November 17, 2020 – Village of Richfield, WI – One of the three black bears seen on a trail camera walking through the Washington County area has been found dead along the highway in Washington County.
The DNR was called to the southbound lane of Highway 45 just south of Highway 145 near Cabelas.
“A passerby reported the animal,” said Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis. “We have no idea who hit it.”
Last evening at 11:44 p.m. the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a deceased bear on US 45. A deputy located a deceased male black bear cub, approximately 65-70 lbs. in weight, on the west shoulder of US 45 northbound ½ mile south of STH 145.
The striking driver did not report the incident or stay on scene. The cub was transported back to the sheriff’s office and turned over to the Department of Natural Resources.
The sheriff’s office had been taking reports of a mother and two cub black bears moving south through Washington County since November 9.
Local bear hunter Chucker Dreher of Kewaskum said the DNR contacted him around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 17.
“The Sheriff’s picked it up,” said Dreher. “I’m hoping those other two go east and get away from that highway.”
Dreher said he’s nervous about the survival of the other two bears. “I really wish the DNR would just let me trap them so we could safely transport them back up north,” he said.
It was November 10, 2020 when WashingtonCountyInsider.com first posted a story about the bears spotted on a trail cam in the Town of Wayne. Since then neighbors have found the bears on their trail cams in the Town of West Bend.
The DNR said it is unusual for black bears to be wandering this far south. Click HERE to read more.
They need to be safely trapped and relocated somewhere they’ll be safe!
Where there are no cars? Come on.