By Travis Thayer This black bear seen during a special permitted deer hunt in November at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge may be hibernating in the same wooded area. File photo. (Madison, Ind.) – As unlikely as it may seem, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources says a black bear has found a place to hibernate in southeast Indiana. According to the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife, conservation experts believe a black bear has found a place to hibernate in the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge near Madison. This past July, the DNR’s Division of Fish & Wildlife confirmed reports of a black bear sighting near Corydon. The most recent sighting occurred in November when Alan Smithson, of Farmland, Indiana, was hunting at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge as part of a special permitted deer hunt. However, Smithson would have an encounter with a black bear rather than a deer, which he captured on his cell phone. A black bear is a rare site in the Hoosier state. The male bear seen in November is likely the same one that is believed to be hibernating in the Jefferson County forest. The bear is one of two black bears confirmed in Indiana this past year. Experts say bears normally hibernate for about five months, but could emerge during winter thaws to search for food. Conservation officers ask that the public report any bear sightings. RELATED STORIES: VIDEO: Hunter Has Black Bear Encounter At Big Oaks Black Bear May Be Moving Toward Ripley Co. Black Bear Moving Through Southeast Indiana
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