Black bear sightings have been reported in Jefferson and Waukesha counties this week

There's an interesting viral debate on social media right now asking women if, in the woods alone, they'd rather encounter a bear or a man they don't know.

Whether you're Team Man or Team Bear, there's no doubt that bears are currently having a moment in southern Wisconsin. In the past week, citizens have reported black bear sightings in Waukesha County and Jefferson County though it's unknown whether it was the same bear.

Monday afternoon, Chenequa Police Department Chief Daniel Neumer sent out an email to residents letting them know a "black bear of significant size" had been spotted in the Village of Chenequa in Waukesha County, about 30 miles west of downtown Milwaukee. Police were contacted Sunday night just before 9 p.m. by a village resident who'd seen the bear in their driveway.

The bear was first spotted on the north end of the village off Wisconsin Highway 83 and then made its way south "in the direction of Northcote and the vineyard," Neumer wrote. Officers checked that area at the time of the sighting, but the bear was not located. Police did, however, receive a trail camera photo of a bear on a property just north of Chenequa Monday at 12:35 a.m.

Chenequa police contacted the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; DNR biologists officially identified the animal as a black bear on Monday using video taken by Chenequa residents, said police captain Matthew Carney.

Monday afternoon, the DNR attempted to locate the bear with the aid of aerial search drones, but it was unsuccessful.

Another black bear sighting was reported two days earlier and one county over in Lake Mills, Jefferson County. Carney said Chenequa police do not know if it was the same bear later seen in Waukesha County.

According to a Facebook post from the Lake Mills Police Department, police learned around 8:15 p.m. Friday of a black bear in the area of Stoney Road near a yard waste disposal site. "Officers attempted to use noise devices to remove the bear from the neighborhood," the post stated. "This was not successful."

The bear was last seen Friday entering a wooded area between Stoney Road and Lake Street. It hasn't been spotted since, Lieutenant Branden Cedarwall with the Lake Mills Police Department, who saw the bear, said Monday.

"Black bears are fairly skittish when it comes to people or human interactions unless they feel threatened or intimidated," Cedarwall said. "I was out there, probably about 20 yards from that bear, and he wanted nothing to do with me and wanted to find his way out and get out of that area."

How common are black bears in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin is home to an estimated over 24,000 bears, according to the most recent data from the DNR. The bear population has grown rapidly in recent decades, up from an estimated 9,000 in 1989.

Black bear populations are "abundant" throughout northern Wisconsin and "rare" or "transient" in the southern portions of the state. However, "Wisconsin's occupied bear range is expanding, which means residents can expect to see black bears in areas outside of the bear's traditional range," the DNR says. "An abundant population and suitable bear habitat have facilitated the southerly movement of occupied bear range in Wisconsin."

The DNR manages bear population size through regulated hunting and says that the number of hunting permits has "steadily increased" following studies showing higher numbers of bears.

What should I do if I see a black bear?

The DNR and Chenequa Police Department offer these tips for deterring nuisance black bears:

• Do not approach the bear.

• Remove from outdoors anything that could attract the bear, including food, pet food, home waste, garbage cans, bird feeders or barbeque grills.

• If you have pets or small animals, accompany them while outside.

• Black bears are skittish animals, so making a lot of noise will usually scare them off. This can be as simple as yelling at the bear, banging pots or pans, or honking an air horn to discourage further unwanted visits.

• Do not underestimate the speed of black bears, they can run approximately 30 mph and cover a lot of ground quickly.

If you have issues with a black bear on your property or in your neighborhood, you can call the DNR's partners at USDA Wildlife Services. They check voicemails daily and help Wisconsinites resolve bear issues across the state.

• USDA Wildlife Services, Northern Wisconsin: 800-228-1368 (in-state) or 715-369-5221

• USDA Wildlife Services, Southern Wisconsin: 800-433-0663 (in-state) or 920-324-4514

Finally, you can report bear sightings to the DNR at apps.dnr.wi.gov/wildlifeobservation/.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Multiple black bear sightings reported in southern Wisconsin this week