a good idea. I called the (police) dispatcher," said Casperson. "She said it would go away on its own. It looked agitated, like it was lost. I've been bear hunting for six years. I thought, this is Halloween, kids will be out tonight and there's a bear in the center of town."
The bear weighed close to 250 pounds and was a young male, according to Casperson. He said male black bears are larger than females.
As sightings of the bear continued during Halloween, the police department monitored the bear's possible locations, said Police Chief Joe Stroik.
No bear was sighted by a police officer, Stroik said.
"We've had bear sightings in the past years. They come into town and meander around a bit," Stroik said. "We're not the bear experts, the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) is and they tell us to leave them (the bears) alone."
Prior to winter, bears are looking for food to prepare for hibernating, said Randy Falstead, the DNR conservation warden supervisor for Wood, Portage and Marathon counties.
"They're looking to put on weight before winter, and if people just leave them alone they'll find their way out of town," said Falstead.
"The best advice for everyone is to bring your bird feeders in at night and store garbage cans in the garage," he added.
Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, the bear was seen near the intersection of Peach Avenue and 29th Street.
"The bear was crossing the street. It was definitely a bear and not a big, black dog," said Kelly Phillippi of Marshfield, who was with her husband, John, in the car.
"We watched the bear cross the street and it disappeared between two houses," said Phillippi.
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Sure seems to me like the local PO-leese are pretty nonchalant about it with all the kids out 'n about!
News Posted November 3, 2006
Bear brings Halloween scare downtown
By Liz Welter
Marshfield News-Herald
While hundreds of children were cavorting through Marshfield neighborhoods on Halloween, a big black bear was also on a search -- for a way out of the city.
The bear was spotted around 4 a.m. Tuesday in the Marshfield Public Library parking lot by an avid hunter, Lance Casperson, 30, of Stratford.
It was last seen in the city Tuesday night.
"It was surprising to see a bear," Casperson said. "I watched it. I'd just crossed the new bypass (Veterans Parkway) on Maple, and saw it coming from main street. It did a big circle in the library parking lot and headed back to downtown."
"I didn't think a bear wandering town was a good idea. I called the (police) dispatcher," said Casperson. "She said it would go away on its own. It looked agitated, like it was lost. I've been bear hunting for six years. I thought, this is Halloween, kids will be out tonight and there's a bear in the center of town."
The bear weighed close to 250 pounds and was a young male, according to Casperson. He said male black bears are larger than females.
As sightings of the bear continued during Halloween, the police department monitored the bear's possible locations, said Police Chief Joe Stroik.
No bear was sighted by a police officer, Stroik said.
"We've had bear sightings in the past years. They come into town and meander around a bit," Stroik said. "We're not the bear experts, the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) is and they tell us to leave them (the bears) alone."
Prior to winter, bears are looking for food to prepare for hibernating, said Randy Falstead, the DNR conservation warden supervisor for Wood, Portage and Marathon counties.
"They're looking to put on weight before winter, and if people just leave them alone they'll find their way out of town," said Falstead.
"The best advice for everyone is to bring your bird feeders in at night and store garbage cans in the garage," he added.
Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, the bear was seen near the intersection of Peach Avenue and 29th Street.
"The bear was crossing the street. It was definitely a bear and not a big, black dog," said Kelly Phillippi of Marshfield, who was with her husband, John, in the car.
"We watched the bear cross the street and it disappeared between two houses," said Phillippi.
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Sure seems to me like the local PO-leese are pretty nonchalant about it with all the kids out 'n about!
