Black Bears Are Returning to Iowa, It’s Only a Matter of Time

Black bears are amazing creatures. I have had one run in during my hiking travels, that was in the smoky mountains. Now, to be fair I didn't have to travel far before to see them, as there are breeding populations through Wisconsin and Minnesota. However, they may become an even more common occurrence for us Iowa folks to spot them.

When my family and I crossed paths with that bear on the trail, it immediately scampered up into a tree (seen above). First understand that black bears are more wary of people than we should be of them. The bear kept a close eye on me and my family until we passed by. I walked confidently and carefully, putting myself between my kids and the bear, but at no point did we feel threatened. As we moved past, the bear took a misstep on the branch and actually fell from the tree and rolled down the hill it was perched above.

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That experience changed how I look at black bears. Sure, they are predators and deserve respect, but they aren’t the mindless aggressive animals that some people may imagine. Usually they want absolutely nothing to do with humans. They’re intelligent, cautious, and more interested in finding food, that's about the only time they may have a run in with people; and only if your trash seems to be a delicacy.

As someone who loves hiking and spends a lot of time exploring Iowa trails, I can absolutely see how parts of our state could support a small black bear population. Areas like Yellow River State Forest (where I plan to return next weekend) and even the Decorah area are packed with natural resources that could sustain bears. They offer everything from berries, fish, and plenty of roadkill to cool streams, rugged terrain, and thick forest cover.

Northeast Iowa has plenty of habitat to roam. It often surprises people who think the whole state is flat farmland. The Driftless Area is full of rugged terrain, steep valleys, timbered ridges, hidden creeks, and isolated pockets of habitat that feel much more Wisconsin than Iowa.

Even places like White Pine Hollow or the Loess Hills could probably hide a wandering bear or two for a while without anyone noticing. That said, Iowa’s forests are still limited in both size and connectivity compared to states with breeding populations. While transient bears will likely become more common, I’m not fully convinced Iowa could support a large breeding population anytime soon. A great deal of our Iowa forests are isolated and would take traversing large segments of crop fields and farms to arrive at. Now that I think of it, that's another steady source of food, as black bears most certainly enjoy corn.

Still, the signs are there. The Iowa DNR has acknowledged that black bears are showing up more regularly, especially in the northeast corner of the state. Most are said to be young males dispersing from booming populations in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Surprisingly, Missouri’s growing bear population could eventually influence southern Iowa as well.

Whether people realize it or not, black bears are slowly working their way back into parts of their former range across the Midwest. Iowa may never become a major bear state, but seeing one in the wild here no longer feels impossible or even unusual. Our Mississippi River Valley is the perfect corridor to travel along for food or to search for that elusive mate. I know I'll be on the lookout while backpacking at Yellow River.

I get that we don't want them by our homes and farmers could see issues with their herds as the bears return. There are few things you can do to keep them away, though. Bottom line: when it comes to black bears in Iowa, it feels less like a question of “if” and more like “when.”