Lack of natural foods could lead to high harvest up north
Posted by Jesse White on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Under: Bear Hunting
Aug. 31, 2012
TOWER - When northern Minnesota bear hunters hit the woods Saturday for the start of the 2012 season they could be in for plenty of action.
It's been a poor year for food sources like blueberries, raspberries, choke cherries, pin and burr oak and hazel in the Tower area and traditionally when that happens bears are more apt to target hunter bait piles.
That in turn leads to high harvest numbers, said Tom Rusch, Tower Area Wildlife Manager for the Department of Natural Resources.
"Bear numbers are up again and we have very poor natural foods. Blueberries were a bust and fall foods like hazel and acorns were not strong," Rusch said. "When they aren't around (bears) come looking for food."
The season runs through Oct. 14.
Rusch said permits for the season needed to be purchased by Aug. 1 and that surplus tags made available on Aug. 6 sold out in 30 minutes.
Statewide, the DNR estimates there are 20,000 bears and the agency is currently managing for a slight increase in the population - looking to raise numbers to around 22,000.
That means permits were down as much as 15 percent in some places.
In the Tower area the harvest has been down over the past five years due to lower bear numbers. Hunters harvested 245 bears in 2011; 214 in 2010; 249 in 2009; 190 in 2008 and 318 in 2007.
Statewide, 1,732 bears were harvested in 2011; 2,699 in 2010; 2,801 in 2009; 2,135 in 2008; and 3,172 in 2007.
Rusch said hunter success has increased over that time however due to less permits available and varies from 20 to 38 percent depending on location.
But that could all change this season.
"The bottom line is when we have poor natural foods we have more hits on bait and now that we have lower permits there's going to be high hunter success," Rusch said, adding that hunter success is about one in five in a poor year.
This year it could be closer to one in three, with Rusch said the harvest could be around 300 bears in the Tower area.
And while higher than last year's tally it's nowhere near how many were harvested in 1995, a record setting year that was similar to this year as far as food production goes.
That year 610 bears were harvested and hunters had a 40 percent success rate.
TOWER - When northern Minnesota bear hunters hit the woods Saturday for the start of the 2012 season they could be in for plenty of action.
It's been a poor year for food sources like blueberries, raspberries, choke cherries, pin and burr oak and hazel in the Tower area and traditionally when that happens bears are more apt to target hunter bait piles.
That in turn leads to high harvest numbers, said Tom Rusch, Tower Area Wildlife Manager for the Department of Natural Resources.
"Bear numbers are up again and we have very poor natural foods. Blueberries were a bust and fall foods like hazel and acorns were not strong," Rusch said. "When they aren't around (bears) come looking for food."
The season runs through Oct. 14.
Rusch said permits for the season needed to be purchased by Aug. 1 and that surplus tags made available on Aug. 6 sold out in 30 minutes.
Statewide, the DNR estimates there are 20,000 bears and the agency is currently managing for a slight increase in the population - looking to raise numbers to around 22,000.
That means permits were down as much as 15 percent in some places.
In the Tower area the harvest has been down over the past five years due to lower bear numbers. Hunters harvested 245 bears in 2011; 214 in 2010; 249 in 2009; 190 in 2008 and 318 in 2007.
Statewide, 1,732 bears were harvested in 2011; 2,699 in 2010; 2,801 in 2009; 2,135 in 2008; and 3,172 in 2007.
Rusch said hunter success has increased over that time however due to less permits available and varies from 20 to 38 percent depending on location.
But that could all change this season.
"The bottom line is when we have poor natural foods we have more hits on bait and now that we have lower permits there's going to be high hunter success," Rusch said, adding that hunter success is about one in five in a poor year.
This year it could be closer to one in three, with Rusch said the harvest could be around 300 bears in the Tower area.
And while higher than last year's tally it's nowhere near how many were harvested in 1995, a record setting year that was similar to this year as far as food production goes.
That year 610 bears were harvested and hunters had a 40 percent success rate.
In : Bear Hunting
