Field report

Bear harvest continues

Bear hunters had bagged 2,401 bears as of this week, up 35 percent from last year, though last year was an unusually low harvest. "The harvest this year is probably close to the average harvest over the last five years, but the overall hunter success rate could be up,'' said Dave Dickey, DNR area wildlife manager in Aitkin.

Deer harvest down

Minnesota's archery deer hunters registered 833 deer through last Monday, compared to 975 on opening weekend of the 2008 season. But that's no surprise, and no real indication of what is to come this fall, DNR officials say.

"Unlike the rifle/shotgun season, where almost 70 percent of the harvest occurs during the first two days, the majority of the archery harvest occurs in mid- to late October, so the opening weekend is not a good predictor of the overall archery harvest,'' said Marrett Grund, DNR wildlife biologist.

He's predicting a lower kill for both archery and rifle seasons due to lower deer densities than previous years and the agency's more conservative management strategies this year to stabilize deer densities.

Don't block trails

Conservation officer Darin Fagerman of Grand Marais reports that some grouse hunters are still blocking public roads with their vehicles while they hunt. "This will not be tolerated by law enforcement,'' Fagerman reported. "These roads are public and are open to everyone. Do not assume that there aren't other users that need to come and go. Also, law enforcement, emergency rescue and fire equipment may need access to these roads in an emergency.''

Did you know?

•Five ATV riders were cited recently for driving in the Kettle River and tearing up the stream bed. The ATVers said they were just "cooling off."