Post date: Oct 4, 2016 5:18:16 PM

September 29, 2016 by Javier Serna

Grand Rapids, Minn. — Across the state, in every zone, bear hunters have done better than last year, according to preliminary data provided by the Minnesota DNR.

It’s too soon, however, to assume the bear population has increased significantly, said Dan Stark, the DNR’s large-carnivore program leader, who said a lack of natural foods in the forest this year likely is driving harvest numbers.

On Tuesday, Stark tallied bear registrations through Sept. 26, at which point 2,409 bears had been registered during the seasonthat got under way Sept. 1. At the same point last year, 1,725 bears had been registered.

“We’re 40 percent higher than last year’s harvest,” Stark said.

When there is a lack of natural foods to eat, it sends bears more frequently to bear baits, where hunters await and enjoy better success.

“It sounds like in most areas there haven’t been a lot of acorns, and that’s a pretty important fall food for them,” Stark said. “I think all of the information we have during the season is somewhat preliminary until we do the final summary this winter. But there was definitely higher success this season than the last three, with a similar number of permits.”

Stark believes 90 percent of the harvest likely is complete, and expects the final tally to fall between 2,600 and 2,700 animals. The season ends Oct. 16.

The lack of available natural foods was suspected to be the case in several northern Minnesota locales, as nuisance-bear complaints continued past the point in early summer when those foods become available.

“We have had a pretty active nuisance-bear season that continued into the summer and even into the bear season,” said Erik Thorson, the DNR’s Park Rapids area wildlife manager.

And that was even with decent late-summer berry and hazelnut production, Thorson said. “There’s wasn’t enough out in the woods for them. Usually when the berries start, the nuisance complaints fall off.”

He noted that acorns were noticeably absent.

Thorson suspects the bear population in his area has been growing the past two years, based on anecdotal evidence.

“There’s more sign in the woods,” he said. “A fair number (of people) saw triplets.”

Dave Rave, Thorson’s Bemidji-area counterpart, also saw a consistent number of nuisance-bear complaints come in since spring.

Rave said his area’s hunting zones, which were subdivided this year, probably saw an increase in harvest by one-third.

“The bear hunting was quite good this year,” Rave said, also suggesting that bear numbers are up.

“They are really, really healthy,” he said. “There was some lack of natural foods. I don’t think there were as many acorns this year, which really changes bear behavior during the season.”

But Rave said the consistent nuisance complaints and many reports of sows with twins and triplets leads him to believe the population is increasing.

Scott Laudenslager, the DNR’s Baudette-area wildlife manager, said bear harvest was up by about 25 percent over last year, despite a pretty decent berry crop.

“We’re building the population,” he said of lower permit numbers the past several years. “We could be seeing the results of that.”

In Two Harbors, Nancy Hansen, the DNR’s area manager there, said the first two weeks of the season saw most of the hunting activity. “My understanding is it’s been a very good season,” she said. “It seemed like there were more bears around, with bears out during the day.”

Hansen’s area, which includes Lake County in the state’s Arrowhead region, did have a fair amount of natural foods, she said.

At the tip of that region, in Cook County, bear-hunting guide Jim Wallner, based in Grand Marais, said he had an excellent season, with 11 of 16 clients getting bears, and all of them at least seeing one.

In his area, he said, natural foods were plentiful, and there were still a lot of bears hitting bait. In fact, he said his trail cameras showed that he had bears at all 41 bait stations.

Wallner was encouraged by the number of bears in the 100- to 150-pound range that he and his clients saw. One harvested was more than 250 pounds dressed, and one approached 300 pounds.

“These cubs have been getting kicked out the last couple of years,” he said. “The future looks bright.”