Jul 31 2008
That’s One Way to Hunt Bears
King David would have you believe that he is ‘concerned’ about bears wandering into his campsite in the Boundary Waters region of northern Minnesota next month. I think it’s a clever ploy to divert attention from his latest adventure - trapping bears in buckets.
FRAZEE, Minn. — A bear with a plastic jar over its head led police on a six-day chase through the forests of Hubbard and Becker counties before it was shot and killed, state wildlife officials said.
Officials had hoped to capture the wild black bear — whose head got stuck inside a 2 1/2-gallon plastic jar — but decided to shoot the animal after it wandered into the city of Frazee during the town’s busy Turkey Days celebration.
“When it got into town, our main concern was public safety,” said Rob Naplin, the Department of Natural Resources’ area wildlife supervisor in Park Rapids.
The bear was foraging for food, perhaps at a Dumpster, when its head got head stuck in the clear, plastic container. Naplin said he wasn’t sure of the container’s original contents but said it looked like a jar for bulk candy or popcorn.
While the bear could breathe, it couldn’t eat or drink and was likely suffering from dehydration and hunger. “I’m sure there was high anxiety and frustration with its predicament,” Naplin said. “It is (a sad story).”
There was no evidence the bear was baited by hunters, Naplin said. The legal baiting season doesn’t open until Aug. 15. The bear season opens Sept. 1.
