A North Oaks, Minnesota family saw a black bear walking across her lawn much to their surprise on September 5, 2019. (Greta Schilling)
(FOX 9) - With bear hunting season just two weeks out in Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters not to shoot tagged research bears.
Don't shoot bears with radio collars
What we know:
In a news release on Tuesday, the DNR is asking hunters to be mindful of not shooting research bears.
The DNR says these bears should be easy to identify, with large, colorful ear tags and radio collars – though the collars can often be hidden in the bear's fur.
Local perspective:
Officials say they are monitoring 50 radio-collared black bears across the state. Most of the tagged bears live in the Chippewa National Forest, Camp Ripley, or Brainerd and Baxter area, but they can travel a wide range from these areas.
Nearly all the research bears – all but three – are female.
Why you should care:
The DNR says researchers are monitoring how natural food supply changes are impacting the bears. The radio collars have GPS units that allow researchers to track the bears' movement.
What they're saying:
"We ask hunters to avoid shooting these research bears," said Andrew Tri, Minnesota DNR bear research scientist. "These collared bears give us much of the data we use in bear management and are most valuable to us when they are collared for multiple years. Thank you to hunters who have opted not to take collared bears in past years and hunters who choose not to harvest collared bears this season."
What's next:
Bear hunting season opens starting Sept. 1.
The Source: This story uses information from a Minnesota DNR news release.