Minnesota wildlife

Hikers, campers and others recreating outdoors should be aware of bears while making their outdoor plans this year.

Hikers, campers and others recreating outdoors should be aware of bears while making their outdoor plans this year, whether headed outside for a quick hike or a longer camping trip. Minnesota is bear country, and people can peacefully share the outdoors with bears by paying attention to where and when you’re most likely to encounter bears. Black bears are naturally cautious animals that avoid human contact for their safety, but being proactive to avoid startling them and securing potential food sources helps prevent human-bear conflict. Learn more about how to safely recreate in Minnesota on the DNR website.

Learn and sharpen your outdoor skills with these upcoming online webinars from the DNR.

With topics including firearms safety, firearms maintenance, fishing, bear hunting and biology and more, you can expand your options for how you enjoy the outdoors this year. The webinars are part of the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship summer series that aims to give participants quick, relevant information on upcoming seasons and events, and skills to help enjoy these opportunities. The webinars are at noon on Wednesdays, and you can join after pre-registering online. Find more information and how to register at mndnr.gov/discover.