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WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SEE A BLACK BEAR? What should you do if you see a bear? Update February 20, 2010 – 6:26 PM CST (WRI Update ) What should you do if you see a black bear? The standard answer nationwide is, “Speak calmly and back away slowly.” This identifies you as a person, shows you to be non-threatening, and gives the bear space. Not bad advice. But do you have to follow that advice to avoid an attack? No. Those are polite actions that respect a black bear’s comfort zone and help ease its anxiety. It is the gentle way to separate. Standing quietly without speaking might give you more opportunity to observe what the bear is doing. More aggressive action would likely send the bear running like many of us saw on Animal Planet’s ‘Bear Whisperer’ a couple nights ago. Is one action safer than another? If a black bear is more than a few yards away, it seldom matters what you do. Attacks are rare no matter what. One might say, “What? I’ve heard lots of advice about what a person must do.” Yes, well-meaning advice-givers have said a lot of things. Most have had no close-up experience with wild, non-tranquilized bears, and that includes most bear biologists. A problem with most advice is that it really makes no difference and carries the hidden, scary message that if you don’t do it, you will be in deep trouble, maybe killed. Much of the usual advice is based on assumptions that bears are quick to anger—like they are portrayed on covers of hunting magazines—and that they would love to attack us if they only dared. We can attest, after 43 years of working with wild bears, that those assumptions are wrong. Realizing how little science and how little first-hand experience is behind the well-meaning advice, we have tested as much of it as possible. We have not found a way to reliably elicit an attack. In fact, in 43 years, we've never been attacked, even when holding screaming cubs in our hands with mother bears present. We've seen lots of bluff charges, but no attacks. The closest we’ve come to eliciting attacks is when we tackled bears, which we quit doing decades ago. Of course, the bears bit and clawed their way free, but then they ran instead of attacking. What to do about a bear in your yard probably depends on how you feel about black bears. Do you enjoy seeing wildlife on your property? Watching a bear can be a wonderful experience. As more people live close to their woodland homes, the chances of seeing black bears are rising. One Eagles Nest resident who enjoys seeing wildlife recommends quietly observing from a distance. Announce yourself so the bear knows you are present and you don't startle the animal. If the bear knows you are there and is not stressed by your presence it is a wonderful time to study black bear behavior. Is it a youngster just after family breakup and afraid of its own shadow? Afraid of being chased by mom? Is it a mother with cubs? Listen for the language she uses with her cubs. Has she treed them for safety? What are the personalities of the cubs? Are some more confident and others timid? Do you see more than one bear? Are they friends? Rivals? Potential mates? Is the bear foraging on vegetation in your yard? Could what you thought was an alder bush really be beaked hazelnuts? Would you prefer not to see black bears or have them on your property? If you want the bear to leave: Identify yourself as human Yell, scuff your feet, wave objects, etc. Ask yourself what brought the bear to your property. Is the bear just passing through? Bears have a right to monitor/mark their territory, seek food, and look for a mate. We share the Northwoods with them. Have you inadvertently left out things that attracted them such as bird feeders or garbage? Do you have fruit trees, a garden or other bear food growing on your property? Contact the BearTeam to assess your property and help you remove attractants.

001ed389-78fa-4f33-9b67-17c5d4d4d133 < Back Slide 22 of 83 < > People needed protection, so they passed a law that branches had to be burned before they dried out.

EAGLES NEST BEARS The residents of Eagles Nest Township and their black bears have long had a unique relationship. VIEW SHADOW'S FAMILY TREE

9e287a28-4781-4e1f-b01f-febe6a61473b < Back Slide 78 of 83 < > When a white pine finally does fall, it becomes valuable in a new way. Unlike smaller logs that quickly dry out and disintegrate, big white pine logs stay moist and provide habitat for up to two centuries.

