Justin Runberg

The bear hunting opener is one week away, and though weather has dried up most of the natural forage, that could bode well for hunters in north country.
Andrew Tri, Minnesota DNR bear project leader, said this time of year is a mad scrum to get bait and cameras out for the season. Heading into the first week, Tri says reports from the field indicate a varied landscape for hunters, with a better-than-average year for forage.

Many Minnesota bear hunters have been unable to purchase surplus bear tags since the sale opened Aug. 5, when high demand caused a “disruption” with the new Electronic Licensing System and forced the DNR to suspend sales.
The DNR gave an update to bear hunters on Tuesday, Aug. 11, nearly a week after the system was bogged down due to a high influx of users. In their statement on the Minnesota Fish and Wildlife Facebook page and DNR website, the DNR said it has reviewed their system records since the initial surplus sale on Aug. 5. From those, hunters who were fully successful in buying their license will maintain their license.