Bear prints spotted in Belvidere

It was a day like any other for Debbie Schmidt. When she went outside to feed her birds, she came across something she never would've expected. It looked a lot like a bear print. She decided to call Boone County Animal Services to see if her suspicions were right.

They confirmed that she was. Telling her she found several hind foot prints trailing from the Schmidt's backyard all the way to the road. Peggy Doty with the Russel Woods Forest Preserve in Genoa says the bear population has been moving our direction from Wisconsin, but she tells us it's nothing to worry about. She and her team work to help people identify prints like the ones Schmidt found.

But if we do spot one in our backyard, they recommend making loud noises to scare it away, but do not feel threatened.