Black bear hit, killed on Highway 20

BUCHANAN COUNTY - Authorities said a bear was hit and killed on Highway 20 near Jesup over the weekend.

The Buchanan County Sheriff's Office said it was notified around 10:15 p.m. Sunday of a dead black bear on the side of the westbound lanes of Highway 20 near the Jesup exit.

Kevin Baskins with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said the bear was dead by the time officers arrived, and had extensive injuries. Deputy Cory Hartmann said it appeared the bear was hit by a vehicle, but because the driver never called to report the crash, no accident report was completed. Baskins said the time of night could mean a semi, and not a car or truck, was what hit the bear.

The impact with the bear could have been mistaken for a deer, and the driver continued down the road, Hartmann said. Baskins could not remember another instance of a bear being hit or killed by a vehicle.

Wildlife officials said the bear measured five feet from its back foot to the top of its head and weighed between 125 and 150 pounds. Those measurements would indicate the black bear was roughly a year and a half old, authorities said.

There's no way of knowing for sure if the bear is one of those reported in the Dubuque area last month, according to Baskins. They can travel between 10 and 30 miles in a night.