Mornin' to all the new readers since our last send. Cripes, they’re flocking faster than mosquitos to a bonfire (“cover up those ankles, Sheryl”)! This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

*Psst. Father's Day is just around the corner, and the Wiscampsin shop is fully stocked, just like the garage fridge! Give it a gander here.

What we're growling about this week:

• Wisconsin black bears 🐻 

• Morel mushroom map! 🍄 

• Rare parasitic plant found 🔎 

Wisconsin Black Bears

Hey, I saw a beer last night at the tavern! Oh. Bears, not beers…

There have been a few sightings of Black Bears in some unconventional places lately (ahem, Madison and SE Wisconsin), and it’s got some folks asking questions, like “uh, why?” and “Criminy cripes, there are HOW MANY bears in Wisconsin?!?”

Wisconsin Black Bears

• Wisconsin has the 7th largest black bear population in the US at roughly 24,000

• Bears will roam far and wide in search of food after winter’s hibernation

• Haven’t won a Super Bowl in 36 years. Wait, wrong bears…

Wi love the bears

Unlike the Chicago Bears, black bears are the most common and loved bears in North America.

Wisconsin is home to a "thriving" population of 24,000 black bears — up from 9,000 in 1989, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

They're found primarily in the northern third of the state, but as the population grows, they're becoming more common in the southern two-thirds as well.

Bears can wander a territory anywhere from 15 to 80 miles (how far Grandpa Joe claims to have walked to school back in the day).

Younger bears will roam far and wide after hibernation in search of food (nuts, grass, insects, roots, berries, occasional fish or small mammal, etc).

A typical male will weigh anywhere between 250 - 350 pounds, while females average from 120 - 280 pounds.

A long winter's nap

Each winter, bears hibernate in dens made out of caves, brush piles, tree holes, or any other secluded shelter they find.

Living off stored fat from summer feasting, bears will go anywhere from 4 to 6 months without food or water. Not even custard.

As such, they won't wake up to use the bathroom either, and will actually recycle all their waste for sustenance. While asleep, their bodies heal any injuries or wounds they've incurred.

If a sow (female) and a boar (male) got erm, acquainted during the mating season, the sow will have a litter of cubs. Litters can be anywhere from 1 to 5 cubs in number.

When mom's milk stores are depleted, she'll emerge from the den in search of food for the kids. They'll stick close to mom for roughly 2 years before taking off on their own.

Most bears leave their dens come Mid-April (which is why you may find ‘em in your garage these days).

Conservation

The DNR, as you can imagine, is pretty interested in what the Black Bear is up to in our state.

That’s why they launched the Black Bear Litter Survey and Diet a few years back, to better gauge bear numbers (and what they’re munchin’ on).

This data informs the conservation model that decides how many bears hunters can harvest each year (4,110 in 2022).

Though bears have pretty much left their winter dens, you can still report any findings to the DNR to help them in their study.

Bear-ly containing your excitement over Wisconsin's black bears? Check out these other bear facts, watch this video on black bear dens, and tell your neighbor about this email (unless they’re a FIB, of course)…

Now get out ‘der!

🖼 WI State Bird: American Robin Artwork!

When it came to our childhood art projects, mom always said: Keep your day job.

And criminy was she right. That's why we brought aboard a local 'Scon, Kayley Hackett, to design our latest piece of Wiscampsin merch - the State Bird print!

Picture this hanging above your bed, your tool shelf, your toilet... anywhere really, it's that darn pretty.

For every purchase, 10% will be donated to The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology to promote the enjoyment, study, and conservation of Wisconsin’s birds.

• 3 Options: 5" x 7", 8" x 10", and 11" x 14"

• 100lb. Matte Cardstock

• Ships in a Rigid Envelope

• Made in the USA

• Printed in Janesville, WI

• Artist: Kayley Hackett

Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Well folks 71% of you have seen our black bears out and about in the state!

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🍄 Morel Mushrooms!: Ah, the “hickory chicken.” Lather them in butter and throw ‘em in the frying pan! We’re talking, of course, about the Morel Mushroom, and they’re out in droves now. Check out our edition on foraging for them, and see the map tracking their progress in the state.

✏️ Wild Bait Meeting: The DNR is hosting a virtual public meeting on proposed wild bait harvest rule changes (think: minnows). Want to weigh in on this fishy subject? See here.

🌱 Parasite Found!: A volunteer for the DNR recently found a plant that hasn’t been seen for nearly four decades — the clustered broomrape (what a name, btw) — on the shores of Lake Michigan. This plant feeds off the roots of other plants in prairies and sand dunes along the lakeshore. But can we eat it???

Meme of the Week (one of our favs) 😂 

A review from the Trail... Love to hear, trade that couch for a canoe or something!