April 1, 2022 Prevent conflicts with bears with these spring tips from the DNR Submitted by Admin1 on Fri, 04/01/2022 - 13:59 With bears emerging from hibernation in the coming weeks, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds homeowners to check their property for food sources that could attract bears. “Please take the time now to remove or secure anything that could attract a bear,” said Eric Nelson, DNR wildlife damage program supervisor. “Prevention is key. Once a bear finds a food source, it will likely return again.” As bears emerge from hibernation, their metabolism gradually ramps up and they will begin looking for food at a time when berries and green vegetation are scarce. Home and cabin owners should remove or secure attractants such as birdseed, garbage, livestock feed, or compost to reduce potential conflicts. Black bears are the only bear species that lives in the wild in Minnesota. Bears are more common in the forested region of northern Minnesota but can live anywhere in the state if they find an area of suitable habitat. They usually are shy and flee when encountered. Never approach or try to pet a bear. Injury to people is rare, but bears are potentially dangerous because of their size, strength and speed. Avoid bear conflicts by following these tips: Around the yard • Any time you feed birds, you risk attracting bears. Avoid feeding birds from April 1 to Nov. 15. If you still wish to feed birds, hang birdfeeders 10 feet up and 4 feet out from the nearest trees. • Do not put out feed for wildlife (like corn, oats, pellets or molasses blocks). • Do not leave food from barbeques and picnics outdoors, especially overnight. Standard coolers are not bear-proof. Clean and store barbeque grills in a secure shed or garage away from windows and doors after each use. • Harvest garden produce as it matures, pick any fruit left on trees and collect any fallen fruit. Locate gardens away from forests and shrubs that bears may use for cover. • Store pet food inside and feed pets inside. If pets must be fed outdoors, feed them only as much as they will eat. Garbage • Store garbage in bear-resistant garbage cans or dumpsters. Standard rubber or plastic garbage cans are not bear-proof. • Keep garbage inside a secure building until the morning of pickup. • Properly rinse all recyclable containers with hot water to remove all remaining product. • Store recyclable containers, such as pop cans, inside. • More bear information People should be cautious around bears and give them space. If bear problems persist after cleaning up food sources, contact a DNR area wildlife office for advice. For the name of the local wildlife manager, contact the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367, or find wildlife area office contact information ( mndnr.gov/Areas/Wildlife ) on the DNR website. For more information on how to coexist with bears visit the DNR website ( mndnr.gov/LivingWith_Wildlife/Bears ) and bearwise.org .

70d0b7b0-701e-4a19-9a75-4d461a885848 < Back Eating Icicles Mothers also ate icicles to get water. Previous Next

e3efe49f-d284-4385-8809-17530c4fa43d < Back Slide 28 of 83 < > People began to realize the white pines that had provided a living for so long would not come back without help, so forestry agencies were created to protect and restore the forests.

July 19, 2023 BERRY ABUNDANT Despite dry conditions, blueberry, juneberry, and raspberry crops are robust Marshall Helmberger For the second year in a row, the wild fruit crops around the area are bordering on abundant to exceptional, at least in many places. And this year, June’s early heat has left most berry crops ripening ahead of schedule, which means you should get out now if you’re hoping for a few blueberry pies, or raspberry jam, this summer.The relative berry abundance is likely the result of last winter’s heavy snow, which provided enough soil moisture for most berry bushes to weather June’s remarkably hot and dry conditions. The only exception appears to be the blueberry crop in areas with shallow soils, which were left parched by June’s weather. That means the bedrock outcrops that can provide excellent picking in an average-to-wet year, aren’t likely to yield many berries this summer. If you’re having a hard time finding blueberries, be on the lookout for juneberries, which are the blueberry’s meatier and often sweeter cousin. This year, many juneberry bushes are loaded with big, juicy, and sweet berries, more than I’ve seen in several years. Walking and biking paths in places like Ely, Tower, and Soudan are good places to look for juneberries. In case you’re not familiar with juneberries, these are tall bushes, often growing ten feet high or more, so they can be easier to pick for those who have a hard time bending down for blueberries. Even if the berries are above your head, you can usually bend the branches down quite a bit without breaking them. Wild raspberries are also beginning to ripen and also appear to be abundant. And, while they’re far from ripe this early, the wild plum crop looks exceptionally strong as well for those who like to make plum jelly.

8e3464ff-80b4-4963-bb86-fe830d6175d4 BLACK BEAR DIET Animal Protein . Spring Insects and animal matter are less than 10% of the annual black bear diet in the Ely area and across most of North America. The stocky body that gives black bears strength and minimizes heat loss over winter makes them a poor predator. The stocky, insulated body makes them overheat during chases and gives them poor turning ability. They cannot match the agility of specialized predators or potential prey. They will, however, eat a newborn fawn in the spring if they come upon one before it is old enough to evade them, which is about 11 days old.

fe62bf73-0f1a-407a-9f77-427060c05a44 BLACK BEAR DIET Wild Calla Calla palustris May, June, July, August Spring, Summer The wild calla lily is an important summer vegetation for black bears. Less preferred than berries and hazelnuts, but wild calla can sustain bears in years when berries and hazelnuts are scarce. It grows in acidic, shallow marshes and bogs in NE Minnesota and the leaves remain succulent all spring, summer, and fall. That means many of the nutrients are in a digestible fluid form during this time.

0f00d27e-c55f-46c0-bc01-b8e0ef2f7980 < Back Rambunctious Cubs When snow delayed emergence, these two cubs decided to play Beary-Go-Round. This was near the end of a denning period of 225 days—nearly 7 ½ months. Previous Next

cff36573-bae9-4ca9-9a26-ef3a52aa2abd < Back Slide 42 of 83 < > They also survive well in western and southern Minnesota where it's too warm and dry for blister rust to be a big problem.