Minnesota's mild weather leads to early bear sightings in Isanti County
ISANTI COUNTY, Minn. — Minnesota's mild weather may have led to some earlier-than-normal neighborhood activity in Isanti County. Bears have been spotted there for weeks now.
Not far from Cambridge, Good Samaritans and Isanti County sheriff's deputies helped rescue a bear cub who was on a busy highway, separated from its mother.
"They're not going to be bothering you as long as you're not bothering them, I'm sure," Cambridge resident Derek Rogers said.
The Schaff family captured another bear sauntering down their road in late March, getting into trash bins.
"It just kind of looked like a black ball because it blended in," Sylvester Schaff recalled.
Next door to them, the Dahlbergs captured an overnight visitor too. Their backyard camera showed a bear feasting on bird seed and trash.
RELATED: How this year's warm, dry winter has affected Minnesota's bear population
"Bird feeders can become bear feeders," Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Bear Project Leader Andrew Tri said.
Tri recommends removing bird feeders from Tax Day to Thanksgiving to not attract bears.
"The next best option is to hang them really high, like 12 feet off the ground, so a bear can't get to them and make sure they are far enough from trees on either sides," Tri said.
The DNR also recommends keeping grills clean and secure trash bins, preferably by storing them in a garage.
"Once they figure out what that food source is, they will keep coming back once they get that initial food reward," he said.
According to the Minnesota DNR, the state's black bear population is expanding southward and westward.
You can report a bear sighting in your neighborhood online through the DNR's website.
More tips on how to live responsibly with bears can be found here.