09/01/2026
The Minnesota bear hunting season opens Sept. 1, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters to avoid shooting research bears marked with large, colorful ear tags and radio collars.
The DNR is currently monitoring 50 radio-collared black bears across Minnesota, particularly in hunting zones 27 and 45 and parts of the no-quota zone. Most of the bears are located in or near the Chippewa National Forest, Camp Ripley, the Brainerd-Baxter area and Duluth. All but two are female.
"We ask hunters to avoid shooting these research bears," said Andrew Tri, Minnesota DNR bear research scientist. "These collared bears give us much of the data we use in bear management and are most valuable to us when they are collared for multiple years."
Researchers use data from the bears to study how changes in natural food supplies affect habitat use, physical condition, denning, reproduction and interactions with people. GPS-equipped collars provide thousands of data points each year, helping biologists make informed bear management decisions.
Because collars are often hidden by a bear's fur, hunters are encouraged to look for the large ear tags that identify research animals. While it is legal to harvest a collared bear, the DNR asks hunters to pause and confirm whether a bear is marked before taking a shot.
Hunters who harvest a collared bear should also look for a small implanted heart monitor under the skin on the bear's left chest. The device stores valuable research information and should be turned over to the DNR along with the collar.
