The bear hunt began in Minnesota on Thursday, September 1 and continues through October 16. Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joined me at WJON. He says that most of the bears shot in Minnesota are shot the first 2 weekends of the season. Schmitt says they’ll have a pretty good idea early in the season of what the season will look like. Schmitt explains that while more bears are being seen in central Minnesota lately, most bears are found and shot in northern Minnesota. Bear hunting information from the Minnesota DNR below.
| Lottery Application Deadline | May 6th |
| Winner notification | May 20th |
| licenses for sale | June 1 |
| License Purchase Deadline | August 1 |
| Unsold licenses available | Noon on August 4 |
| Area 451 licenses available | August 5 |
| Available permissions | List by permit area |
| start the bait | August 12 |
| Hunt | September 1 – October 16 |
licenses
| Residentover 18 years old: $45 (includes fee) |
| Non-residentover 18 years old: $231 (includes fee) |
| Ages 13-17regardless of residency: $6 (includes fee) |
| ages 10-12regardless of residence: $1 issuance fee |
Limits and requirements
| quota areas | One adult bear per licensed hunter; includes permit area 451 |
| Zone without fee | One adult bear per licensed hunter |
| All areas | Successful hunters must submit a dental sample |
| Don’t shoot collared bears |
Fall fishing may be the best. Glen Schmitt says it’s the best food for fish during the fall. He explains that the fish know that winter is coming and that it is only a matter of time before the lakes are covered in ice. Schmitt says the fish understand that the days are getting shorter and make adjustments to feed more frequently in order to gain weight for the winter. He says that everything that is happening this fall is building towards spawning next spring. Schmitt says that no matter what you’re catching in the fall, that’s when you’ll find your biggest fish.
If you’d like to hear my full conversation with Glen Schmitt, it’s available below.