Mild Winter Could Lead to Earlier than Normal Bear Activity

CLOQUET, Minn. — Most years, the Northland will start waking up from its winter slumber during the latter part of March and early April. But this year, after an anything but typical winter, we may be seeing some wildlife such as bears venture out earlier than normal.

“Bears could be coming out at any time. Particularly the adult males or sows without cubs. They’re a little bit more free to roam,” said Chris Balzer, area wildlife manager with the Minnesota DNR.

Balzer goes on to say it may seem early, but now is a good time to consider bear-proofing your yard by eliminating sources of food. The mild weather the last three months has been one of the warmest winters on record across the Northland.  The spring-like conditions could lead to some bears coming out of their dens to search for food a few weeks ahead of schedule.

“The hibernation is not really about the cold weather, it’s about lack of food. The big thing to remember with bears is they’re just driven by food. If you don’t have food in your yard for a bear to eat, there’s really no reason for a bear to be there, or at least hang around or come back. They might pass through, that sort of thing,” said Balzer.

Close to 90% of DNR bear complaints involve bird feeders or garbage, so they recommend taking them out of the yard and storing them in a shed or garage. Other things that can attract a bear into your yard are pet food or a dirty grill or smoker. Regardless of your efforts to make your property as uninviting as possible, a bear may still wander into your yard. If that is the case, the DNR’s Balzer says the best course of action is to try to scare it off.

“Besides removing food from your yard, if you do see a bear, it’s actually good to chase it away. Make sure it knows that it’s not welcome. If it’s down in your yard and you can be up on your deck and you can yell at it, bang some pots and pans, blow an air horn, scare it off. Just make sure it’s uncomfortable. That’s actually good for the bear,” said Balzer.

After you scare it off, alert your neighbors so the bears know they aren’t welcome anywhere. Even if you keep away early bears, you will have to stay vigilant because part of the bear population will be waiting until the normal time to come out despite the mild winter.

“The sows with cubs, you know those cubs are a month or less old. They’re usually born in January or February so they’re too small to come out yet. So they’re pretty much tied to the den for a while yet. They would come out their normal time despite the weather,” said Balzer.

If bears become too comfortable around humans, it can be dangerous for both us and them. So, when they do start coming out of their dens, let’s try to maintain that long-distance relationship.