RE: Black Bear in Illinois
That would be a lot of ground to cover since they just got up and moving but you never know. In may area we have had more and more sightings so I would agree that it is not out of the realm of possiblilies for this bear to be wild all be it slight. What is the difference in milage from known bear areas in that region? If it is 200 miles or more I would lean towards a lose captive bear.