Minnesota Bear Harvest Numbers Down A Bit From Last Year

The Minnesota DNR released the latest bear harvest numbers.  2,300 Bears have been harvested in Minnesota with a few weeks remaining in the bear season.  That number is down 13% from last year's harvest.  Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joined me on WJON today.  He says last year's numbers were extraordinarily high and this year's numbers are still very good.  He says many bear hunters are reporting success this year.  Schmitt says the majority of the bears harvested are taken in the first 2 weeks of the hunting season.  Bear hunting started September 1st and will continue through October 18th in Minnesota.  Baiting for bears began on August 14th.  Schmitt says bears have been moving further south and more and more bears are spotted in Central Minnesota.  The furthest south he has seen a bear is in the Annandale area.

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Archery Deer and small game hunting starts Saturday in Minnesota.  Schmitt says small game hunting includes rabbits and squirrels and is a great starting place for young hunters.  He says years ago that was where many hunters learned how to hunt and now many young hunters go straight to deer hunting.  Archery Deer hunting goes from September 18th to December 31st in Minnesota.  Squirrel and rabbit hunting is allowed in Minnesota from September 18th to February 28.

Late season fishing continues.  Glen Schmitt says he's having success finding walleyes along the weed line but as the temperatures cool in Minnesota he expects to see walleyes move into shallow water.

Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joins me every Thursday on WJON at 8:40 a.m.  Listen to today's conversation below.