Reports of a young black bear roaming the Milbank area in northeast South Dakota near the Minnesota border were confirmed with a photo of the animal.
Scott and Jenny Pinkert live about 6 miles east of town and used a night vision camera to capture an image of the bear in their yard.
She says it took down a bird feeder and went through garbage, and once got into the garage and opened the doors to a freezer - leaving paw marks behind.
Other residents have also reported seeing evidence of the animal last fall and again recently.
The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department says the bear likely hibernated in the area and hopefully will make its way back to northern Minnesota, where it likely came from.