Black bears are active and moving west in Kittson Co.

By Anna Jauhola
Throughout the spring and into early summer, there have been reports of black bears around Kittson County, but especially more toward the western edge.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the black bear natural range has been slowly expanding to the west and south. The current plotted range covers the northeastern part of the state, including the eastern third of Kittson County.
There have been regular sightings of bears recently by locals along the Highway 175 corridor as well as the County Road 22 – Two River Turnpike area, and stretching to the west of there. Bears have been sighted in recent years fleeing corn fields as combines harvest the crop.
Usually, there are several reports from Lake Bronson State Park of several bears wandering the area. Diane Peterson, office administrative support specialist, said they haven’t received many reports of bears this year. There were more reports in the spring, but they tapered off going into the summer months.
Others in the Lake Bronson area, including Peterson, have either seen bears near their homes or caught them on game cameras as well.
Area Wildlife Manager Jason Wollin, who is based in Karlstad, said he hasn’t received any more calls about bears this spring than normal. He gave some insight into why black bears are moving more to the western part of the county.
“Bears are one of those animals that have kind of moved out of the forest in the east and moved into the aspen parkland,” he said. “We have a good mix of habitat, cover and forage, especially before it greens up and before the berries bloom, they’re looking for food.”
Along with the good habitat provided in this region, bears are finding more forage and also eat agricultural crops that help them pack on fat for winter.
“They have more options for good forage, high protein type things, so they get bigger and have more cubs because they maintain better fat reserves to produce milk to feed cubs,” Wollin said.
This is also black bears’ mating season, so boars will be roaming trying to find sows, Wollin said.
According to information on the DNR website, black bears have incredible senses of smell. Campers are often told to securely store their food and other smelly items so they don’t attract bears. This same advice applies to homeowners. If bears move into a rural neighborhood, they will be attracted to bird feeders and trash cans or burn barrels. If people avoid having these things out while bears are foraging for food, especially mama bears with cubs, the bears will typically leave the area. This is usually the type of information Wollin also relays to people who call about bears.
According to the DNR website, bears exiting hibernation in the spring will feed on green vegetation until they can find ants more toward June. They will then feed on the ant pupae, along with berries throughout the summer and nuts in the fall.
Wollin will often point people to the DNR website, which has good information on black bears in general, including how to handle an encounter with a black bear.
First, don’t panic. Instead, if the bear notices you, speak calmly and slowly back away while continuing to watch the bear – do not run. If a bear approaches you, yell at it and make yourself bigger by waving your arms. If necessary, throw things at the bear to try and make it leave. The DNR states, if you are attacked, fight back – do not play dead – and kick or punch the face, eyes and nose.
It is suggested that people carry bear spray and learn how to use it properly.
In most cases, bears will leave people alone or flee before someone even sees them.
“Minnesota’s black bears are seldom aggressive and rarely injure people – they are naturally cautious animals that usually try to avoid human contact,” according to the website.
Another good tip is, if you are going to walk wilderness trails, make noise regularly and never hike alone. And, as if you are camping, don’t leave trash or food behind you on the trail.
For the adventurous type who want to see bears, the DNR suggests finding them in the early morning and early evening. However, caution is still advised to view bears from a distance using binoculars or a camera. The DNR suggests staying at least 50 yards, or 10 car lengths, away.
Sometimes, bears invade human space and become nuisances. This reporter has heard stories of bears recently walking right up to people’s homes, very close to doors and windows.
“A black bear is more scared of you than you are of them,” Wollin said. “But don’t approach them. Don’t try to pet them.”
According to the DNR website, state law allows homeowners or farm owners to shoot and kill nuisance bears.
“This option can only be used if the bear is causing significant property damage or creating an immediate danger to people or animals,” the website states.
Serious damage can include major crop decimation or a bear having ripped apart walls of a garage. “Destroying a bird feeder or unsecured trash cans is not a viable reason to shoot a bear.”
In addition, the DNR states it will never relocate trouble bears because that is just relocating a problem to another area. Instead, they highly suggest people follow a few necessary precautions, such as putting bird feeders away during the spring and suet and hummingbird feeders overnight. Storing trash cans in a secure area will also help eliminate attracting bears. If you compost, limit it to grass clippings and leaves.
So, as you are out and about, or purposely seeking prime bear-viewing, take a few moments to remember they are wild animals that just need space.
For more information about black bears in Minnesota, visit https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/bears/index.html. This page has links to several other pages of information mentioned above. You can also visit bearwise.org.