The Crosslake Police Department has fielded several calls in the past week indicating that bears have been present in the area.
The department has received reports of bears on Wildwood Drive, East Shore Drive, West Shore Drive and Daggett Pine Road near the Crosslake Community Center. In each instance, the bears have been rummaging through garbage cans or sifting through bird feeders.
Police Chief Bob Hartman even encountered one at his residence on Sunday night.
"I went out to my deck to chase it away, but it had absolutely no fear of me whatsoever," Hartman said in an email. "It just stood and looked at me as I shouted and clapped my hands."
Hartman advises residents to keep their garbage cans in their garage. He also recommends bird watchers take their bird feeders down at night and store them indoors.
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"If there is no food source in and amongst the homes, the bears will eventually return to the woods to forage for food," Hartman said.
