How this year's warm, dry winter has affected Minnesota's bear population
MINNEAPOLIS — Two years ago, WCCO took you inside a Minnesota bear den in the Chippewa National Forest near Grand Rapids.
At the time, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources biologists were worried because drought had hit the food supply hard. That season was one of the worst years for food since the 80s, when the DNR started research to manage the state's black bear population. That meant some bears, like the one we followed, didn't have cubs as expected.
This year, DNR biologists went back out to see how bears are faring in what's been an unusual winter.
February in the Brainerd area had an unusual crunch to it with all the dried leaves on the ground and no snow — not exactly textbook hibernating weather.
When bears tuck into their dens for the winter, Dr. Andy Tri gets to work, taking his tool that communicates with the collared trackers on the bears the state is monitoring to locate them in their dens.
READ MORE: 2023 was the planet's hottest year on record, and climate-related disaster costs are mounting
Tri and his partner at the DNR traverse the state, checking on dens to see how the bears are doing — snow or no snow.
In this excursion, we're expecting to find a mama bear and her yearling. The beeping of Tri's tracking device lets us know we are getting closer.
What we find here inside her den is pretty textbook.
"So this is BR23. She's a 4-year-old female," said Tri. "This is her very first little baby."
Except her little baby isn't so little at nearly 100 pounds, which is on the larger side for a yearling. That may seem surprising given our persistent drought.
"The oaks which are a primary food source for bears get real stressed," said Tri.
When it's dry, the oaks drop a lot of acorns — the perfect snack for a hungry bear. There was also a perfectly timed rain, creating a berry bounty.
"Everybody seems to be in really good shape. Cub survival is pretty darn high on the bears we've visited so far," said Tri.
We also wondered: Does a warm winter change their annual slumber?
"It doesn't really," said Tri. "The females are sticking in their den even with no snow on the ground."
Tri says it's still probably not worth it for the mama bears to come out early.
"You're going to lose more calories than you're going to gain," said Tri. "It's an energy conservation measure."
WCCO asked if snow depth matters, knowing it's a great insulator for bear dens.
"It doesn't seem to," said Tri. "There will be bears that den above ground even at 30 below. They're beyond extremely resilient."
In fact, it seems there isn't much that will rattle Minnesota black bears.
"In general, I think bears are going to be a climate change winner because they're just so adaptable, but the landscape moving forward is going to change dramatically," said Tri.
READ MORE: How is Minnesota's unusually warm winter affecting the moose population?
Tri says trees and food are essential for the bears. Mature oak die-off is a concern, and tamarack tree loss too.
For now, most like Bear BR23, are doing just fine.
"The kids are alright," said Tri. "They're one of those charismatic species in Minnesota we're just lucky to have."
Tri says bears are emerging a little early from their dens this year. They usually leave in early to mid-April, but one-fourth of them are already starting to move around.
If you see a bear, do not approach or feed them, secure your trash and recycling bins, and once grilling season hits, be sure you clean and store them.
Some of you might be wondering about Bear 6080 — that's the mama WCCO first met in 2022. She didn't have any cubs that year, but last year she had two. Both of them survived and are doing well.
