Bear sightings in La Crosse, DNR has advice

Animals coming out of hibernation hungry

There have been many recent sightings of bears in the La Crosse area, as the animals come out of hibernation for the winter. 

Brad Koele with the DNR has some tips if you encounter a bear.

“Try to back away from that bear,” he said. “The key is not to startle the bear, scare it. If you have pets, and the pets interact with the bear, certainly don’t break up any fights between the pets and the bear.”

Koele says you should also get rid of any food sources outside your home, including pet food and bird feeders.

“This time a year, there are not a lot of natural food sources are available for them,” Koele said. “So they’ll take advantage of any bird feeders out there or a grill that has residue on them.”