Facebook posts showing a bear started showing up in the county last week. Sunday night, August 3, a bear was caught on a game camera behind the AASC Ballpark on Highway 79. Then, Tues., Aug. 5, local sportsmen Hayden Houske and Hunter Milliken posted a video of a bear swimming across the Cumberland River between Cub Creek and Dover Island. Milliken told the Standard the video has now had 485,000 views. Readers of the Standard will remember, last year in Sept., one was spotted in LBL near Golden Pond Visitor Center. TWRA sent us a map of sightings starting in Obion County, ending in LBL. Never heard anymore about the bear.
We emailed TWRA for confirmation about this bear. They emailed us last Thursday, Aug. 8, stating, “We have confirmed sightings of black bears in three different counties in West TN.” TWRA lumps us in with West TN. Probably since their headquarters in Jackson now has jurisdiction here. Other departments still list us in Middle TN. The cut off line for West used to be the TN River. Everything on this side all the way to Cookeville was Middle. Now, we’re considered West by some.
The email from Amy Snider- Spencer, Region 1 Public Relations with TWRA stated, “It is common for TWRA to receive an increase in calls about black bears during the summer months. They are known to travel great distances throughout the state. When bears appear in areas typically not found, such as West TN, media coverage and public sharing of the bear’s location can encourage people to seek them out.” The bear in the game camera photo looks bigger than the one in the video swimming but Spencer said they had not confirmed more than one bear. She added, “If people refrain from approaching the bear, it will likely move on naturally. We ask everyone to follow a few simple BearWise tips. Never follow a black bear. Give wildlife plenty of space to leave the area. Attempting to follow an animal for photos can inadvertently put both wildlife and humans in danger. Never intentionally feed bears, and be mindful of unintentional food sources around your home. Items like trash, bird feeders, unpicked garden vegetables, greasy grills, and outdoor pet food can attract bears. Secure food, garbage, recycling, and grills in locations that are inaccessible to bears and other wildlife. Inform your neighbors about any bear activity and make noise when leaving your home to alert wildlife to your presence.”…