At least twice as many black bears probably are roaming the forests of Wisconsin as previously thought, according to a UW-Madison study.
The state Department of Natural Resources estimates the state’s bear population at 13,000. The study concludes there are at least twice that many, although that doesn’t mean people should be afraid to go into the woods, said Timothy Van Deleen, a UW-Madison wildlife ecology professor who conducted the study with student Dave MacFarland.