Minnesota DNR Press Release | August 22, 2025
Minnesota’s bear hunting season opens Monday, September 1st, and the Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters to avoid shooting bears that are part of ongoing research.
About 50 black bears across the state are fitted with radio collars and large, colorful ear tags. Most of these bears are female and live around Chippewa National Forest, Camp Ripley, Brainerd-Baxter, and Duluth, though they often range well beyond those areas.
DNR bear research scientist Andrew Tri says the collared bears provide critical long-term data on food supplies, habitat use, reproduction, denning, and how bears interact with people. Replacing them with new bears every year can’t match the value of data collected over many seasons.
The collars themselves can be hard to see, they’re usually black and blend with the bear’s coat, but the large ear tags should be visible, especially on trail cameras or when a bear visits a bait site. While it’s legal to take a collared bear, the DNR asks hunters to pause for a clear look at the bear’s head before harvesting.
If a collared bear is taken, hunters are asked to check for a small implanted heart monitor, about the size of a paper clip, and turn it in along with the collar. Hunters may also encounter bears with very small tags; these are not collared but are still part of research, and the DNR asks that they be reported.
Anyone who harvests a collared or tagged bear should contact the DNR’s Wildlife Research Office in Grand Rapids at 218-328-8879 or 218-328-8874 to coordinate return of the research equipment.
Photos of tagged bears and more research information can be found on the Minnesota DNR’s bear management webpage at mndnr.gov/hunting/bear.