Has the Dexter Bear Returned?

Tracks spotted last week at the Hudson Mills Golf Course could have been made by a bear, according to an article on AnnArbor.com.

Russ Mason, chief of the wildlife division at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, told AnnArbor.com that the prints are unclear because of the melting snow, but that they likely were made by a large animal like a bear or a dog.

“We’ve had warm enough weather and we have the occasional bear that makes its way down to southern Michigan. From those prints it would be hard to say one way or the other," Mason said in the article.

The tracks were found by a Dexter resident on March 7.

The last time a bear was spotted in Dexter was back in June 2011 near Hudson Mills' west river trail. The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department later confirmed two reports of a black bear cub, roughly 150 to 200 pounds, wandering around the area.

The black bear then became somewhat of a social phenomenon for local residents, with a Facebook page now boasting 1,857 fans and a Twitter account with 345 followers.

Tim Payne, southeast wildlife supervisor for the MDNRE, told Patch in 2011 that black bear sightings typically happen in southern Michigan in the spring when bears are beginning to emerge from their winter hibernation.

To report a bear sighting, call 517-641-4903.