REGIONAL— Bear registrations are running significantly below last year’s totals at this point in the season, but that’s not a surprise to DNR wildlife officials in northeastern Minnesota. “This is completely expected,” said Penny Backman, DNR wildlife specialist in Orr. “Last year was unbelievably successful because there was no food out there,” she said.
Natural foods in the region were somewhat mixed this year, but generally above average thanks to abundant rainfall this summer. With more natural food on the landscape, hunters’ baits are typically less effective at luring bears within range of hunters’ stands. And that almost invariably translates into a lower harvest. So far in 2025, registrations are down by about 1,000 over the same period last year, according to Dan Stark, a large carnivore specialist with the DNR’s regional office in Grand Rapids.
As of Monday, hunters had registered 2,006 bears statewide. If that pace continues through the rest of the season, Stark said he would expect about 2,500 total registrations this year.
Of those registrations, 66 percent were males, a significantly higher percentage than last year. Hunters tend to take a higher percentage of males when natural foods are more abundant, since females are typically more wary around bait stations, especially when natural foods are available.
While bear registrations are down over last year, they are running about 500 above 2023 totals at this same point in the season. That was the last year with a robust crop of natural foods in the region. The availability of natural foods is a primary driver of bear hunter success, and those foods have been highly variable in recent years, which has accounted for the sharp swings in hunter success.
The harvest totals do reflect an increase in the number of bear permits issued in the quota zone, mostly in southern and western portions of the zone, which are generally more productive for bears. “Permits in the Arrowhead have been pretty stable for the past five years,” said Stark.
Locally, hunters had registered 44 bears in permit area 24, 190 in PA 25, and 170 in PA 31 as of Monday.