SIGHTED STRANGE ANIMAL -- Richard Amaden, Rt. 3, Hicksville, is shown pointing to the field where he encountered what he described as a "large, black, furry animal." Many residents of the Hicksville area feel that there is a good chance that Amaden spotted a bear. -- Crescent-News Photo.HICKSVILLE -- All we want to present are the bear facts . . . we'll leave the speculation to you.
Somewhere in the Hicksville area is one, two or three, black furry animals which leave tracks which closely resemble those of a bear.
The story began early last summer when an Indiana resident who lives just west of the Ohio line, spotted what he thought to be a mother bear and her two cubs. The incident was all but forgotten when several weeks ago, two pigs were taken from the pen at Alvin Miles farm, in rural Antwerp. A trail of blood showed that the pigs had evidently been slain in the pen, then dragged, away.
THE LATEST incident took place Friday, about 7:30 p.m. Richard Amaden was operating a corn picker in a field off Casebeer-Miller Road, when a "black furry animal" ran into the path of the picker's lights, scampered ahead of the rnachine for 10 to 15 feet, and then ran into a wooded area.
Amaden, understandably, did not leave the cornpicker to investigate. Other outdoorsman, however, returned to the scene the next day and found tracks in the snow. They were similar to those of a bear. Richard Wonderly, Defiance county game protector, said that he, too, visited the scene and viewed the tracks. Wonderly said that he was not too familiar with the bear, but after comparing the tracks at the scene of the sighting with pictures of bear tracks, he confirmed that they very similar.
DON Melia, [address deleted], a veteran area outdoorsman said that he felt it was very possible for bears to be in the area.
"Ten or 15 years ago," Melia said "a deer was a strange sight in this area. They're still not plentiful, but they're not a rare sight by any means."
Melia said that the range of deer and bear are similar, and the same factors, such as plentiful vegetation, that brought deer into this area, could attract bears.
WONDERLY explained that, according to his source of information, bears in this region of the U.S. do not hibernate all winter, contrary to popular belief. Instead, they will sleep for several days, then search for food.
Whatever the case is in Hicksville, coon hunters take heed. If your dogs tree a large, black coon, don't shoot. An 800-pound angry mother may be nearby.