Source: Minnesota DNR The primary bear ranges are shown in black, and the non-primary bear ranges are in green.

SLEEPY EYE — Police say a small black bear was seen near a residence north of Sleepy Eye Lake around noon, May 15.

“A resident on North Lake Road, (just north of Sleepy Eye Sportsmen’s Park) spotted a bear near a residence, yelled at it, and it ran off,” said Sleepy Eye Police officer Elliot Waterbury. “It wasn’t a very large one. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Brown County Sheriff’s Office were notified.”

Waterbury said there is no cause for panic or alarm. The bear is virtually harmless as long as nobody tries to get near it or do anything to or with it.

On the warm evening of May 16, many people were on the nearby Sleepy Eye Lake paved trail. They walked, rode bicycles and ran. No bear sightings were reported.

The DNR reported a bear sighting May 1 in Le Sueur County, near Kilkenny, west of Faribault, between Waterville and Montgomery.

“Bears are super silent. Many times, they move on when they hear people,” said DNR Assistant Regional Wildlife Manager Joe Stangl. “The big thing is, if you see a bear, don’t try to feed it or interact with it. Remember they are wild. Give them their space. They’ll go about their business and be just fine.”

Minnesota’s black bear range has slowly expanded southward and westward, prompting the DNR to better document the expansion and the DNR’s need for public help in reporting bear sightings.

The DNR is only interested in bear sightings in western, west central, east central, south central, southwest and southeastern Minnesota. It is not interested in sightings north of Washington, Anoka, Sherburne and Benton Counties; the northeastern part of Morrison, Todd and Wadena Counties, or the eastern half of Becker, Mahnomen, Polk, Marshall or Kittson Counties, which it considers primary bear range.

The DNR requests bear sightings outside the primary range to be reported. A new DNR website app is used to gather bear sighting information in the southern and western parts of the state. The DNR is particularly interested in gathering information on where female bears and cubs have traveled.

Information can be provided online at www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/bear/bear-sightings.html. Name and contact information will not be made public. Reports can also be made by calling local wildlife managers or reporting nuisance bear assistance on the website.

In Learning to Live with Bears, the DNR reports that conflicts between people and bears can arise when bears, usually seeking food, damage personal property, beehives, livestock and agricultural crops. Such conflicts have increased as more people build homes, cabins and recreate in northern Minnesota.

A bear will take advantage of any available food. They will try to eat anything that resembles food in looks, smell or taste. When natural food like berries, nuts, insects, tender vegetation and meat are scarce, bears search actively for anything to eat. This is when bears most often come in contact with people. When bears find a food source, they usually return.

Bear problems can be minimized by reducing garbage odors by rinsing food cans and wrappers before disposal, composting vegetable scraps, keeping meat scraps in your freezer until garbage pickup day, washing garbage cans regularly, keeping pet food inside and keeping barbecue grills and picnic tables clean.

Use an energized fence to keep bears from beehives, sweet corn, fruit trees and berry patches. Barking dogs, bright lights and noisemakers can discourage bears.

If a bear is near you, back away slowly. Go inside and wait for it to leave. If it refuses to leave, make loud noises or throw something to scare it away. Always allow the bear an escape route.

When camping, never have food in your tent. Use canned and dried food to minimize food odors. Use airtight or bear-proof containers. Burn waste paper in your campfire. Don’t burn or bury food scraps. Remove all garbage and fish remains from camp each night.

If a bear comes into camp, don’t feed it. Scare it away. Bang pans, yell or use air horns. Throw rocks or firewood or use a slingshot. Spray including hot pepper liquid discourage bold bears.

For more information, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.