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Dean Bortz: A couple of black bear stories from Wisconsin

Dave Shramek, of Hixton, Wis., captured many photos last spring and summer of this Jackson County sow with five cubs. (Photo courtesy of Dave Shramek)

Ashland County’s Jessica Ware, of Butternut, waited 11 years to draw a Zone A black bear harvest tag and shot a 300-pound (live weight – the bear was not weighed after field dressing) sow the first afternoon of sitting in her stand.
She knew the bear as soon as she saw it approach her bait site – this bear wore a GPS tracking collar around its neck and a red ear tag in each ear.
“I had seen it on the camera several times. She wasn’t the one I was looking for, but I didn’t want to waste an opportunity after waiting 11 years for a tag,” Ware said.

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