The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters and other recreationists spending time outdoors this fall to report the locations of bear dens they encounter in and around the Brainerd, Grand Rapids and Duluth areas. Bear researchers with the DNR and University of Minnesota Duluth hope to fit additional bears with GPS tracking collars this winter.
“Getting a few bears collared in winter would really help these studies,” said Andrew Tri, Minnesota DNR bear project leader. “It would allow us to get a whole year of movement data, which we can’t do with bears that we catch and collar in mid-summer.”
The purpose of this research is to document bear movements on the landscape (both rural and urban) and assess the age of first reproduction in these study areas.
Anyone finding a den in any of the three areas should obtain a GPS location (if possible) and call DNR bear research in Grand Rapids at 218-328-8879 or 218-328-8874. Having pictures (from a safe distance) is also helpful.
The Minnesota DNR has collared and studied bears for decades in the Chippewa National Forest and the Brainerd area to assess survival, reproduction and movement. Assessing the age of first reproduction is critical to keeping tabs on the bear population and effectively set harvest quotas. This age appears to be changing in some areas of Minnesota, and the DNR is looking to understand how and why.
Bear research provides a better understanding of factors that cause populations to change, and in this way enables the DNR and its partners to better manage and conserve the species.
“Bears can cause conflicts when they live near people, and collaring and tracking bears in the Duluth area will help us better understand how they are using the developed landscape,” said Michael Joyce, NRRI wildlife ecologist. “Ultimately, we would like to use the information we gather to help reduce human-bear conflicts and promote coexistence.”
Separate from the bear den study, the Minnesota DNR also has an online tool that allows people to report bear sightings. The bear sightings tool and more information about bear management in Minnesota are available on the Minnesota DNR website.
The Duluth research project was funded, in part, by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.