(KNSI) – Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources is warning hunters they may come across more than just the average bear beginning Labor Day Weekend.
The state agency has put radio collars for scientific research on 50 black bears. The DNR believes most are located in hunting zones 27, 45 or the no-quota zone. That includes around Camp Ripley and up to the Brainerd/Baxter area. All but three of the bears are female.
Before hunters tighten up their sights, officials ask that they check for an ear tag on their potential target. Treat the research bears as if they are off-limits.
Bear hunting season in Minnesota runs from September 1st through October 12th. Licenses are issued through a lottery system. Hunters first registered to take part back in the spring. Estimates put Minnesota’s black bear population at between 13,000 and 18,000 animals. They have been expanding their territory more south and west in recent years.
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