Storms start to move out of Minnesota, continue for western Wisconsin

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Minnesota black bears are emerging from hibernation — and they’re ahead of schedule. 

On Sunday, an Isanti County sheriff’s deputy and a Good Samaritan teamed up to rescue a cub from traffic on Highway 65, according to a Facebook post from the department. It 

 the department received several calls reporting a bear near Cambridge around the end of March. On Monday, there was 

 about another bear roaming south St. Cloud on the Neighbors app. 

Andrew Tri, bear project leader with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, told MPR News it’s a bit soon for the bears to be out. 

“Generally, we don’t put any sort of guidance out to pull your bird feeders down and take your trash in until about tax day,” he said. But, “it didn’t necessarily catch us by surprise.”

An Isanti County sheriff's deputy and Good Samaritan rescued a black bear cub Sunday.

Tri says the sightings have been focused in central Minnesota, from the north end of the Twin Cities up to Brainerd. It’s partly due to the unseasonably warm winter. 

Bear ranges are also increasing and shifting south and westward in the long term, Tri said, with the ursine creatures even making it down to Rochester. However, climate change isn’t the culprit. 

“It's mostly people's tolerance,” Tri explained. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, people considered bears a “varmint species,” and “they were treated like large raccoons.” Now, Minnesotans are less inclined to shoot bears on sight, allowing ranges to expand. If you see a bear outside of its normal habitat, 

“People and bears like kind of the same things,” Tri said. “They like woods, they like oak forests, they like places where there's nearby water and wetlands.”

The lingering drought pattern also reduces berry production, one of bears’ favorite foods, and lead to more bear-human conflict, Tri said. 

So how can you keep the bears — and yourself — safe?

“Treat any animal with respect, give them lots of space,” Tri said. He suggests following the 

 from the DNR for living safely in bear country. 

Cathy Wurzer

Host

Gracie  Stockton

Author

Minnesota black bears are emerging from hibernation — and they’re ahead of schedule. So how can you keep the bears and yourself safe?

Minnesota black bears are waking up early. Here’s how to keep the bears and yourself safe

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