REGIONAL— Bear hunters have reason for optimism when they head to their stands beginning this Sunday. Bear numbers appear to be up and natural food sources appear to be in shorter supply than last year, and that should make hunters’ baits more attractive to hungry bears.
“We’re seeing multiple bears on baits right now,” said longtime bear guide Dennis Udovich, of Greaney. “There’s a good population out there.”
Jessica Holmes, the DNR’s Tower area wildlife manager, said her phone has told a similar story this summer. “It’s been ringing nonstop with bear complaints,” she said. Bears have been a common sight around the area this summer, even in town, where they come to raid garbage cans, bird feeders, or fruit trees. Holmes said the calls really haven’t relented for weeks, likely a reflection of a lackluster natural food supply this year.
Both Udovich and Holmes confirm that the wild fruit crops that bears typically rely on in later summer were spotty this year, despite plentiful rain early in the season. “It was not very good for blueberries and I’m not sure why,” said Udovich. “The chokecherries look pretty thin and the plums aren’t looking too good in many spots.”
On the plus side, Udovich said there does seem to be a decent crop of hazlenuts this year, including the American hazelnuts, which are larger than beaked hazelnuts and more abundant in the western part of the county.
Udovich said he’s pleased to see that bear numbers appear to have recovered somewhat from relatively low numbers experienced several years ago. Lower permit numbers in the state’s quota zone may have helped in that recovery. Statewide, the DNR issued 4,030 permits this year within the quota zone, which covers roughly the northeastern half of the state. In the Arrowhead, the DNR issued 325 tags within permit area 25, which covers the eastern half of Koochiching and the northern third of St. Louis County, outside the Boundary Waters wilderness. Another 100 tags were issued in permit area 24, which covers much of central St. Louis County south of Hwy. 1, including the Mesabi Iron Range.
Look for early results from this year’s bear season in the Sept. 13 issue of the Timberjay.
This year’s bear season runs from Sept. 1-Oct. 13.