the DNR has spoken

[remington 300]

THIS JUST IN!! AN ARTICLE IN THE TRIB. turns out collared bears will be legal to shoot still,but the dnr encourages peolple to pass on collared bears.

heres a qoute from mr.landwehr DNR commissioner

Placing a collar and flagging on a game animal shouldn't 'reserve' it for one individual or group," Landwehr said. "Even in the name of research, individuals or groups shouldn't be allowed to pre-empt legal harvest."

good for the dnr on taking this stance!WTG!!!

mike fjelstad.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take your wife fishing,just for the FUN OF IT!

[jwmiller33]

Interesting... Glad to see the DNR coming out and giving this statement. I do agree that placing a collar on an animal shouldn't reserve it for one individual or group. However, I do think that hunters should take into consideration that bears are getting tagged/collared so researchers can learn more about them. By learning more about them, we (including the DNR) will be able to more effectively manage the species. I would pass on a collared bear, but wouldn't look down on someone else who would do otherwise.

[goblueM]

Good, exactly as it should be - researchers get to collar bears, this doesn't preempt hunters from shooting them, but as a respectful sportsman you would ethically pass on shooting the bear

[Double D]

At least PETA won't have to start a massive bear collaring campaign, which is what I worried would happen.

DD

[crawler harness]

Good, exactly as it should be - researchers get to collar bears, this doesn't preempt hunters from shooting them, but as a respectful sportsman you would ethically pass on shooting the bear

This is where I differ on about being a respectful sportman. What is the diffference if I shoot a radio collared bear, when say fishing on Mille Lacs I catch a 17.5" walleye that is tagged, that walleye was tagged to gain research just as much as the bear was. Am I being disrespectful by keeping that walleye. That tagged walleye fillet will taste just as good as one that was not tagged. Just like that radio collared bear is going to taste just as good as one that was not collared, MAYBE EVEN BETTER.

As long as I report to the dnr the tag number for the eye that it was harvested and report and turn in the collar I think that would make me a respectful sprtsman.

JMHO

[goblueM]

There's plenty of differences actually

In the walleye situation you reference, fish are usually tagged to determine exploitation (harvest) rate by anglers, so harvesting the fish is not going to impact your research (in fact, it is almost the point)

It's also relatively cheap to tag a lot of fish - not to mention that there are a LOT of walleye.

Bears, on the other hand, are generally tagged to determine range, social interactions, denning and hibernating practices, and other behavioral things - all of which neccesitate a live animal. Shoot a tagged bear and the research is much more impacted than if you keep a tagged fish or two.

[HooknHorns]

Good for the DNR. I dont think any bears should be reserved except for sows with cubs. Still dont think I could shoot a collared bear myself.. ..unless it was a 400lb brute.

[creepworm]

Also, walleyes usually do not have thousands of anti-fisherman watching them on a web cam like the bears do. Just for the sake of keeping hunters out of the news for a negative reason, collared bears should be passed upon. I do like this decision due to the fact that mistakes do happen and wildlife should not be reserved for anyone, no matter the purpose.

[mrklean]

very happy to see the DNR stand up for the hunter and not let the anti's get there way

[jkcmj]

Rogers group is encouraging Lily fans to write in to key legislators on the environmental commitees to encourage consideration of a bill for protection, likely to be forwarded by Rep. Phylis Kahn. We need people to write in to appose this so that the legislators get a balanced view on what this could mean to the future of hunting in MN if it is allowed to continue. Primary contacts to write:

Representative Denny McNamara, Chair

Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance

375 State Office Building

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Saint Paul, MN 55155

651-296-3135

[email protected]

Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen, Chair

Environment and Natural Resources

Capitol Building, Room 303

75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Saint Paul, MN 55155-1606

651-297-8063

[email protected]

Hand written letters and phone calls get noticed more than email, but anything is better than nothing.

[Muthagoose]

Hooks, Thats exactly the right thats needed to be retained,CHOICE....

For me it would have to be either the next state record or a prime time eater.

The research is being allowed by a scientific/research permit issued not to be used for entertainment or profit and thats exactly what they are doing with it.

SO thats probably also why the state will not enforce restriction.

[InTheNorthwoods]

There's plenty of differences actually

...

Bears, on the other hand, are generally tagged to determine range, social interactions, denning and hibernating practices, and other behavioral things - all of which neccesitate a live animal. Shoot a tagged bear and the research is much more impacted than if you keep a tagged fish or two.

Question for you. In bear research, are we aiming for the most valid and scientifically sound research about wild bears? If so, isn't mortality a part of bear research? Why is hunter caused mortality any different than natural mortality? The reality of the situation is that bear hunting is legal, and hunter mortality is a big part of a bears life (and so are the associated adaptations a bear makes to hunter predation - if we elminate them from being hunted, we aren't accurately portraying a bears behaviors in the wild under the conditions presented in the wild). If we are going to exclude that portion of a bears' life, we aren't going to have real and valid data - it will be artificially altered. Finally, its not like the collars couldn't be reused after a bear is shot and the collar is returned...

In the end, I really don't have a dog bear in the fight. But I am hesitant of the path bear hunting would be sent down when bears are "excluded from hunting" by animal rights activists under the guise of "bear research."

[Musky Buck]

I hope not too many of my dollars pour into bear research, what more can be learned about them already, what do you know now that you didn't 30 years ago. I want to know when I see a dozen or so looking at a bear in hibernation what that dozen's direct deposit look like and how those dollars get there. Let's prioritize MN priorities and we can all kick back and watch the webcam of the bear and cubs. In a nutshell they eat sleep skat females have cubs likely 1 or 2 in either an above or below ground level den each winter. They are generally black in color, generally the bigger the older and they have a great sense of smell. I could list quite a list of more pressing issues in MN before bear research hits the radar. Not that bears aren't cool and maybe something new will be learned, if 0 of my dollars go toward it then disregard the post. Moose, Asian carp, what ducks, why are ruffed grouse extinct in my area where they once flourished, snowshoehare extinct in certain areas they once flourished. Oh Bears are easy to research or at least find once collared, I get it now. And those cute cubs can be handled with an almost stupifyed momma all groggy. I want to change my tune, can I please have a job doing bear research? That's my point Inthe north sorta, dump thousands into invalid type research, the american way, I mean waste.