Ashland County’s Jessica Ware, of Butternut, waited 11 years to draw a black bear harvest tag in Zone A and shot a 300-pounder (live weight – the bear was not weighed after field fertilization) on the first afternoon of sitting at her stand.
She recognized the bear as soon as she saw it approaching the bait site – the bear had a GPS tracking collar around its neck and red ear tags in each ear.
“I saw it on camera a few times. It wasn’t the one I was looking for, but I didn’t want to waste the opportunity after waiting 11 years for a plaque,” Ware said.
Dean Bortz: Some stories about the Wisconsin black bear
