Young bear sighted east of Weiser on Cove Road

The Washington County Sheriff's Office responded to a call last Wednesday morning about a bear on the loose near Cove Road and Unity Lane east of Weiser.
 Along with a sheriff's deputy, a whole bunch of spectators also wanted to see the bear. When it was first reported at about 10:30 a.m., the bear was on the move. It then found a local tree to climb on Cove Road, where it stayed for an hour or more, attracting an audience of onlookers, before it relocated to another tree farther away from the road.
 Sheriff Matt Thomas said the black bear was a young animal, maybe a year or two old.
 The sheriff's office receives occasional reports of bear sightings around the county and it's not uncommon. Usually, bear sightings do no require a response from law enforcement.
 There were no conservation officers with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in the area at the time the bear was sighted.
 Usually, the best course of action is to leave the animal alone and not bother it. A deputy who went out to the area asked people if they would leave and give the bear plenty of room.
 “It will go where it needs to go,” Thomas said.
 Conservation officer Mark Sands, a supervisor with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game based in Nampa, said he heard about the Weiser-area bear, which possibly could have been a yearling.
 The deputy was able to move everyone away from the area and it eventually came down. If it continues to stay in the area, fish and game will try to relocate it, he said.
 He said there are likely a few bears that travel the Weiser River corridor. It was not known where the young bear came from.